Pharaoh’s Dreams
Genesis 41:1-40
Gen.41.1 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויהי: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- מקץ: PREP
- שנתים: NOUN,f,du,abs
- ימים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ופרעה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חלם: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- והנה: ADV
- עמד: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- על: PREP
- היאר: NOUN,m,sg,def
Parallels
- Daniel 2:1 (structural): Both open royal dream episodes with a dating formula about the king's year ("in the second year") and introduce a dream that sets the narrative in motion and requires interpretation.
- Genesis 40:1-8 (thematic): Earlier dream episode in the Joseph cycle (the butler and baker) that establishes the motif of dreams and Joseph's role as interpreter, directly leading up to Pharaoh's own dreams.
- Genesis 37:5-10 (allusion): Joseph's youthful dreams introduce the dominant theme of revelatory dreams and their consequences for Joseph's fate; Genesis 41 continues and fulfills the dream-interpretation thread.
- Matthew 1:20 (thematic): New Testament example of God communicating crucial guidance through a dream to a key biblical figure (Joseph, husband of Mary), reflecting the broader biblical motif of divine revelation via dreams.
Alternative generated candidates
- And it happened at the end of two years that Pharaoh dreamed, and behold, he was standing by the Nile.
- And it happened at the end of two full years that Pharaoh dreamed, and behold, he was standing over the Nile.
Gen.41.2 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- והנה: ADV
- מן: PREP
- היאר: NOUN,m,sg,def
- עלת: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- שבע: NUM,card
- פרות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- יפות: ADJ,f,pl
- מראה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ובריאת: CONJ+ADJ,f,sg
- בשר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ותרעינה: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,pl
- באחו: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Gen.41.3-4 (structural): Immediate continuation of the same dream: seven gaunt and ugly cows come up out of the river and devour the seven healthy cows, forming the paired vision of healthy vs. lean animals.
- Gen.41.25-32 (verbal): Joseph’s interpretation explicitly identifies the seven healthy cows as seven years of abundance—directly explicating the imagery of the seven fine cows in 41:2.
- Gen.37.5-10 (thematic): Joseph’s earlier dreams introduce the motif of significant symbolic dreams requiring interpretation; like Pharaoh’s dream, these visions drive the narrative and reveal divine communication.
- Gen.41.53-57 (thematic): Narrative fulfillment: records seven years of plenty followed by famine, demonstrating how the cows’ imagery in the dream corresponds to actual years of abundance and subsequent scarcity.
Alternative generated candidates
- And behold, from the Nile there came up seven cows, beautiful in appearance and fat of flesh, and they grazed in the marsh-grass.
- And behold, from the Nile there came up seven cows, beautiful in appearance and robust of flesh, and they grazed in the marsh-grass.
Gen.41.3 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- והנה: ADV
- שבע: NUM,card
- פרות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- אחרות: ADJ,f,pl,abs
- עלות: NOUN,f,sg,cons
- אחריהן: PREP+PRON,3,f,pl
- מן: PREP
- היאר: NOUN,m,sg,def
- רעות: ADJ,f,pl,abs
- מראה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ודקות: CONJ+NOUN,f,pl,abs
- בשר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ותעמדנה: CONJ+VERB,qal,impf,3,f,pl
- אצל: PREP
- הפרות: NOUN,f,pl,def
- על: PREP
- שפת: NOUN,f,sg,cs
- היאר: NOUN,m,sg,def
Parallels
- Genesis 41:1-7 (structural): Immediate narrative context: the full account of Pharaoh’s two linked dreams (seven fat cows and seven lean cows) of which verse 3 is part.
- Genesis 41:25-36 (structural): Joseph’s interpretation of Pharaoh’s dream (seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine), explaining the significance of the seven thin cows.
- Genesis 37:7-9 (thematic): Joseph’s earlier symbolic dreams (sheaves, sun/moon/stars) that use agricultural and numeric imagery to foreshadow future events—parallels the use of vivid animal imagery in prophetic dreams.
- Daniel 7:1-8 (thematic): Visionary use of beast imagery to represent future political/economic realities; parallels the Bible’s use of animals in dreams/visions to convey prophetic meaning.
- Daniel 2:31-45 (thematic): A royal dream interpreted to reveal successive historical/economic epochs and divine sovereignty—parallels Pharaoh’s dream as a revelatory vision requiring interpretation with national policy implications.
Alternative generated candidates
- And behold, seven other cows came up after them from the Nile, ugly in appearance and thin of flesh, and they stood beside the cows on the bank of the Nile.
- And behold, seven other cows came up after them from the Nile, ugly in appearance and thin of flesh, and they stood beside the cows on the bank of the Nile.
Gen.41.4 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ותאכלנה: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,pl
- הפרות: NOUN,f,pl,def
- רעות: ADJ,f,pl,abs
- המראה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ודקת: ADJ,f,sg,const
- הבשר: NOUN,m,sg,def
- את: PRT,acc
- שבע: NUM,card
- הפרות: NOUN,f,pl,def
- יפת: ADJ,f,sg,cons
- המראה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- והבריאת: ADJ,f,pl,def
- וייקץ: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- פרעה: NOUN,m,sg,def
Parallels
- Genesis 41:25-32 (quotation): Direct continuation and interpretation of the same dream motif: Joseph explains that the seven thin cows devouring the seven fat cows symbolize seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine.
- Genesis 37:5-10 (thematic): Earlier dreams given to Joseph (sheaves and stars) echo the motif of divine revelation by dreams that direct Joseph's life and provoke strong reactions from listeners.
- Daniel 2:28-35 (structural): A royal dream revealed by God and interpreted by a wise interpreter; like Pharaoh’s dream, the dream’s symbolic imagery forecasts national fortunes and produces major political consequences.
- Job 33:14-18 (thematic): Affirms the theme that God communicates warnings or instruction through dreams and visions—presenting dreams as a legitimate medium of divine revelation.
Alternative generated candidates
- And the cows that were ugly in appearance and thin of flesh ate up the seven cows that were beautiful in appearance and fat; and Pharaoh awoke.
- And the cows that were ugly in appearance and thin of flesh ate the seven cows that were beautiful in appearance and robust; and Pharaoh awoke.
Gen.41.5 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויישן: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- ויחלם: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- שנית: ADV
- והנה: ADV
- שבע: NUM,card
- שבלים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- עלות: NOUN,f,sg,cons
- בקנה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אחד: NUM,card,m,sg
- בריאות: ADJ,f,pl
- וטבות: CONJ+ADJ,f,pl
Parallels
- Gen.41.1-7 (structural): Immediate narrative context: the two linked Pharaoh dreams (seven healthy ears and seven lean ears) are presented together as the episode that triggers Joseph's rise.
- Gen.41.17-24 (verbal): Pharaoh recounts his dreams to Joseph and Joseph clarifies details — the same imagery of seven good ears is repeated in the dialogue and examination of the dreams.
- Gen.41.26-32 (verbal): Joseph’s interpretation explains that the seven healthy ears signify seven years of abundance; this verse provides the explicit meaning of the image in 41:5.
- Gen.41.29-30 (thematic): The interpretation applied to the seven good ears: seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine — the thematic outcome tied directly to the healthy ears image.
- Gen.37.5-11 (thematic): Joseph’s earlier dreams (sheaves and celestial bodies) form a thematic parallel: agricultural imagery in dreams functions as symbolic revelation about future status and providence.
Alternative generated candidates
- And he slept and dreamed a second time, and behold, seven ears of grain were coming up on one stalk, plump and good.
- And he slept and dreamed a second time, and behold, seven ears were coming up on one stalk, healthy and good.
Gen.41.6 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- והנה: ADV
- שבע: NUM,card
- שבלים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- דקות: ADJ,f,pl
- ושדופת: CONJ+ADJ,f,pl
- קדים: ADV
- צמחות: ADJ,f,pl
- אחריהן: PREP+PRON,3,f,pl
Parallels
- Genesis 41:2-7 (structural): Immediate narrative context that repeats and frames v.6: Pharaoh's dream of seven healthy ears and seven thin, blasted ears (the fuller dream description of the same imagery).
- Genesis 41:26-31 (structural): Joseph's interpretation of the dream: the seven full ears mean seven years of plenty and the seven thin ears mean seven years of famine — directly explains the meaning of the withered ears in v.6.
- Exodus 10:13 (verbal): Uses the same motif of an east wind (Hebrew qādîm) as an agent of agricultural disaster — here bringing locusts that devastate crops, echoing the east‑wind/blight motif in Gen 41:6.
- Deuteronomy 28:23-24 (thematic): Part of the covenant curse describing heavens that yield no rain and crops that wither — thematically parallels the blighted ears and the ensuing famine foreshadowed by the thin ears in Gen 41:6.
Alternative generated candidates
- And behold, seven ears, thin and scorched by the east wind, were sprouting after them.
- And behold, seven ears, thin and scorched by the east wind, were sprouting after them.
Gen.41.7 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ותבלענה: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,pl
- השבלים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- הדקות: ADJ,f,pl,def
- את: PRT,acc
- שבע: NUM,card
- השבלים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- הבריאות: ADJ,f,pl,def
- והמלאות: ADJ,f,pl,def
- וייקץ: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- פרעה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- והנה: ADV
- חלום: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Gen.41:1-4 (structural): Immediate context: the preceding verses present Pharaoh’s two linked dreams (fat/lean cattle and full/blighted ears) that set the scene for verse 7’s image and awakening.
- Gen.41:25-32 (verbal): Joseph’s interpretation of the same imagery — seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine — directly explains the meaning of the thin ears swallowing the full ears.
- Gen.37:7-8 (verbal): Joseph’s earlier dream about sheaves (agricultural imagery of grain and submission) parallels the motif of sheaves/ears used in Pharaoh’s dream and the theme of divinely significant dreams.
- Dan.2:19-23 (thematic): Daniel describes God revealing hidden things in visions and dreams and the role of an interpreter; thematically parallels the divine origin of Pharaoh’s dream and the need for prophetic explanation.
- Ps.105:16-22 (thematic): The psalm recounts Joseph’s testing, rise to power and role during famine; thematically connects the dream’s agricultural/famine content with Joseph’s destiny to interpret and manage the coming years.
Alternative generated candidates
- And the thin ears swallowed the seven plump and full ears; and Pharaoh awoke, and behold—it was a dream.
- And the thin ears swallowed the seven healthy, full ears; and Pharaoh awoke, and behold—it was a dream.
Gen.41.8 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויהי: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- בבקר: PREP
- ותפעם: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- רוחו: NOUN,f,sg,prsuf3ms
- וישלח: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- ויקרא: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- כל: DET
- חרטמי: NOUN,m,pl,cstr
- מצרים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- ואת: CONJ
- כל: DET
- חכמיה: NOUN,m,pl,prsuf3ms
- ויספר: VERB,piel,impf,3,m,sg
- פרעה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- להם: PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
- את: PRT,acc
- חלמו: NOUN,m,sg,abs,3,m,sg
- ואין: CONJ+PART,exist
- פותר: VERB,qal,part,act,m,sg
- אותם: PRON,3,m,pl,obj
- לפרעה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Genesis 40:8 (verbal): Both passages use the same motif/phrase that there was 'no interpreter' for the dreams (the cupbearer and baker's dreams), highlighting human inability to explain royal dreams.
- Genesis 41:15-16 (structural): Immediate structural continuation: Joseph responds that God (not Egyptian magicians) gives interpretations, providing the solution to the problem stated in 41:8.
- Daniel 2:10-11 (thematic): Nebuchadnezzar's magicians, enchanters, and wise men likewise fail to tell or interpret the king's dream, a parallel scene of royal dream(s) beyond the capability of court 'wise men.'
- Daniel 2:27-28 (allusion): Daniel attributes dream-interpretation to divine revelation—'God reveals secrets'—paralleling Joseph's claim that God provides the interpretation.
- Isaiah 47:13 (thematic): Isaiah's denunciation of astrologers/diviners who cannot save or foresee the future echoes the theme that human magicians/wise men are unable to interpret or control divine revelation.
Alternative generated candidates
- And it happened in the morning that his spirit was troubled; he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. And Pharaoh told them his dream, but there was no one to interpret them for Pharaoh.
- And it happened in the morning that his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. And Pharaoh told them his dream, but none could interpret them for Pharaoh.
Gen.41.9 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וידבר: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- שר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- המשקים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- את: PRT,acc
- פרעה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- לאמר: INF,qal,infc
- את: PRT,acc
- חטאי: NOUN,m,sg,abs+1s
- אני: PRON,1,sg
- מזכיר: VERB,qal,part,3,m,sg
- היום: NOUN,m,sg,def
Parallels
- Gen.40.14 (verbal): Joseph had earlier asked the chief cupbearer, 'when you are restored, remember me,' — this verse is the direct verbal antecedent that Joseph hopes the cupbearer will recall.
- Gen.40.23 (structural): Immediate narrative contrast: after promising to remember Joseph the cupbearer 'did not remember' him, whereas Gen.41:9 reports the cupbearer finally 'remembering' — a reversal that advances Joseph's release.
- Gen.40.13 (thematic): The cupbearer’s predicted restoration ('within three days Pharaoh will restore you') is the background for his later remembrance; both verses belong to the linked episode of interpretation and restoration.
- Luke 23.42 (thematic): The criminal’s plea 'Jesus, remember me' parallels the motif of a desperate petitioner asking a powerful figure for remembrance that will secure pardon or favor — a literary/theological echo of seeking mercy through being 'remembered.'
Alternative generated candidates
- Then the chief of the cupbearers spoke to Pharaoh, saying, “I recall my offenses today.”
- Then the chief of the cupbearers spoke to Pharaoh, saying: My offenses I recall today.
Gen.41.10 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- פרעה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- קצף: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- על: PREP
- עבדיו: NOUN,m,pl,abs+3ms
- ויתן: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אתי: PRON,1,sg
- במשמר: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בית: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הטבחים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- אתי: PRON,1,sg
- ואת: CONJ
- שר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- האפים: NOUN,m,pl,def
Parallels
- Gen.40:3-4 (verbal): Same prison setting and language: the captain (keeper) of the guard puts prisoners in custody in his house — directly parallels the administrative custody described in the verse.
- Gen.39:20 (thematic): Earlier instance of Joseph's imprisonment: Potiphar’s housemaster puts Joseph into the prison. The theme of being confined by an authority figure links the narratives.
- Gen.41:14 (structural): Narrative continuation: Pharaoh’s officials fetch Joseph from the prison to stand before Pharaoh — the immediate outcome of Joseph’s custody under the captain of the guard.
- Ps.105:17-19 (allusion): The psalm recounts Joseph being put in prison and tested until God's word came to pass, reflecting the theological meaning attached to Joseph’s confinement.
- Acts 7:9-10 (allusion): Stephen’s retelling of Israel’s history mentions Joseph’s suffering and eventual deliverance from prison, echoing the motif of unjust imprisonment followed by vindication.
Alternative generated candidates
- Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and he put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard—me and the chief of the bakers.
- Pharaoh was angry with his servants and put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard—me and the chief of the bakers.
Gen.41.11 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ונחלמה: CONJ+VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- חלום: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בלילה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אחד: NUM,card,m,sg
- אני: PRON,1,sg
- והוא: CONJ+PRON,3,m,sg
- איש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כפתרון: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חלמו: NOUN,m,sg,abs,3,m,sg
- חלמנו: VERB,qal,perf,1,_,pl
Parallels
- Gen.40.5 (verbal): Same scene in the prison: 'each man his dream' / 'in one night' (Heb. חלמו חלמנו), describing the cupbearer and baker dreaming the same night — the immediate narrative parallel to 41:11.
- Gen.40.8 (verbal): Joseph's claim that interpretations belong to God (וַיֹּאמֶר יֹסֵף לָהֶם — הֲלֹא לֵאלֹהִים הַפִּתּוּרִים), a theological motif for interpreting dreams that recurs when Joseph interprets Pharaoh's dreams.
- Gen.41.1-8 (structural): Contextual/structural parallel: the motif of dreams occurring 'in one night' and prompting a search for interpretation — Pharaoh's own dreams provide the narrative reason Joseph is summoned, linking 41:11 to the larger dream-unit.
- Dan.2:27-30 (thematic): Daniel, like Joseph, emphasizes that God reveals mysteries and interprets dreams for his servants; both figures serve as God-given interpreters who explain royal dreams and their meaning for the nations.
Alternative generated candidates
- And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his dream.
- And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; each according to the interpretation of his dream we dreamed.
Gen.41.12 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ושם: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אתנו: PRON,1,pl
- נער: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עברי: ADJ,m,sg
- עבד: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- לשר: PREP+NOUN,m,sg
- הטבחים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- ונספר: VERB,qal,impf,1,pl
- לו: PRON,3,m,sg
- ויפתר: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- לנו: PREP+PRON,1,pl
- את: PRT,acc
- חלמתינו: NOUN,m,pl,poss,1,pl
- איש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כחלמו: CONJ+VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- פתר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Gen.40:8 (structural): Immediate narrative parallel — the earlier prison episode where the Hebrew youth (Joseph) interprets the dreams of Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker, which 41:12 explicitly recalls.
- Gen.41:15-16 (verbal): Direct thematic continuation — Joseph’s reply to Pharaoh that he cannot interpret but that God will give the answer, echoing the claim that God is the source of the earlier interpretations.
- Gen.41:25 (structural): Same unit of narrative — Joseph’s subsequent interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams (seven years of plenty and seven years of famine) is the fulfillment/extension of his role as dream‑interpreter introduced in 41:12.
- Dan.2:27-28 (thematic): Parallel motif — Daniel, like Joseph, interprets a ruler’s dream by attributing the revelation to God who reveals hidden things, emphasizing divine origin of dream‑interpretation.
- Ps.105:17-19 (allusion): Later biblical recollection — Psalmist retells Joseph’s imprisonment and eventual vindication, recalling the episode of his service in prison and God’s action in his rise (alluding to the events surrounding Joseph’s interpretations).
Alternative generated candidates
- And there with us was a young Hebrew, a servant of the captain of the guard; we recounted to him, and he interpreted for us our dreams—each according to his dream he interpreted.
- Now there with us was a young Hebrew, a slave of the captain of the guard. And we recounted to him, and he interpreted our dreams for us; each according to his dream he interpreted.
Gen.41.13 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויהי: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- כאשר: CONJ
- פתר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לנו: PREP+PRON,1,pl
- כן: ADV
- היה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אתי: PRON,1,sg
- השיב: VERB,hiphil,perf,3,m,sg
- על: PREP
- כני: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,1,sg
- ואתו: CONJ+PRON,3,m,sg
- תלה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Gen 40:23 (structural): Earlier narrative moment: the chief cupbearer failed to remember Joseph (so Joseph remained imprisoned). This contrasts with the present claim that the interpreters' words were fulfilled when one was restored and the other hanged.
- Gen 41:39-41 (structural): Pharaoh elevates Joseph after his successful interpretation of dreams—direct narrative parallel in which interpretation leads to restoration/elevation to high office.
- Ps 105:17-22 (thematic): Poetic retelling of Joseph’s trials, God’s testing and the ultimate fulfillment of divine purpose resulting in Joseph’s release and authority—echoes the theme of vindication by fulfilled word.
- Dan 2:46-49 (thematic): Daniel is raised to high office after interpreting Nebuchadnezzar’s dream; parallels the motif of an interpreter rewarded with promotion following a divinely confirmed interpretation.
- Acts 7:9-10 (allusion): Stephen’s speech recounts Joseph’s affliction and subsequent exaltation (God granting him favor before Pharaoh), an early Christian retelling that alludes to the same pattern of vindication and promotion.
Alternative generated candidates
- And it came to pass, just as he interpreted to us, so it was: me he restored to my post, and him he hanged.
- And it happened, just as he interpreted to us, so it was: me he restored to my position, and him he hanged.
Gen.41.14 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וישלח: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- פרעה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ויקרא: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- יוסף: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ויריצהו: VERB,hiphil,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- מן: PREP
- הבור: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ויגלח: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- ויחלף: VERB,piel,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- שמלתיו: NOUN,f,pl,poss:3,m,abs
- ויבא: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- פרעה: NOUN,m,sg,def
Parallels
- Genesis 37:23-24 (verbal): Earliest account of Joseph being placed in a pit ('they took him and cast him into the pit') — Genesis 41:14’s language of bringing Joseph up 'from the pit' echoes and reverses this earlier event.
- Genesis 39:20-21 (thematic): Joseph’s imprisonment after Potiphar’s wife’s false accusation; both verses concern Joseph’s confinement and divine/political movement that eventually leads to his presentation before authorities.
- Genesis 40:14, 23 (structural): Joseph’s request to the chief cupbearer to mention him to Pharaoh (v.14) and the cupbearer’s forgetting (v.23) set up the delayed recall that precipitates Pharaoh’s summons in 41:14.
- Genesis 41:9-13 (structural): The cupbearer’s remembrance and report to Pharaoh directly explain why Pharaoh 'sent and called Joseph' — these immediate preceding verses provide the narrative cause for the action described in 41:14.
- Daniel 2:46-48 (thematic): Daniel is brought before the king, honored, and receives new status/clothing — a parallel court-presentation motif (removal from confinement, grooming/attire change, and elevation before a monarch) similar to Joseph’s preparation and entry before Pharaoh.
Alternative generated candidates
- Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they hurried him up out of the pit; he shaved, changed his garments, and came to Pharaoh.
- Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they hurried him up from the pit; and he shaved and changed his garments and came in to Pharaoh.
Gen.41.15 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- פרעה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אל: NEG
- יוסף: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חלום: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חלמתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,_,sg
- ופתר: CONJ
- אין: PART,neg
- אתו: PRON,3,m,sg,acc
- ואני: PRON,1,sg
- שמעתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,sg
- עליך: PREP+2ms
- לאמר: INF,qal,infc
- תשמע: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- חלום: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לפתר: INF,qal
- אתו: PRON,3,m,sg,acc
Parallels
- Gen.40.8 (verbal): Prison scene where others ask Joseph to interpret dreams; both verses frame Joseph as one who 'interprets dreams.'
- Gen.41.16 (structural): Joseph’s immediate reply that God will give the interpretation — direct continuation and theological explanation of Pharaoh’s request.
- Dan.2:27-28 (thematic): Daniel tells Nebuchadnezzar that God reveals mysteries and interprets dreams, paralleling Joseph’s claim that God provides the interpretation.
- Job 33:14-18 (allusion): Elihu’s account that God speaks in dreams/visions reflects the wider belief (also in Joseph’s words) that God communicates and reveals meaning through dreams.
Alternative generated candidates
- And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have dreamed a dream, and there is no one to interpret it; and I have heard it said about you that when you hear a dream, you can interpret it.”
- And Pharaoh said to Joseph: I have dreamed a dream, and there is no one to interpret it; and I have heard it said of you that you hear a dream in order to interpret it.
Gen.41.16 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויען: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- יוסף: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- את: PRT,acc
- פרעה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- לאמר: INF,qal,infc
- בלעדי: PREP
- אלהים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- יענה: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- שלום: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- פרעה: NOUN,m,sg,def
Parallels
- Gen.40.8 (verbal): Joseph earlier tells the other prisoners that interpretations belong to God (not to him), the same claim of divine source for dream-interpretation found in Gen 41:16.
- Dan.2.30 (verbal): Daniel says the revealed secret is not due to his own wisdom but comes from God—language and humility closely parallel Joseph’s ‘not in me; God will give the answer.’
- Dan.2.27-28 (thematic): Daniel explains to Nebuchadnezzar that there is ‘a God in heaven who reveals mysteries,’ attributing dream-interpretation to God just as Joseph does before Pharaoh.
- Amos 3.7 (thematic): ‘Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets’—a broader theological principle that God discloses meaning to humans, echoing Joseph’s appeal to God as the source of the interpretation.
Alternative generated candidates
- Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “It is not in me; God will answer for Pharaoh’s well-being.”
- And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying: Not I; God will answer for the welfare of Pharaoh.
Gen.41.17 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וידבר: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- פרעה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אל: NEG
- יוסף: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בחלמי: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs+1s
- הנני: PRT+PRON,1,sg
- עמד: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- על: PREP
- שפת: NOUN,f,sg,cs
- היאר: NOUN,m,sg,def
Parallels
- Gen.37:5-11 (verbal): Earlier in Genesis Joseph himself recounts dreams in the first person (“I dreamed”), establishing the motif of vivid first‑person dream report that Pharaoh now uses.
- Gen.40:8-15 (structural): Immediate narrative parallel: prisoners report their dreams to Joseph and seek interpretation—this earlier scene establishes the pattern of reporting dreams and asking one gifted in interpretation, which Pharaoh now enacts.
- Dan.2:1-3 (thematic): Nebuchadnezzar's royal dream and the king's demand for interpretation parallel Pharaoh’s experience—both are sovereigns whose dreams require interpretation with national consequences.
- Dan.4:5-9 (verbal): Nebuchadnezzar’s language (“I saw a dream... it made me afraid”) and his recounting of vivid symbolic imagery to counselors echo Pharaoh’s descriptive first‑person report of a river‑bank dream.
- Judg.7:13-15 (structural): Gideon overhears and interprets an enemy soldier’s dream—another instance where an outsider interprets a reported dream with decisive political/military outcomes, paralleling Joseph’s role with Pharaoh.
Alternative generated candidates
- And Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, “In my dream, behold, I was standing on the bank of the Nile.
- Then Pharaoh spoke to Joseph: In my dream, behold, I was standing on the bank of the Nile.
Gen.41.18 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- והנה: ADV
- מן: PREP
- היאר: NOUN,m,sg,def
- עלת: VERB,qal,perf,3,pl
- שבע: NUM,card
- פרות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- בריאות: ADJ,f,pl
- בשר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ויפת: ADJ,f,sg,cons
- תאר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ותרעינה: VERB,qal,imprf,3,f,pl
- באחו: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Gen.41:1-7 (structural): The opening of Pharaoh’s dreams in which seven healthy/fat cows and seven thin cows (and the parallel grain dream) are first presented—the immediate narrative context for v.18’s image.
- Gen.41:19 (verbal): Explicit continuation/repetition of the same bovine imagery (the seven thin cows that emerge and devour the fat ones), closely paralleling the wording and action of v.18.
- Gen.41:25-32 (thematic): Joseph’s interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams explains the seven healthy/fat and seven thin cows as seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine—the thematic meaning behind the cow imagery in v.18.
- Gen.37:7 (allusion): Joseph’s earlier dream about seven sheaves (and celestial symbols) foreshadows his rise and uses symbolic agricultural imagery to disclose future events, paralleling the role of symbolic dreams in Gen.41:18.
- Gen.41:54-57 (thematic): The narrative consequence of the dreams—years of plenty followed by famine—shows how the cow/ear imagery of v.18 is realized in the story’s later events (the onset of the seven lean years).
Alternative generated candidates
- And behold, from the Nile there came up seven cows, fat of flesh and beautiful in appearance, and they grazed in the marsh-grass.
- And behold, from the Nile there came up seven cows, robust of flesh and beautiful in appearance, and they grazed in the marsh-grass.
Gen.41.19 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- והנה: ADV
- שבע: NUM,card
- פרות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- אחרות: ADJ,f,pl,abs
- עלות: NOUN,f,sg,cons
- אחריהן: PREP,3,f,pl
- דלות: ADJ,f,pl,abs
- ורעות: CONJ+ADJ,f,pl,abs
- תאר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מאד: ADV
- ורקות: CONJ+ADJ,f,pl,abs
- בשר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לא: PART_NEG
- ראיתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,_,sg
- כהנה: ADV
- בכל: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ארץ: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- מצרים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- לרע: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Genesis 41:1-7 (structural): The immediate narrative setting that presents Pharaoh’s two visions — seven fat cows and seven thin cows — of which 41:19 is the middle description.
- Genesis 41:26-32 (thematic): Joseph’s interpretation: the seven fat cows represent seven years of plenty and the seven thin cows seven years of famine, directly explaining the meaning of the imagery in 41:19.
- Genesis 41:33-36 (verbal): Joseph’s proposed plan to store grain during the years of plenty to survive the years of famine — a direct practical response to the cow imagery and its interpretation.
- Genesis 37:7 (allusion): Joseph’s earlier dream using agricultural imagery (sheaves) and future reversal of fortunes resonates with the cow-vision motif of dreams foretelling national-level abundance and scarcity.
- Genesis 47:13-25 (thematic): Description of the famine’s effects in Egypt and the sale of grain/land under Joseph’s administration — the realized consequences of the seven lean years foretold by the thin cows.
Alternative generated candidates
- And behold, seven other cows came up after them, gaunt and very ugly in appearance and thin of flesh; I have never seen such as these in all the land of Egypt for ugliness.
- And behold, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly in appearance and gaunt of flesh; I have not seen the like of them in all the land of Egypt for ugliness.
Gen.41.20 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ותאכלנה: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,f,pl
- הפרות: NOUN,f,pl,def
- הרקות: ADJ,f,pl,def
- והרעות: ADJ,f,pl,def
- את: PRT,acc
- שבע: NUM,card
- הפרות: NOUN,f,pl,def
- הראשנות: ADJ,f,pl,def
- הבריאת: ADJ,f,pl,def
Parallels
- Gen.41.4 (verbal): Pharaoh's first dream introducing the seven fat and seven lean cows—the same bovine imagery that v.20 describes.
- Gen.41.7 (verbal): Provides the contrast between the 'well favoured and fat' cows and the 'ill favoured and very lean' cows, echoing the descriptive language of v.20.
- Gen.41.26 (structural): States that both of Pharaoh's dreams are one and have the same meaning, directly linking the cow-vision (vv.4–7,20) to the ears-of-corn vision.
- Gen.41.27-28 (thematic): Joseph's interpretation that the seven fat cows represent seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine explains the symbolic significance of the fat and lean cattle in v.20.
Alternative generated candidates
- And the thin and ugly cows ate up the first seven fat cows.
- And the gaunt and ugly cows ate up the first seven robust cows.
Gen.41.21 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ותבאנה: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,pl
- אל: NEG
- קרבנה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ולא: CONJ
- נודע: VERB,niphal,perf,3,m,sg
- כי: CONJ
- באו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- אל: NEG
- קרבנה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ומראיהן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- רע: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- כאשר: CONJ
- בתחלה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ואיקץ: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Gen.40:5-23 (thematic): Both passages center on courtly dreams (the chief cupbearer and baker in prison vs. Pharaoh) that require interpretation by Joseph; shared motifs include vivid dream-visions, waking, and the divine message revealed through interpretation.
- Dan.2:1-13 (structural): Parallel structure: a king has troubling symbolic dreams, summons his magicians and wise men who cannot interpret, and thus the scene is set for a God‑given interpreter (Joseph in Egypt; Daniel in Babylon).
- Judg.7:13-15 (thematic): A soldier’s dream overheard and interpreted functions as a decisive sign (here for Gideon’s victory); like Pharaoh’s dreams, an interpreted dream serves as an immediate omen that spurs action and confirms divine intent.
- Matt.1:20-24 (allusion): Illustrates the wider biblical motif of God communicating and directing events through dreams (Joseph, husband of Mary, is warned and guided by a dream), paralleling Genesis 41’s use of dreams as authoritative divine communication.
Alternative generated candidates
- And when they had swallowed them, it could not be known that they had swallowed them; their appearance was as ugly as at the beginning. Then I awoke.
- And they came into their bellies, yet it was not known that they had come into their bellies, and their appearance was as ugly as at the beginning; and I awoke.
Gen.41.22 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וארא: VERB,qal,impf,1,?,sg
- בחלמי: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,prsfx:1cs
- והנה: ADV
- שבע: NUM,card
- שבלים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- עלת: VERB,qal,perf,3,_,pl
- בקנה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אחד: NUM,card,m,sg
- מלאת: ADJ,f,pl,abs
- וטבות: CONJ+ADJ,f,pl,abs
Parallels
- Gen.41.1-7 (structural): Contextual parallel: the paired Pharaoh dreams (seven healthy cows/seven thin cows; seven good ears/seven thin ears) are presented together as the double vision of the same message.
- Gen.41.25-27 (verbal): Joseph's interpretation of the ears-vision — he explicitly reads the seven good and seven thin ears as seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine (especially v.26–27).
- Gen.41.33-36 (thematic): Joseph's policy recommendation based on the ears-vision: appointing a manager to store surplus grain during the seven years of plenty to prepare for the famine.
- Gen.41.49 (verbal): Fulfillment detail: Joseph stores the produce gathered in the years of plenty in the cities—directly implementing the response implied by the 'full and good' ears.
- Gen.47.13-20 (thematic): Later chapter describing the famine's effects and the sale/rationing of grain in Egypt — the practical outcome and fulfillment of the dream's meaning about years of plenty and subsequent scarcity.
Alternative generated candidates
- And I saw in my dream, and behold, seven ears were coming up on one stalk, full and good.
- Then I saw in my dream, and behold, seven ears were coming up on one stalk, full and good.
Gen.41.23 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- והנה: ADV
- שבע: NUM,card
- שבלים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- צנמות: ADJ,f,pl,abs
- דקות: ADJ,f,pl,abs
- שדפות: ADJ,f,pl,abs
- קדים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- צמחות: VERB,qal,ptcp,NA,f,pl
- אחריהם: PREP,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Genesis 41:2 (thematic): The same dream's opening image: seven full, healthy ears of grain — a direct contrast to the seven thin ears in 41:23.
- Genesis 41:25 (verbal): Joseph's interpretation repeats the phrase about ears 'blasted by the east wind,' echoing the language of the thin ears in 41:23.
- Genesis 41:29-30 (quotation): Joseph explains that the seven thin (blasted) ears signify seven years of famine, giving the explicit meaning of the image in 41:23.
- Genesis 37:7 (thematic): Joseph's earlier dream of seven sheaves (his brothers' sheaves bowing) uses the same 'seven/harvest-sheaf' motif, anticipating the agricultural imagery in Pharaoh's dream.
Alternative generated candidates
- And behold, seven ears, withered, thin, scorched by the east wind, were sprouting after them.
- And behold, seven ears, withered, thin, scorched by the east wind, were sprouting after them.
Gen.41.24 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ותבלען: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,pl
- השבלים: NOUN,f,pl,def
- הדקת: ADJ,f,pl,def
- את: PRT,acc
- שבע: NUM,card
- השבלים: NOUN,f,pl,def
- הטבות: ADJ,f,pl,def
- ואמר: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- החרטמים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- ואין: CONJ+PART,exist
- מגיד: VERB,hiph,ptc,ms
- לי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
Parallels
- Gen.41:4 (structural): Pharaoh's earlier dream of seven fat and seven lean cows uses the same 'seven good / seven thin' contrast and sets up the paired-decade imagery repeated in v.24.
- Gen.41:26 (verbal): Repeats the identical imagery of seven thin ears consuming seven full ears; verse 26 restates the dream language that v.24 reports.
- Gen.41:27 (thematic): Provides Joseph's interpretation that the paired sevens foretell seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine — the meaning implicit in the 'swallowed' vision of v.24.
- Gen.40:8 (thematic): Joseph's statement that interpretations belong to God frames the narrative logic behind v.24 (Pharaoh's wise men fail and a God-given interpreter, Joseph, will be needed).
- Dan.2:10-11 (structural): Court 'wise men, enchanters and magicians' fail to explain a king's troubling dream in Daniel just as Pharaoh's magicians and wise men cannot interpret the seven ears vision in v.24.
Alternative generated candidates
- And the thin ears swallowed the seven good ears. I told it to the magicians, but no one explains it to me.”
- And the thin ears swallowed the seven good ears; and I told it to the magicians, but there is no one who can make it known to me.
Gen.41.25 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- יוסף: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- פרעה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- חלום: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- פרעה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אחד: NUM,card,m,sg
- הוא: PRON,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- אשר: PRON,rel
- האלהים: NOUN,m,sg,def
- עשה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- הגיד: VERB,hifil,perf,3,m,sg
- לפרעה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Gen.40.8 (thematic): Both scenes present Joseph as interpreter who links the meaning of dreams to God's activity—Joseph treats dreams as revelations from God rather than mere tricks of the mind.
- Gen.41.16 (verbal): Immediately parallel wording and theology: Joseph tells Pharaoh he cannot interpret by himself and that God will give the answer—explicit attribution of the revelation to God.
- Gen.41.28 (verbal): Same narrative unit: Joseph again declares that the two dreams are one and the same and that God has revealed to Pharaoh what is coming, reiterating the phrase and function of divine disclosure.
- Dan.2.28 (thematic): Daniel likewise attributes the revelation of a king's dream and its meaning to God (‘there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries’), paralleling the theme of divine disclosure of future events through dreams.
- Job 33.14–16 (thematic): Job/Elihu describes God communicating to humans in dreams and visions to reveal truth or warn them—parallels the idea that God shows important matters through dreams as in Joseph's statement to Pharaoh.
Alternative generated candidates
- Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh’s dream is one; what God is about to do he has told Pharaoh.
- Then Joseph said to Pharaoh: Pharaoh’s dream is one; what God is about to do He has declared to Pharaoh.
Gen.41.26 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- שבע: NUM,card
- פרת: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- הטבת: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- שבע: NUM,card
- שנים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- הנה: PART
- ושבע: NUM,m,sg,abs
- השבלים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- הטבת: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- שבע: NUM,card
- שנים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- הנה: PART
- חלום: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אחד: NUM,card,m,sg
- הוא: PRON,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Gen.41.25 (verbal): Immediate parallel in the same narrative: Joseph tells Pharaoh that the two dreams are one and the same, echoing the claim in 41:26 that both visions have one meaning.
- Gen.41.32 (structural): Later verse in the chapter reiterating the point that the repeated dreams confirm the divine message—'for it is one and the same dream'—thus structurally reinforces the interpretation principle stated in 41:26.
- Gen.40.8 (thematic): Earlier episode where Joseph interprets the cupbearer’s and baker’s dreams, demonstrating the narrative pattern that God reveals meanings of dreams to Joseph and that he communicates divine messages through dream interpretation.
- Dan.2:28-30 (thematic): Daniel explains Nebuchadnezzar’s dream as revelation from God and stresses that God reveals deep things to his servants; thematically parallels Joseph’s claim that the meaning of Pharaoh’s dreams is a divine disclosure (not Joseph’s own wisdom).
- Job 33:15-18 (thematic): Elihu’s statement that God speaks to people in dreams and visions to warn or instruct them parallels the theological premise behind Genesis 41:26—that dreams can be authoritative divine communications whose repeated occurrence confirms their certainty.
Alternative generated candidates
- The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years; it is one dream.
- The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years; it is one dream.
Gen.41.27 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ושבע: NUM,m,sg,abs
- הפרות: NOUN,f,pl,def
- הרקות: ADJ,f,pl,def
- והרעת: CONJ+ADJ,f,pl,def
- העלת: ADJ,f,pl,def
- אחריהן: PREP+PRON,3,f,pl
- שבע: NUM,card
- שנים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- הנה: PART
- ושבע: NUM,m,sg,abs
- השבלים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- הרקות: ADJ,f,pl,def
- שדפות: ADJ,f,pl,abs
- הקדים: VERB,hiph,perf,3,pl
- יהיו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- שבע: NUM,card
- שני: NUM,m,pl,construct
- רעב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Genesis 41:25–32 (verbal): Immediate context: Joseph interprets Pharaoh’s two dreams, explicitly identifying the seven fat/lean cows and seven good/blasted ears as seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine—same imagery and meaning.
- Genesis 41:35–36 (structural): Joseph’s administrative response to the dream: he advises storing grain during the seven plentiful years to prepare for the seven years of famine described in v.27.
- Genesis 41:54–57 (thematic): Narrative fulfillment: the seven years of famine arrive and affect the surrounding lands, prompting foreign nations to come to Egypt for grain—direct outcome of the dream in v.27.
- Genesis 47:13–20 (thematic): Accounts the economic and social consequences during the years of famine in Egypt—people buying grain, selling livestock and land—showing how the predicted seven years shaped national policy and society.
- Deuteronomy 28:23–24 (thematic): Covenantal theme of famine as divine judgment/blessing reversed: Deut. links drought and famine to covenant curses, providing a broader theological context for the significance of the famine motif in Gen 41:27.
Alternative generated candidates
- And the seven thin and ugly cows that came up after them—they are seven years; and the seven thin ears, scorched by the east wind—they will be seven years of famine.
- And the seven gaunt and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven thin ears scorched by the east wind—they will be seven years of famine.
Gen.41.28 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- הוא: PRON,3,m,sg
- הדבר: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- דברתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,c,sg
- אל: NEG
- פרעה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- האלהים: NOUN,m,sg,def
- עשה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- הראה: VERB,hiph,perf,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- פרעה: NOUN,m,sg,def
Parallels
- Gen.41:16 (verbal): Joseph tells Pharaoh that the answer does not belong to him but to God—closely parallel in wording and claim that God is the revealer of the meaning given to Pharaoh.
- Gen.40:8 (verbal): Earlier statement by Joseph that interpretations belong to God; establishes the same theological premise that God, not the interpreter, reveals dream meanings.
- Dan.2:28-30 (thematic): Daniel declares that God reveals deep and hidden things to kings and gives interpretations through a servant—parallel theme of God disclosing dreams/meanings to rulers via an interpreter.
- Job 33:14-16 (thematic): Job (Elihu) describes God communicating with humans by dreams and visions to reveal and warn—connects to the motif of divine revelation through dreams that underlies Joseph’s statement.
- Ps.105:20-22 (structural): Psalmic retelling of Joseph’s experience: God sent a man before Pharaoh and gave him favor and wisdom to interpret—reflects the outcome and divine agency emphasized in Genesis 41:28.
Alternative generated candidates
- This is the thing that I spoke to Pharaoh: what God is about to do he has shown Pharaoh.
- This is the thing that I have spoken to Pharaoh: what God is about to do He has shown to Pharaoh.
Gen.41.29 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- הנה: PART
- שבע: NUM,card
- שנים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- באות: PART,qal,part,f,pl
- שבע: NUM,card
- גדול: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- בכל: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ארץ: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- מצרים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
Parallels
- Gen.41:30 (verbal): Directly paired with v.29 as the complementary prediction: seven years of famine following the seven years of abundance; repeats the 'seven years' motif.
- Gen.41:25 (quotation): Joseph's explanation of Pharaoh's dream introduces the same imagery (fat and lean cattle/ears) and first articulates the coming seven years of plenty.
- Gen.41:32 (allusion): Attributes the revelation of the seven years to God and affirms the certainty of the prophecy, echoing the significance of the prediction in v.29.
- Gen.41:48-49 (thematic): Describes Joseph's collection and storage of grain during the abundant years — the practical response to the seven years of plenty predicted in v.29.
- Gen.47:13-19 (thematic): Reports the ensuing severe famine in Egypt and Canaan and the resulting reliance on stored grain, showing the outcome for which the seven plentiful years had prepared.
Alternative generated candidates
- Behold, seven years are coming—great abundance in all the land of Egypt.
- Behold, seven years are coming of great abundance in all the land of Egypt.
Gen.41.30 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וקמו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- שבע: NUM,card
- שני: NUM,m,pl,construct
- רעב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אחריהן: PREP+PRON,3,f,pl
- ונשכח: VERB,niphal,perf,3,m,sg
- כל: DET
- השבע: NOUN,m,sg,def
- בארץ: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,def
- מצרים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- וכלה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- הרעב: NOUN,m,sg,def
- את: PRT,acc
- הארץ: NOUN,f,sg,def
Parallels
- Gen.41.27 (verbal): Immediate parallel in the same narrative: Pharaoh’s dream is interpreted as seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine — the same prediction expressed here.
- Gen.37.7 (allusion): Joseph’s earlier dream of seven sheaves prefigures the motif of seven years (the 'seven' imagery linking his youthful dream to the later interpretation of famine and plenty).
- Gen.41.54 (structural): Narrative fulfillment passage: the seven years of famine begin and people from all lands come to Egypt to buy grain, showing the predicted famine’s onset and effects.
- Gen.45.6 (verbal): Joseph’s later remark to his brothers counts the famine years (two passed, five remaining), explicitly referencing the seven-year sequence foretold in Pharaoh’s dream.
Alternative generated candidates
- But seven years of famine will arise after them, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine will consume the land.
- Then seven years of famine will arise after them, and all the abundance in the land of Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will consume the land.
Gen.41.31 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ולא: CONJ
- יודע: VERB,qal,ptc,ms,sg
- השבע: NUM,m,pl,def
- בארץ: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,def
- מפני: PREP
- הרעב: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ההוא: DEM,ms,sg
- אחרי: PREP
- כן: ADV
- כי: CONJ
- כבד: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- הוא: PRON,3,m,sg
- מאד: ADV
Parallels
- Genesis 41:29 (structural): Immediate parallel in the dream interpretation introducing the seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine—the narrative structure that leads to v.31's claim that the plenty will not be remembered.
- Genesis 41:30 (verbal): Closely mirrors the language and idea: it explicitly states that seven years of famine will follow and that all the plenty will be forgotten in the land, echoing v.31's emphasis on the severity of the famine.
- Genesis 41:36 (thematic): Joseph's proposal to store up grain during the seven years of plenty is a direct practical response to the severe famine described in v.31, linking prediction to policy.
- Psalm 105:16-22 (allusion): The psalm retells the Joseph story and God's providence, recounting the famine and Joseph's rise to preserve grain—thematically echoing the severity of the famine and its consequences described in Gen 41:31.
Alternative generated candidates
- And the abundance will not be known in the land because of that famine afterward, for it will be very severe.
- And the abundance will not be known in the land because of that famine afterward, for it will be very severe.
Gen.41.32 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ועל: CONJ+PREP
- השנות: NOUN,f,pl,def
- החלום: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אל: NEG
- פרעה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- פעמים: NOUN,m,du,abs
- כי: CONJ
- נכון: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- הדבר: NOUN,m,sg,def
- מעם: PREP
- האלהים: NOUN,m,sg,def
- וממהר: CONJ+VERB,qal,ptc,3,m,sg
- האלהים: NOUN,m,sg,def
- לעשתו: PREP+VERB,qal,inf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Gen.41:25-26 (verbal): Immediate context: Joseph interprets Pharaoh’s two dreams and explains that the doubling means the matter is fixed by God—same explanation given in 41:32.
- Gen.40:8 (thematic): When Joseph tells the cupbearer that interpretations belong to God, it links the source and authority of dream-meanings to God as stated in 41:32.
- Num.12:6 (verbal): God says he reveals himself in visions and speaks in dreams—explicit biblical claim that dreams are a means of divine communication, paralleling 41:32’s assertion that the matter is from God.
- Dan.2:28-29 (thematic): Daniel declares that God reveals mysteries and future events to rulers through dreams and interpreters, echoing Genesis’ theme that God determines and discloses what will happen.
- Job 33:14-18 (thematic): Elihu explains that God speaks in dreams and visions to warn or instruct people, reinforcing the idea of dreams as divinely purposed and confirmatory as in 41:32.
Alternative generated candidates
- And as for the doubling of the dream to Pharaoh twice, it is because the matter is fixed by God, and God is hastening to do it.
- And as for the doubling of the dream to Pharaoh twice, it is because the matter is fixed from God, and God is hastening to do it.
Gen.41.33 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ועתה: CONJ
- ירא: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- פרעה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- איש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- נבון: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- וחכם: CONJ+ADJ,m,sg,abs
- וישיתהו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- על: PREP
- ארץ: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- מצרים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
Parallels
- Exodus 18:21 (verbal): Jethro advises Moses to select 'able' (capable/discerning) men to serve as leaders and judges — closely parallels the instruction to appoint a wise, discerning man over the land.
- Deuteronomy 1:13 (verbal): Moses tells Israel to choose 'wise, understanding, and known' men as heads of the tribes — similar language and concept of appointing prudent, reputable officials.
- Daniel 2:48 (structural): Nebuchadnezzar promotes Daniel and makes him ruler over the province of Babylon because of his wisdom and insight — parallels the elevation of a wise man to govern a nation.
- Proverbs 8:15-16 (thematic): Personified Wisdom declares that kings and princes rule by her — thematically connects wisdom with legitimate and effective political leadership as in Joseph's recommendation.
Alternative generated candidates
- Now let Pharaoh look out a discerning and wise man and set him over the land of Egypt.
- Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a discerning and wise man and set him over the land of Egypt.
Gen.41.34 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- יעשה: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- פרעה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ויפקד: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- פקדים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- על: PREP
- הארץ: NOUN,f,sg,def
- וחמש: CONJ+NUM,card,pl,abs
- את: PRT,acc
- ארץ: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- מצרים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- בשבע: PREP
- שני: NUM,m,pl,construct
- השבע: NUM,card,f,pl,def
Parallels
- Genesis 41:47-49 (structural): Immediate implementation of Joseph’s plan: he gathers and stores grain during the seven plentiful years, carrying out the collection mechanism Pharaoh is advised to establish.
- Genesis 41:55-57 (structural): Fulfillment of the strategy when the famine comes—Joseph opens the storehouses and sells grain to Egypt and surrounding lands, showing the purpose of the appointed provisioning system.
- Genesis 47:20-26 (thematic): Later narrative consequences of the state grain policy: Egyptians sell land and property to Pharaoh and become dependent, illustrating the socio-economic effects of the centralized collection and distribution Joseph set up.
- Exodus 18:21-22 (thematic): Jethro’s advice to Moses to appoint capable officials as judges parallels the administrative principle of delegating authority and establishing overseers to manage the people and resources.
- 1 Kings 4:7-19 (thematic): Solomon’s appointment of officers who provided for the king and organized provisions for the year echoes the royal administrative system of appointed officials and centralized provisioning exemplified in Joseph’s plan.
Alternative generated candidates
- Let Pharaoh act and appoint overseers over the land, and exact a fifth from the land of Egypt during the seven years of abundance.
- Let Pharaoh act and appoint overseers over the land and take a fifth of the land of Egypt in the seven years of abundance.
Gen.41.35 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויקבצו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- את: PRT,acc
- כל: DET
- אכל: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- השנים: NOUN,f,pl,def
- הטבת: NOUN,f,pl,def
- הבאת: VERB,hifil,perf,2,m,sg
- האלה: DEM,pl
- ויצברו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- בר: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- תחת: PREP
- יד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- פרעה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אכל: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- בערים: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,abs
- ושמרו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Gen.41:48–49 (verbal): Same episode repeated/expanded: Joseph gathers all the produce of the seven plentiful years and stores grain in the cities — a direct continuation and near-verbatim parallel to v.35.
- Gen.41:53–57 (structural): Narrative outcome of the storage plan: the seven years of plenty end, the famine begins, and people come to Egypt to buy grain — shows purpose and effect of the stored provisions.
- Gen.47:13–20 (thematic): During the famine Joseph distributes/sells the stored grain throughout Egypt; the passage describes how the stored supplies were used and the social/economic consequences (money, livestock, land) of centralized storage.
- Prov.6:6–8 (thematic): Proverbial parallel about prudent preparation: the ant gathers food in summer and stores provision for the time of scarcity — a wisdom motif endorsing saving in times of plenty for future need.
- Matt.25:1–13 (thematic): Parable of the ten virgins emphasizes wise preparedness for future shortage (bringing extra oil) — a New Testament parallel that echoes the ethical/strategic value of preparing in advance for coming need.
Alternative generated candidates
- And let them gather all the food of these coming good years, and store up grain under Pharaoh’s hand as food in the cities, and let them keep it.
- And let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming and heap up grain under the hand of Pharaoh, food in the cities, and let them keep it.
Gen.41.36 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- והיה: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- האכל: NOUN,m,sg,def
- לפקדון: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לארץ: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- לשבע: PREP+NUM,card,pl
- שני: NUM,m,pl,construct
- הרעב: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- תהיין: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,pl
- בארץ: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,def
- מצרים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- ולא: CONJ
- תכרת: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
- הארץ: NOUN,f,sg,def
- ברעב: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Gen.45:6-8 (structural): Joseph later explains the purpose of his rise to power: God sent him ahead to preserve life by storing grain for the famine — a direct narrative explanation of 41:36's plan to keep the land from perishing.
- Gen.47:13-26 (verbal): Description of the actual collection, storage, and administration of grain during the years of plenty and famine in Egypt (sale of grain, accumulation in cities, transfer of land to Pharaoh), showing the implementation and consequences of the policy in 41:36.
- Prov.6:6-8 (thematic): Instruction to learn from the ant, which gathers and stores provisions in summer to provide during harvest scarcity — a wisdom parallel about prudent preparation for famine like Joseph’s grain reserves.
- 1 Kgs.17:8-16 (thematic): Elijah's provision for the widow in Zarephath — God’s miraculous supply and the use of limited stores during famine echo the theme of divine provision and sustenance through stored food in times of famine.
Alternative generated candidates
- And the food shall be a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine that will be in the land of Egypt, so that the land may not be cut off by the famine.”
- And the food shall be for a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which will be in the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish in the famine.
Gen.41.37 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וייטב: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- הדבר: NOUN,m,sg,def
- בעיני: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,abs
- פרעה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ובעיני: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,f,pl,cstr
- כל: DET
- עבדיו: NOUN,m,pl,abs+3ms
Parallels
- Genesis 6:8 (verbal): Uses the same Hebrew idiom 'found grace in the eyes (מצא חן בעיני)' — language of approval/favor, here applied to Noah before God, paralleling the formula of being pleasing in someone's sight.
- Genesis 39:4 (verbal): Joseph 'found favor in his sight' (Potiphar) — the same verbal formula for gaining a superior's approval and resulting advancement, foreshadowing Joseph's welcome by Pharaoh and his servants.
- Ruth 2:10 (verbal): Ruth 'found favor in his eyes' (Boaz) — another instance of the 'found favor/in the eyes' idiom describing personal approval that brings protection and provision, thematically akin to Pharaoh’s approval.
- 1 Samuel 2:26 (thematic): Samuel 'was in favour both with the LORD, and also with men' — thematically parallels the idea that divine blessing and human approval accompany a person's rise and acceptance by leaders and community.
- Esther 2:15 (thematic): Esther 'obtained favour in the sight of all who saw her' — a courtly example of winning the approval of officials and rulers, paralleling Pharaoh and his servants’ positive reception of Joseph.
Alternative generated candidates
- And the matter was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants.
- And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants.
Gen.41.38 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- פרעה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אל: NEG
- עבדיו: NOUN,m,pl,abs+3ms
- הנמצא: PART,nif,ptc,ms,sg,def
- כזה: PRON,dem,m,sg,abs
- איש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- רוח: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- אלהים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- בו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Exodus 31:3 (verbal): God says he 'has filled him with the Spirit of God' (Bezalel) — same language of divine Spirit indwelling and enabling a person's skill/wisdom.
- Judges 3:10 (verbal): 'The Spirit of the LORD came upon Othniel' — formula of divine empowerment similar to Pharaoh's recognition that the Spirit of God is in Joseph.
- Judges 6:34 (thematic): 'The Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon' — another instance where God's spirit marks and equips a leader/deliverer, paralleling Joseph's God-given ability.
- 1 Samuel 16:13 (verbal): After Samuel's anointing 'the Spirit of the LORD came upon David' — same motif of God placing his spirit on a chosen individual, legitimating authority and gifting.
- Acts 7:9-10 (allusion): Stephen recounts that God was with Joseph and gave him wisdom and favor; a New Testament retelling that parallels Pharaoh's view of Joseph as endowed by God.
Alternative generated candidates
- And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the spirit of God?”
- And Pharaoh said to his servants: Can we find a man like this, in whom is the spirit of God?
Gen.41.39 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- פרעה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אל: NEG
- יוסף: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אחרי: PREP
- הודיע: VERB,hiphil,perf,3,m,sg
- אלהים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- אותך: PRON,2,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- כל: DET
- זאת: DEM,f,sg
- אין: PART,neg
- נבון: ADJ,m,sg
- וחכם: ADJ,m,sg
- כמוך: PREP+PRON,2,m,sg
Parallels
- Genesis 41:38 (verbal): Immediate parallel in the same scene: Pharaoh’s courtiers likewise recognize that God is in Joseph and ask if a man like him can be found, echoing Pharaoh’s praise of Joseph’s God‑given wisdom.
- Daniel 2:47 (allusion): After Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar’s dream the king credits Daniel’s God with revealing the mystery and praises Daniel’s insight—paralleling Pharaoh’s attribution of Joseph’s understanding to God.
- Psalm 105:17–21 (structural): The psalm retells Joseph’s rise: God’s revelation leads to Joseph’s release and elevation to rulership—paralleling Pharaoh’s acknowledgement that God revealed things to Joseph and his subsequent promotion.
- 1 Kings 4:29–34 (thematic): God grants Solomon unparalleled wisdom and fame; the narrative theme of divine bestowal of wisdom and resulting honor parallels Pharaoh’s declaration that God made Joseph uniquely discerning and wise.
Alternative generated candidates
- And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is none as discerning and wise as you.
- Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: Since God has made all this known to you, there is none as discerning and wise as you.
Gen.41.40 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אתה: PRON,2,m,sg
- תהיה: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,f,sg
- על: PREP
- ביתי: NOUN,m,sg,abs+1cs
- ועל: CONJ+PREP
- פיך: NOUN,m,sg,abs+2ms
- ישק: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- כל: DET
- עמי: NOUN,m,sg,abs+1s
- רק: PRT
- הכסא: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אגדל: VERB,qal,impf,1,_,sg
- ממך: PREP+PRON,2,m,sg
Parallels
- Gen.37:9-10 (thematic): Joseph's earlier dreams predict that his brothers (and family) will bow down to him, prefiguring Pharaoh's declaration that all his people will do homage to Joseph.
- Gen.39:4 (verbal): When Joseph served in Potiphar's house he was made 'over his master's house' (עַל־בֵּיתָ֑ו), echoing the language of being placed over Pharaoh's household.
- Gen.41:41 (structural): Immediate continuation of the commission in 41:40—Pharaoh formally invests Joseph with authority, elaborating the scope of his power as second to the king.
- Dan.2:48 (thematic): Daniel is elevated by Nebuchadnezzar to rule over the province and its wise men in a foreign royal court, a parallel case of a Hebrew rising to high office in an imperial administration.
- Esth.8:2 (verbal): The king gives Mordecai authority and Esther 'set[s] Mordecai over the house of Haman,' using similar language of appointment 'over the house' as in Pharaoh's appointment of Joseph.
Alternative generated candidates
- You shall be over my house, and by your mouth all my people shall be governed; only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.”
- You shall be over my house, and by your mouth all my people shall be governed; only with regard to the throne will I be greater than you.
And it happened at the end of two full years that Pharaoh dreamed, and behold, he was standing by the Nile. And behold, from the Nile there came up seven cows, beautiful in appearance and fat of flesh, and they grazed in the marsh-grass. And behold, seven other cows came up after them from the Nile, ugly in appearance and thin of flesh, and they stood beside the cows on the bank of the Nile. And the cows of ugly appearance and thin of flesh ate the seven cows, beautiful in appearance and fat; and Pharaoh awoke.
He slept and dreamed a second time; and behold, seven ears were coming up on one stalk, healthy and good. And behold, seven ears, thin and scorched by the east wind, were sprouting after them. And the thin ears swallowed the seven healthy and full ears; and Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. And it happened in the morning that his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men; and Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them for Pharaoh.
Then the chief of the cupbearers spoke to Pharaoh, saying, I remember my offenses today.
Pharaoh was angry with his servants and put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard—me and the chief of the bakers.
We dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his dream. Now there with us was a young Hebrew—a servant of the captain of the guard—and we told him, and he interpreted our dreams for us; each according to his dream he interpreted. And it happened, just as he interpreted to us, so it was: me he restored to my post, and him he hanged.
Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they hurried him up out of the pit; and he shaved and changed his garments, and came in to Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is no one to interpret it; and I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.
Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, Not I; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.
Then Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, In my dream, behold, I was standing on the bank of the Nile. And behold, from the Nile there came up seven cows, fat of flesh and beautiful of form, and they grazed in the marsh-grass. And behold, seven other cows came up after them, poor and exceedingly ugly of form and thin of flesh—I had not seen the like of them in all the land of Egypt for ugliness. And the thin and ugly cows ate the first seven fat cows.
They went into their bellies, yet it was not known that they had gone into their bellies; their appearance was as ugly as at the beginning, and I awoke. And I saw in my dream, and behold, seven ears were coming up on one stalk, full and good. And behold, seven ears, withered, thin, scorched by the east wind, were sprouting after them. And the thin ears swallowed the seven good ears; and I told it to the magicians, but there is no one who can make it known to me. And Joseph said to Pharaoh, Pharaoh’s dreams are one; what God is about to do he has told to Pharaoh.
The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years—it is one dream. And the seven thin and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven thin ears scorched by the east wind—they shall be seven years of famine.
This is the thing I spoke to Pharaoh: what God is about to do he has shown to Pharaoh.
Behold, seven years are coming of great plenty in all the land of Egypt.
Then seven years of famine will arise after them, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine will consume the land. And the plenty will not be known in the land because of that famine afterward, for it will be very severe. And as for the doubling of the dream to Pharaoh twice, it is because the matter is established by God, and God is hurrying to do it. Now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt.
Let Pharaoh act, and appoint overseers over the land, and take a fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven years of plenty. And let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming, and pile up grain under the hand of Pharaoh, food in the cities, and keep it. And the food shall be a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine that will be in the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish in the famine. And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants. And Pharaoh said to his servants, Can we find a man like this, in whom is the spirit of God? And Pharaoh said to Joseph, Since God has made all this known to you, there is none discerning and wise like you.
You shall be over my house, and at your command all my people shall be directed; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.