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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.comKeil and Delitzsch Commentary - Genesis 41:14 - 41:14
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Pharaoh immediately sent for Joseph. As quickly as possible he was fetched from the prison; and after shaving the hair of his head and beard, and changing his clothes, as the customs of Egypt required (see Hengst. Egypt and the Books of Moses, p. 30), he went in to the king. On the king's saying to him, “I have heard of thee (עָלֶיךְ de te), thou hearest a dream to interpret it,” - i.e., thou only needest to hear a dream, and thou canst at once interpret it - Joseph replied, “Not I (בִּלְעָדַי, lit., “not so far as me,” this is not in my power, vid., Gen 14:24), God will answer Pharaoh's good,” i.e., what shall profit Pharaoh; just as in Gen 40:8 he had pointed the two prisoners away from himself to God. Pharaoh then related his double dream (Gen 41:17-24), and Joseph gave the interpretation (Gen 41:25-32): “The dream of Pharaoh is one (i.e., the two dreams have the same meaning); God hath showed Pharaoh what He is about to do.” The seven cows and seven ears of corn were seven years, the fat ones very fertile years of superabundance, the lean ones very barren years of famine; the latter would follow the former over the whole land of Egypt, so that the years of famine would leave no trace of the seven fruitful years; and, “for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice” (i.e., so far as this fact is concerned, it signifies) “that the thing is firmly resolved by God, and God will quickly carry it out.” In the confidence of this interpretation which looked forward over fourteen years, the divinely enlightened seer's glance was clearly manifested, and could not fail to make an impression upon the king, when contrasted with the perplexity of the Egyptian augurs and wise men. Joseph followed up his interpretation by the advice (Gen 41:33-36), that Pharaoh should “look out (יֵרֶא) a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt;” and cause יַעֲשֶׂה) that in the seven years of superabundance he should raise fifths (חִמֵּשׁ), i.e., the fifth part of the harvest, through overseers, and have the corn, or the stores of food (אֹכֶל), laid up in the cities “under the hand of the king,” i.e., by royal authority and direction, as food for the land for the seven years of famine, that it might not perish through famine.