Bereshis 41:30

30 And there shall arise after them sheva shnei ra’av (seven years of famine) and kol hasava (all abundance) shall be forgotten in Eretz Mitzrayim; and the ra’av (famine) shall consume the land;

Bereshis 41:30 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 41:30

And there shall arise after them seven years of famine
Which might be occasioned by the river Nile not rising so high as to overflow its banks, as, when it did not rise to more than twelve cubits, a famine ensued, as the above writer says F14; and it must be owing to the overruling providence of God that this should be the case for seven years running: and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt;
the seven years of plenty being all spent, it should be as if it never was; the minds of men would be so intent upon their present distressed case and circumstances, that they should wholly forget how it had been with them in time past; or it would be as if they had never enjoyed it, or were never the better for it: this answers to and explains how it was with the ill favoured kine, when they had eaten up the fat kine; they seemed never the better, nor could it be known by their appearance that they had so done: and the famine shall consume the land:
the inhabitants of it, and all the fruits and increase of it the former years produced.


FOOTNOTES:

F14 Nat Hist. l. 5. c. 9.

Bereshis 41:30 In-Context

28 This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh; What HaElohim is about to do He showeth unto Pharaoh.
29 Hinei, there come sheva shanim of sava gadol (great fullness, plenty, abundance) throughout kol Eretz Mitzrayim.
30 And there shall arise after them sheva shnei ra’av (seven years of famine) and kol hasava (all abundance) shall be forgotten in Eretz Mitzrayim; and the ra’av (famine) shall consume the land;
31 And the sava shall not be known in the land by reason of that ra’av (famine) following; for it shall be kaved me’od (very grievous).
32 And for that the chalom was doubled unto Pharaoh; it is because the thing is [decidedly] established by HaElohim, and HaElohim will shortly bring it to pass.
The Orthodox Jewish Bible fourth edition, OJB. Copyright 2002,2003,2008,2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International. All rights reserved.