Old Testament Commentary - Genesis 41

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 41 Pharaoh dreams of the kine and the ears—Joseph interprets the dreams as seven years of plenty and seven years of famine—He proposes a grain storage program—Pharaoh makes him ruler of all Egypt— Joseph marries Asenath—He gahers grains as the sand upon the seashore—Asenath bears Manasseh and Ephraim—Joseph sells grain to Egyptians and others during the famine.
1 AND it came to pass at the end of two full years^a, that Pharaoh ^adreamed^b: and, behold, he stood by the river.	1^a at the end of two full years Joseph's duration in prison was at least two full years. During this time he did not just sit around in a prison cell, but he served other prisoners such as Pharaoh's chief butler and chief baker and he became well trusted in the prison. He also grew a beard, being unshaven for the time, which was not the 'fashion' of the Egyptians who prized the clean shaven look in their society. 1^a Pharaoh dreamed There are dreams and then there are dreams. Most dreams are of an inconsequential nature. This particular dream of Pharaoh must have impressed him to the point of vivid recall and if not also of a recurring nature, at least of a truly unforgettable and disturbing nature. And though Pharaoh's 'advisors' or 'wisemen' would have likely suggested possible explanations, none of these satified Pharaoh as to what the dream meant meaning they could not tell him what the meaniing of it was.	1^a TG Jesus Christ, Appearances, Antemortal 2^a Josh. 5:13; TG Angels ^b 3 Ne. 11:19; Ether 6:12; TG Courtesy 3^a JST Gen. 18:3 ...brethren... 4^a TG Washing ^b TG Hospitality 5^a OR sustain... ^b Gen. 19:8
2 And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favoured kine and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow. 3 And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill favoured and leanfleshed; and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river. 4 And the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke.		1^a TG Jesus Christ, Appearances, Antemortal 2^a Josh. 5:13; TG Angels ^b 3 Ne. 11:19; Ether 6:12; TG Courtesy 3^a JST Gen. 18:3 ...brethren... 4^a TG Washing ^b TG Hospitality 5^a OR sustain... ^b Gen. 19:8
5 And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good. 6 And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them. 7 And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.		1^a TG Jesus Christ, Appearances, Antemortal 2^a Josh. 5:13; TG Angels ^b 3 Ne. 11:19; Ether 6:12; TG Courtesy 3^a JST Gen. 18:3 ...brethren... 4^a TG Washing ^b TG Hospitality 5^a OR sustain... ^b Gen. 19:8
8 And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was ^atroubled; and he sent and called for all the ^bmagicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.		1^a TG Jesus Christ, Appearances, Antemortal 2^a Josh. 5:13; TG Angels ^b 3 Ne. 11:19; Ether 6:12; TG Courtesy 3^a JST Gen. 18:3 ...brethren... 4^a TG Washing ^b TG Hospitality 5^a OR sustain... ^b Gen. 19:8
9 ¶ Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day: 10 Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in ward in the captain of the guard's house, both me and the chief baker: 11 And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream. 12 And there was there with us a young man, an Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret. 13 And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged.
14 ¶ Then ^aPharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the ^bdungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh.
15 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to ^ainterpret it. 16 And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: ^aGod shall give Pharaoh an answer of ^bpeace.
17 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river: 18 And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow: 19 And, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill favoured and leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness: 20 And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine: 21 And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they were still ill favoured, as at the beginning. So I awoke.
22 And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good: 23 And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the ^aeast ^bwind, sprung up after them: 24 And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: and I told this unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me.
25 ¶ And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one^a: God hath ^ashewed Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26 The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one^a.	25^a The dream of Pharaoh is one This first declaration of Joseph was to state to Pharaoh that both of the dreams were of one and the same meaning. 26^a the dream is one Then Joseph sets out a preliminary parallel between the two dreams which illustrates just how they are of the same meaning and interpretation.
27 And the seven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of ^afamine. 28 This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God is about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh^a.	28^a What God is about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh The combination of Joseph's humility and meekness before Pharaoh to continue to attribute the dream and it interpretation as being sourced from God and that God was showing it directly to Pharaoh, in which thing Joseph leave himself out of the picture with any self proclaimed aggrandizement, would have impressed Pharaoh in two manners. First Pharaoh saw in Joseph a man who was not seeking honor and praise unto himself and second, Pharaoh, who was considered 'of the God's' was being 'honored himself' that God had given the dream directly to Pharaoh for the purposes of showing Pharaoh, the 'proper' high one in line of Egyptian hierarchy with God, what God's was going to do. This showed of this 'prison servant' that he followed well the proper protocal of Egyptian society which in connect with the interpretation of the dream went far in Pharaoh's mind to place trust in Joseph, a mere slave of the prison..
29 Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt: 30 And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the ^afamine shall consume the land; 31 And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous.
32 *And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is* because the thing is established by God^a**, and God will shortly bring it to pass. 33 Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.
34 Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years. 35 And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. 36 And that food shall be for ^astore to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine.
37 ¶ And the thing was ^agood in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants. 38 And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the ^aSpirit of God is?
39 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath ^ashewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and ^bwise as thou art: 40 Thou shalt be ^aover my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be ^bgreater than thou.
41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have ^aset thee over all the land of Egypt. 42 And Pharaoh took off his ^aring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and ^barrayed him in ^cvestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; 43 And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ^aruler over all the land of Egypt.
44 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt. 45 And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnath-paaneah; and he gave him to wife ^aAsenath the daughter of Potipherah ^bpriest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.
46 ¶ And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt. 47 And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls. 48 And he gathered up all the ^afood of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same. 49 And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number.
50 And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him. 51 And Joseph called the name of the firstborn ^aManasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house. 52 And the name of the second called he ^aEphraim: For God hath caused me to be ^bfruitful in the land of my affliction.
53 ¶ And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended. 54 And the seven years of ^adearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. 55 And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do.
56 And the famine was over all the face of the earth: And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and ^asold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt. 57 And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands.