Genesis 41:30

30 But after those seven years, there will come seven years of hunger, and all the food that grew in the land of Egypt will be forgotten. The time of hunger will eat up the land.

Genesis 41:30 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 41:30

And there shall arise after them seven years of famine
Which might be occasioned by the river Nile not rising so high as to overflow its banks, as, when it did not rise to more than twelve cubits, a famine ensued, as the above writer says ^F14; and it must be owing to the overruling providence of God that this should be the case for seven years running: and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt;
the seven years of plenty being all spent, it should be as if it never was; the minds of men would be so intent upon their present distressed case and circumstances, that they should wholly forget how it had been with them in time past; or it would be as if they had never enjoyed it, or were never the better for it: this answers to and explains how it was with the ill favoured kine, when they had eaten up the fat kine; they seemed never the better, nor could it be known by their appearance that they had so done: and the famine shall consume the land:
the inhabitants of it, and all the fruits and increase of it the former years produced.

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FOOTNOTES:

F14 Nat Hist. l. 5. c. 9.

Genesis 41:30 In-Context

28 This will happen as I told you. God is showing the king what he is about to do.

29 You will have seven years of good crops and plenty to eat in all the land of Egypt.

30 But after those seven years, there will come seven years of hunger, and all the food that grew in the land of Egypt will be forgotten. The time of hunger will eat up the land.

31 People will forget what it was like to have plenty of food, because the hunger that follows will be so great.

32 You had two dreams which mean the same thing. This shows that God has firmly decided that this will happen, and he will make it happen soon.