Genesis 41:17-24 Commentary: Pharaoh's Dreams and the Nile

¹⁷Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile,

¹⁸when seven cows, well-fed and sleek, came up from the river and began to graze among the reeds.

¹⁹After them, seven other cows—sickly, ugly, and thin—came up. I have never seen such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt!

²⁰Then the thin, ugly cows devoured the seven well-fed cows that were there first.

²¹When they had devoured them, however, no one could tell that they had done so; their appearance was as ugly as it had been before. Then I awoke.

²²In my dream I also saw seven heads of grain, plump and ripe, growing on a single stalk.

²³After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted—withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind.

²⁴And the thin heads of grain swallowed the seven plump ones. I told this dream to the magicians, but no one could explain it to me.”

¹⁷Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, “In my dream, behold, I stood on the brink of the river;

¹⁸and behold, seven fat and sleek cattle came up out of the river. They fed in the marsh grass;

¹⁹and 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.

²⁰The thin and ugly cattle ate up the first seven fat cattle;

²¹and 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.

²²I saw in my dream, and behold, seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, full and good;

²³and behold, seven heads of grain, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them.

²⁴The 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.”

¹⁷And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river:

¹⁸And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow:

¹⁹And, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill favoured and leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness:

²⁰And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine:

²¹And 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.

²²And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good:

²³And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them:

²⁴And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: and I told this unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me.

¹⁷And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the brink of the river:

¹⁸and, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fat-fleshed and well-favored: and they fed in the reed-grass:

¹⁹and, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill-favored and lean-fleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness:

²⁰and the lean and ill-favored kine did eat up the first seven fat kine:

²¹and when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they were still ill-favored, as at the beginning. So I awoke.

²²And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up upon one stalk, full and good:

²³and, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them:

²⁴and the thin ears swallowed up the seven good ears: and I told it unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me.

¹⁷And Pharaoh speaketh unto Joseph: `In my dream, lo, I am standing by the edge of the River,

¹⁸and lo, out of the River coming up are seven kine, fat in flesh, and of fair form, and they feed among the reeds;

¹⁹and lo, seven other kine are coming up after them, thin, and of very bad form, and lean in flesh; I have not seen like these in all the land of Egypt for badness.

²⁰`And the lean and the bad kine eat up the first seven fat kine,

²¹and they come in unto their midst, and it hath not been known that they have come in unto their midst, and their appearance is bad as at the commencement; and I awake.

²²`And I see in my dream, and lo, seven ears are coming up on one stalk, full and good;

²³and lo, seven ears, withered, thin, blasted with an east wind, are springing up after them;

²⁴and the thin ears swallow the seven good ears; and I tell unto the scribes, and there is none declaring to me.'

¹⁷And Pharaoh said to Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood on the bank of the river.

¹⁸And behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fat-fleshed and of fine form, and they fed in the reed-grass.

¹⁹And behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor, and very ill-formed, and lean-fleshed — such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness.

²⁰And the lean and bad kine ate up the seven first fat kine;

²¹and they came into their belly, and it could not be known that they had come into their belly; and their look was bad, as at the beginning. And I awoke.

²²And I saw in my dream, and behold, seven ears came up on one stalk, full and good.

²³And behold, seven ears, withered, thin, parched with the east wind, sprung up after them;

²⁴and the thin ears devoured the seven good ears. And I told it to the scribes; but there was none to make it known to me.

¹⁷So Pharao told what he had dreamed: Methought I stood upon the bank of the river,

¹⁸And seven kine came up out of the river, exceeding beautiful and full of flesh: and they grazed on green places in a marshy pasture.

¹⁹And behold, there followed these, other seven kine, so very ill-favoured and lean, that I never saw the like in the land of Egypt:

²⁰And they devoured and consumed the former,

²¹And yet gave no mark of their being full: but were as lean and ill-favoured as before. I awoke, and then fell asleep again,

²²And dreamed a dream: Seven ears of corn grew up upon one stalk, full and very fair.

²³Other seven also thin and blasted, sprung of the stalk:

²⁴And they devoured the beauty of the former: I told this dream to the conjecturers, and there is no man that can expound it.