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Genesis Chapter
Forty-one
Genesis 41
New King James Version
(NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO
GENESIS 41
In this chapter are
related Pharaoh's dreams, which his magicians could not interpret, Genesis 41:1, 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, Genesis 41:10, 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, Genesis 41:14; 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, Genesis 41:33; 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, Genesis 41:38;
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, Genesis 41:46; an
account is given of two sons born to Joseph, and of their names, Genesis 41:50; 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, Genesis 41:53.
Genesis 41:1. Then it came to pass, at the end of two full years, that
Pharaoh had a dream; and behold, he stood by the river.
YLT 1And it cometh to pass, at
the end of two years of days that Pharaoh is dreaming, and lo, he is standing
by the River,
Verse 1
And it came to
pass at the end of two full years,....
It is not a clear case, as
Aben Ezra observes, from whence these years are to be reckoned, whether from
the time of Joseph's being put into prison, or from the time that the chief
butler was taken out of it; the latter seems more probable, and better connects
this and the preceding chapter:
that Pharaoh
dreamed, and, behold, he stood by the river;
it seemed to him, in his
dream, as if he stood near the river Nile, or some canal or flow of water cut
out of that river.
Genesis 41:2. 2 Suddenly
there came up out of the river seven cows, fine looking and fat; and they fed
in the meadow.
YLT 2and lo, from the River
coming up are seven kine, of fair appearance, and fat [in] flesh, and they feed
among the reeds;
And, behold,
there came up out of the river seven well favoured kine, and fatfleshed,....
Seven cows or heifers,
sleek, fat, and plump, goodly to look at; these seemed in the dream, as if they
came out of the river, because they were fed with the fruits of the earth,
which the overflowing of the river Nile, and its canals, produced:
and they fed in
a meadow;
adjoining to the river,
where there was good pasture for them, and gives a reason of their being in so
good a condition.
Genesis 41:3. 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.
YLT 3and lo, seven other kine
are coming up after them out of the River, of bad appearance, and lean [in]
flesh, and they stand near the kine on the edge of the River,
And, behold,
seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill favoured, and leanfleshed,....
Thin and haggard, their
bones stuck out, having scarce any flesh upon them, and made a wretched figure:
and stood by
the other kine;
and looked so much the
worse, when compared with them:
upon the brink
of the river;
it not being overflowed,
so that there was no grass to be had, but just upon the bank, where these kept
for that purpose; for the fruitfulness of Egypt was owing to the river Nile; as
that overflowed or did not, there was plenty or famine; hence both these sorts
of creatures came up out of that.
Genesis 41:4. 4 And
the ugly and gaunt cows ate up the seven fine looking and fat cows. So Pharaoh
awoke.
YLT 4and the kine of bad appearance
and lean [in] flesh eat up the seven kine of fair appearance, and fat -- and
Pharaoh awaketh.
And the ill
favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine,....
So it seemed in the dream
as if this was done, was very strange and surprising that animals should devour
one another; and especially that tame ones, cows or heifers, should eat those
of their own species, which was never known to be done:
so Pharaoh
awoke;
through surprise at the
strange sight he had in his dream.
Genesis 41:5. 5 He
slept and dreamed a second time; and suddenly seven heads of grain came up on
one stalk, plump and good.
YLT 5And he sleepeth, and dreameth
a second time, and lo, seven ears are coming up on one stalk, fat and good,
And he slept,
and dreamed the second time,....
He fell asleep again
quickly, and dreamed another dream the same night, and to the same purpose,
being much of the like kind with the former:
and, behold,
seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good;
which were very uncommon
even in those fruitful countries; though Dr. ShawF5Travels, p. 137.
Ed. 2. observes of Barbary, which vied with Egypt for fruitfulness, that it
sometimes happens that one stalk of wheat will bear two ears, while each of
these ears will as often shoot out into a number of lesser ones, thereby
affording a most plentiful increase.
Genesis 41:6. 6 Then
behold, seven thin heads, blighted by the east wind, sprang up after them.
YLT 6and lo, seven ears, thin,
and blasted with an east wind, are springing up after them;
And, behold,
seven thin ears, and blasted with the east wind,....
Which is very fatal to
corn, to dry, burn, smite, or blast it; and especially to the corn in Egypt,
whither it blew from the desert of Arabia: these
sprung up after
them;
after the seven full ears,
in the same place the other did, or near unto them.
Genesis 41:7. 7 And
the seven thin heads devoured the seven plump and full heads. So Pharaoh awoke,
and indeed, it was a dream.
YLT 7and the thin ears swallow
the seven fat and full ears -- and Pharaoh awaketh, and lo, a dream.
And the seven
thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears,....
So it appeared to Pharaoh
in his dream, which must be very amazing to behold, and unaccountable how it
should be:
and Pharaoh
awoke, and, behold, it was a dream;
not a real fact, but a
dream; yet not a common dream, but had some important signification in it; it
not vanishing from his mind, but abode upon it, which made him conclude there was
something more than common in it, and made him very desirous to have the
interpretation of it.
Genesis 41:8. 8 Now
it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled, and he sent and
called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. And Pharaoh told
them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them for
Pharaoh.
YLT 8And it cometh to pass in
the morning, that his spirit is moved, and he sendeth and calleth all the
scribes of Egypt, and all its wise men, and Pharaoh recounteth to them his
dream, and there is no interpreter of them to Pharaoh.
And it came to
pass in the morning, that his spirit was troubled,....
With the thoughts of his
dreams; they were uppermost in his mind; he was continually thinking of them;
it was as if he had always the same images before him now awake, as well as
when asleep, and therefore could not be easy without getting knowledge of the
meaning of them:
and he sent and
called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof;
who pretended to have
great skill in the things of nature, and in astrology and other sciences, by
which they pretended to know future events, and to interpret dreams among other
things; and show what they portended, and what things would happen for the
accomplishment of them:
and Pharaoh
told them his dream;
both his dreams, which for
the similarity of them, and there being so little interruption between them,
are represented as one dream; for that both were told them appears by what
follows:
but there
was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh;
they were nonplussed and
confounded, and did not know what to say; the things were so strange and
surprising that he related, that they could not offer any conjectures about
them, or, if they did, they were very unsatisfactory to Pharaoh.
Genesis 41:9. 9 Then
the chief butler spoke to Pharaoh, saying: “I remember my faults this day.
YLT 9And the chief of the
butlers speaketh with Pharaoh, saying, `My sin I mention this day:
Then spake the
chief butler unto Pharaoh,....
When the magicians and
wise men could not interpret his dreams, he was in distress of mind on that
account:
saying, I do
remember my faults this day;
which some interpret of
his forgetfulness of Joseph and his afflictions, and of his ingratitude to him,
and breach of promise in not making mention of him to Pharaoh before this time;
but they seem rather to be faults he had committed against Pharaoh, and were
the reason of his being wroth with him, as in Genesis 41:10; and
these were either real faults, which the king had pardoned, or however such as
he had been charged with, and cleared from; and which he now in a courtly
manner takes to himself, and owns them, that the king's goodness and clemency
to him might appear, and lest he should seem to charge the king with injustice
in casting him into prison; which circumstance he could not avoid relating in
the story he was about to tell.
Genesis 41:10. 10 When
Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and put me in custody in the house of the
captain of the guard, both me and the chief baker,
YLT 10Pharaoh hath been wroth
against his servants, and giveth me into charge in the house of the chief of
the executioners, me and the chief of the bakers;
Pharaoh was
wroth with his servants,....
Not with all of them, but
with the butler and the baker. Aben Ezra observes here, that Pharaoh was not
the proper name of this king, but a title of office, and signifies the king;
for it cannot be thought that the butler would use such freedom in his presence
as to call him by his name: the true name of this prince, according to the
eastern writersF6Juchasin, fol. 135. 2. , was Rian ben Walid; others
take him to be Aphophis, the third of the Hycsi, or pastor kings: but,
according to Bishop UsherF7Annales Ver. Test. p. 14. , his name was
Mephramuthosis:
and put me in
ward in the captain of the guard's house:
in consequence of his
wrath and displeasure, for crimes really or supposed to be committed by him;
and the captain of the guard's house was a prison, or at least there was a
prison in it for such sort of offenders; and this was Potiphar's, Joseph's
master's, house:
both me and the chief baker;
which explains who the
officers were Pharaoh was wroth with, and who were for their offences committed
to prison.
Genesis 41:11. 11 we each had a dream in one
night, he and I. Each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own
dream.
YLT 11and we dream a dream in one
night, I and he, each according to the interpretation of his dream we have
dreamed.
And we dreamed
a dream in one night, I and he,....
In one and the same night:
we dreamed each
man according to the interpretation of his dream;
they both dreamed exactly
what should befall them, as it was interpreted to them; the dreams, the
interpretation of them, and the events, answered to each other.
Genesis 41:12. 12 Now
there was a young Hebrew man with us there, a servant of the captain of
the guard. And we told him, and he interpreted our dreams for us; to each man
he interpreted according to his own dream.
YLT 12And there [is] with us a
youth, a Hebrew, servant to the chief of the executioners, and we recount to
him, and he interpreteth to us our dreams, [to] each according to his dream hath
he interpreted,
And there
was there with us a young man,....
Who was in the prison with
them, had the care of them, and waited upon them; he was then about twenty
eight years of age; for it was two years ago he speaks of, and Joseph was
thirty when he stood before Pharaoh, Genesis 41:46,
an Hebrew
servant to the captain of the guard;
he first describes him by
his age, a young man, then by his descent, an Hebrew, and by his state and
condition, a servant; neither of them tended much to recommend him to the king:
and we told him;
that is, their dreams:
and he
interpreted to us our dream, to each man according to his dream did he
interpret;
told them what their
dreams presignified, what the events would be they portended; the
interpretation was different according to their dreams.
Genesis 41:13. 13 And
it came to pass, just as he interpreted for us, so it happened. He restored me
to my office, and he hanged him.”
YLT 13and it cometh to pass, as
he hath interpreted to us so it hath been, me he put back on my station, and
him he hanged.'
And it came to
pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was,....
The event answered to the
interpretation, and showed it to be right; this is frequently hinted and
repeated, to show the exactness and certainty of the interpretation given, in
order to recommend Joseph to Pharaoh the more:
me he restored
unto my office, and him he hanged:
that is, Joseph
interpreted the butler's dream to such a sense, that he should be restored to
his butlership, and accordingly he was; and the baker's dream, that he should
be hanged, and so he was. Aben Ezra and Jarchi interpret this of Pharaoh, that
he restored the one, and hanged the other, or ordered these things to be done,
which answered to Joseph's interpretation of the dreams; but the former sense
seems best, for Joseph is the person immediately spoken of in the preceding
clause; nor would it have been so decent for the butler, in the presence of
Pharaoh, to have spoken of him without naming him, and which would have been
contrary to his usage before.
Genesis 41:14. 14 Then
Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him quickly out of the
dungeon; and he shaved, changed his clothing, and came to Pharaoh.
YLT 14And Pharaoh sendeth and
calleth Joseph, and they cause him to run out of the pit, and he shaveth, and
changeth his garments, and cometh in unto Pharaoh.
Then Pharaoh
sent and called Joseph,....
Sent messengers to him to
come to him directly, ordered the captain of the guard, or keeper of prison, to
loose him, and let him free, see Psalm 105:20,
and they
brought him hastily out of the dungeon;
that is, out of the prison
house; which, as Jarchi says, was made like a ditch or dungeon, or in which the
dungeon was where Joseph was first put when he was brought to prison; though it
cannot be thought that he continued there when he had so much respect shown him
by the keeper, and had other prisoners committed to his care: however, he was
fetched in great haste from his place of confinement, by the messengers that
were sent for him; or "they made him to run"F8וירצהו "et currere fecerunt eum", Pagninus,
Montanus, Munster, Vatablus; "et fecerunt ut curreret", Piscator. ,
from the prison to the palace, the king being so eager to have his dream
interpreted to him:
and he shaved himself;
or the barber shaved him,
as Aben Ezra; his beard had not been shaved, nor the hair of his head cut very
probably for a considerable time; it being usual for persons in such
circumstances to neglect such things:
and changed his
raiment;
his prison garments being
such as were not fit to appear in before a king, and put on others, which
either the king sent him, or the captain of the guard his master furnished him
with:
and came in
unto Pharaoh:
into his palace, and his
presence; what city it was in which this Pharaoh kept his palace, is no where
said; very probably it was which the Scriptures call Zoan, that being the ancient
city of Egypt, Numbers 13:22.
Genesis 41:15. 15 And
Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can
interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that you can understand a
dream, to interpret it.”
YLT 15And Pharaoh saith unto
Joseph, `A dream I have dreamed, and there is no interpreter of it, and I -- I
have heard concerning thee, saying, Thou understandest a dream to interpret
it,'
And Pharaoh
said unto Joseph,....,
Immediately, upon his
being introduced to him:
I have dreamed
a dream, and there is none that can interpret it;
that he could yet meet
with; none of his magicians or wise men, who made great pretensions to skill in
such matters:
and I have
heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it;
it had been reported to
him, particularly by the chief butler, that when he heard a dream told him, he
had such knowledge and understanding, that he could interpret it, tell the
meaning of it, what it portended, and what would be the events signified by it.
Genesis 41:16. 16 So
Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh
an answer of peace.”
YLT 16and Joseph answereth
Pharaoh, saying, `Without me -- God doth answer Pharaoh with peace.'
And Joseph
answered Pharaoh, saying, it is not in me,....
Which expresses his great
modesty, that he did not arrogate such skill and wisdom to himself; declaring
that he had no such power and abilities in and of himself, to interpret dreams;
what he had was a gift of God, and wholly depended upon his influence, and the
revelation he was pleased to make to him of such things:
God shall give
Pharaoh an answer of peace;
such an answer to his
request in the interpretation of his dream, as shall give him full content, and
make his mind quiet and easy, and which shall tend to the welfare of him and
his kingdom. Some render the words as a prayer or wish, "may God give
Pharaoh", &c.F9יענה
"respondeat", Vatablus. ; so as it were addressing his God, that he
would be pleased to make known to him his interpretation of the dream to the
satisfaction of Pharaoh: but the other sense seems best, which expresses his
faith in God, that he would do it, and to whom it should be ascribed, and not
unto himself.
Genesis 41:17. 17 Then
Pharaoh said to Joseph: “Behold, in my dream I stood on the bank of the river.
YLT 17And Pharaoh speaketh unto
Joseph: `In my dream, lo, I am standing by the edge of the River,
And Pharaoh
said unto Joseph,....
Relating both his dreams
in a more ample manner, though to the same purpose, than before related:
in my dream, behold,
I stood upon the bank of the river;
the river Nile, where he
could have a full sight of what were after presented to his view.
Genesis 41:18. 18 Suddenly
seven cows came up out of the river, fine looking and fat; and they fed in the
meadow.
YLT 18and lo, out of the River
coming up are seven kine, fat [in] flesh, and of fair form, and they feed among
the reeds;
And, behold,
there came up out of the river seven kine,....
Cows or heifers; see Gill
on Genesis 41:2; the
account of them is the same here as there, and of the place where they fed,
only the words are transposed.
Genesis 41:19. 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.
YLT 19and lo, seven other kine
are coming up after them, thin, and of very bad form, and lean [in] flesh; I
have not seen like these in all the land of Egypt for badness.
And, behold,
seven other kine,....
Here some addition is
made: these are said not only to be
very ill
favoured, and leanfleshed;
see Gill on Genesis 41:3, but
poor,
thin, meagre, exhausted of
their flesh and strength through some disease upon them, or want of food: and
it follows, what was not before expressed:
such as I never
saw in all the land of Egypt, for badness;
so poor, so lean, and so
ill favoured; for whatever might be seen in other countries, never were such
seen in Egypt, which was famous for good cattle.
Genesis 41:20. 20 And
the gaunt and ugly cows ate up the first seven, the fat cows.
YLT 20`And the lean and the bad
kine eat up the first seven fat kine,
And the lean
and the ill favoured kine,....
The same as previously
described; See Gill on Genesis 41:4.
Genesis 41:21. 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.
YLT 21and they come in unto their
midst, and it hath not been known that they have come in unto their midst, and
their appearance [is] bad as at the commencement; and I awake.
And when they
had eaten them up,....
Or "were come into
their bowels"F11ותבאנה אל קרבנה "et venerunt ad
interiora earum", Pagninus, Montanus; "in ventrem istarum",
Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Drusius, Tigurine version. , into their
inward parts, their bellies, being swallowed and devoured by them:
it could not be
known that they had eaten them:
or were in their bellies,
they seemed never the fuller nor the fatter for them:
but they were
still ill favoured as at the beginning;
looked as thin and as
meagre as they did when they first came out of the river, or were first seen by
Pharaoh:
so I awoke;
surprised at what he had
seen; this was his first dream.
Genesis 41:22. 22 Also
I saw in my dream, and suddenly seven heads came up on one stalk, full and
good.
YLT 22`And I see in my dream, and
lo, seven ears are coming up on one stalk, full and good;
And I saw in my
dream,....
Falling asleep again
quickly, he dreamed a second time; and this dream being of a like kind with the
former, and so small a space between them, they are represented as one, and
this is the continuation of it:
and, behold,
seven ears, &c.
See Gill on Genesis 41:5.
Genesis 41:23. 23 Then
behold, seven heads, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind,
sprang up after them.
YLT 23and lo, seven ears,
withered, thin, blasted with an east wind, are springing up after them;
And, behold,
seven ears withered,....
Here a new epithet of the
bad ears is given, and expressed by a word nowhere else used, which Ben Melech
interprets, small, little, according to the use of the word in the Misnah; Aben
Ezra, void, empty, such as had no grains of corn in them, nothing but husk or
chaff, and observes that some render it images; for the word is so used in the
Arabic language, and may signify that these ears were only mere shadows or
images of ears, which had no substance in them: Jarchi says, the word, in the
Syriac language signifies a rock, and so it denotes that these ears were dry as
a rock, and had no moisture in them, laid dried, burnt up, and blasted with the
east wind.
Genesis 41:24. 24 And
the thin heads devoured the seven good heads. So I told this to the
magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.”
YLT 24and the thin ears swallow
the seven good ears; and I tell unto the scribes, and there is none declaring
to me.'
And the thin
ears devoured the seven good ears,....
See Gill on Genesis 41:7,
and I told this
unto the magicians;
just in the same manner as
he had to Joseph:
but there
was none that could declare it unto me;
the meaning of it; what
all this should signify or portend.
Genesis 41:25. 25 Then
Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has shown
Pharaoh what He is about to do:
YLT 25And Joseph saith unto
Pharaoh, `The dream of Pharaoh is one: that which God is doing he hath declared
to Pharaoh;
And Joseph said
unto Pharaoh, the dream of Pharaoh is one,....
Though there were two
distinct dreams expressed under different images and representations, yet the
meaning, sense, and signification of them were the same; one interpretation
would do for both:
God hath showed
Pharaoh what he is about to do;
that is, by the above
dreams, when they should be interpreted to him; for as yet he understood them
not, and therefore there could be nothing showed him, but when interpreted it
would be clear and plain to him what events were quickly to be accomplished:
God only knows things future, and those to whom he is pleased to reveal them,
and which he did in different ways, by dreams, visions, articulate voices,
&c.
Genesis 41:26. 26 The
seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads are
seven years; the dreams are one.
YLT 26the seven good kine are
seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years, the dream is one;
The seven good
kine are seven years,....
Signify seven years, and
these years of plenty, as appears from the antithesis in Genesis 41:26,
and the seven
good ears are seven years;
signify the same:
the dream is
one;
for though the seven good
kine were seen in one dream, the seven good ears in another, yet both dreams
were one as to signification.
Genesis 41:27. 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 seven years of famine.
YLT 27and the seven thin and bad
kine which are coming up after them are seven years, and the seven empty ears,
blasted with an east wind, are seven years of famine;
And the seven
thin and ill favoured kine that came up after them are seven years,....
Signify other seven years,
and these different from the former, as follows:
and the seven
empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine:
or there will be seven
years of famine that will answer to them, and are signified by them: Grotius,
from the Oneirocritics or interpreters of dreams, observes, that years are
signified by kine, and particularly he relates from Achmes, that according to
the doctrine of the Egyptians, female oxen (and such these were) signified
times and seasons, and if fat (as the good ones here also were) signified
fruitful times, but if poor and thin (as the bad ones here were) barren times:
it seems as if all this skill of theirs was borrowed from Joseph's
interpretation of Pharaoh's dreams here given. JosephusF12Antiqu. l.
17. c. 15. sect. 3. & de Bello Jud. l. 2. c. 7. sect. 3. relates a dream of
Archelaus the son of Herod, who dreamed that he saw ten ears of corn, full and
large, devoured by oxen; he sent for the Chaldeans and others to tell him what
they signified; one said one thing and another another; at length one Simon, an
Essene, said that the ears signified years, and the oxen changes of affairs,
because, when they plough up the earth, they turn it up and change it; so that
he should reign as many years as were ears of corn seen, and after many changes
should die, as he accordingly did.
Genesis 41:28. 28 This
is the thing which I have spoken to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what
He is about to do.
YLT 28this [is] the thing which I
have spoken unto Pharaoh: That which God is doing, he hath shewn Pharaoh.
This is
the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh,....
As an interpretation of
his dreams:
what God is
about to do, he sheweth unto Pharaoh:
the events of fourteen
years with respect to plenty and sterility.
Genesis 41:29. 29 Indeed
seven years of great plenty will come throughout all the land of Egypt;
YLT 29`Lo, seven years are coming
of great abundance in all the land of Egypt,
Behold, there
come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt.
Not only a sufficiency but
an abundance, even to luxury, as when the Nile rose to sixteen cubits, as Pliny
observesF13Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 9. ; which, though a natural cause,
was owing to God, and that it should thus overflow for seven years
successively, and cause such a continued plenty, can be ascribed to no other.
Genesis 41:30. 30 but
after them seven years of famine will arise, and all the plenty will be
forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine will deplete the land.
YLT 30and seven years of famine
have arisen after them, and all the plenty is forgotten in the land of Egypt,
and the famine hath finished the land,
And there shall
arise after them seven years of famine,....
Which might be occasioned
by the river Nile not rising so high as to overflow its banks, as, when it did
not rise to more than twelve cubits, a famine ensued, as the above writer saysF14Nat
Hist. l. 5. c. 9. ; and it must be owing to the overruling providence of God
that this should be the case for seven years running:
and all the
plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt;
the seven years of plenty
being all spent, it should be as if it never was; the minds of men would be so
intent upon their present distressed case and circumstances, that they should
wholly forget how it had been with them in time past; or it would be as if they
had never enjoyed it, or were never the better for it: this answers to and
explains how it was with the ill favoured kine, when they had eaten up the fat
kine; they seemed never the better, nor could it be known by their appearance
that they had so done:
and the famine
shall consume the land:
the inhabitants of it, and
all the fruits and increase of it the former years produced.
Genesis 41:31. 31 So the plenty will not be
known in the land because of the famine following, for it will be very
severe.
YLT 31and the plenty is not known
in the land because of that famine afterwards, for it [is] very grievous.
And the plenty
shall not be known in the land, by reason of that famine following,....
That is, before it would
be over; otherwise the former plenty was in some measure known by the stores of
provisions laid up in the seven years of it, and which were brought forth when
the famine became very pressing; but by that time, and before the seven years
of it were ended, there were no traces of the foregoing plenty to be observed:
for it shall
be very grievous;
as it was both in Egypt
and in all the countries round about.
Genesis 41:32. 32 And
the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice because the thing is established
by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.
YLT 32`And because of the
repeating of the dream unto Pharaoh twice, surely the thing is established by
God, and God is hastening to do it.
And for that
the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice,....
Or was repeated to him
under different figures and images:
it is because the thing is established by God;
by a firm decree of his,
and is sure, and will most certainly be accomplished; of which Pharaoh might be
assured, and to assure him of it was the repetition of the dream made:
and God will
shortly bring it to pass:
or "make haste to do
it"F15ממהר־לעשתו "festinans Deus
ad faciendum", Montanus; "accelerat facere", Drusius;
"festinat facere", Piscator. , that is, would soon begin to
accomplish these events; for, as Bishop UsherF16Annal. Ver. Test. p.
15. observes, from the harvest of this (the then present) year, the seven years
of plenty are reckoned.
Genesis 41:33. 33 “Now
therefore, let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the
land of Egypt.
YLT 33`And now, let Pharaoh
provide a man, intelligent and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt;
Now therefore
let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise,....
Of good judgment and
conduct, of abilities equal to the execution of a scheme hereafter proposed: it
can scarcely be thought consistent with the great modesty of Joseph that he
meant himself, or that indeed, he ventured to give any advice at all, until it
was first asked of him by the king; who being so well satisfied with the
interpretation of his dreams, thought him a proper person to consult with what
to be done in this case; who, as a true father of his country, as every king
should be, was concerned for the good of it, and to provide against the worst
for them:
and set him
over the land of Egypt;
not to be governor of it
in general, but with a particular respect to the present case, to take care of
provision for it.
Genesis 41:34. 34 Let
Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, to collect
one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven plentiful
years.
YLT 34let Pharaoh make and
appoint overseers over the land, and receive a fifth of the land of Egypt in
the seven years of plenty,
Let Pharaoh do this,....
Appoint such a person; who
as a sovereign prince could do it of himself:
and let him
appoint officers over the land;
not Pharaoh, but the wise
and discreet governor he should set over the land, who should have a power of
appointing officers or overseers under him to manage things according to his
direction:
and take up the
fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years;
not the officers
appointed, but the appointer of them, the chief governor under Pharaoh, for the
word is singular; it is proposed that he should, in Pharaoh's name, and by his
order, take a fifth part of all the corn in the land of Egypt during seven
years of plenty; not by force, which so good a man as Joseph would never advise
to, whatever power Pharaoh might have, and could exercise if he pleased; but by
making a purchase of it, which in such time of plenty would be bought cheap,
and which so great a prince as Pharaoh was capable of. It is commonly asked, why
an half part was not ordered to be took up, since there were to be as many
years of famine as of plenty? and to this it is usually replied, that besides
this fifth part taken up, as there might be an old stock of former years, so
there would be something considerable remain of these seven years of plenty,
which men of substance would lay up, as Pharaoh did; and besides, a fifth part
might be equal to the crop of an ordinary year, or near it: to which may be
added, that in times of famine men live more sparingly, as they are obliged,
and therefore such a quantity would go the further; as well as it may be
considered, that notwithstanding the barrenness of the land in general, yet in
some places, especially on the banks of the Nile, some corn might be produced;
so that upon the whole a fifth part might be judged sufficient to answer the
extremity of the seven years of famine, and even to allow a distribution to
other countries.
Genesis 41:35. 35 And
let them gather all the food of those good years that are coming, and store up
grain under the authority of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities.
YLT 35and they gather all the
food of these good years that are coming, and heap up corn under the hand of
Pharaoh -- food in the cities; and they have kept [it],
And let them,
gather all the food of those good years that come,....
That is, let the under
officers collect together the fifth part of all fruits of the land during the
seven years of plenty:
and lay up corn
under the hand of Pharaoh;
as his property, and only
to be disposed of by his orders; for as it was to be purchased with his money,
it was right that it should be in his hands, or in the hands of his officers
appointed by him, as the Targum of Jonathan:
and let them
keep food in the cities;
reserve it in the several
cities throughout the land, against the years of famine.
Genesis 41:36. 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 may not perish during the
famine.”
YLT 36and the food hath been for
a store for the land, for the seven years of famine which are in the land of
Egypt; and the land is cut off by the famine.'
And that food
shall be for store to the land,....
A deposit in the said
cities, to be brought forth and used in a time of public distress; the Targum
of Jonathan is, it"shall be hidden in a cave in the earth:"
against the
seven years of famine which shall be in the land of Egypt:
and so be a supply to the
inhabitants of the land, when they should be sore pressed with a famine, and
know not what to do, nor where to go for food:
that the land
perish not through the famine;
that is, that the people
of the land perish not, as the above Targum, which, without such a provision,
they would have been in great danger of perishing. Justin, an Heathen writerF17E.
Trogo, l. 36. c. 32. , confirms this account of the advice of Joseph, of whom
he says, that"he was exceeding sagacious of things wonderful, and first
found out the meaning of dreams; and nothing of right, divine or human, seemed
unknown to him, so that he could foresee the barrenness of land many years
beforehand; and all Egypt would have perished with the famine, if the king, by
his advice, had not commanded an edict, that the fruits of the earth, for many
years, should be preserved.'
Genesis 41:37. 37 So
the advice was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants.
YLT 37And the thing is good in
the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants,
And the thing
was good in the eyes of Pharaoh,....
He approved of the advice
Joseph gave, and of the scheme and plan which he proposed:
and in the eyes
of all his servants;
his nobles, ministers of
state and courtiers, all highly commended and applauded it; and it was with the
general and unanimous consent of all agreed that it should be put into
execution: but then the next question, and the thing to be considered, was, who
was a person fit to be engaged in such an affair?
Genesis 41:38. 38 And
Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a one as this, a man in
whom is the Spirit of God?”
YLT 38and Pharaoh saith unto his
servants, `Do we find like this, a man in whom the spirit of God [is]?'
And Pharaoh
said unto his servants,....
That were about him, and
with whom he was consulting about a proper person to be over this affair of
gathering in the fruits of the earth in the time of plenty, and laying them up
against a time of famine:
can we find such
an one as this is, in whom the Spirit of God is?
if we search among all the
ranks and degrees of men throughout the kingdom, let them be of what character
they will, we shall never find a man like this, who appears to have the Spirit
of God, or "of the gods", as he in his Heathenish way spoke, and
which he concluded from his vast knowledge of things; and especially of things
future: hence the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan interpret it, the spirit of
prophecy from the Lord.
Genesis 41:39. 39 Then
Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is
no one as discerning and wise as you.
YLT 39and Pharaoh saith unto
Joseph, `After God's causing thee to know all this, there is none intelligent
and wise as thou;
And Pharaoh
said unto Joseph,....
After his servants had
agreed to his being the man: at least Pharaoh had declared his mind that he
should be the person; which if any of them disliked, as probably might be the
case of some through envy, and as desirous of the post themselves, yet durst
not make any opposition to it:
forasmuch as
God hath shewed thee all this;
the interpretation of his
dreams, what would be hereafter for fourteen years to come, what was advisable
to be done for the good of the nation, and had proposed a plan so well
contrived and formed:
there is none so discreet and wise as thou art;
and consequently none so
fit for this business, since he was so divinely qualified; and Justin, the
Heathen writerF18E. Trogo, l. 36. c. 32. , observes that he had such
knowledge and experience of things, that his answers seemed to be given not
from men, but from God.
Genesis 41:40. 40 You
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.”
YLT 40thou -- thou art over my
house, and at thy mouth do all my people kiss; only in the throne I am greater
than thou.'
Thou shall be
over my house,....,
Have the care of his
domestic affairs, and be the principal man in his palace and court:
and according
unto thy word shall all my people be ruled;
not only in his family,
but in his whole kingdom; whatever he ordered and commanded them to do, they
should it, or "all my people shall kiss"F19ישק "osculabitur", Montanus, Junius, &
Tremellius, Piscator, Schmidt. , that is, either their hand at the sight of
him, or meeting him, in token of respect and veneration shall yield a ready and
cheerful obedience to him, of which the kiss was a sign, see Psalm 2:12. The
Targum of Onkelos renders it, "shall be fed"F20Cibabitur,
Fagius; "cibum capiet", Tigurine version. , supplied with corn, and
with all necessary provisions, and so Jarchi interprets it; which is restraining
it to that part of his office which concerned the gathering and laying up their
stores for time to come; but the Targum of Jonathan is, "shall be
armed"F21Armabitur, Pagninus, Munster, Drusius, Cartwright; so
Kimchi. ; and so Aben Ezra makes him the prince or general of the army, or who
had the militia at his command, and could arm them when he pleased; but it
seems to denote a more large and unlimited power than either of these, even the
government of the whole land under the king, who only excepts himself:
only in the
throne will I be greater than thou;
that is, he alone would be
king, wear the crown sit upon the throne, and have all the ensigns of royal
majesty, in which Joseph was to have no share; otherwise he was to have an
executive power and authority over all his subjects in the land, even to bind
his princes at pleasure, and to teach, instruct, and direct his senators, Psalm 105:21.
Genesis 41:41. 41 And Pharaoh said to
Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.”
YLT 41And Pharaoh saith unto
Joseph, `See, I have put thee over all the land of Egypt.'
And Pharaoh
said unto Joseph,....
He continued speaking to
him for the greater confirmation of what he had said, and for further
explanation of it:
see, I have set
thee over all the land of Egypt;
not merely as the corn
master general, to take care of a provision of corn in time of plenty, against
a time of scarcity, but as a viceroy or deputy governor over the whole land, as
appears by the ensigns of honour and dignity bestowed on him; of which in the
following verses.
Genesis 41:42. 42 Then
Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand; and he
clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck.
YLT 42And Pharaoh turneth aside
his seal-ring from off his hand, and putteth it on the hand of Joseph, and
clotheth him [with] garments of fine linen, and placeth a chain of gold on his
neck,
And Pharaoh
took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand,....
Which, as it was
expressive of the interest he had in his royal favour, so was a token of that
high office and great dignity to which he was promoted: thus among the Romans,
in later times, when anyone was put into the equestrian order, a ring was given
to himF23Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 33. c. 1. ; for originally none but
knights were allowed to wear rings; and it was sometimes used to design a
successor in the kingdom, as, when Alexander was dying, he took his ring from
off his finger, and gave it to PerdiccaF24Diodor. Sic. Bibliothec.
l. 18. p. 587. Justin. e. Trogo, l. 12. c. 15. , which was understood, though
he did not express it, that he should be his successor, in the
Apocrypha:"14 Then called he for Philip, one of his friends, who he made
ruler over all his realm, 15 And gave him the crown, and his robe, and his
signet, to the end he should bring up his son Antiochus, and nourish him up for
the kingdom.' (1 Maccabees 6)Now, though Pharaoh did not by this intend to
point out Joseph for his successor in the kingdom, yet he gave him his ring as
a mark of honour, and as being in place next unto his viceroy or deputy: and
besides, as it is observed by many, this might be his signet, or the ring which
had his seal upon it, by which he sealed patents and public deeds, and which he
gave to Joseph to make use of in his name; though Schmidt doubts whether this
was such a ring, since kings and princes have been used to have larger for such
purposes, than what are wore on the finger: by this it appears, that PlinyF25Nat.
Hist. l. 33. c. 1. was mistaken that there were no rings in and before the time
of Troy:
and arrayed him
in vestures of fine linen;
of which there was the
best sort in Egypt, and which great personages used to wear:
and put a gold chain
about his neck;
another badge of honour
and dignity, see Daniel 5:16.
Genesis 41:43. 43 And
he had him ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried out before
him, “Bow the knee!” So he set him over all the land of Egypt.
YLT 43and causeth him to ride in
the second chariot which he hath, and they proclaim before him, `Bow the knee!'
and -- to put him over all the land of Egypt.
And he made him
to ride in the second chariot which he had,....
By which it appeared that
he was next to Pharaoh, but not above him; as kings were wont to have more
chariots than one, those were distinguished by first, second, &c. being of
greater state the one than the other, see 2 Chronicles 35:24,
and they cried
before him, bow the knee;
that is, his guard that
attended him, when he rode out in his chariot, called to the people, as they
passed along, to bow the knee to Joseph, as a token of veneration and respect;
or they proclaimed him "Abrech", which Onkelos paraphrases, this is
the father of the king; and so Jarchi, who observes, that "Rech"
signifies a king in the Syriac language; and this agrees with what Joseph
himself says, that God had made him a father to Pharaoh, Genesis 45:8.
Others render it a tender father; and the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem
take in both senses,"this is the father of the king, (or let the father of
the king live, so the Jerusalem,) who is great in wisdom, and tender in
years:'though rather he may be so called, because he acted the part of a tender
father to the country, in providing corn for them against a time of scarcity:
and he made him
ruler over all the land of Egypt;
appointed him to be
governor of the whole land, and invested him with that office, and made him
appear to be so, by the grandeur he raised him to.
Genesis 41:44. 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.”
YLT 44And Pharaoh saith unto
Joseph, `I [am] Pharaoh, and without thee a man doth not lift up his hand and
his foot in all the land of Egypt;'
And Pharaoh
said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh,....
Or I am king, which the
word Pharaoh signifies, as JosephusF26Antiqu. l. 8. c. 6. sect. 2.
says; and that this is not a proper name, but a title of office, seems plain
from these words; and the sense either is, that though Pharaoh had raised
Joseph to such high honour and dignity, yet he alone was king: or this he said
to show his power and authority to do what he had done, and would stand by him,
and support him in his office and grandeur:
and without
thee shall not a man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt;
which is to be taken not
in a strict literal sense, but proverbially, signifying, that nothing should be
done in the nation of any moment or importance, relating to political affairs,
but what was by his order and authority; the hands and feet being the principal
instruments of action. The Targum of Jonathan is,"without thy word (or
order) a man shall not lift up his hand to gird on armour, or his foot to mount
a horse;'signifying thereby, that all things relating to war and peace should
be altogether under his direction.
Genesis 41:45. 45 And
Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnath-Paaneah. And he gave him as a wife
Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On. So Joseph went out over all
the land of Egypt.
YLT 45and Pharaoh calleth
Joseph's name Zaphnath-Paaneah, and he giveth to him Asenath daughter of
Poti-Pherah, priest of On, for a wife, and Joseph goeth out over the land of
Egypt.
And Pharaoh
called Joseph's name Zaphnathpaaneah,....
Which, according to the
paraphrase of Onkelos, signifies one to whom hidden things are revealed; or, as
Jonathan, a revealer of secrets; and so most of the Jewish writers explain it;
and which seems to be given him from his interpreting Pharaoh's dreams, and
revealing what was hereafter to come to pass. The word is only used in this
place, at least the latter part of it and Aben Ezra confesses his ignorance of
it, whether it is an Egyptian word or not; KircherF1Prodrom. Copt.
p. 124, &c. most asserts it, and says it signifies a prophet (or
foreteller) of future things. Though some think the first part of the name has
some respect to the Egyptian idol Baal Zephon, Exodus 14:2, and
that, in this new name Pharaoh gave Joseph upon his promotion, he inserted the
name of his god, as Nebuchadnezzar, when he gave new names to Daniel and his
comparisons, Daniel 1:7,
and he gave him
to wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah;
not the same with
Potiphar, Joseph's master, as Jarchi says, not only their, names differ, but
also their offices; nor would Joseph, it is imagined, marry the daughter of
such a woman, so wicked as his mistress was, and had so much abused him, and
been the cause of all his troubles; nor was this Asenath the daughter of Dinah
by Shechem, as some Jewish writersF2Targ. Jon. in loc. Shalshalet
Hakabala, fol. 3. 2. Pirke Eliezer, c. 38. assert, whom Potiphar's wife, having
no child, brought up as her own, which is not at all probable; but an Egyptian
woman, the daughter of the person before named: who was
priest of On:
the same with Aven; See
Gill on Ezekiel 30:17; and
which in PtolemyF3Geograph l. 4. c. 5. is called Onii, about twenty
two miles from Memphis, and said to be the metropolis of the "Heliopolitan
home"; and has been since called "Heliopolis", as it is here in
the Septuagint version, which signifies the city of the sun, and is the same
with Bethshemesh, the house of the sun, Jeremiah 43:13;
where, as HerodotusF4Euterpe, sive, l. 2. c. 59. 63. says, the
sun was worshipped, and sacrifice offered to it, and the inhabitants of this
place are by him said to be the wisest and most rational of the EgyptiansF5Ib.
c. 3. ; here Potipherah, Joseph's father-in-law, was "priest"; and
StraboF6Geograph. l. 17. p. 554. says, at Heliopolis we saw large
houses, in which the priests dwelt; for here especially of old it was said,
that this was the habitation of priests, of philosophers, and such as were
given to astronomy: the Septuagint version and JosephusF7Antiqu. l.
2. c. 6. sect. 1. call this man Petephre; and an Heathen writerF8Polyhistor.
ex Demetrio apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 9. c. 21. p. 424. , Pentephre, a
priest of Heliopolis; which a very learned manF9Jablonski de Terra
Goshen. Dissert. 8. sect. 4. says, in the Egyptian tongue, signifies a priest
of the sun; and so Philo saysF11De Josepho, p. 543. , that Joseph
married the daughter of a famous man in Egypt, who had the priesthood of the
sun. But the word may as well be rendered "prince"F12כהן "praesidis", Junius & Tremellius,
Piscator; "principis", Pagninus, Vatablus; so the Targums of Onkelos
and Jonathan. , as it is when there is nothing to determine its sense
otherwise, as there is none here; and it is more likely, that Pharaoh should
marry his prime minister into the family of one of his princes than of his
priests; this seems to be more agreeable to the high rank that Joseph was
raised to, as well as more suitable to his character as a worshipper of the
true God, who would not choose to marry the daughter of an idolatrous priest:
though, according to Diodorus SiculusF13Bibliothec. l. 1. p. 66. ,
the Egyptian priests were second to the king in honour and authority, and were
always about him, and were of his council; and Aelianus, saysF14Var.
Hist. l. 14. c. 34. , that formerly with the Egyptians the judges were priests,
and the eldest of them was a prince, and had the power of judging all; and even
Sethon, king of Egypt, was a priest of Vulcan: whether this prince or priest was
of the king's family, or whether the kings of Egypt had a power to dispose of
the daughters of their subjects, especially of their priests or princes when
dead, is not certain: perhaps no more, as Bishop Patrick observes, is meant,
than that Pharaoh made this match, and which was a mark of great honour and
affection to Joseph; and which, if even disagreeable to him, being an idolater,
he could not well refuse:
and Joseph went
out over all the land of Egypt;
either the name and fame
of him, as Aben Ezra interprets it, see Matthew 4:24; or
rather he himself went forth in all his grandeur before related, and took a
tour, throughout the whole land to observe the fruitfulness of it, and make
choice of proper places to lay up his intended stores.
Genesis 41:46. 46 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.
YLT 46And Joseph [is] a son of
thirty years in his standing before Pharaoh king of Egypt, and Joseph goeth out
from the presence of Pharaoh, and passeth over through all the land of Egypt;
And Joseph was thirty years old when
he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt,....
Interpreting his dreams,
and had such honour conferred upon him as to be made his prime minister; from
whence it appears that Joseph had now been thirteen years in Egypt, partly in
Potiphar's house, and partly in prison, since he was seventeen years of age
when he was sold thither, see Genesis 37:2,
and Joseph went
out from the presence of Pharaoh;
from standing before him,
and ministering to him as his counsellor and chief statesman, or he went out
from his court and palace for a while:
and went
throughout all the land of Egypt:
this seems to be a second
tour; before he went to survey the land, and pitch upon the most proper places
for granaries to lay up store of corn in; and now he went through it, to gather
in and give directions about it, and see it performed, for the years of plenty were
now begun.
Genesis 41:47. 47 Now
in the seven plentiful years the ground brought forth abundantly.
YLT 47and the land maketh in the
seven years of plenty by handfuls.
And in the
seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls.
Such as the gatherers take
up in their hands when reaped, in order to bind up in sheaves: now such was the
fruitfulness of the land during the seven years of plenty, that either one
stalk produced as many ears as a man could hold in his hand; or one grain
produced an handful, as Ben Melech observes; though Onkelos paraphrases the
words,"the inhabitants of the earth in the seven years of plenty gathered
even into their treasuries:'and this they did by the order and direction of
Joseph as he passed through the land; what he bought of them they brought, and
put into the granaries, as he directed them.
Genesis 41:48. 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.
YLT 48And he gathereth all the
food of the seven years which have been in the land of Egypt, and putteth food
in the cities; the food of the field which [is] round about [each] city hath he
put in its midst;
And he gathered
up all the food of the seven years,....
That is, of plenty; not
all the fruits of the earth, or all that was eatable, but the corn, as in Genesis 41:49; and
not all of that the earth produced, but the fifth part of it, as he proposed,
which he bought with Pharaoh's money, and therefore: had a right to sell it
again as he did:
which were in
the land of Egypt;
in which only he had a
concern, and where only was this plenty:
and laid up the
food in the cities;
in places built for that
purpose, and whither the people round about could easily bring it, and fetch
it, when it was wanted:
the food of the
field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same;
which was very wisely
done, for present carriage, and for the convenience of the people in time of
famine. At this day, at old Cairo, is an edifice the most considerable in it,
called Joseph's granary; it occupies a square, surrounded by a wall, and has
divers partitions contrived within it, where is deposited the corn, that is
paid as a tax to the Gram Seignior, brought from different parts of EgyptF15Norden's
Travels in Egypt, &c. vol. 1. p. 72. .
Genesis 41:49. 49 Joseph
gathered very much grain, as the sand of the sea, until he stopped counting,
for it was immeasurable.
YLT 49and Joseph gathereth corn
as sand of the sea, multiplying exceedingly, until that he hath ceased to
number, for there is no number.
And Joseph
gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering,....
At first he took an
account of the quantities that were bought and laid up, how much there was in
each granary, until it amounted to so much, that there was no end of numbering
it; it was like the sand of the sea, an hyperbolical expression, denoting the
great abundance of it:
for it was
without number;
not only the grains of
corn, but even the measures of it, whatever were used; so Artapanus, an Heathen
writer, saysF16Apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 9. c. 23. p. 430. ,
Joseph, when governor of Egypt, got together the corn of seven years, an
immense quantity.
Genesis 41:50. 50 And
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.
YLT 50And to Joseph were born two
sons before the year of famine cometh, whom Asenath daughter of Poti-Pherah,
priest of On, hath borne to him,
And unto Joseph
were born two sons,....
The word for
"born" is singular; hence Ben Melech conjectures that they were
twins: and this was
before the
years of famine came;
or "the year of
famine"F17שנת הרעב
"annus famis", Tigurine version, Pagninus, Montanus, Drusius;
"annus (primus) famis", Schmidt. ; the first year:
which Asenath,
the daughter of Potipherah priest of On, bare unto him;
which is observed, to show
that he had them by his lawful wife; whom the Targum of Jonathan wrongly again
makes the daughter of Dinah, and her father prince of Tanis, the same with
Zoan; whereas this was "On" or "Heliopolis", a very
different place; so Artapanus saysF18Apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel.
l. 9. c. 23. p. 429. , that Joseph married the daughter of the priest of
Heliopolis, by whom he had children; and another Heathen writerF19Polyhistor.
apud ib. p. 424. mentions their names, Ephraim and Manesseh.
Genesis 41:51. 51 Joseph called the name of
the firstborn Manasseh:[a] “For God
has made me forget all my toil and all my father’s house.”
YLT 51and Joseph calleth the name
of the first-born Manasseh: `for, God hath made me to forget all my labour, and
all the house of my father;'
And Joseph
called the name of the firstborn Manasseh,....
Which signifies
forgetfulness, as the reason of it shows:
for God, said
he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house;
all his toil and labour in
Potiphar's house, and especially in the prison; and all the injuries his
brethren had done him; all this he was made to forget by the grandeur and
honour, wealth and riches, power and authority he was possessed of; and indeed
he had so much business upon his hands, that he had scarce time to think of his
father, and his family.
Genesis 41:52. 52 And
the name of the second he called Ephraim:[b] “For God
has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.”
YLT 52and the name of the second
he hath called Ephraim: `for, God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of
mine affliction.'
And the name of
the second called he Ephraim,....
Which signifies fruits or
fruitfulness; and being of the dual number, may intend both his spiritual and
temporal fruitfulness God had blessed him with:
for God hath
caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction;
in the land of Egypt,
where he had been long afflicted, even for the space of thirteen years, more or
less, in his master's house, and in the prison; but God had made him fruitful
in grace and good works, in holiness, humility, &c. and oftentimes
afflictive seasons are the most fruitful ones in this sense. God also bestowed
great gifts upon him, as skill in the interpretation of dreams, wisdom in
political affairs, a large abundance of wealth, and riches, honour and glory;
to which may be added, the fruit of his body, his two children.
Genesis 41:53. 53 Then
the seven years of plenty which were in the land of Egypt ended,
YLT 53And the seven years of
plenty are completed which have been in the land of Egypt,
And the seven
years of plenteousness that was in the land of Egypt were ended.
Perhaps quickly after the
birth of Ephraim, Joseph's second son; since the account follows upon that, and
it is certain that he was born before the years of famine began, Genesis 41:50; some
connect the words, "moreover when" the seven years of plenty were
ended, then began, as follows, seven years of famine; these events were
fulfilled just as Joseph had predicted.
Genesis 41:54. 54 and
the seven years of famine began to come, as Joseph had said. The famine was in
all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.
YLT 54and the seven years of
famine begin to come, as Joseph said, and famine is in all the lands, but in
all the land of Egypt hath been bread;
And the seven
years of dearth began to come, as Joseph had said,....
In the interpretation of
Pharaoh's dreams; as soon as the seven years of plenty were over, there were
quickly some appearances of the famine coming on; as particularly the river
Nile not flowing to its usual height at the season of it; hence there was a
drought, the earth was parched, and everything began to wither and decay, and
the seed that was sown sprung not up:
and the dearth
was in all lands;
adjoining to Egypt, as
Syria, Arabia, Palestine, Canaan, &c.
but in all the
land of Egypt there was bread;
which was in the hands of
everyone, and remained of their old stores in the years of plenty not yet
exhausted, and which continued for some time after the dearth began. It is very
probable that to this seven years' drought in Egypt OvidF20"Dicitur
Aegyptus caruisse juvantibus arva Imbribus, atque annis sicca fuisse
novem." --Ovid de Artc Amandi, l. 1. ver. 647. refers, which he makes to
be nine; as does also ApollodorusF21De Deor Orig. l. 2. p. 104. .
Genesis 41:55. 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; whatever he says to you,
do.”
YLT 55and all the land of Egypt
is famished, and the people crieth unto Pharaoh for bread, and Pharaoh saith to
all the Egyptians, `Go unto Joseph; that which he saith to you -- do.'
And when all
the land of Egypt was famished,....
Their old stock and store
eaten up, and the inhabitants ready to starve with hunger:
the people
cried to Pharaoh for bread;
as their common father,
and knowing that he had stores of provision laid up in all cities against this
time:
and Pharaoh
said to the Egyptians, go unto Joseph;
whom he had appointed over
this business of providing and laying up corn against this time, and of
distributing it:
what he saith
to you, do;
give the price for the
corn he fixes or requires; for this was the principal thing they had to do with
him, to get corn for their money.
Genesis 41:56. 56 The
famine was over all the face of the earth, and Joseph opened all the
storehouses[c] and sold
to the Egyptians. And the famine became severe in the land of Egypt.
YLT 56And the famine has been
over all the face of the land, and Joseph openeth all [places] which have
[corn] in them, and selleth to the Egyptians; and the famine is severe in the
land of Egypt,
And the famine
was over all the face of the earth,....
Not over the whole world,
but the land of Egypt; all the inhabitants of it were pinched with it, rich and
poor; it reached all parts and all sorts of men:
and Joseph
opened all the storehouses;
in the several cities
throughout the land where he had laid up corn:
and sold unto
the Egyptians;
for, as he had bought it
with Pharaoh's money, it was no injustice to sell it; and as it could be sold
at a moderate price, and yet Pharaoh get enough by it, being bought cheap in a
time of plenty, no doubt but Joseph, who was a kind and benevolent man, sold it
at such a price:
and the famine
waxed sore in the land of Egypt;
there being no overflow of
the Nile year after year, and nothing left of the old stock but what was in the
storehouses.
Genesis 41:57. 57 So
all countries came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine
was severe in all lands.
YLT 57and all the earth hath come
to Egypt, to buy, unto Joseph, for the famine was severe in all the earth.
And all
countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn,....
All the neighbouring
nations (Syria, Arabia, Palestine, Canaan, &c.), when they heard there was
corn there for money, came from all parts for it, and were glad to get it at
such expense and trouble:
because that
the famine was so sore in all lands;
that there was no bread to
be got for money elsewhere. It is thought by many, that for this care of Joseph
in laying up provision against this time of need, and which was the preservation
of the Egyptians, he was worshipped by them under various names; as the Apis,
which was an ox, a sign of fruitfulness; and Serapis, sometimes figured as a
young man carrying a basket of bread on his head; and Osiris, who is sometimes
represented with a bushel on his head. However, this is certain, that he was an
eminent type of Christ in all this, both in his estate of humiliation and
exaltation: as Joseph was wrongly charged by his mistress, so was Christ
falsely accused by the Jews; as he was cast into prison and bound there, so
Christ was taken and bound as a prisoner; as Joseph was raised to great honour
and glory in Pharaoh's court, so Christ was exalted by his Father, and crowned
with glory and honour; and if the new name given him, "Zaphnathpaaneah",
signifies the Saviour of the world, as some interpret it, it agrees well with
Christ, who was sent into the world for that purpose; and indeed, if it means a
revealer of secrets, it suits with him, who hath declared his Father's mind and
will, and revealed the mysteries of his grace to the sons of men: and as Joseph
had all the stores of corn under his care, and the needy were bid to go to him
for it, so Christ has all the treasures of grace in his hand, and all that are
sensible of their need of it are directed to go to him for it; and it is from
him that men of all nations and countries receive grace for grace, and have all
their supplies, and spiritual sustenance and nourishment.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New
King James Version (NKJV)
a.
Genesis 41:51
Literally Making Forgetful
b.
Genesis 41:52
Literally Fruitfulness
c.Genesis 41:56
Literally all that was in them