Genesis 41:32 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And the doubling of Pharaoh’s dream means that the thing is fixed by God, and God will shortly bring it about.

NIV: The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon.

NASB: Now as for the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh twice, it means that the matter is confirmed by God, and God will quickly bring it about.

CSB: Since the dream was given twice to Pharaoh, it means that the matter has been determined by God, and he will carry it out soon.

NLT: As for having two similar dreams, it means that these events have been decreed by God, and he will soon make them happen.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: And the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.

Joseph is serving as a prophet of God before Pharaoh. Later, God will choose specific people to occupy the role of prophet, delivering His Word to the people and kings of Israel.

In his role as prophet, Joseph now reveals a key fact about prophetic dreams from God. Two dreams about the same thing means that God is resolved. What He has shown will unfailingly happen, and it will happen soon. In other words, a doubling of the same prophetic dream should increase the dreamer's confidence that God means to act and act quickly.

Earlier in his life, Joseph experienced back-to-back prophetic dreams about his family all bowing down to him (Genesis 37:1–11). We're left to wonder if Joseph only now understands a doubled dream as emphasis from God about something that will definitely happen.

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 2:05:09 PM