Genesi 41:15 Commento

Two things Providence is here bringing about: - I. The advancement of Joseph. II. The maintenance of Jacob and his family in a time of famine; for the eyes of the Lord run to and fro through the earth, and direct the affairs of the children of men for the benefit of those few whose hearts are upright with him. In order to these, we have here, 1. Pharaoh's dreams (Gen 41:1-8). 2. The recommendation of Joseph to him for an interpreter (Gen 41:9-13). 3. The interpretation of the dreams, and the prediction of seven years of plenty and seven years of famine in Egypt, with the prudent advice given to Pharaoh thereupon (v. 14-36). 4. The preferment of Joseph to a place of the highest power and trust in Egypt (Gen 41:37-45). 5. The accomplishment of Joseph's prediction, and his fidelity to his trust (Gen 41:46, etc.).

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 41 In this chapter are related Pharaoh's dreams, which his magicians could not interpret, Gen 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, Gen 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, Gen 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, Gen 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, Gen 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, Gen 41:46; an account is given of two sons born to Joseph, and of their names, Gen 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, Gen 41:53.

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.

Notice how Pharaoh was ashamed to say openly, “None of my sages can interpret the dream.” Instead, what? “I had a dream, and there is no one to interpret it; but I have heard them say of you that once you hear of a dream you interpret it.” Consider in this case too, I ask you, Joseph’s good sense and discretion in the way he replies to Pharaoh: “Don’t suspect,” he says, “that I utter anything of myself or interpret them by human wisdom. There is, in fact, no way of coming to knowledge of them without revelation from on high. So be aware that without God it is not possible for me to give you a reply.” Without God, the text says, Pharaoh will not be given the right solution. So, now that you know that the Lord of all is the one who gives this revelation, don’t look for something from human beings (he is saying) that God alone has it in his power to bring to light.See how through his reply Joseph brings Pharaoh to the realization of the limitations of the sages attending him and the power of the Lord. “Since, then, you have learned from me that these utterances of mine spring not from human wisdom or from my own reasoning, tell me what God has communicated to you.”

Pharaoh's dream of the seven well-favored and seven ill-favored kine, Gen 41:1-4. His dream of the seven full and seven thin ears of corn, Gen 41:5-7. The magicians and wise men applied to for the interpretation of them, but could give no solution, Gen 41:8. The chief butler recollects and recommends Joseph, Gen 41:9-13. Pharaoh commands him to be brought out of prison, Gen 41:14. Joseph appears before Pharaoh, Gen 41:15, Gen 41:16. Pharaoh repeats his dreams, Gen 41:17-24. Joseph interprets them, Gen 41:25-32, and gives Pharaoh directions how to provide against the approaching scarcity, Gen 41:33-36. Pharaoh, pleased with the counsel, appoints Joseph to be superintendent of all his affairs, Gen 41:37-41. Joseph receives the badges of his new office, Gen 41:42, Gen 41:43, and has his powers defined, Gen 41:44; receives a new name, and marries Asenath, daughter of Poti-Pherah, priest of On, Gen 41:45. Joseph's age when brought before Pharaoh, Gen 41:46. Great fertility of Egypt in the seven plenteous years, Gen 41:47. Joseph hoards up the grain, Gen 41:48, Gen 41:49. Ephraim and Manasseh born, Gen 41:50-52. The seven years of famine commence with great rigour, Gen 41:53-55. Joseph opens the storehouses to the Egyptians, Gen 41:56. People from the neighboring countries come to Egypt to buy corn, the famine being in all those lands, Gen 41:57.

PHARAOH'S DREAM. (Gen. 41:1-24) at the end of two full years--It is not certain whether these years are reckoned from the beginning of Joseph's imprisonment, or from the events described in the preceding chapter--most likely the latter. What a long time for Joseph to experience the sickness of hope deferred! But the time of his enlargement came when he had sufficiently learned the lessons of God designed for him; and the plans of Providence were matured. Pharaoh dreamed--"Pharaoh," from an Egyptian word Phre, signifying the "sun," was the official title of the kings of that country. The prince, who occupied the throne of Egypt, was Aphophis, one of the Memphite kings, whose capital was On or Heliopolis, and who is universally acknowledged to have been a patriot king. Between the arrival of Abraham and the appearance of Joseph in that country, somewhat more than two centuries had elapsed. Kings sleep and dream, as well as their subjects. And this Pharaoh had two dreams in one night so singular and so similar, so distinct and so apparently significant, so coherent and vividly impressed on his memory, that his spirit was troubled.

Pharaoh said, . . . I have dreamed a dream--The king's brief statement of the service required brought out the genuine piety of Joseph; disclaiming all merit, he ascribed whatever gifts or sagacity he possessed to the divine source of all wisdom, and he declared his own inability to penetrate futurity; but, at the same time, he expressed his confident persuasion that God would reveal what was necessary to be known.

Pharaoh's Dreams and Their Interpretation. - Two full years afterwards (ימים accus. "in days," as in Gen 29:14) Pharaoh had a dream. He was standing by the Nile, and saw seven fine fat cows ascend from the Nile and feed in the Nile-grass (אחוּ an Egyptian word); and behind them seven others, ugly (according to Gen 41:19, unparalleled in their ugliness), lean (בּשׂר דּקּות "thin in flesh," for which we find in Gen 41:19 דּלּות "fallen away," and בּשׂר רקּות withered in flesh, fleshless), which placed themselves beside those fat ones on the brink of the Nile and devoured them, without there being any effect to show that they had eaten them. He then awoke, but fell asleep again and had a second, similar dream: seven fat (Gen 41:22, full) and fine ears grew upon one blade, and were swallowed up by seven thin (Gen 41:23, "and hardened") ones, which were blasted by the east wind (קדים i.e., the S.E. wind, Chamsin, from the desert of Arabia).