Genesis 41:1-8

1 Now after two years had gone by, Pharaoh had a dream; and in his dream he was by the side of the Nile;

2 And out of the Nile came seven cows, good-looking and fat, and their food was the river-grass.

3 And after them seven other cows came out of the Nile, poor-looking and thin; and they were by the side of the other cows.

4 And the seven thin cows made a meal of the seven fat cows. Then Pharaoh came out of his sleep.

5 But he went to sleep again and had a second dream, in which he saw seven heads of grain, full and good, all on one stem.

6 And after them came up seven other heads, thin and wasted by the east wind.

7 And the seven thin heads made a meal of the good heads. And when Pharaoh was awake he saw it was a dream.

8 And in the morning his spirit was troubled; and he sent for all the wise men of Egypt and all the holy men, and put his dream before them, but no one was able to give him the sense of it.

Genesis 41:1-8 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.