Genesis 41:18-28

18 I saw seven fat and beautiful cows that came up out of the river and ate the grass.

19 Then I saw seven more cows come out of the river that were thin and lean and ugly -- the worst looking cows I have seen in all the land of Egypt.

20 And these thin and ugly cows ate the first seven fat cows,

21 but after they had eaten the seven cows, no one could tell they had eaten them. They looked just as thin and ugly as they did in the beginning. Then I woke up.

22 "I had another dream. I saw seven full and good heads of grain growing on one stalk.

23 Then seven more heads of grain sprang up after them, but these heads were thin and ugly and were burned by the hot east wind.

24 Then the thin heads ate the seven good heads. I told this dream to the magicians, but no one could explain its meaning to me."

25 Then Joseph said to the king, "Both of these dreams mean the same thing. God is telling you what he is about to do.

26 The seven good cows stand for seven years, and the seven good heads of grain stand for seven years. Both dreams mean the same thing.

27 The seven thin and ugly cows stand for seven years, and the seven thin heads of grain burned by the hot east wind stand for seven years of hunger.

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

Genesis 41:18-28 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.