Pharaoh's Two Dreams
Study note
Two full years pass before Joseph gets his chance to leave prison. Pharaoh has two dreams in one night. In the first, seven fat, healthy cows come up from the Nile River, followed by seven thin, sickly cows that eat the fat ones. In the second dream, seven full heads of grain grow on one stalk, then seven thin, dried-out heads swallow them up. The Nile River was the source of all life in Egypt, so dreams about it would have felt very important. Pharaoh calls all his magicians and wise men, but none of them can explain the dreams.
1 Two full years went by. Then one night, Pharaoh had a dream. He was standing right beside the Nile River. And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.
2 In the dream, seven cows came walking up out of the river — fat, healthy, good-looking cows. They started munching grass in a nearby meadow. And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favoured kine and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow.
3 Right behind them, seven more cows climbed out of the river. But these cows were ugly and skinny — skin and bones. They stood next to the fat cows along the riverbank. 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.
4 Then the ugly, skinny cows gobbled up the seven fat, healthy cows. At that point Pharaoh woke up. And the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke.
5 He fell back asleep and dreamed again. This time he saw seven thick, plump heads of grain growing on a single stalk. And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good.
6 Then seven more heads of grain popped up behind them — thin, shriveled, and scorched by the hot desert wind. And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them.
7 The seven thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven plump, healthy heads. Pharaoh woke up again and realized it had all been a dream. And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.
8 The next morning Pharaoh was bothered. He called in every magician and wise person in all of Egypt. He described his dreams to them, but not one of them could figure out what they meant. 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.
The Cupbearer Remembers Joseph
Study note
The chief cupbearer finally remembers his experience in prison two years earlier. He tells Pharaoh about the young Hebrew prisoner who correctly interpreted dreams for both him and the chief baker. Everything Joseph predicted came true exactly as he said. This is the moment God has been preparing Joseph for throughout all his years of suffering.
9 That's when the chief cupbearer finally remembered Joseph. He told Pharaoh, "I need to confess something I should have mentioned a long time ago." Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day:
10 "Back when you got angry at me and the baker, you put us both in prison at the captain of the guard's house." 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:
11 "One night we each had a dream, and each dream turned out to have its own meaning." And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.
12 "There was a young Hebrew man in prison with us — a servant of the captain of the guard. We described our dreams to him, and he explained exactly what each one meant." 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.
13 "Everything happened precisely the way he said it would. I got my position back, and the baker was executed." And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged.
Joseph Interprets Pharaoh's Dreams
Study note
Joseph is rushed from the dungeon, shaved, and given clean clothes before meeting Pharaoh. Shaving was an Egyptian custom, since Egyptians considered beards unclean. Pharaoh tells Joseph his dreams, and Joseph immediately gives God the credit for the interpretation. He explains that both dreams have the same meaning: seven years of great harvests will be followed by seven years of devastating famine. The fact that the dream came twice means God has firmly decided this will happen soon. Joseph then boldly suggests a plan: appoint a wise leader to collect one-fifth of the harvest during the good years and store it for the famine years.
14 Pharaoh immediately sent for Joseph. They rushed him out of the dungeon. He cleaned up, shaved, changed into fresh clothes, and was brought before Pharaoh. 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.
15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I had a dream that nobody can figure out. But I've heard that you can understand dreams and explain them." 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.
16 Joseph answered, "It's not me who has that ability — it's God. But God will give Pharaoh the answer he needs." And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.
17 Pharaoh began: "In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile." And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river:
18 "Seven beautiful, fat cows came up out of the river and started eating grass in a meadow." And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow:
19 "Then seven more cows came up after them — scrawny, hideous, and sickly. I've never seen cows that looked so awful in all of Egypt." 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:
20 "The ugly, thin cows ate up the first seven fat cows." And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine:
21 "But after swallowing them whole, you couldn't even tell! They looked just as thin and miserable as before. Then I woke up." 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.
22 "In my second dream, I saw seven heads of grain — thick and ripe — all growing on one stalk." And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good:
23 "Then seven more heads sprouted behind them — thin, dry, and burned by the east wind." And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them:
24 "The thin heads swallowed up the seven good ones. I told all of this to my magicians, but none of them could crack it." 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.
25 Joseph told Pharaoh, "Both of your dreams are saying the same thing. God is showing you what he's about to do." And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.
26 "The seven healthy cows stand for seven years. The seven healthy heads of grain also stand for seven years. It's the same message told two ways." The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one.
27 "The seven skinny, ugly cows stand for seven years of terrible hunger. The seven thin, dried-out heads of grain mean the same thing." 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.
28 "This is exactly what I told Pharaoh: God is revealing his plans to you." This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God is about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh.
29 "For the next seven years, the whole land of Egypt will produce incredible harvests." Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt:
30 "But after those seven good years, seven years of devastating famine will follow. The famine will be so bad that everyone will forget the good years ever happened." 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;
31 "People will completely forget about the good years. The famine that follows will be that terrible." And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous.
32 "God sent you the same message twice to make it very clear. He has fully decided to do this, and he is going to do it soon." 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.
33 "Here is my advice. Pharaoh should find the wisest, most able person. Give him power over all of Egypt." Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.
34 "Pharaoh should also appoint leaders across the country. They should collect one-fifth of every harvest during the seven good years." 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.
35 "Have them stockpile all that grain during the good years. Store it up in the cities under Pharaoh's control and guard it carefully." 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.
36 "That stored-up food will keep Egypt alive through the seven years of famine. Without it, the famine would destroy the country." 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.
Joseph Becomes Ruler of Egypt
Study note
Pharaoh and his officials are deeply impressed. Pharaoh recognizes that the Spirit of God is in Joseph and appoints him as governor over all of Egypt. Only Pharaoh himself holds more power. Joseph receives Pharaoh's signet ring (used to stamp official documents), fine linen robes, and a gold chain. He rides in the second royal chariot. Pharaoh gives Joseph the Egyptian name Zaphnath-Paaneah and an Egyptian wife, Asenath, the daughter of the priest of On (also called Heliopolis, the center of sun worship). Joseph is thirty years old — thirteen years after being sold into slavery at age seventeen.
37 Pharaoh and all his advisers thought this was a brilliant plan. And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.
38 Pharaoh asked his officials, "Where are we going to find anyone better suited for this than Joseph? God's own Spirit is clearly in him." And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?
39 Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has shown all this to you, there is clearly nobody wiser or more fit for the job than you." And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art:
40 "You are now in charge of my palace and my people. Everyone in Egypt will take orders from you. The only person above you will be me." Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.
41 Then Pharaoh made it official: "I am putting you in charge of the whole nation of Egypt." And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.
42 Pharaoh slid his own royal ring off his finger and placed it on Joseph's hand. He dressed Joseph in the finest linen robes and hung a gold chain around his neck. And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck;
43 He gave Joseph the chariot that was reserved for the second-most-powerful person in Egypt. Guards ran ahead of him shouting, "Make way! Bow down!" And just like that, Pharaoh made Joseph the ruler of all Egypt. And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt.
44 Pharaoh told Joseph, "I am Pharaoh — but without your say-so, nobody in all of Egypt will lift a finger." And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.
45 Pharaoh gave Joseph an Egyptian name: Zaphnath-Paaneah. He also arranged for Joseph to marry Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, who was a priest in the city of On. After that, Joseph traveled all across Egypt. And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnath-paaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.
The Seven Years of Plenty
Study note
Joseph travels throughout Egypt organizing the collection of grain during the seven years of abundance. The harvests are so enormous that the grain is like the sand of the sea — too much to even count. During these years, Joseph's wife Asenath bears him two sons. He names the first Manasseh, meaning 'God made me forget my troubles,' and the second Ephraim, meaning 'God made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.' These names show that despite everything he endured, Joseph sees God's hand in his life.
46 Joseph was thirty years old when he began serving under Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. He left the palace and started touring the entire country. And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.
47 For seven years straight, the land produced bumper crops like nobody had ever seen. And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls.
48 Joseph gathered food from every part of Egypt during those seven great years. He stored it all in the cities. He put the grain from the fields around each city right into that city's storage buildings. And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same.
49 Joseph piled up so much grain it was like trying to count grains of sand on the beach. There was so much they stopped keeping track — it was simply beyond measuring. And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number.
50 Before the famine years arrived, Joseph and his wife Asenath (daughter of Potiphera, priest of On) had two sons. And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah priest of On bare unto him.
51 Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh. He said, "God has helped me forget all my pain and all the memories of my father's house." And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house.
52 He named his second son Ephraim, saying, "God has made me successful right here in the land where I suffered so much." And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.
The Famine Begins
Study note
Just as Joseph predicted, the seven good years end and the famine begins. It strikes not just Egypt but all the surrounding lands. Because of Joseph's wise planning, Egypt has food stored in every city. When the people cry out for bread, Pharaoh sends them to Joseph. As the famine spreads across the entire known world, people from every country come to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph. This sets the stage for Joseph's brothers to come looking for food.
53 Then the seven years of amazing harvests in Egypt came to an end. And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended.
54 The seven years of famine kicked in, exactly as Joseph had predicted. Famine struck every surrounding country, but Egypt still had food in storage. And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.
55 As the hunger spread across Egypt, the people begged Pharaoh for food. Pharaoh told everyone, "Go talk to Joseph. Whatever he says, do it." And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do.
56 The famine had spread across the whole land. Joseph opened every storehouse and began selling grain to the Egyptians, because the famine hit Egypt hard. And the famine was over all the face of the earth: And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt.
57 People from every nearby country traveled to Egypt. They bought grain from Joseph. The famine was hurting lands everywhere. And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands.