Genesis 41:19 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and thin, such as I had never seen in all the land of Egypt.

NIV: After them, seven other cows came up--scrawny and very ugly and lean. I had never seen such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt.

NASB: Then behold, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and thin, such as I had never seen for ugliness in all the land of Egypt;

CSB: After them, seven other cows--weak, very sickly, and thin--came up. I've never seen such sickly ones as these in all the land of Egypt.

NLT: But then I saw seven sick-looking cows, scrawny and thin, come up after them. I’ve never seen such sorry-looking animals in all the land of Egypt.

KJV: 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:

NKJV: Then behold, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and gaunt, such ugliness as I have never seen in all the land of Egypt.

This chapter began with a description of two disturbing dreams which came to Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt (Genesis 41:1–7). When his advisors could not explain these, Pharaoh learned about Joseph's interpreting ability (Genesis 41:8–13). Joseph was quickly summoned and began listening to the dreams (Genesis 41:14–18). The description given here continues to repeat the earlier account. Pharaoh saw seven healthy, fat, good-looking cows come out of the river to feed along the bank.

Now he describes seeing seven more cows emerge from the Nile. These, though, were more ugly, thin, and underfed than he had ever seen in Egypt in his waking life. The terms used describe these animals as "weak," "evil-looking," and "thin of flesh." In fact, Pharaoh says these are the worst-looking cows he has ever seen. He repeats the root word used for "ugliness," which can also refer to evil or atrocity. This adds detail not found in the first account of the dream.

Pharaoh will continue, explaining how the healthy cows were eaten by the sickly ones (Genesis 41:20–21).

Genesis 41:9–36 contains Joseph's explanation of Pharaoh's visions. When Egypt's ruler is bothered by vivid dreams, his formerly jailed cupbearer remembers a young Hebrew. This is Joseph, who explained the cupbearer's dream in prison (Genesis 40:23). Joseph explains that Pharaoh's dreams point to seven years of abundance in Egypt followed by seven years of desperate famine. Joseph boldly proposes a plan to manage the coming crisis.

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.

Accessed 5/1/2024 9:41:48 AM