Genesis 41:12-22

12 "Now a Hebrew youth was with us there, a 1servant of the captain of the bodyguard, and we related them to him, and 2he interpreted our dreams for us. To each one he interpreted according to his own dream.
13 "And just 3as he interpreted for us, so it happened; he restored me in my office, but he hanged him."

Joseph Interprets

14 Then Pharaoh sent and 4called for Joseph, and they 5hurriedly brought him out of the dungeon; and when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came to Pharaoh.
15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I have had a dream, 6but no one can interpret it; and 7I have heard it said about you, that when you hear a dream you can interpret it."
16 Joseph then answered Pharaoh, saying, "8It is not in me; 9God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer."
17 So Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, "In my dream, behold, I was standing on the bank of the Nile;
18 and behold, seven cows, fat and sleek came up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the marsh grass.
19 "Lo, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and gaunt *, such as I had never seen for ugliness in all the land of Egypt;
20 and the lean and ugly cows ate up the first seven fat cows.
21 "Yet when they had devoured * them, it could not be detected that they had devoured * them, for they were just as ugly as before. Then I awoke.
22 "I saw also in my dream, and behold, seven ears, full and good, came up on a single stalk;

Genesis 41:12-22 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 9

  • 1. Genesis 37:36
  • 2. Genesis 40:12
  • 3. Genesis 40:21, 22
  • 4. Psalms 105:20
  • 5. Daniel 2:25
  • 6. Genesis 41:8
  • 7. Daniel 5:16
  • 8. Daniel 2:30; Zechariah 4:6; Acts 3:12; 2 Corinthians 3:5
  • 9. Genesis 40:8; Genesis 41:25, 28, 32; Deuteronomy 29:29; Daniel 2:22, 28, 47

Footnotes 14

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