Genesis 41:15-25

15 Pharaoh said to Yosef, "I had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it; but I've heard it said about you that when you hear a dream, you can interpret it."

16 Yosef answered Pharaoh, "It isn't in me. God will give Pharaoh an answer that will set his mind at peace."

17 Pharaoh said to Yosef, "In my dream, I stood at the edge of the river;

18 and there came up out of the river seven cows, fat and sleek; and they began feeding in the swamp grass.

19 After them, there came up out of the river seven more cows, poor, miserable-looking and lean -I've never seen such bad-looking cows in all the land of Egypt!

20 Then the lean and miserablelooking cows ate up the first seven fat cows.

21 But after they had eaten them up, one couldn't tell that they had eaten them; because they were as miserable-looking as before. At this point I woke up.

22 But I dreamed again and saw seven full, ripe ears of grain growing out of a single stalk.

23 After them, seven ears, thin and blasted by the east wind, sprang up.

24 And the thin ears swallowed up the seven ripe ears. I told this to the magicians, but none of them could explain it to me."

25 Yosef said to Pharaoh, "The dreams of Pharaoh are the same: God has told Pharaoh what he is about to do.

Genesis 41:15-25 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.