Gen 41:1-46 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Gen 41:1-46: 41:1-46 God had used two dreams to identify Joseph as a leader among his brothers (37:5-11 ). He used two dreams to test Joseph’s faith in prison (40:5-14 ). Now he would use two dreams to elevate Joseph from prison to preeminence. Joseph had repeatedly proven faithful in small matters; now he would be put in charge of great things. Summary for Gen 41:1-4: 41:1-4 Pharaoh’s first dream was about cows . Cows liked to stand half-submerged among the reeds in the Nile River to take refuge from the heat and flies. They would come out of the water to find pasture. The second group of cows disturbed Pharaoh because they were scrawny yet able to swallow the fat cows .

Summary for Gen 41:1-46: 41:1-46 ^a God had used two dreams to identify Joseph as a leader among his brothers (37:5-11 ^b). He used two dreams to test Joseph’s faith in prison (40:5-14 ^c). Now he would use two dreams to elevate Joseph from prison to preeminence. Joseph had repeatedly proven faithful in small matters; now he would be put in charge of great things.
Summary for Gen 41:1-4: 41:1-4 ^d Pharaoh’s first dream was about cows. Cows liked to stand half-submerged among the reeds in the Nile River to take refuge from the heat and flies. They would come out of the water to find pasture. The second group of cows disturbed Pharaoh because they were scrawny yet able to swallow the fat cows.
Summary for Gen 41:5-7: 41:5-7 ^e Pharaoh’s second dream carried a similar message. Seven plump . . . heads of grain on a single stalk were swallowed up by seven shriveled and withered heads that sprouted after them.
41:8 ^f The magicians and wise men belonged to a guild of supposed experts in spiritual matters, including dreams and visions (cp. Exod 8:18-19 ^g; Dan 2:10-11 ^h), but they could not interpret these dreams. God used an Israelite slave to confound the wisdom of the world (cp. Dan 2 ⁱ). However powerful a nation becomes, it is still under God’s sovereign control (Dan 2:20-23 ^j).
Summary for Gen 41:9-13: 41:9-13 ^k The chief cup-bearer finally remembered Joseph and testified that his interpretations were true.
Summary for Gen 41:14-15: 41:14-15 ^l Pharaoh immediately summoned Joseph from prison to interpret his dreams.

• He shaved, as was the Egyptian custom.
41:16 ^m Joseph knew that only God could tell what Pharaoh’s dreams meant (cp. 40:8 ⁿ), and he was confident that God would do so, because he had given the dreams for a purpose (41:25 ^o, 28 ^p).
Summary for Gen 41:17-24: 41:17-24 ^q Pharaoh recounted his dreams and testified that no human wisdom could interpret them.
Summary for Gen 41:25-32: 41:25-32 ^r Both dreams predicted that seven years of abundant crops would be followed by seven years of severe famine.
41:32 ^s The two similar dreams confirmed that the message was decreed by God and would soon ... happen, just as the dreams of the two prisoners were quickly fulfilled (40:5-23 ^t). Joseph’s own two dreams (37:5-11 ^u) were about to come true as well (41:37-46 ^v; 42:6-9 ^w).
Summary for Gen 41:33-36: 41:33-36 ^x God’s revelation demanded a response—it was not given just to satisfy curiosity about the future. Joseph’s advice about planning and preparing showed that he was the kind of intelligent and wise man that Pharaoh needed (41:37-40 ^y).

• Joseph instituted central planning and control with a supervisor, local managers, a 20 percent tax on grain, and a rationing system. Later wisdom literature (see study note on 37:2–50:26) teaches the principle of planning ahead rather than living just for the moment (see Prov 6:6-8 ^z; 27:12 ^aa).
Summary for Gen 41:37-40: 41:37-40 ^ab Pharaoh recognized that Joseph was the man for the job; he had the spirit of God and was intelligent and wise. God showed his sovereign rule in Egypt; Israelites who later read the account could be confident that God would save them as he had promised.
Summary for Gen 41:41-46: 41:41-46 ^ac Joseph was made the acting ruler or manager of Egypt.
41:42 ^ad Pharaoh’s signet ring had a seal used for signing documents. The seal was impressed in soft clay, which hardened and left a permanent impression of the ruler’s signature, which carried his authority. Numerous seals of this type have been found in archaeological digs.

• The linen clothing and gold chain signified Joseph’s new status as ruler.
Summary for Gen 41:43-44: 41:43-44 ^ae Pharaoh made Joseph second-in-command; all the people had to submit to him. Cp. Ps 105:16-22 ^af.
41:45 ^ag As token of Joseph’s new status, Pharaoh gave him an Egyptian name and a wife from a high-ranking family.

• On was a center for sun worship that came to be known as Heliopolis (“sun city”).
41:46 ^ah He was thirty years old: It had been approximately thirteen years since his brothers had sold Joseph into slavery (37:2 ^ai).

• he inspected the entire land of Egypt: As a wise manager, his first priority was to learn the scope of his responsibilities.