Genesis 41:46-54

46 Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout Egypt.
47 During the seven years of abundance the land produced plentifully.
48 Joseph collected all the food produced in those seven years of abundance in Egypt and stored it in the cities. In each city he put the food grown in the fields surrounding it.
49 Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand of the sea; it was so much that he stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure.
50 Before the years of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.
51 Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh[a] and said, “It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.”
52 The second son he named Ephraim[b] and said, “It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.”
53 The seven years of abundance in Egypt came to an end,
54 and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all the other lands, but in the whole land of Egypt there was food.

Genesis 41:46-54 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 12

  • 1. S Genesis 37:2
  • 2. 1 Samuel 8:11; 1 Samuel 16:21; Proverbs 22:29; Daniel 1:19
  • 3. ver 29
  • 4. S ver 34
  • 5. S Genesis 12:2
  • 6. S ver 45; Genesis 46:20; Genesis 48:5
  • 7. Ge 48:14,18,20; Genesis 49:3
  • 8. Genesis 46:20; Genesis 48:1; Genesis 50:23; Numbers 1:34; Deuteronomy 33:17; Joshua 4:12; Joshua 17:1; 1 Chronicles 7:14
  • 9. Genesis 46:20; Genesis 48:1,5; Genesis 50:23; Numbers 1:32; Numbers 26:28; Deuteronomy 33:17; Joshua 14:4; Judges 5:14; 1 Chronicles 7:20; 2 Chronicles 30:1; Psalms 60:7; Jeremiah 7:15; Obadiah 1:19
  • 10. S Genesis 17:6; Genesis 28:3; Genesis 49:22
  • 11. S Genesis 12:10
  • 12. ver 30; Psalms 105:11; Acts 7:11

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. "Manasseh" sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for "forget."
  • [b]. "Ephraim" sounds like the Hebrew for "twice fruitful."
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