Genesis 41:1-13

Pharaoh's Dream

1 Now it happened at the end of two full years that Pharaoh had a dream, and behold, he was standing by the Nile.

2 And lo, from the Nile there came up seven cows, sleek and fat; and they grazed in the ¹marsh grass.

3 Then behold, seven other cows came up after them from the Nile, ugly and gaunt *, and they stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile.

4 The ugly and gaunt * cows ate up the seven sleek and fat cows. Then Pharaoh awoke.

5 He fell asleep and dreamed a second time; and behold, seven ears of grain came up on a single stalk, plump and good.

6 Then behold, seven ears, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them.

7 The thin ears swallowed up the seven plump and full ears. Then Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream.

8 Now in the morning ²his spirit was troubled, so he sent and called for all the ³magicians of Egypt, and all its ⁴wise men. And Pharaoh told them his dreams, but ⁵there was no one who could interpret them to Pharaoh.

9 Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, "I would make mention today of ⁶my own offenses.

10 "Pharaoh was ⁷furious with his servants, and ⁸he put me in confinement in the house of the captain of the bodyguard, both me and the chief baker.

11 "⁹We had a dream on the same night, he and I; each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream.

12 "Now a Hebrew youth was with us there, a ¹⁰servant of the captain of the bodyguard, and we related them to him, and ¹¹he interpreted our dreams for us. To each one he interpreted according to his own dream.

13 "And just ¹²as he interpreted for us, so it happened; he restored me in my office, but he hanged him."

Genesis 41:1-13 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.

Cross References

• 1. Job 8:11; Isaiah 19:6, 7
• 2. Daniel 2:1, 3
• 3. Exodus 7:11, 22; Daniel 1:20; Daniel 2:2
• 4. Matthew 2:1
• 5. Daniel 2:27; Daniel 4:7
• 6. Genesis 40:14, 23
• 7. Genesis 40:2, 3
• 8. Genesis 39:20
• 9. Genesis 40:5
• 10. Genesis 37:36
• 11. Genesis 40:12
• 12. Genesis 40:21, 22

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "fat of flesh"
• [b]. Lit "lean of flesh"
• [c]. Lit "lean of flesh"
• [d]. Or "soothsayer priests"
• [e]. Lit "dream"
• [f]. Or "sins"
• [g]. Lit "one night"
• [h]. Lit "I and he"
• [i]. Lit "place"