Genesis 41:1-9

1 Two years later the king dreamed he was standing on the bank of the Nile River.

2 He saw seven fat and beautiful cows come up out of the river, and they stood there, eating the grass.

3 Then seven more cows came up out of the river, but they were thin and ugly. They stood beside the seven beautiful cows on the bank of the Nile.

4 The seven thin and ugly cows ate the seven beautiful fat cows. Then the king woke up.

5 The king slept again and dreamed a second time. In his dream he saw seven full and good heads of grain growing on one stalk.

6 After that, seven more heads of grain sprang up, but they were thin and burned by the hot east wind.

7 The thin heads of grain ate the seven full and good heads. Then the king woke up again, and he realized it was only a dream.

8 The next morning the king was troubled about these dreams, so he sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. The king told them his dreams, but no one could explain their meaning to him.

9 Then the chief officer who served wine to the king said to him, "Now I remember something I promised to do, but I forgot about it.

Genesis 41:1-9 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.