WEEKLY BIBLE COMMENTARY: Genesis 41

By Wes Woodard

Genesis 41 – “Joseph Interprets Pharaoh’s Dream”

The King of Egypt had a troubling dream. In this dream he saw seven healthy cows come out of the Nile and eat the grass along the side of the river. Then he saw seven skinny cows come out of the river and eat the fat healthy cows. Then he saw seven plump heads of grain eaten by seven poor heads of grain. The King called for his wisemen, but they could not tell him what the dream meant. Then, the Chief Cupbearer remembered Joseph, so Pharaoh called for him. Joseph came. He told the King he could not interpret the dream, but his God could. Joseph told the King that there would be seven years of good crops in the land followed by seven years of poor crops. The King asked Joseph what he should do, so Joseph told him to store up grain during the good years then there would be grain available during the seven poor years for the Egyptian people. Pharaoh gave orders for this to be done and he appointed this young Jewish man who would deliver a Gentile country (Egypt) from starvation. What is interesting to me is that Egypt was the first nation to attack Israel after it had become a nation again in 1948!