Genesis 41:9-32

9 Then the chief butler spoke to Par`oh, saying, "I remember my faults today.

10 Par`oh was angry with his servants, and put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, me and the chief baker.

11 We dreamed a dream in one night, I and he. We dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.

12 There was with us there 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.

13 It happened, as he interpreted to us, so it was: me he restored to my office, and him he hanged."

14 Then Par`oh sent and called Yosef, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon. He shaved himself, changed his clothing, and came in to Par`oh.

15 Par`oh said to Yosef, "I have dreamed a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you, that when you hear a dream you can interpret it."

16 Yosef answered Par`oh, saying, "It isn't in me: God will give Par`oh an answer of shalom."

17 Par`oh spoke to Yosef, "In my dream, behold, I stood on the brink of the river:

18 and, behold, there came up out of the river seven cattle, fat-fleshed and well-favored. They fed in the reed-grass,

19 and, behold, seven other cattle came up after them, poor and very ill-favored and lean-fleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Mitzrayim for badness.

20 The lean and ill-favored cattle ate up the first seven fat cattle,

21 and when they had eaten them up, it couldn't be known that they had eaten them, but they were still ill-favored, as at the beginning. So I awoke.

22 I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up on one stalk, full and good:

23 and, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them.

24 The thin ears swallowed up the seven good ears. I told it to the magicians; but there was no one who could explain it to me."

25 Yosef said to Par`oh, "The dream of Par`oh is one. What God is about to do he has declared to Par`oh.

26 The seven good cattle are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years. The dream is one.

27 The seven lean and ill-favored cattle that came up after them are seven years, and also the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind; they will be seven years of famine.

28 That is the thing which I spoke to Par`oh. What God is about to do he has shown to Par`oh.

29 Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Mitzrayim.

30 There will arise after them seven years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Mitzrayim. The famine will consume the land,

31 and the plenty will not be known in the land by reason of that famine which follows; for it will be very grievous.

32 The dream was doubled to Par`oh, because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.

Genesis 41:9-32 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.