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Genesis 41:1
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Pharaoh’s Dreams

1 Then it came to pass, at the end of two full years, that aPharaoh had a dream; and behold, he stood by the river.  
2 Suddenly there came up out of the river seven cows, fine looking and fat; and they fed in the meadow.
3 Then behold, seven other cows came up after them out of the river, ugly and gaunt, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the river.
4 And the ugly and gaunt cows ate up the seven fine looking and fat cows. So Pharaoh awoke.
5 He slept and dreamed a second time; and suddenly seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, plump and good.
6 Then behold, seven thin heads, blighted by the aeast wind, sprang up after them.  
7 And the seven thin heads devoured the seven plump and full heads. So Pharaoh awoke, and indeed, it was a dream.
8 Now it came to pass in the morning athat his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all bthe magicians of Egypt and all its cwise men. And Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them for Pharaoh.  
9 Then the achief butler spoke to Pharaoh, saying: “I remember my faults this day.  
10 When Pharaoh was aangry with his servants, band put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, both me and the chief baker,  
11 awe each had a dream in one night, he and I. Each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream.  
12 Now there was a young aHebrew man with us there, a bservant of the captain of the guard. And we told him, and he cinterpreted our dreams for us; to each man he interpreted according to his own dream.  
13 And it came to pass, just aas he interpreted for us, so it happened. He restored me to my office, and he hanged him.”  
14 aThen Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they bbrought him quickly cout of the dungeon; and he shaved, dchanged his clothing, and came to Pharaoh.  
15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. aBut I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream, to interpret it.”  
16 So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, a“It is not in me; bGod will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.”  
17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: “Behold, ain my dream I stood on the bank of the river.  
18 Suddenly seven cows came up out of the river, fine looking and fat; and they fed in the meadow.
19 Then behold, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and gaunt, such ugliness as I have never seen in all the land of Egypt.
20 And the gaunt and ugly cows ate up the first seven, the fat cows.
21 When they had eaten them up, no one would have known that they had eaten them, for they were just as ugly as at the beginning. So I awoke.
22 Also I saw in my dream, and suddenly seven1 heads came up on one stalk, full and good.  
23 Then behold, seven heads, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprang up after them.
24 And the thin heads devoured the seven good heads. So aI told this to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.”  
25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one; aGod has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do:  
26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good1 heads are seven years; the dreams are one.  
27 And the seven thin and ugly cows which came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty heads blighted by the east wind are aseven years of famine.  
28 aThis is the thing which I have spoken to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do.  
29 Indeed aseven years of great plenty will come throughout all the land of Egypt;  
30 but after them seven years of famine will aarise, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine bwill deplete the land.  
31 So the plenty will not be known in the land because of the famine following, for it will be very severe.
32 And the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice because the athing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.  
33 “Now therefore, let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt.
34 Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint1 officers over the land, ato collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven plentiful years.  
35 And alet them gather all the food of those good years that are coming, and store up grain under the1 authority of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities.  
36 Then that food shall be as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which shall be in the land of Egypt, that the land amay not perish during the famine.”  

Joseph’s Rise to Power

37 So athe advice was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants.  
38 And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a one as this, a man ain whom is the Spirit of God?”  
39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you.
40 aYou shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.”  
41 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have aset you over all the land of Egypt.”  
42 Then Pharaoh atook his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand; and he bclothed him in garments of fine linen cand put a gold chain around his neck.  
43 And he had him ride in the second achariot which he had; band they cried out before him, “Bow the knee!” So he set him cover all the land of Egypt.  
44 Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no man may lift his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.”
45 And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name1 Zaphnath-Paaneah. And he gave him as a wife aAsenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On. So Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.  
46 Joseph was thirty years old when he astood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.  
47 Now in the seven plentiful years the ground brought forth1 abundantly.  
48 So he gathered up all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities; he laid up in every city the food of the fields which surrounded them.
49 Joseph gathered very much grain, aas the sand of the sea, until he stopped counting, for it was immeasurable.  
50 aAnd to Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, whom Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On, bore to him.  
51 Joseph called the name of the firstborn1 Manasseh: “For God has made me forget all my toil and all my afather’s house.”  
52 And the name of the second he called1 Ephraim: “For God has caused me to be afruitful in the land of my affliction.”  
53 Then the seven years of plenty which were in the land of Egypt ended,
54 aand the seven years of famine began to come, bas Joseph had said. The famine was in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.  
55 So when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Then Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph; awhatever he says to you, do.”  
56 The famine was over all the face of the earth, and Joseph opened1 all the storehouses and asold to the Egyptians. And the famine became severe in the land of Egypt.  
57 aSo all countries came to Joseph in Egypt to bbuy grain, because the famine was severe in all lands. 
Commentaries:
Matthew Henry
<< Genesis 40:23   Genesis 41:2 >>


Genesis 41:1-57

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.


 
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