Free Bible Commentary
“Genesis 41:1-8”
Categories: Genesis“Now it happened at the end of two full years that Pharaoh had a dream, and behold, he was standing by the Nile. And lo, from the Nile there came up seven cows, sleek and fat; and they grazed in the marsh grass. Then behold, seven other cows came up after them from the Nile, ugly and gaunt, and they stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile. The ugly and gaunt cows ate up the seven sleek and fat cows. Then Pharaoh awoke. He fell asleep and dreamed a second time; and behold, seven ears of grain came up on a single stalk, plump and good. Then behold, seven ears, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them. The thin ears swallowed up the seven plump and full ears. Then Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. Now in the morning his spirit was troubled, so 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 to Pharaoh.”
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“Now it happened at the end of two full years that Pharaoh had a dream...” (verse 1) “Two full years” after the release of the royal cupbearer and the execution of the royal baker, with Joseph still serving time for a crime that he did not commit, Pharaoh had two dreams that would change the fate of Joseph and the family and nation of Israel forever. “This monarch, under whom Joseph was elevated, 'was probably one of the Hyksos rulers shortly after 1720 B.C'” (James Burton Coffman quoting John T. Willis) “The wheel of fate has turned full circle. Joseph's misfortunes began with dreams and now end through dreams. Because of their critical role in the subsequent history of Joseph and Israel, Pharaoh's dreams are narrated immediately and then repeated by Pharaoh himself.” (Nahum Sarna)
“And behold, he was standing by the Nile.” (verse 1) “The Nile as the setting for Pharaoh's dream is fateful, for the river was literally the lifeline of Egypt, the source of its entire economy.” (Nahum Sarna) “And lo, from the Nile there came up seven cows, sleek and fat...” (verse 2) “The cow is a very significant emblem of fruitful nature among the Egyptians, the hieroglyphic symbol of the earth and of agriculture; and the form in which Isis the goddess of the earth was adored.” (Barnes' Notes on the Bible) “The number “seven” is commonly employed for the purposes of symbolism. The god Osiris is represented in Egyptian drawings as an ox accompanied by seven cows.” (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges) “The ugly and gaunt cows ate up the seven sleek and fat cows.” (verse 4) A strange and troubling dream indeed. That such docile creatures as cows should consume one another, and stranger still that the skinny cows should devour the stout, healthy ones and leave not a trace of their existence behind. After Pharaoh was awakened by the puzzling dream he was soon able to drift back off to sleep, but only to have his slumber interrupted by yet another puzzling, troubling dream of seven objects devouring seven other objects.
“He fell asleep and dreamed a second time; and behold, seven ears of grain came up on a single stalk, plump and good. Then behold, seven ears, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them. The thin ears swallowed up the seven plump and full ears.” (verses 5-7) “the duplication of the dream seems to place its significance beyond dispute. The resemblance of the dreams is found in (1) the number 'seven'; (2) in the good products being consumed by the bad. The first dream was concerned with the sacred animal of Egypt; the second with Egypt’s chief source of wealth.” (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges)
“Then Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream.” (verse 7) Have you ever had a dream so vivid and realistic that, when you woke up to find it was only a fabrication of your restless, overly-imaginative mind, you had a hard time accepting it was only a fantasy? That was the situation with Pharaoh on that fateful, fitful, dream-filled night. When he woke up from the second crazy dream, as utterly bizarre as they both had been, there was something far to substantial and alarming about them to merely cast them aside as something unintentional and inconsequential.
“Now in the morning his spirit was troubled, so 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 to Pharaoh.” (verse 8) It is highly unlikely that Pharaoh was able to float back off to sleep after the second, troubling dream had jolted him from his slumber. At the first light of dawn he called for all of Egypt's notable “magicians” (fortunetellers) and “wise men” (possibly astrologers) to give him a suitable answer, but “no one could interpret” the dreams. These men certainly made attempts to explain the possible meaning of the dreams to their king, but Pharaoh was neither impressed nor satisfied with the any of their suggestions. Since it was the hand of God at work disturbing Pharaoh's mind as he slept, the Lord Himself would provide the true interpretation by directing a truly wise man into his presence to serve the king, the entirety of the nation, and the furtherance of the divine plan to serve and save all humanity.
“Perhaps the most impressive thing about the chapter is its perfect fulfillment of the pattern reaching all the way back to the double dream of Joseph (Genesis 37), the dream that foretold the very events centering around this double dream of Pharaoh, a dream which Joseph's father accurately interpreted (Genesis 37:10). That first pair of dreams was followed by a second pair, those of the butler and the baker related in the last chapter; and now, in this, 'The providential series of double dreams concludes!' The first prophesied of the third; and the second proved a stepping stone to the third, which is the climax of all three. Only one voice speaks throughout Genesis. Only one power controls its events. That voice and power are those of God.” (James Burton Coffman)
Please read Genesis 41:9-13 for tomorrow.
Have a great day!
-Louie Taylor
