Section 83 of 10441:1–36Genesis

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King James VersionGenesis 41:1–36

And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.

And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favoured kine and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow.

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.

And the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke.

And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good.

And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them.

And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.

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.

Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day:

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:

And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.

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.

And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged.

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.

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.

And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.

And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river:

And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow:

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:

And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine:

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.

And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good:

And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them:

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.

And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.

The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one.

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.

This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God is about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh.

Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt:

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;

And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous.

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.

Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.

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.

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.

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.

Italic words were supplied in the English translation for clarity.

Scripture text: King James Version, Standardized 1769 text. Public domain in the United States.About this Bible text

Genesis 41:1–36

Pharaoh Dreams, Joseph Interprets, and Egypt Is Warned

What Egypt's specialists cannot say

Two years later Pharaoh dreams of cows and ears that devour their healthy counterparts. Egypt's learned specialists cannot interpret. The cupbearer remembers Joseph. Joseph says the answer is not in him: God will give Pharaoh peace.

The two dreams are one message: seven years of abundance, then seven years of famine so severe the plenty will be forgotten. Joseph then urges organized storage so the land will not be destroyed. Revelation is joined to a preservation plan, not to panic or prestige.

How this should shape us

When evidence warns of a real crisis, tell the truth about uncertainty and prepare before the emergency. Connect skill with accountability, and give credit without refusing the responsibility to act.

Teach it back

Explain why Genesis 41:1–36 places Pharaoh's paired dreams, the court specialists' failure, the cupbearer's recollection, Joseph's God-centered answer, the seven-year interpretation, and the storage counsel together. What does this context permit—and not permit—readers to conclude about dreams, wisdom, government, and preparation?

Explain the section in your own words

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Go deeper

The explanation above is meant to stand on its own. Open these notes only if you want language, history, disagreements, or source locations.

Where careful interpreters disagreeThe strongest options and their difficulties

Best judgment:

How certain? strong

Best judgment:

How certain? strong

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How certain? probable

Best judgment:

How certain? probable

Best judgment:

How certain? strong

Research trail and exact locationsThe source record behind this section

King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006

Supports: Displayed text, delay, dreams, recollection, summons, interpretation, counsel, response, later grain movement, and later famine administration.

Genesis 41:1–36; 40:20–23; 41:37–57; 42:1–9; 47:13–26 in the pinned standardized 1769 KJV

Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible — Genesis

Supports: Two-full-years phrase, Nile and dream wording, troubled spirit, hartummim, cupbearer faults, pit and clothing, bil'adai, shalom Pharaoh, dream duplication, discernment, fifth, reserve, and land-preservation wording.

WLC Genesis 41:1–36, especially vv. 1, 8–9, 14–16, 24–36

NET Bible — Genesis with translators' notes

Supports: Chronology, Egyptian imagery, court specialists, sins, court preparation, Joseph's denial, welfare phrase, retelling, seven-year correspondence, repetition, fifth, authority, reserve, and preservation.

NET Genesis 41 notes for vv. 1–36, especially vv. 1–8, 9, 14–16, 24–36

Genesis

Supports: Final-form unit boundary, Joseph narrative movement, providence, wisdom, and famine preparation.

Genesis commentary, Genesis 41:1–36 and links with 40:23, 41:37–57, 42:1–9, and 47:13–26

Genesis 37–50: Joseph — Study Guide

Supports: Modern literary-critical counterpoint for the Joseph novella, Egyptian court setting, dream role, and narrative transition.

Genesis 37–50: Joseph study guide, Pharaoh's dreams, Joseph's interpretation, and famine preparation

A Fresh Look at the Dreams of the Officials and of Pharaoh in the Story of Joseph (Genesis 40–41) in the Light of Egyptian Dreams

Supports: Pharaoh's symbolic dreams, Egyptian agricultural and dream parallels, form, paired imagery, interpretation, preventive action, and comparative limits.

JANES 30 (2006), pp. 103–138, especially pp. 114–138

Dreams in the Joseph Narrative

Supports: Genesis 40–41 dream form, the incapable-specialists motif, cupbearer-to-Pharaoh transition, Joseph's rejection of autonomous power, and final-form relation of divine and human agency.

Perchance to Dream, chapter 5, pp. 91–106, especially pp. 99–105

The Egyptian ‘Magicians’

Supports: Hartummim terminology, lector-priest proposal, learned Egyptian ritual context, and caution against pejorative charlatan or primitive-superstition framing.

The Egyptian 'Magicians' (2017), sections 'The Problem with Magic' and 'Learned Egyptian Priests in Context,' with notes 3, 5, 7–9

Joseph and the Enslavement of the Egyptians

Supports: A modern alternative reading of piqqadon, the original reserve proposal, later famine transactions, and ethical debate over Joseph and Pharaoh's roles.

Jewish Bible Quarterly 47.1 (2019), pp. 39–44, especially discussion of Genesis 41:33–36 and 47:13–26

Sources for This Section

These records identify the source, the claim it supports, and the exact location used. A source remains evidence to evaluate; it does not replace the biblical text.

Biblical text

King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006

eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society

USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.

Supports: Displayed text, delay, dreams, recollection, summons, interpretation, counsel, response, later grain movement, and later famine administration.

Exact location: Genesis 41:1–36; 40:20–23; 41:37–57; 42:1–9; 47:13–26 in the pinned standardized 1769 KJV

Open source ↗

hebrew text morphology and lemma data

Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible — Genesis

Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible Project

Open Scriptures, Version 2.2 released 2021; repository inspected 2026

Supports: Two-full-years phrase, Nile and dream wording, troubled spirit, hartummim, cupbearer faults, pit and clothing, bil'adai, shalom Pharaoh, dream duplication, discernment, fifth, reserve, and land-preservation wording.

Exact location: WLC Genesis 41:1–36, especially vv. 1, 8–9, 14–16, 24–36

Open source ↗

Translation and textual notes

NET Bible — Genesis with translators' notes

Biblical Studies Press

Biblical Studies Press, Digital edition accessed 2026

Supports: Chronology, Egyptian imagery, court specialists, sins, court preparation, Joseph's denial, welfare phrase, retelling, seven-year correspondence, repetition, fifth, authority, reserve, and preservation.

Exact location: NET Genesis 41 notes for vv. 1–36, especially vv. 1–8, 9, 14–16, 24–36

Open NET Genesis 41 ↗

modern open whole book commentary

Genesis

T. Desmond Alexander

The Gospel Coalition Bible Commentary, 2023

Supports: Final-form unit boundary, Joseph narrative movement, providence, wisdom, and famine preparation.

Exact location: Genesis commentary, Genesis 41:1–36 and links with 40:23, 41:37–57, 42:1–9, and 47:13–26

Open source ↗

modern critical open study guide

Genesis 37–50: Joseph — Study Guide

Joel S. Baden and Yale Bible Study

Yale Divinity School, 2021 course; page inspected 2026

Supports: Modern literary-critical counterpoint for the Joseph novella, Egyptian court setting, dream role, and narrative transition.

Exact location: Genesis 37–50: Joseph study guide, Pharaoh's dreams, Joseph's interpretation, and famine preparation

Open source ↗

peer reviewed open comparative dream and egyptian context study

A Fresh Look at the Dreams of the Officials and of Pharaoh in the Story of Joseph (Genesis 40–41) in the Light of Egyptian Dreams

Nili Shupak

Journal of the Ancient Near Eastern Society 30, pages 103–138, 2006

Supports: Pharaoh's symbolic dreams, Egyptian agricultural and dream parallels, form, paired imagery, interpretation, preventive action, and comparative limits.

Exact location: JANES 30 (2006), pp. 103–138, especially pp. 114–138

Open source ↗

peer reviewed open literary and dream divination study

Dreams in the Joseph Narrative

Franziska Ede

In Perchance to Dream: Dream Divination in the Bible and the Ancient Near East, edited by Esther J. Hamori and Jonathan Stökl, Ancient Near East Monographs 21, pages 91–106, Society of Biblical Literature, 2018

Supports: Genesis 40–41 dream form, the incapable-specialists motif, cupbearer-to-Pharaoh transition, Joseph's rejection of autonomous power, and final-form relation of divine and human agency.

Exact location: Perchance to Dream, chapter 5, pp. 91–106, especially pp. 99–105

Open source ↗

modern scholarly open egyptological and lexical study

The Egyptian ‘Magicians’

Scott B. Noegel

TheTorah.com SBL e-journal, 2017

Supports: Hartummim terminology, lector-priest proposal, learned Egyptian ritual context, and caution against pejorative charlatan or primitive-superstition framing.

Exact location: The Egyptian 'Magicians' (2017), sections 'The Problem with Magic' and 'Learned Egyptian Priests in Context,' with notes 3, 5, 7–9

Open source ↗

modern open ethical and lexical interpretive study

Joseph and the Enslavement of the Egyptians

Moshe Soller

Jewish Bible Quarterly 47.1, pages 39–44, 2019

Supports: A modern alternative reading of piqqadon, the original reserve proposal, later famine transactions, and ethical debate over Joseph and Pharaoh's roles.

Exact location: Jewish Bible Quarterly 47.1 (2019), pp. 39–44, especially discussion of Genesis 41:33–36 and 47:13–26

Open source ↗

Genesis 41:1–36, King James Version

What Egypt's specialists cannot say

How this should shape us

Teach it back

Go deeper

King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006

Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible — Genesis

NET Bible — Genesis with translators' notes

Genesis

Genesis 37–50: Joseph — Study Guide

A Fresh Look at the Dreams of the Officials and of Pharaoh in the Story of Joseph (Genesis 40–41) in the Light of Egyptian Dreams

Dreams in the Joseph Narrative

The Egyptian ‘Magicians’

Joseph and the Enslavement of the Egyptians