Genesis 41:36-46

36 And let the food be as store for the land for the seven years of famine, which will be in the land of Egypt, that the land perish not through the famine.
37 And the word was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his bondmen.
38 And Pharaoh said to his bondmen, Shall we find [one] as this, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?
39 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, Since God has made all this known to thee, there is none [so] discreet and wise as thou.
40 Thou shalt be over my house, and according to thy commandment shall all my people regulate themselves; only concerning the throne will I be greater than thou.
41 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.
42 And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it on Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in clothes of byssus, and put a gold chain on his neck.
43 And he caused him to ride in the second chariot that he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee! and he set him over all the land of Egypt.
44 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, I am Pharaoh; and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt.
45 And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnath-paaneah, and gave him as wife Asnath the daughter of Potipherah the priest in On. And Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.
46 And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from Pharaoh, and passed through the whole land of Egypt.

Genesis 41:36-46 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Footnotes 6

  • [a]. Lit. 'be not cut off.'
  • [b]. Or 'the spirit of the gods.'
  • [c]. Lit. 'mouth.'
  • [d]. Fine Egyptian cotton or linen, see Ex. 25.4 and 39.28
  • [e]. Or 'rejoice thou.'
  • [f]. In Egyptian, 'Saviour of the world,' or 'Sustainer of life.' In Hebrew, 'Revealer of secrets.'
The Darby Translation is in the public domain.