Genesis 41:1-6

Joseph Interprets Pharaoh’s Dreams

1 And it happened [that] after {two full years} Pharaoh dreamed, and behold, he was standing by the Nile.

2 And behold, seven cows, {well built and fat}, were coming up from the Nile, and they grazed among the reeds.

3 And behold, seven other cows came up after them from the Nile, {ugly and gaunt}, and they stood beside those cows on the bank of the Nile.

4 And the {ugly and gaunt} cows ate the seven {well built and fat} cows. Then Pharaoh awoke.

5 And he fell asleep and dreamed a second time, and behold, seven ears of grain, plump and good, were coming out of one stalk.

6 And behold, seven thin ears of grain, scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them.

Genesis 41:1-6 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "two years of days"
• [b]. Literally "beautiful of appearance and healthy of flesh"
• [c]. Literally "Poor of appearance and thin of flesh"
• [d]. Or "the"
• [e]. Literally "Poor of appearance and thin of flesh"
• [f]. Literally "beautiful of appearance and healthy of flesh"