Genesis 41:19-29

19 Seven other cows came up behind them. These cows were scrawny, very sick, and thin. I've never seen such sickly cows in all of Egypt!

20 The thin, sickly cows ate up the seven well-fed ones.

21 Even though they had eaten them, no one could tell they had eaten them. They looked just as sick as before. Then I woke up.

22 "In my second dream I saw seven good, full heads of grain growing on a single stalk.

23 Seven other heads of grain, withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind, sprouted behind them.

24 The thin heads of grain swallowed the seven good heads. I told this to the magicians, but no one could tell me what it meant."

25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, "Pharaoh had the same dream twice. God has told Pharaoh what he's going to do.

26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years. It's all the same dream.

27 The seven thin, sickly cows that came up behind them are seven years. The seven empty heads of grain scorched by the east wind are also seven years. Seven years of famine are coming.

28 "It's just as I said to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what he's going to do.

29 Seven years are coming when there will be plenty of food in Egypt.

Genesis 41:19-29 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.