Genesis 41 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

Genesis 41

Joseph Interprets Pharaoh’s Dreams

41:1 After two whole years, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile, 2 and behold, there came up out of the Nile seven cows, attractive and plump, and they fed in the reed grass. 3 And behold, seven other cows, ugly and thin, came up out of the Nile after them, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile. 4 And the ugly, thin cows ate up the seven attractive, plump cows. And Pharaoh awoke. 5 And he fell asleep and dreamed a second time. And behold, seven ears of grain, plump and good, were growing on one stalk. 6 And behold, after them sprouted seven ears, thin and blighted by the east wind. 7 And the thin ears swallowed up the seven plump, full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. 8 So in the morning his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was none who could interpret them to Pharaoh.

9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “I remember my offenses today. 10 When Pharaoh was angry with his servants and put me and the chief baker in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, 11 we dreamed on the same night, he and I, each having a dream with its own interpretation. 12 A young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. When we told him, he interpreted our dreams to us, giving an interpretation to each man according to his dream. 13 And as he interpreted to us, so it came about. I was restored to my office, and the baker was hanged.”

14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they quickly brought him out of the pit. And when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came in before Pharaoh. 15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” 16 Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.”¹ 17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Behold, in my dream I was standing on the banks of the Nile. 18 Seven cows, plump and attractive, came up out of the Nile and fed in the reed grass. 19 Seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and thin, such as I had never seen in all the land of Egypt. 20 And the thin, ugly cows ate up the first seven plump cows, 21 but when they had eaten them no one would have known that they had eaten them, for they were still as ugly as at the beginning. Then I awoke. 22 I also saw in my dream seven ears growing on one stalk, full and good. 23 Seven ears, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprouted after them, 24 and the thin ears swallowed up the seven good ears. And I told it 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; God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are one. 27 The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty ears blighted by the east wind are also seven years of famine. 28 It is as I told Pharaoh; God has shown to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29 There will come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt, 30 but after them there will arise seven years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will consume the land, 31 and the plenty will be unknown in the land by reason of the famine that will follow, for it will be very severe. 32 And the doubling of Pharaoh’s dream means that the thing is fixed by God, and God will shortly bring it about. 33 Now therefore let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh proceed to appoint overseers over the land and take one-fifth of the produce of the land² of Egypt during the seven plentiful years. 35 And let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it. 36 That food shall be a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine that are to occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish through the famine.”

Joseph Rises to Power

37 This proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants. 38 And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?”³ 39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are. 40 You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command.⁴ Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you.” 41 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” 42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain about his neck. 43 And he made him ride in his second chariot. And they called out before him, “Bow the knee!”⁵ Thus he set him over all the land of Egypt. 44 Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no one shall lift up hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” 45 And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphenath-paneah. And he gave him in marriage Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On. So Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.

46 Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt. 47 During the seven plentiful years the earth produced abundantly, 48 and he gathered up all the food of these seven years, which occurred in the land of Egypt, and put the food in the cities. He put in every city the food from the fields around it. 49 And Joseph stored up grain in great abundance, like the sand of the sea, until he ceased to measure it, for it could not be measured.

50 Before the year of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph. Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, bore them to him. 51 Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh. “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s house.”⁶ 52 The name of the second he called Ephraim, “For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”⁷

53 The seven years of plenty that occurred in the land of Egypt came to an end, 54 and the seven years of famine began to come, as Joseph had said. There was famine in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. 55 When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph. What he says to you, do.”

56 So when the famine had spread over all the land, Joseph opened all the storehouses⁸ and sold to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. 57 Moreover, all the earth came to Egypt to Joseph to buy grain, because the famine was severe over all the earth.

Footnotes

[1] 41:16 Or (compare Samaritan, Septuagint) Without God it is not possible to give Pharaoh an answer about his welfare
[2] 41:34 Or over the land and organize the land
[3] 41:38 Or of the gods
[4] 41:40 Hebrew and according to your command all my people shall kiss the ground
[5] 41:43 Abrek, probably an Egyptian word, similar in sound to the Hebrew word meaning to kneel
[6] 41:51 Manasseh sounds like the Hebrew for making to forget
[7] 41:52 Ephraim sounds like the Hebrew for making fruitful
[8] 41:56 Hebrew all that was in them

Commentary

This is a pivotal chapter in the story of Joseph. He has suffered the violence of his brothers, was sold into slavery, wrongly accused by Potiphars wife, and then spent years in prison. Suddenly, in this chapter he is released and promoted to senior role in Egypt.

v1: Joseph had to wait another two "full years". Circumstances are changed, to bring about his release and exaltation. The timing is significant, as Pharaoh had dreams to be interpreted, and Jacob's family was in need of food. Further, God's predictions to Abraham (15.13-14) had to be fulfilled.

These were circumstances beyond Joseph’s control; the cupbearer simply forgot his promise to mention Joseph to Pharaoh. In that time Joseph continued his faithful unseen service in the prison. Life is often beyond our ability to control and change. We wait and serve and pray - that is trusting God.

v2-4: Pharaoh's dream is dramatic. Seven fat and healthy cows are eaten up by seven thin, ugly cows.

v5-7: The dream is repeated with ears of corn. The thin ears swallowed up the healthy ears.

v8: No one could interpret the dreams (see Dan 4.7; 5.8).

v9: It was no accident that the butler still served Pharaoh, and he recalls Joseph's interpretation of his dream two years earlier. He rightly remembered his "short-comings", his failure to speak of Joseph earlier.

v12-13: The butler's recollection of Joseph was of a young man of integrity and humility. There is no reference to Joseph being proud or ambitious.

v14-15: Pharaoh acts with some urgency, bringing Joseph out of prison.

v16: "I cannot do it"; Joseph's humility. He claims no special power of himself. It is God who gives the interpretation of dreams (40.8; Dan 2.27-28).

Pharaoh had heard that Joseph had spiritual insight and gift. God does equip his people, which is not restricted to church life.

Here Joseph’s track record was developed in secret, just as David had rescued his flock from bear and lion whilst unseen (1 Sam 17.35). Indeed, many Bible heroes served in secret, years of being unknown, e.g: Jacob served Laban for twenty years; Moses spent forty years in the wilderness. This is clearly a pattern of scripture.

Like Daniel, Joseph had to bring good news and bad news, to the butler and baker, and now to Pharaoh. The faithful man brings the message of God in full, without changing it to suit his audience.

v17-24: Pharaoh's description is detailed and genuine.

v21: No one could tell that the thin cows had eaten the healthy cows; just as the seven years of plenty were forgotten in the famine (v30-31).

v24: None of the magicians of Egypt could explain the dreams. Later, at the time of Moses, the magicians are again defeated by God's power. We note the occultist religion in Egypt.

v25: God has revealed things to Pharaoh. The fact that he had no faith in the true God did not stop God speaking to him.

v32: The emphasis of the repeated dreams. The two are one. The matter is firmly established by God. Compare "Now I say again" (Gal 1.8-9).

v33-36: After explaining the meaning of the dream, Joseph now applies God's word. Pharaoh had to do something. Since the first seven years were about to begin, he must not delay.

Here Joseph moves into boldness and application, For the sake of the people, of the world, Pharaoh should set a man over the situation. It was not sufficient only to ponder the revelation; Pharaoh had to take action. Joseph was probably ignorant of the human resources available to Pharaoh; he was not contriving to get a job. Joseph remains humble, even as the conversation moves on.

v37: The plan seemed good. Joseph is quickly picked out at the best man for the job. Here is the "discerning and wise man" (v33). Joseph was not seeking a position; he just wanted freedom (40.15).

v39-40: Joseph, once despised and rejected by his brothers, is now exalted by the Egyptians. The Lord Jesus Christ was rejected by the Jewish people, but accepted by the Gentiles.

v42-43: Compare Mordecai in Esth 7.8-10. Men bow before Joseph (see Phil 2.9-11), all authority given to him (Eph 1.20-21; Heb 1.3).

v45: His new name, meaning "revealer of secrets"; Christ has revealed the mystery of the gospel (Matt 13.35; Eph 3.3-4). His wife, Asenath, pictures the church (Rom 11.25; Eph 3.6; 5.30-32)

v46: Joseph is now 30 years old; compare 37.2. He has spent 13 years in Egypt, mainly in prison.

v48: This and a later comment (47.26) are said to be the earliest historical references to taxation. In this case, the need was the coming emergency which needed adequate resources to survive. Revenue generated from taxation was re-distributed from the years of abundance to provide for the years of poverty. Taxation was thus both fair and compassionate.

v50-52: Joseph's sons are a testimony to God's care of him. Through these difficult years, Joseph maintained his trust in God.

v55: "Go to Joseph"; the only way of life and safety. (Mark 9.7; John 2.5)

God exalted Joseph. We cannot escape the likeness to Christ. Indeed, of all OT characters Joseph is the most complete ‘type’ of Christ. The suffering servant becomes the exalted king. Within this chapter, Joseph came before Pharaoh as a prisoner, hurriedly washed and shaved, and spent out as Lord over the land of Egypt.

He was set over the whole land, and given a signet ring, a sign of authority, v 41-42.

Everyone bowed the knee to Joseph, v43. Everyone was to do as he said (v53; see John 2.5).