Genesis 41:46 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt.

NIV: Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout Egypt.

NASB: Now Joseph was thirty years old when he stood in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt.

CSB: Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Joseph left Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout the land of Egypt.

NLT: He was thirty years old when he began serving in the court of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. And when Joseph left Pharaoh’s presence, he inspected the entire land of Egypt.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: 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.

Joseph is now 30 years old. He was sold by his brothers into slavery at the age of 17 (Genesis 37:2, 28). Much of the last decade of his life has passed in an Egyptian jail, a "pit," with no earthly reason to believe he would ever be released (Genesis 40:14–15). At this point, Joseph has spent most of his adult life as either a prisoner, or a slave, or both. It would be natural to wonder if those years were wasted—especially as they dragged on without a clear purpose.

And yet, God had a plan and a purpose for Joseph's life all along, even as the days, weeks, and months passed in obscurity and restlessness. God can reverse the circumstances of any person's life to accomplish His will for His people and the world. He has undeniably done so for Joseph, who will represent Israel's God even as he governs with authority given to him by Pharaoh. When all is said and done, Joseph will live most of his life—80 years after being given power (Genesis 50:26)—in a position of honor and prestige. With hindsight, he will come to understand the greater plan which God had in mind (Genesis 50:15–20).

Again, we're told that Joseph travelled throughout the land of Egypt, beginning to put into effect the plan he proposed to Pharaoh for saving the people from the coming famine (Genesis 41:28–36).

Genesis 41:37–57 describes Joseph's sudden and breathtaking rise to power. Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt, is convinced that God's Spirit is with Joseph, after seeing him interpret dreams and offer sound advice. He appoints Joseph to be the second most powerful man in the nation. His main task is to prepare for the devastating famine to come. Pharaoh gives to Joseph his own signet ring, along with a new Egyptian name and wife. Joseph sets about to use Pharaoh's authority to gather and store massive amounts of grain. This stockpile, built during the seven years of abundance can then be accessed when the famine strikes (Genesis 47:13–26).

Joseph's status in Genesis 41 begins as "forgotten Hebrew prison slave" and ends as "the second most powerful man in Egypt." The cupbearer from the previous chapter finally mentions Joseph two years later, when Pharaoh is troubled by dreams which wise men can't interpret. Joseph reveals the meaning of the dreams: seven years of abundance will be followed by seven years of great famine in the land. Pharaoh, recognizing that God's Spirit is with Joseph, makes him second in command over the entire nation and tasks him with preparing for the famine.

Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers (Genesis 37:24–28). He then excelled in his work for an Egyptian official, only to be falsely accused and imprisoned (Genesis 39:20). There, he accurately interpreted dreams for servants of the Egyptian ruler (Genesis 40:20–22). Unfortunately, the restored cupbearer failed to mention Joseph, leaving him in prison for two more years (Genesis 40:23). A series of disturbing dreams leads to Joseph's audience with Pharaoh. This, in turn, leads to Joseph becoming the second most powerful man in the nation. The following chapters emphasize Joseph's reunion with his family. Details about his administration of food during the famine are recorded in Genesis 47:13–26.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.