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At the end of two full years, Pharaoh dreamed, and behold, he stood by the river.
Verse 1. River; or the branch of the Nile which ran to Tanis, his capital. There were seven principal canals, and this was the most to the east, except that of Pelusium. Calmet.
Behold, seven cattle came up out of the river. They were sleek and fat, and they fed in the marsh grass.
Verse 2. Marshy. Hebrew Achu; a word which the Septuagint and Siracides (Sirach 40:16,) retain. D.
Behold, seven other cattle came up after them out of the river, ugly and thin, and stood by the other cattle on the brink of the river.
Verse 3. Very bank; to shew that the Nile had not inundated far, and that consequently a great famine would prevail, as the fertility of Egypt depends greatly on the overflowing of the Nile. “When the river rises 12 cubits, sterility pervades Egypt; when 13, famine is still felt. Fourteen cubits bring joy, 15 security, 16 delight. It has never yet been known to rise above 18 cubits.” Pliny verse 9.) This successive depression of the waters was an effect of God’s judgments, which no astrologers could foretel. Tirinus.
The ugly and thin cattle ate up the seven sleek and fat cattle. So Pharaoh awoke.
He slept and dreamed a second time; and behold, seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, healthy and good.
Verse 5. Another dream of the same import, (verse 25,) to convince Pharao that the event would certainly take place, verse 32. Thus Daniel had a double vision, 7:2. 3.—One stalk. It was of the species which Pliny (xviii. 10,) calls ramosum, branchy. What would strike Pharao the most was, that the last ears should devour the former ones. Calmet.
Behold, seven heads of grain, thin and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them.
Verse 6. Blasted with the eastern wind, blowing from the deserts of Arabia. Ose. 13:15. Menochius.
The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy and full ears. Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream.
Verse 7. Rest. Hebrew adds, “and behold a dream” sent by God, like Solomon’s, 3 K 3:15. The king’s mind was quite full of what he had seen.
In the morning, his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all of Egypt’s magicians and wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them to Pharaoh.
Verse 8. Interpreters: chartumim is probably an Egyptian word; denoting magicians, priests, and interpreters of their sacred books, hieroglyphics, and so forth Kennicott. Ptolemy consulted them. Tacit. Hist. iv.
Then the chief cup bearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, “I remember my faults today.
Verse 9. My sin against your majesty, and my ingratitude towards Joseph. Calmet.
Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, with the chief baker.
We dreamed a dream in one night, he and I. Each man dreamed according to the interpretation of his dream.
There was with us there a young man, a Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard, and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams. He interpreted to each man according to his dream.
Verse 12. Servant. Calmet. 39:4. He waited also upon the prisoners of rank. Calmet. 40:4. Bible.
As he interpreted to us, so it was. He restored me to my office, and he hanged him.”
Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon. He shaved himself, changed his clothing, and came in to Pharaoh.
Verse 14. Shaved him. The Egyptians let their hair grow, and neglected their persons, when they were in mourning or prison. But on other occasions they cut their hair in their youth. Herod. ii. 36. iii. 12. It was not lawful to appear in court in mourning attire. Esther 4:2. Genesis 50:4. Calmet.
Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have dreamed a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you, that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.”
Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “It isn’t in me. God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.”
Verse 16. Without, and so forth The interpretation does not proceed from any natural acquirement, but from God alone. Chal. Tirinus.—The Samaritan and Aquila read, “Without me God will not give,” and so forth See Matthew 10:20.
Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, “In my dream, behold, I stood on the brink of the river;
and behold, seven fat and sleek cattle came up out of the river. They fed in the marsh grass;
and behold, seven other cattle came up after them, poor and very ugly and thin, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for ugliness.
The thin and ugly cattle ate up the first seven fat cattle;
and when they had eaten them up, it couldn’t be known that they had eaten them, but they were still ugly, as at the beginning. So I awoke.
I saw in my dream, and behold, seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, full and good;
and behold, seven heads of grain, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them.
The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads of grain. I told it to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.”
Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dream of Pharaoh is one. What God is about to do he has declared to Pharaoh.
The seven good cattle are seven years; and the seven good heads of grain are seven years. The dream is one.
The seven thin and ugly cattle that came up after them are seven years, and also the seven empty heads of grain blasted with the east wind; they will be seven years of famine.
That is the thing which I have spoken to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do.
Behold, seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt are coming.
Seven years of famine will arise after them, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will consume the land,
Verse 30. The land of Egypt, and the adjacent countries.
and the plenty will not be known in the land by reason of that famine which follows; for it will be very grievous.
The dream was doubled to Pharaoh, because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.
“Now therefore let Pharaoh look for a discreet and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt.
Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint overseers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt’s produce in the seven plenteous years.
Verse 34. Fifth part. This was a tax laid upon all the Egyptians, ( Calmet.) unless Pharao paid for what corn was laid up. Bible.—This quantity would be sufficient, as the people would be content with a smaller allowance during the famine; and the environs of the Nile would produce something, though not worth mentioning. Calmet. 45:6. Menochius.
Let them gather all the food of these good years that come, and store grain under the hand of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it.
The food will be to supply the land against the seven years of famine, which will be in the land of Egypt; so that the land will not perish through the famine.”
The thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.
Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?”
Verse 38. God. Hebrew of the gods Elohim. Pharao was probably an idolater.
Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Because God has shown you all of this, there is no one so discreet and wise as you.
You shall be over my house. All my people will be ruled according to your word. Only in the throne I will be greater than you.”
Verse 40. Obey. Hebrew Yishak; which may signify also “kiss” you, or their hand, in testimony of respect; or “shall be fed, governed, and led forth,” and so forth He made him master of his house, and ruler, and so forth Psalms 104:21. Wisdom 10:14.
Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Behold, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.”
Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand, and put it on Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in robes of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck.
Verse 42. His ring, the sign of power. Thus Alexander appointed Perdiccas to be his successor. Curtius x. 5. Assuerus gave his authority to Aman and to Mardocheus. Esther 3. & 8.—Silk, or fine cotton; shesh (or ssoss). See byssus. Exodus 25:4.—Chain, with which the president of the senate in Egypt, or the chief justice, was adorned. The three chief officers among the Chaldees wore chains. Daniel 5:7, 16. Calmet.
He made him ride in the second chariot which he had. They cried before him, “Bow the knee!” He set him over all the land of Egypt.
Verse 43. Second chariot. On public occasions the king was followed by an empty chariot, (2 Chronicles 35:24,) or the chariot here spoken of, was destined for the person who was next in dignity to the king. Calmet.—That all, and so forth Hebrew “crying Abroc,” which Aquila explains in the same sense as the Vulgate. Others think it is an exclamation of joy, (Grot.) like huzza! ( Bible.) or it may mean father of the king, or tender father. Calmet. 45:8.
Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh. Without you, no man shall lift up his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt.”
Verse 44. Pharao, or the king. This is the preamble to the decree for the exaltation of Joseph, which subjected to him the armies and all the people of Egypt.
Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphenath-Paneah. He gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On as a wife. Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.
Verse 45. The saviour of the world. Tsaphenath pahneach. Challoner.—In the Coptic language, which is derived from the Egyptian, Psotemphane is said to mean the saviour of the world. S. Jerom supposed this word was not Hebrew; and therefore he added, in the Egyptian tongue, though he knew it might be interpreted in Hebrew “a revealer of secrets.” q. Heb.—Putiphare. Whether this person be the same with his old master, cannot easily be decided. Most people think he was not. See Saint John Chrysostom 63. hom.—Priest. None were esteemed more noble in Egypt.—Heliopolis. Hebrew On, “the city of the sun,” built on the banks of the Nile, about half a day’s journey to the north of Memphis.
Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.
In the seven plenteous years the earth produced abundantly.
Verse 47. Sheaves. The straw would serve to feed the cattle, and would hinder the corn from spoiling for 50 years, if kept from the air. Varro. Plin. xviii. 30. Calmet.
He gathered up all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities. He stored food in each city from the fields around that city.
Joseph laid up grain as the sand of the sea, very much, until he stopped counting, for it was without number.
To Joseph were born two sons before the year of famine came, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, bore to him.
Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh, “For”, he said, “God has made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house.”
Verse 51. Manasses. That is, oblivion, or forgetting. Challoner.—Father’s house, or the injuries received from my brethren. Bible.
“Manasseh” sounds like the Hebrew for “forget”.
The name of the second, he called Ephraim: “For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”
Verse 52. Ephraim. That is, fruitful, or growing. Challoner.—Being in the plural number, it means “productions.”—Poverty; where I have been poor and afflicted, though now advanced in honour. Bible.
“Ephraim” sounds like the Hebrew for “twice fruitful”.
The seven years of plenty, that were in the land of Egypt, came to an end.
The seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.
When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread, and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph. What he says to you, do.”
Verse 55. World. Round about Egypt; such as Chanaan, Syria, and so forth Menochius.—There was. The Syriac and some Latin copies, read not, and so forth: there was a famine. We must adhere to the Vulgate and Hebrew.
The famine was over all the surface of the earth. Joseph opened all the store houses, and sold to the Egyptians. The famine was severe in the land of Egypt.
All countries came into Egypt, to Joseph, to buy grain, because the famine was severe in all the earth.
Verse 57. All provinces in the neighbourhood: for the stores laid up would not have supplied all mankind even for a few months. Calmet.