Genesis 41:1-12

1 And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed; and behold, he stood by the river.

2 And behold, there came up out of the river seven wellfavored cows, and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow.

3 And behold, seven other cows came up after them out of the river, illfavored and leanfleshed, and stood by the other cows upon the brink of the river.

4 And the illfavored and leanfleshed cows ate up the seven wellfavored and fat cows. So Pharaoh awoke.

5 And he slept and dreamed the second time; and behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good.

6 And behold, seven thin ears, blasted with the east wind sprang up after them.

7 And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream.

8 And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof. And Pharaoh told them his dream, but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.

9 Then spoke the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, "I do remember my faults this day.

10 Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me under guard in the captain of the guard's house, both me and the chief baker.

11 And we dreamed a dream one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.

12 And there was there with us a young man, a Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams. To each man according to his dream he did interpret.

Genesis 41:1-12 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.