Genesis 41

1 And it fortuned at .ij. yeres end that Pharao dreamed and thought that he stode by a ryuers syde and that there came out of the ryver

2 .vij. goodly kyne and fatt fleshed and fedd in a medowe.

3 And him though that .vij. other kyne came vp after them out of the ryver euelfauored and leane fleshed and stode by the other vpon the brynke of the ryuer.

4 And the evill favored and Ienefleshed kyne ate vp the .vij. welfauored and fatt kyne: and be awoke their with.

5 And he slepte agayne and dreamed the second tyme that .vij. eares of corne grewe apon one stalke rancke and goodly.

6 And that .vij. thynne eares blasted with the wynde spronge vp after them:

7 and that the .vij. thynne eares deuowrerd the .vij. rancke and full eares. And than Pharao awaked: and se here is his dreame.

8 When the mornynge came his sprete was troubled And he sent and casted for all the soythsayers of Egypte and all the wyse men there of and told them his dreame: but there was none of them that coude interpretate it vnto Pharao.

9 Than spake the chefe buttelar vnto Pharao saynge. I do remembre my fawte this daye.

10 Pharao was angrie with his servauntes and put in warde in the chefe marshals house both me and the chefe baker.

11 And we dreamed both of vs in one nyght and ech mannes dreame of a sondrye interpretation.

12 And there was with vs a yonge man an Hebrue borne servaunte vnto the chefe marshall. And we told him and he declared oure dreames to vs acordynge to ether of oure dreames.

13 And as he declared them vnto vs euen so it came to passe. I was restored to myne office agayne and he was hanged.

14 Than Pharao sent and called Ioseph. And they made him haste out of preson. And he shaued him self and chaunged his rayment and went in to Pharao.

15 And Pharao sayde vnto Ioseph: I haue dreamed a dreame and no man ca interpretate it but I haue herde saye of the yt as soon as thou hearest a dreame thou dost interpretate it.

16 And Ioseph answered Pharao saynge: God shall geue Pharao an answere of peace without me.

17 Pharao sayde vnto Ioseph: in my dreame me thought I stode by a ryvers syde and there came out of the ryver

18 vij fatt fleshed ad well fauored kyne and fedd in the medowe.

19 And then .vij. other kyne came vp after them poore and very euell fauored ad leane fleshed: so that I neuer sawe their lyke in all the lande of Egipte in euell fauordnesse.

20 And the .vij. leane and euell fauored kyne ate vpp the first .vij. fatt kyne

21 And when they had eaten them vp a man cowde not perceaue that they had eate them: for they were still as evyll fauored as they were at the begynnynge. And I awoke.

22 And I sawe agayne in my dreame .vij. eares sprynge out of one stalk full and good

23 and .vij. other eares wytherd thinne and blasted with wynde sprynge vp after them.

24 And the thynne eares deuowred the .vij. good cares. And I haue tolde it vnto the sothsayers but no man can tell me what it meaneth.

25 Then Ioseph sayde vnto Pharao: both Pharaos dreames are one. And god doth shewe Pharao what he is aboute to do.

26 The vij. good kyne are .vij yeare: and the .vij. good eares are .vij. yere also and is but one dreame.

27 Lykewyse the .vij. thynne and euell fauored kyne that came out after them are .vij. yeares: and the .vij. emptie and blasted eares shalbe vij. yeares of hunger.

28 This is that which I sayde vnto Pharao that God doth shewe Pharao what he is aboute to doo.

29 Beholde there shall come .vij. yere of great plenteousnes through out all the lande of Egypte.

30 And there shall aryse after them vij. yeres of hunger. So that all the plenteousnes shalbe forgeten in the lande of Egipte. And the hunger shall consume the lande:

31 so that the plenteousnes shall not be once asene in the land by reason of that hunger that shall come after for it shalbe exceading great

32 And as concernynge that the dreame was dubled vnto Pharao the second tyme it belokeneth that the thynge is certanly prepared of God ad that God will shortly brynge it to passe.

33 Now therfore let Pharao provyde for a man of vnderstondynge and wysdome and sett him over the lande of Egipte.

34 And let Pharao make officers ouer the lande and take vp the fyfte parte of the land of Egipte in the vij. plenteous yeres

35 and let them gather all the foode of these good yeres that come ad lay vp corne vnder the power of Pharo: that there may be foode in the cities

36 and there let them kepte it: that there may be foode in stoore in the lande agaynst the .vij. yeres of hunger which shall come in the lande of Egipte and that the lande perishe not thorow hunger.

37 And the saynge pleased Pharao ad all his seruauntes.

38 Than sayde Pharao vnto his seruavauntes: where shall we fynde soch a ma as this is that hath the sprete of God in him?

39 wherfore Pharao sayde vnto Ioseph: for as moch as God hath shewed the all this there is no man of vnderstondyng nor of wysdome lyke vnto the

40 Thou therfore shalt be ouer my house and acordinge to thy worde shall all my people obey: only in the kynges seate will I be aboue the.

41 And he sayde vnto Ioseph: beholde I haue sett the ouer all the lande of Egipte.

42 And he toke off his rynge from his fyngre and put it vpon Iosephs fingre and arayed him in raymet of bisse and put a golden cheyne aboute his necke

43 and set him vpon the best charett that he had saue one. And they cryed before him Abrech ad that Pharao had made him ruelar ouer all the lande of Egipte.

44 And Pharao sayde vnto Ioseph: I am Pharao without thi will shall no man lifte vp ether his hande or fote in all the lande of Egipte.

45 And be called Iosephs name Zaphnath Paenea. And he gaue him to wyfe Asnath the doughter of Potiphara preast of On. Than went Ioseph abrode in the lade of Egipte.

46 And he was .xxx. yere olde whe he stode before Pharao kynge of Egipte. And than Ioseph departed from Pharao and went thorow out all the lande of Egipte.

47 And in the .vij. pleteous yeres they made sheves and gathered

48 vp all the fode of the .vij. plenteous yeres which were in the lande of Egipte and put it in to the cities. And he put the food of the feldes that grewe rounde aboute euery cyte: euen in the same.

49 And Ioseph layde vp corne in stoore lyke vnto the sande of the see in multitude out of mesure vntyll he left nombrynge: For it was with out nombre.

50 And vnto Ioseph were borne .ij. sonnes before the yeres of hunger came which Asnath the doughter of Potiphara preast of On bare vnto him.

51 And he called the name of the first sonne Manasse for God (sayde he) hath made me forgett all my laboure and all my fathers husholde.

52 The seconde called he Ephraim for God (sayde he) hath caused me to growe in the lande of my trouble.

53 And when the .vij. yeres plenteousnes that was in the lands of Egypte were ended

54 than came the .vij. yeres of derth acordynge as Ioseph had sayde. And the derth was in all landes: but in the lade of Egipte was there yet foode.

55 When now all the lande of Egipte began to hunger than cried the people to Pharao for bread. And Pharao sayde vnto all Egipte: goo vnto Ioseph and what he sayth to you that doo

56 And when the derth was thorow out all the lande Ioseph opened all that was in the cities and solde vnto the Egiptias And hunger waxed fore in the land of Egipte.

57 And all countrees came to Egipte to Ioseph for to bye corne: because that the hunger was so sore in all landes.

Genesis 41 Commentary

Chapter 41

Pharaoh's dreams. (1-8) Joseph interprets Pharaoh's dreams. (9-32) Joseph's counsel, He is highly advanced. (33-45) Joseph's children, The beginning of the famine. (46-57)

Verses 1-8 The means of Joseph's being freed from prison were Pharaoh's dreams, as here related. Now that God no longer speaks to us in that way, it is no matter how little we either heed dreams, or tell them. The telling of foolish dreams can make no better than foolish talk. But these dreams showed that they were sent of God; when he awoke, Pharaoh's spirit was troubled.

Verses 9-32 God's time for the enlargement of his people is the fittest time. If the chief butler had got Joseph to be released from prison, it is probable he would have gone back to the land of the Hebrews. Then he had neither been so blessed himself, nor such a blessing to his family, as afterwards he proved. Joseph, when introduced to Pharaoh, gives honour to God. Pharaoh had dreamed that he stood upon the bank of the river Nile, and saw the kine, both the fat ones, and the lean ones, come out of the river. Egypt has no rain, but the plenty of the year depends upon the overflowing of the river Nile. See how many ways Providence has of dispensing its gifts; yet our dependence is still the same upon the First Cause, who makes every creature what it is to us, be it rain or river. See to what changes the comforts of this life are subject. We cannot be sure that to-morrow shall be as this day, or next year as this. We must learn how to want, as well as how to abound. Mark the goodness of God in sending the seven years of plenty before those of famine, that provision might be made. The produce of the earth is sometimes more, and sometimes less; yet, take one with another, he that gathers much, has nothing over; and he that gathers little, has no lack, ( Exodus 16:18 ) . And see the perishing nature of our worldly enjoyments. The great harvests of the years of plenty were quite lost, and swallowed up in the years of famine; and that which seemed very much, yet did but just serve to keep the people alive. There is bread which lasts to eternal life, which it is worth while to labour for. They that make the things of this world their good things, will find little pleasure in remembering that they have received them.

Verses 33-45 Joseph gave good advice to Pharaoh. Fair warning should always be followed by good counsel. God has in his word told us of a day of trial before us, when we shall need all the grace we can have. Now, therefore, provide accordingly. Pharaoh gave Joseph an honourable testimony. He is a man in whom the spirit of God is; and such men ought to be valued. Pharaoh puts upon Joseph marks of honour. He gave him such a name as spoke the value he had for him, Zaphnath-paaneah, "a revealer of secrets." This preferment of Joseph encourages all to trust in God. Some translate Joseph's new name, "the saviour of the world." The brightest glories, even of the upper world, are put upon Christ, the highest trust lodged in his hand, and all power given him, both in heaven and earth.

Verses 46-57 In the names of his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, Joseph owned the Divine providence. 1. He was made to forget his misery. 2. He was made fruitful in the land of his affliction. The seven plenteous years came, and were ended. We ought to look forward to the end of the days, both of our prosperity and of our opportunity. We must not be secure in prosperity, nor slothful in making good use of opportunity. Years of plenty will end; what thy hand finds to do, do it; and gather in gathering time. The dearth came, and the famine was not only in Egypt, but in other lands. Joseph was diligent in laying up, while the plenty lasted. He was prudent and careful in giving out, when the famine came. Joseph was engaged in useful and important labours. Yet it was in the midst of this his activity that his father Jacob said, Joseph is not! What a large portion of our troubles would be done away if we knew the whole truth! Let these events lead us to Jesus. There is a famine of the bread of life throughout the whole earth. Go to Jesus, and what he bids you, do. Attend to His voice, apply to him; he will open his treasures, and satisfy with goodness the hungry soul of every age and nation, without money and without price. But those who slight this provision must starve, and his enemies will be destroyed.

Chapter Summary

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.