Chuàngshìjì 41

1 Guò le liǎng nián , fǎlǎo zuòmèng , mèng jiàn zìjǐ zhàn zaì hé biān ,

2 Yǒu qī zhǐ mǔ niú cóng hé lǐ shàng lái , yòu mĕihǎo yòu féizhuàng , zaì lú dí zhōng chī cǎo .

3 Suíhòu yòu yǒu qī zhǐ mǔ niú cóng hé lǐ shàng lái , yòu chǒu lòu yòu gàn shòu , yǔ nà qī zhǐ mǔ niú yītóng zhàn zaì hé biān .

4 Zhè yòu chǒu lòu yòu gān shòu de qī zhǐ mǔ niú chī jìn le nà yòu mĕihǎo yòu féizhuàng de qī zhǐ mǔ niú . fǎlǎo jiù xǐng le .

5 Tā yòu shuì zhe , dì èr huí zuòmèng , mèng jiàn yī kē maìzi cháng le qī gè suì zǐ , yòu féi dà yòu jiā mĕi ,

6 Suíhòu yòu zhǎng le qī gè suì zǐ , yòu xì ruò yòu beì dōng fēng chuī jiāo le .

7 Zhè xì ruò de suì zǐ tūn le nà qī gè yòu féi dà yòu bǎo mǎn de suì zǐ . fǎlǎo xǐng le , búliào shì gè mèng .

8 Dào le zǎochen , fǎlǎo xīnli bù ān , jiù chāi rén shào le Āijí suǒyǒude shùshì hé bóshì lái . fǎlǎo jiù bǎ suǒ zuò de mèng gàosu tāmen , què méiyǒu rén néng gĕi fǎlǎo yuán jiè .

9 Nàshí jiǔ zhèng duì fǎlǎo shuō , wǒ jīnrì xiǎngqǐ wǒde zuì lái .

10 Cóng qián fǎlǎo nǎonù chénpú , bǎ wǒ hé shàn zhǎng xià zaì hùwèi zhǎng fǔ bù de jiānlǐ .

11 Wǒmen èr rén tóng yè gè zuò yī mèng , gè mèng dōu yǒu jiǎngjiĕ .

12 Zaì nàli tóng zhe wǒmen yǒu yī gè Xībólái de shàonián rén , shì hùwèi cháng de púrén , wǒmen gàosu tā , tā jiù bǎ wǒmen de mèng yuán jiè , shì àn zhe gèrén de mèng yuán jiè de .

13 Hòulái zhèng rú tā gĕi wǒmen yuán jiè de chéngjiù le . wǒ guān fù yuán zhí , shàn cháng beì guà qǐlai le .

14 Fǎlǎo suí jí chāi rén qù shào Yūesè , tāmen biàn jímáng daì tā chū jiàn , tā jiù tì tóu , guāliǎn , huàn yīshang , jìn dào fǎlǎo miànqián .

15 Fǎlǎo duì Yūesè shuō , wǒ zuò le yī mèng , méiyǒu rén néng jiè . wǒ tīngjian rén shuō , nǐ tīng le mèng jiù néng jiè .

16 Yūesè huídá fǎlǎo shuō , zhè bù zaìhu wǒ , shén bìjiāng píngān de huà huídá fǎlǎo .

17 Fǎlǎo duì Yūesè shuō , wǒ mèng jiàn wǒ zhàn zaì hé bian ,

18 Yǒu qī zhǐ mǔ niú cóng hé lǐ shàng lái , yòu féizhuàng yòu mĕihǎo , zaì lú dí zhōng chī cǎo .

19 Suíhòu yòu yǒu qī zhǐ mǔ niú shàng lái , yòu ruǎnfuò yòu chǒu lòu yòu gàn shòu , zaì Āijí biàn dì , wǒ méiyǒu jiàn guò zhèyàng bù hǎo de .

20 Zhè yòu gàn shòu yòu chǒu lòu de mǔ niú chī jìn le nà yǐ xiān de qī zhǐ féi mǔ niú ,

21 Chī le yǐhòu què kàn bù chū shì chī le , nà chǒu lòu de yàngzi réngjiù hé xiānqián yíyàng . wǒ jiù xǐng le .

22 Wǒ yòu mèng jiàn yī kē maìzi , zhǎng le qī gè suì zǐ , yòu bǎo mǎn yòu jiā mĕi ,

23 Suíhòu yòu cháng le qī gè suì zǐ , kū gǎo xì ruò , beì dōng fēng chuī jiāo le .

24 Zhèxie xì ruò de suì zǐ tūn le nà qī gè jiā mĕi de suì zǐ . wǒ jiàng zhè mèng gàosu le shùshì , què méiyǒu rén néng gĕi wǒ jiĕ shuō .

25 Yūesè duì fǎlǎo shuō , fǎlǎo de mèng nǎi shì yī gè . shén yǐ jiàng suǒ yào zuò de shì zhǐshì fǎlǎo le .

26 Qī zhǐhǎo mǔ niú shì qī nián , qī gè hǎo suì zǐ yĕ shì qī nián . zhè mèng nǎi shì yī gè .

27 Nà suíhòu shàng lái de qī zhǐ yòu gàn shòu yòu chǒu lòu de mǔ niú shì qī nián , nà qī gè xū kōng , beì dōng fēng chuī jiāo de suì zǐ yĕ shì qī nián , dōu shì qī gè huāng nián .

28 Zhè jiù shì wǒ duì fǎlǎo suǒ shuō , shén yǐ jiàng suǒ yào zuò de shì xiǎnmíng gĕi fǎlǎo le .

29 Āijí biàn dì bì lái qī gè dà fēng nián ,

30 Suíhòu yòu yào lái qī gè huāng nián , shènzhì Āijí dì dōu wàng le xiānqián de fēng shōu , quán dì bì beì jīhuāng suǒ miè .

31 Yīn nà yǐhòu de jīhuāng shén dà , biàn bú juéde xiānqián de fēng shōu le .

32 Zhìyú fǎlǎo liǎng huí zuòmèng , shì yīn shén méngdéng zhè shì , érqiĕ bì sù sù chéngjiù .

33 Suǒyǐ , fǎlǎo dàng jiǎnxuǎn yī gè yǒu cōngming yǒu zhìhuì de rén , paì tā zhìlǐ Āijí dì .

34 Fǎlǎo dàng zhèyàng xíng , yòu paì guān yuán guǎnlǐ zhè dì . dàng qī gè fēng nián de shíhou , zhēngshōu Āijí dì de wǔ fèn ...zhīyī ,

35 Jiào tāmen bǎ jiānglái fēng nián yīqiè de liángshi jùliǎn qǐlai , jīxù wǔgǔ , shōu cún zaì gè chéng lǐ zuò shíwù , guīyú fǎlǎo de shǒu xià .

36 Suǒ jīxù de liángshi kĕyǐ fángbeì Āijí dì jiānglái de qī gè huāng nián , miǎndé zhè dì beì jīhuāng suǒ miè .

37 Fǎlǎo hé tā yīqiè chénpú dōu yǐ zhè shì wèi miào .

38 Fǎlǎo duì chénpú shuō , xiàng zhèyàng de rén , yǒu shén de líng zaì tā lǐtou , wǒmen qǐnéng zhǎo de zhe ne ,

39 Fǎlǎo duì Yūesè shuō , shén jì jiàng zhè shì dōu zhǐshì nǐ , kè jiàn méiyǒu rén xiàng nǐ zhèyàng yǒu cōngming yǒu zhìhuì .

40 Nǐ kĕyǐ zhǎng guǎn wǒde jiā . wǒde mín dōu bì tīng cóng nǐde huà . wéidú zaì bǎozuò shàng wǒ bǐ nǐ dà .

41 Fǎlǎo yòu duì Yūesè shuō , wǒ paì nǐ zhìlǐ Āijí quán dì .

42 Fǎlǎo jiù zhāi xià shǒu shàng dǎ yìn de jièzhi , daì zaì Yūesè de shǒu shàng , gĕi tā chuān shàng xì má yǐ , bǎ jīn liàn daì zaì tāde jǐngxiàng shàng ,

43 Yòu jiào Yūesè zuò tāde fù chē , hè dào de zaì qián hūjiào shuō , guì xià . zhèyàng , fǎlǎo paì tā zhìlǐ Āijí quán dì .

44 Fǎlǎo duì Yūesè shuō , wǒ shì fǎlǎo , zaì Āijí quán dì , ruò méiyǒu nǐde mìnglìng , bù xǔ rén shàn zì bàn shì ( yuánwén zuò dòngshǒu dòng jiǎo ) .

45 Fǎlǎo cì míng gĕi Yūesè , jiào Sāfānàtèbāneìyà , yòu jiàng Ānchéng de jìsī Bōtífēilā de nǚér Yàxīnà gĕi tā wéi qì . Yūesè jiù chū qù xún xíng Āijí dì .

46 Yūesè jiàn Āijí wáng fǎlǎo de shíhou nián sān shí suì . tā cóng fǎlǎo miànqián chū qù , biàn xíng Āijí quán dì .

47 Qī gè fēng nián zhī neì , dì de chūchǎn jí fēng jí shèng ( yuánwén zuò yī bǎ yī bǎ de ) ,

48 Yūesè jùliǎn Āijí dì qī gè fēng nián yīqiè de liángshi , bǎ liángshi jīcún zaì gè chéng lǐ . gè chéng zhōuwéi tiándì de liángshi dōu jīcún zaì bĕn chéng lǐ .

49 Yūesè jīxù wǔgǔ shèn duō , rútóng hǎi bian de shā , wúfǎ jìsuàn , yīnwei gǔ bùkĕ shèng shǔ.

50 Huāng nián wèi dào yǐqián , Ānchéng de jìsī Bōtífēilā de nǚér Yàxīnà gĕi Yūesè shēng le liǎng gè érzi .

51 Yūesè gĕi zhǎngzǐ qǐmíng jiào Mǎnáxī ( jiù shì shǐ zhī wàng le de yìsi ) , yīnwei tā shuō , shén shǐ wǒ wàng le yīqiè de kùnkǔ hé wǒ fù de quán jiā .

52 Tā gĕi cì zǐ qǐmíng jiào Yǐfǎlián ( jiù shì shǐ zhī chāngshèng de yìsi ) , yīnwei tā shuō , shén shǐ wǒ zaì shòu kǔ de dìfang chāngshèng .

53 Āijí dì de qī gè fēng nián yī wán ,

54 Qī gè huāng nián jiù lái le . zhèng rú Yūesè suǒ shuō de , gè dì dōu yǒu jīhuāng . wéidú Āijí quán dì yǒu liángshi .

55 Jízhì Āijí quán dì yǒu le jīhuāng , zhòng mín xiàng fǎlǎo āi qiú liángshi , fǎlǎo duì tāmen shuō , nǐmen wǎng Yūesè nàli qù , fán tā suǒ shuō de , nǐmen dōu yào zuò .

56 Dāngshí jīhuāng biàn mǎn tiān xià , Yūesè kāi le gè chǔ de cāng , tiào liáng gĕi Āijí rén . zaì Āijí dì jīhuāng shèn dà .

57 Gè dì de rén dōu wàng Āijí qù , dào Yūesè nàli dí liáng , yīnwei tiān xià de jīhuāng shèn dà .

Chuàngshìjì 41 Commentary

Chapter 41

Pharaoh's dreams. (1-8) Joseph interprets Pharaoh's dreams. (9-32) Joseph's counsel, He is highly advanced. (33-45) Joseph's children, The beginning of the famine. (46-57)

Verses 1-8 The means of Joseph's being freed from prison were Pharaoh's dreams, as here related. Now that God no longer speaks to us in that way, it is no matter how little we either heed dreams, or tell them. The telling of foolish dreams can make no better than foolish talk. But these dreams showed that they were sent of God; when he awoke, Pharaoh's spirit was troubled.

Verses 9-32 God's time for the enlargement of his people is the fittest time. If the chief butler had got Joseph to be released from prison, it is probable he would have gone back to the land of the Hebrews. Then he had neither been so blessed himself, nor such a blessing to his family, as afterwards he proved. Joseph, when introduced to Pharaoh, gives honour to God. Pharaoh had dreamed that he stood upon the bank of the river Nile, and saw the kine, both the fat ones, and the lean ones, come out of the river. Egypt has no rain, but the plenty of the year depends upon the overflowing of the river Nile. See how many ways Providence has of dispensing its gifts; yet our dependence is still the same upon the First Cause, who makes every creature what it is to us, be it rain or river. See to what changes the comforts of this life are subject. We cannot be sure that to-morrow shall be as this day, or next year as this. We must learn how to want, as well as how to abound. Mark the goodness of God in sending the seven years of plenty before those of famine, that provision might be made. The produce of the earth is sometimes more, and sometimes less; yet, take one with another, he that gathers much, has nothing over; and he that gathers little, has no lack, ( Exodus 16:18 ) . And see the perishing nature of our worldly enjoyments. The great harvests of the years of plenty were quite lost, and swallowed up in the years of famine; and that which seemed very much, yet did but just serve to keep the people alive. There is bread which lasts to eternal life, which it is worth while to labour for. They that make the things of this world their good things, will find little pleasure in remembering that they have received them.

Verses 33-45 Joseph gave good advice to Pharaoh. Fair warning should always be followed by good counsel. God has in his word told us of a day of trial before us, when we shall need all the grace we can have. Now, therefore, provide accordingly. Pharaoh gave Joseph an honourable testimony. He is a man in whom the spirit of God is; and such men ought to be valued. Pharaoh puts upon Joseph marks of honour. He gave him such a name as spoke the value he had for him, Zaphnath-paaneah, "a revealer of secrets." This preferment of Joseph encourages all to trust in God. Some translate Joseph's new name, "the saviour of the world." The brightest glories, even of the upper world, are put upon Christ, the highest trust lodged in his hand, and all power given him, both in heaven and earth.

Verses 46-57 In the names of his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, Joseph owned the Divine providence. 1. He was made to forget his misery. 2. He was made fruitful in the land of his affliction. The seven plenteous years came, and were ended. We ought to look forward to the end of the days, both of our prosperity and of our opportunity. We must not be secure in prosperity, nor slothful in making good use of opportunity. Years of plenty will end; what thy hand finds to do, do it; and gather in gathering time. The dearth came, and the famine was not only in Egypt, but in other lands. Joseph was diligent in laying up, while the plenty lasted. He was prudent and careful in giving out, when the famine came. Joseph was engaged in useful and important labours. Yet it was in the midst of this his activity that his father Jacob said, Joseph is not! What a large portion of our troubles would be done away if we knew the whole truth! Let these events lead us to Jesus. There is a famine of the bread of life throughout the whole earth. Go to Jesus, and what he bids you, do. Attend to His voice, apply to him; he will open his treasures, and satisfy with goodness the hungry soul of every age and nation, without money and without price. But those who slight this provision must starve, and his enemies will be destroyed.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 41

In this chapter are related Pharaoh's dreams, which his magicians could not interpret, Ge 41:1-9, upon which the chief butler now remembering Joseph, recommended him to Pharaoh as an interpreter, having had an happy experience of him as such himself, Ge 41:10-13, when Joseph was sent for out of prison; and Pharaoh having related his dreams, he interpreted them of seven years of plenty, and seven years of famine, that should be in the land of Egypt, Ge 41:14-32; and having done, he gave his advice to provide in the years of plenty against the years of famine, and proposed a scheme for doing it, which was approved of by Pharaoh and his ministers, Ge 41:33-37; and Joseph himself was pitched upon as the most proper person to execute it, and was appointed chief over the kingdom next to Pharaoh, who gave him a new name and a wife upon this occasion, Ge 41:38-45; accordingly, in the years of plenty he took a tour throughout the whole land, and gathered and laid up food in vast quantities in every city, Ge 41:46-49; an account is given of two sons born to Joseph, and of their names, Ge 41:50-52; and of the seven years of famine, beginning to come on at the end of the seven years of plenty, which brought great distress on the land of Egypt, and the countries round about, who all came to Joseph to buy corn, Ge 41:53-57.