Pharaoh’s Dream
December 29, 2021
Commentary
Two years had gone by, and Joseph was still in prison (v. 1). Then one day Pharaoh had two dreams that caused him great distress (vv. 2-7). He dreamed that he was standing by the Nile River, and he saw seven fat healthy cows coming up out of the water (vv. 1-2). They ate grass in a field. Then he saw seven more cows coming up out of the river. They were very thin and sickly looking, but they ate up the seven fat cows (vv. 3-4). When this happened, the king woke up. After a while he went to sleep and had another dream. This time he saw a stalk of corn on which there were seven good ears, full of grain (v. 5). Then he saw another stalk on which there were seven very thin, poor ears (v. 6). The thin ears of corn ate up the good ones (v. 7) Again the king woke up.
Pharaoh called all the wise men and told them the dream but none of them could tell him what it meant (v. 8). The chief butler then suddenly remembered Joseph (v. 9). He told the king how he and the baker had been put in prison together because the king was angry at them (v. 10). Then, one night, they had dreams that troubled them and a young Hebrew, by the name of Joseph, who was in jail with them told them the meaning of their dreams and it happened just like he said (vv. 11-12). The butler had forgotten him. His brothers forgot him. Potiphar and his evil wife had forgotten him. But the Lord had never forgotten him (v. 13).
On the way to see Pharaoh Joseph shaved and put on clean clothing (v. 14). When Joseph came before the king, he spoke boldly of the God he worshiped even though he knew the king worshiped the idols of Egypt. When Pharaoh told him that he understood he could interpret dreams (v. 15) Joseph said, “It is not in me to interpret dreams, but God has the power” (v. 16).
Application
Think of people today who depend on the magicians and astrologers to give them answers to their problems instead of relying on the Lord. I need to get my advice from God’s word and not someone.
Genesis 41:1– 16 (NET)
1 At the end of two full years Pharaoh had a dream. As he was standing by the Nile, 2 seven fine-looking, fat cows were coming up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the reeds. 3 Then seven bad-looking, thin cows were coming up after them from the Nile, and they stood beside the other cows at the edge of the river. 4 The bad-looking, thin cows ate the seven fine-looking, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.
5 Then he fell asleep again and had a second dream: There were seven heads of grain growing on one stalk, healthy and good. 6 Then seven heads of grain, thin and burned by the east wind, were sprouting up after them. 7 The thin heads swallowed up the seven healthy and full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up and realized it was a dream.
8 In the morning he was troubled, so he called for all the diviner-priests of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him. 9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I recall my failures. 10 Pharaoh was enraged with his servants, and he put me in prison in the house of the captain of the guards—me and the chief baker. 11 We each had a dream one night; each of us had a dream with its own meaning. 12 Now a young man, a Hebrew, a servant of the captain of the guards, was with us there. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted the meaning of each of our respective dreams for us. 13 It happened just as he had said to us—Pharaoh restored me to my office, but he impaled the baker.”
14 Then Pharaoh summoned Joseph. So they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; he shaved himself, changed his clothes, and came before Pharaoh. 15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. But I have heard about you, that you can interpret dreams.” 16 Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “It is not within my power, but God will speak concerning the welfare of Pharaoh.”