“Genesis 41:14-24”

Wednesday, April 01, 2020

“Then Pharaoh sent and called for Joseph, and they hurriedly brought him out of the dungeon; and when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came to Pharaoh. Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'I have had a dream, but no one can interpret it; and I have heard it said about you, that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.' Joseph then answered Pharaoh, saying, 'It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.' So Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, 'In my dream, behold, I was standing on the bank of the Nile; and behold, seven cows, fat and sleek came up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the marsh grass. Lo, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and gaunt, such as I had never seen for ugliness in all the land of Egypt; and the lean and ugly cows ate up the first seven fat cows. Yet when they had devoured them, it could not be detected that they had devoured them, for they were just as ugly as before. Then I awoke. I saw also in my dream, and behold, seven ears, full and good, came up on a single stalk; and lo, seven ears, withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them; and the thin ears swallowed the seven good ears. Then I told it to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.”

---End of Scripture verses---

“Then Pharaoh sent and called for Joseph, and they hurriedly brought him out of the dungeon...” (verse 14) “Now that God's set time had come (Ps 105:19), no human power nor policy could detain Joseph in prison. During his protracted confinement, he might have often been distressed with perplexing doubts; but the mystery of Providence was about to be cleared up, and all his sorrows forgotten in the course of honor and public usefulness in which his services were to be employed.” (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary)

“And when he had shaved himself...” (verse 14) Even though the rush was on to bring Joseph to Pharaoh to interpret the dreams that were robbing him of his sleep, the Hebrew lad must first be made presentable to stand before the great king. Joseph was promptly allowed (forced) to shave, most likely the hair on his head as well as his face. “Egyptians suffered their hair and beards to grow only when in mourning; whereas in Palestine the beard was regarded as a manly ornament. On Egyptian monuments only captives and men of low condition are represented with beards. In the prison, therefore, Joseph would leave his beard untrimmed, but when summoned into the king’s presence, he would shave it off.” (Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers)

“And changed his clothes, he came to Pharaoh.” (verse 14) “Clothing has been a constant factor in Joseph's misfortunes. This change of clothing has symbolic meaning as the process of his liberation now begins.” (Nahum Sarna) “For each suffering of Joseph there was an exact recompense. It was for dreams that his brethren hated him, and by help of dreams he was exalted in Egypt. They stripped him of his many-coloured coat; the Egyptians clothed him in byssus. They cast him into a pit, and from the pit of the prison he was drawn forth by Pharaoh. They sold him into slavery; in Egypt he was made lord.” (Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers)

“Joseph then answered Pharaoh, saying, 'It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.'” (verse 16) When Pharaoh informed Joseph he had acquired the reputation for being a highly skilled interpreter of dreams, Joseph quickly and humbly gave God the credit and the glory for that power and prowess. As he had previously declared to the cupbearer and the baker while in prison, “interpretations belong to God” (Genesis 40:8). Joseph was not saying that God would tell Pharaoh what exactly he wanted to hear by stating that He would give him a “favorable” answer. He was merely stating that the Lord would concisely convey the specific meaning of the divine messages.

“So Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, 'In my dream, behold, I was standing on the bank of the Nile.” (verse 17) Pharaoh went on to reiterate the dream which was revealed to us in verses 1-7 with some minor modifications. There are some further explanations or exaggerations included that were not previously present, such has his description of the ugly cows being “such as I had never seen for ugliness in all the land of Egypt” (verse 19). But such variations are always the case when someone repeats a story or event, especially one that has delivered a strong emotional impact upon them.

Please read Genesis 41:25-36 for tomorrow.

Have a great day!

-Louie Taylor

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