Genesis 41:21 - Printer Friendly

ESV: but when they had eaten them no one would have known that they had eaten them, for they were still as ugly as at the beginning. Then I awoke.

NIV: But even after they ate them, no one could tell that they had done so; they looked just as ugly as before. Then I woke up.

NASB: Yet when they had devoured them, it could not be detected that they had devoured them, for they were just as ugly as before. Then I awoke.

CSB: When they had devoured them, you could not tell that they had devoured them; their appearance was as bad as it had been before. Then I woke up.

NLT: But afterward you wouldn’t have known it, for they were still as thin and scrawny as before! Then I woke up.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: When they had eaten them up, no one would have known that they had eaten them, for they were just as ugly as at the beginning. So I awoke.

Pharaoh is describing the first of his two disturbing dreams (Genesis 41:1–7). He dreamt that he was standing on the bank of the Nile River when seven healthy, fat, good-looking cows came out of the river. As they began to feed along the bank, seven ugly, skinny cows came out of the river and devoured the seven healthy cows (Genesis 41:17–20).

Now Pharaoh adds a detail not included in the description of his dreams at the start of this chapter. After the ugly, skinny cows had eaten the healthy, fat ones, they remained ugly and skinny. Eating the healthy cows didn't appear to fatten them up in any way. Their starving, skeletal condition was so severe that even eating other cows made no difference.

These explanations are being given to Joseph, summoned from prison for his ability to interpret dreams (Genesis 41:8–16). Pharaoh will continue to describe his second dream (Genesis 41:22–24).

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 5/4/2024 5:26:34 PM