Genesis 41:22 - Printer Friendly

ESV: I also saw in my dream seven ears growing on one stalk, full and good.

NIV: In my dream I saw seven heads of grain, full and good, growing on a single stalk.

NASB: I saw also in my dream, and behold, seven ears of grain, full and good, came up on a single stalk;

CSB: In my dream I also saw seven heads of grain, full and good, coming up on one stalk.

NLT: In my dream I also saw seven heads of grain, full and beautiful, growing on a single stalk.

KJV: And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good:

NKJV: Also I saw in my dream, and suddenly seven heads came up on one stalk, full and good.

This begins the second of Pharaoh's descriptions to Joseph. These involve his disturbing dreams (Genesis 41:1–7), which none of his advisors could explain (Genesis 41:8). When Pharaoh heard about a Hebrew prisoner—Joseph—who could interpret dreams (Genesis 41:9–13), he immediately summoned him (Genesis 41:14–16). The king has completed his description of the first dream (Genesis 41:17–21). In that vision, seven ugly, skinny cows ate up seven healthy-looking cows.

In the second vision, Pharaoh saw seven full, healthy-looking ears of grain growing on a single stalk. This verse uses an infamous word in Hebrew, sibbō'lēt, literally meaning something flowing or branching. In this context, it means the fruit-producing part of a plant; English translations present this as an "ear" or "head" of grain. Apparently, this word was awkward to pronounce, and stood out strongly in different dialects. This difference was so noticeable the term was used almost as a password (Judges 12:6).

The rest of Pharaoh's second dream is found in the following verses.

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 5/3/2024 12:32:55 PM