Pharaoh's Dream of good and bad 1
Butler remembers Joseph 9
Joseph called from the dungeon 14
Joseph interprets the dream 25
Recommendation 33
Joseph given great authority 37
Joseph stores food 46
Joseph distributes food 53
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¶ And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed:
and, behold, he stood by the river.
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
- Pharaoh dreamed Compare with the
story in Daniel 2 da0224.
2 - Kine The plural form of "cow." |
| 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. .8 And 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 the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh. |
6
- East wind Compare jb1502.
8 - Magicians "It is not possible to define the exact distinction between 'magicians' and "wise men"; but they formed different branches of a numerous body, who laid claim to supernatural skill in occult arts and sciences, in revealing mysteries, explaining portents, and, above all, interpreting dreams. Long practice had rendered them expert in devising a plausible way of getting out of every difficulty and framing an answer suitable to the occasion. But the dreams of Pharaoh baffled their united skill. Unlike their Assyrian brethren (Da 2:4), they did not pretend to know the meaning of the symbols contained in them, and the providence of God had determined that they should all be nonplussed in the exercise of their boasted powers, in order that the inspired wisdom of Joseph might appear the more remarkable." (JFB Commentary). |
| .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. |
1 - I do remember "... it was not convenient for him to remember this before; and probably he would not have remembered it now, had he not seen, that giving this information in such a case was likely to serve his own interest. We are justified in thinking evil of this man because of his scandalous neglect of a person who foretold the rescue of his life from imminent destruction, and who, being unjustly confined, prayed to have his case fairly represented to the king that justice might be done him; but this courtier, though then in the same circumstances himself, found it convenient to forget the poor, friendless Hebrew slave!" (Clarke). |
| .14
Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of
the dungeon: 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 interpret it. .16 And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace. |
16 - Not in me Recognition of the source of all wisdom. Daniel made a similar statement da0230. |
| 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 east wind, 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. |
17
- Bank of the river The river was like a lifeline. Its flooding
kept the land fertile. It was also a place to worship.
17 - In my dream The dream was explained in verse 1-7. |
| .25
And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed
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. 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 famine. |
25 - God hath shewed Pharaoh Through the prophetic voice of Joseph. |
| 28 This is the thing
which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God is about to do he sheweth unto
Pharaoh.
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 famine 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, and God will shortly bring it to pass. |
32 - Dream was doubled It was given to him twice. This may also reflect the concept that a matter is decided on the basis of two witnesses de1706, de1915. |
| .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 store 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. |
34 - Take up ... in plenteous years God knew the future and provision for a famine would keep the nation safe. Life depended very closely on the river Nile. |
| .37
And the thing was good 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 Spirit of God is? 39 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: 40 Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. .41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. .42 And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; |
41,2
- Ring ... gold chain Those who feel that jewelry is appropriate
point to these verses as justification. After all, Joseph had high moral
character, so if we have "faith" shouldn't we be able to put on the hardware?
To help us answer, we need to ask why a person puts on jewelry or other adornment. For Joseph, we consider the cultural significance. From the context we see that the articles were connected with his new responsibilities. The ring may have been used to impress wax seals for documents. His responsibility is pictured in ps10522. The priests wore jewels and the high priest had a gold crown, but these were not on his body ex2801-43. On the relative value of adornment see pr0313ff; pr08, pr2015. Peter wrote about the topic of jewelry. See on 1pe03. |
| .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 ruler 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 Zaphnathpaaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt. |
43
- Made him ride ... bow Compare Haman's experience es0607.
45 - Called Joseph's name The prince of the Babylonian eunuchs would later give Daniel a name da0107. Some believe that the "-nath" in Joseph's and his wife's names meant "God speaks and lives." (G.C. Alders, Genesis, Zondervan, 1981, p. 216; G.A. Getz, Joseph, p.104.) Joseph had great powers and was in danger of falling into evil. The name, Zaphnath-paaneh was accepted as Egyptian but later seen to mean "The god speaks that he may live" a witness to Joseph's god who saved the lives of many people. |
| .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 food 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 Manasseh: 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 Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction. |
Image from Am. Std. Bible, public domain |
| .53
And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were
ended.
54 And the seven years of dearth 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 sold 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. |
56 - Sold This part of the plan encouraged planning ahead and not wasting the grain. |
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