1Po dvou dlouhých letech měl farao sen: Stál u Nilu 2a hle, z Nilu vystoupilo sedm nápadně krásných a tučných krav a pásly se v mokřině. 3Náhle za nimi z Nilu vystoupilo sedm jiných krav, nápadně ošklivých a hubených; postavily se k těm prvním kravám na břehu Nilu 4a tyto ošklivé a hubené krávy sežraly těch sedm krásných a tučných. Vtom se Farao probudil. 5Když znovu usnul, měl další sen: Na jednom stéble vyrostlo sedm bohatých a pěkných klasů. 6Náhle za nimi vyrazilo sedm klasů hubených a sežehlých východním větrem 7a ty hubené klasy pohltily těch sedm bohatých a pěkných. Vtom se farao probudil a hle, byl to sen. 8Ráno pak byl farao velmi rozrušen, a tak si dal zavolat všechny věštce a mudrce Egypta a vyprávěl jim své sny. Nikdo je však faraonovi neuměl vyložit. 9Tehdy k faraonovi promluvil vrchní číšník: „Musím dnes připomenout své prohřešky: 10Farao se kdysi rozhněval na své služebníky a dal mě do vězení v domě velitele stráže – mě a vrchního pekaře. 11Já i on jsme tam měli ve stejnou noc sen, každý jsme měli sen s vlastním významem. 12A byl tam s námi jeden hebrejský mladík, otrok velitele stráže. Vyprávěli jsme mu své sny a on nám je vyložil; každému dal výklad jeho snu. 13A jak nám vyložil, tak se stalo: mně byl vrácen můj úřad a pekař byl oběšen.“ 14Farao si tedy dal Josefa zavolat. Spěšně ho vytáhli z jámy, a když se oholil a převlékl si šaty, přišel k faraonovi. 15Ten Josefovi řekl: „Měl jsem sen a nikdo ho neumí vyložit. Slyšel jsem však o tobě, že jakmile uslyšíš sen, vyložíš ho.“ 16Josef faraonovi odpověděl: „Ne já, ale Bůh dá faraonovi příznivou odpověď!“ 17Farao tedy Josefovi řekl: „Měl jsem sen: Stál jsem na břehu Nilu 18a hle, z Nilu vystoupilo sedm tučných a nápadně krásných krav a pásly se v mokřině. 19Náhle za nimi vystoupilo sedm jiných krav, churavých, nápadně ošklivých a tak vyhublých, že jsem takovou ošklivost v celé egyptské zemi ještě neviděl. 20Ty vyhublé a ošklivé krávy pak sežraly těch sedm prvních, tučných krav. 21A ačkoli je sežraly, nebylo to na nich vůbec znát, neboť byly stejně ošklivé jako předtím. A vtom jsem se probudil. 22V dalším snu jsem viděl, jak na jednom stéble vyrostlo sedm klasů, bohatých a pěkných. 23Náhle za nimi vyrazilo sedm klasů planých, hubených a sežehlých východním větrem 24a ty hubené klasy pohltily těch sedm pěkných. Vyprávěl jsem to věštcům, ale nikdo mi to neuměl vysvětlit.“ 25Josef tedy faraonovi řekl: „Faraonův sen je jeden a tentýž. Bůh faraonovi oznámil, co se chystá učinit: 26Sedm pěkných krav je sedm let, sedm pěkných klasů je rovněž sedm let – je to jeden a tentýž sen. 27Sedm vyhublých a ošklivých krav vystupujících za nimi je sedm let, stejně jako těch sedm prázdných klasů sežehlých východním větrem. Je to sedm let hladu. 28Jak jsem už řekl, Bůh faraonovi ukázal, co se chystá učinit. 29Hle, na celou egyptskou zem přichází sedm let veliké hojnosti. 30Po nich však nastane sedm let hladu, kdy se v egyptské zemi na všechnu tu hojnost zapomene. Hlad stráví celou zem. 31Tento hlad bude tak krutý, že předcházející hojnost nebude v zemi vůbec znát. 32A že byl ten sen faraonovi dvakrát zopakován, znamená, že ta věc je u Boha jistá a Bůh ji brzy vykoná. 33Nechť tedy farao vybere rozvážného a moudrého muže a ustanoví ho nad egyptskou zemí. 34Nechť farao začne jednat. Ať ustaví nad zemí úředníky a během těch sedmi let hojnosti vybírá pětinu úrody egyptské země. 35Úředníci ať během těch nadcházejících dobrých let shromažďují všechny potraviny, ať uskladní obilí pod faraonovu pravomoc, uloží potraviny do měst a hlídají je. 36Tak vznikne pro celou zem zásoba jídla na těch sedm let hladu, který v Egyptě nastane, a země se nezhroutí hladem.“ 37Faraonovi i všem jeho služebníkům se ten návrh líbil. 38Farao to probíral se svými služebníky: „Cožpak najdeme někoho, v kom by byl Boží Duch jako v něm?“ 39Farao tedy oslovil Josefa: „Jelikož ti Bůh dal poznat toto vše, nikdo nebude tak rozvážný a moudrý jako ty! 40Ty budeš správcem mého domu a všechen můj lid se podrobí tvým rozkazům. Sám tě budu převyšovat jen trůnem.“ 41Potom farao Josefovi řekl: „Hle, ustanovuji tě správcem nad celou egyptskou zemí!“ 42Farao sňal z ruky svůj pečetní prsten a navlékl ho na ruku Josefovi; oblékl mu kmentové roucho a na krk mu pověsil zlatý řetěz. 43Potom ho nechal vozit ve voze jako svého zástupce a provolávat před ním: „Na kolena!“ Tak ho ustanovil správcem nad celou egyptskou zemí. 44Farao Josefovi řekl: „Já jsem farao, ale bez tvého svolení nikdo v celém Egyptě nepohne rukou ani nohou!“ 45Tehdy dal farao Josefovi jméno Cafnat-paneach a oženil ho s Asenat, dcerou Putifery, kněze z Heliopole. Tak se Josef dostal do čela egyptské země. 46Když stanul před faraonem, králem Egypta, bylo Josefovi třicet let. Josef pak vyšel od faraona a procházel celou egyptskou zem. 47V sedmi letech hojnosti země vydávala úrodu plnými hrstmi. 48Josef tedy po sedm let v egyptské zemi shromažďoval všechny potraviny a ukládal je ve městech. V každém městě ukládal potraviny z okolních polí. 49Tak Josef nashromáždil nesmírné množství obilí, jako je mořského písku. Nakonec ho přestal i počítat, neboť ho bylo bezpočtu. 50Ještě než přišla léta hladu, se Josefovi narodili dva synové. Porodila mu je Asenat, dcera Putifery, kněze z Heliopole. 51Josef dal prvorozenému jméno Manases, Zapomnění, neboť řekl: „Bůh mi dal zapomenout na všechno mé strádání, na celý můj otcovský dům.“ 52Druhému pak dal jméno Efraim, Plodnost, neboť řekl: „Bůh mě v zemi mého trápení učinil plodným.“ 53Když pak v Egyptě uplynulo sedm let hojnosti, 54přišlo na řadu sedm let hladu, jak Josef předpověděl. Ve všech zemích byl hlad, ale v celém Egyptě byl chléb. 55A když začala hladovět i celá egyptská zem a lid volal k faraonovi o chléb, farao řekl všem Egypťanům: „Jděte za Josefem! Udělejte, cokoli vám řekne.“ 56Hlad zachvátil celý svět. Josef tehdy otevřel všechny obilnice a prodával Egypťanům zrní, neboť hlad se rozmáhal i v egyptské zemi. 57Celý svět přicházel k Josefovi do Egypta nakupovat zrní, protože se po celém světě rozmohl hlad.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 PHARAOH'S DREAM. (Gen. 41:1-24)
at the end of two full years--It is not certain whether these years are reckoned from the beginning of Joseph's imprisonment, or from the events described in the preceding chapter--most likely the latter. What a long time for Joseph to experience the sickness of hope deferred! But the time of his enlargement came when he had sufficiently learned the lessons of God designed for him; and the plans of Providence were matured.
Pharaoh dreamed--"Pharaoh," from an Egyptian word Phre, signifying the "sun," was the official title of the kings of that country. The prince, who occupied the throne of Egypt, was Aphophis, one of the Memphite kings, whose capital was On or Heliopolis, and who is universally acknowledged to have been a patriot king. Between the arrival of Abraham and the appearance of Joseph in that country, somewhat more than two centuries had elapsed. Kings sleep and dream, as well as their subjects. And this Pharaoh had two dreams in one night so singular and so similar, so distinct and so apparently significant, so coherent and vividly impressed on his memory, that his spirit was troubled.
8 he called for all the magicians of Egypt--It is not possible to define the exact distinction between "magicians" and "wise men"; but they formed different branches of a numerous body, who laid claim to supernatural skill in occult arts and sciences, in revealing mysteries, explaining portents, and, above all, interpreting dreams. Long practice had rendered them expert in devising a plausible way of getting out of every difficulty and framing an answer suitable to the occasion. But the dreams of Pharaoh baffled their united skill. Unlike their Assyrian brethren (
Dan 2:4), they did not pretend to know the meaning of the symbols contained in them, and the providence of God had determined that they should all be nonplussed in the exercise of their boasted powers, in order that the inspired wisdom of Joseph might appear the more remarkable.
9 then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults--This public acknowledgment of the merits of the young Hebrew would, tardy though it was, have reflected credit on the butler had it not been obviously made to ingratiate himself with his royal master. It is right to confess our faults against God, and against our fellow men when that confession is made in the spirit of godly sorrow and penitence. But this man was not much impressed with a sense of the fault he had committed against Joseph; he never thought of God, to whose goodness he was indebted for the prophetic announcement of his release, and in acknowledging his former fault against the king, he was practising the courtly art of pleasing his master.
14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph--Now that God's set time had come (
Ps 105:19), no human power nor policy could detain Joseph in prison. During his protracted confinement, he might have often been distressed with perplexing doubts; but the mystery of Providence was about to be cleared up, and all his sorrows forgotten in the course of honor and public usefulness in which his services were to be employed.
shaved himself--The Egyptians were the only Oriental nation that liked a smooth chin. All slaves and foreigners who were reduced to that condition, were obliged, on their arrival in that country, to conform to the cleanly habits of the natives, by shaving their beards and heads, the latter of which were covered with a close cap. Thus prepared, Joseph was conducted to the palace, where the king seemed to have been anxiously waiting his arrival.
15 Pharaoh said, . . . I have dreamed a dream--The king's brief statement of the service required brought out the genuine piety of Joseph; disclaiming all merit, he ascribed whatever gifts or sagacity he possessed to the divine source of all wisdom, and he declared his own inability to penetrate futurity; but, at the same time, he expressed his confident persuasion that God would reveal what was necessary to be known.
17 Pharaoh said, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river--The dreams were purely Egyptian, founded on the productions of that country and the experience of a native. The fertility of Egypt being wholly dependent on the Nile, the scene is laid on the banks of that river; and oxen being in the ancient hieroglyphics symbolical of the earth and of food, animals of that species were introduced in the first dream.
18 there came up out of the river seven kine--Cows now, of the buffalo kind, are seen daily plunging into the Nile; when their huge form is gradually emerging, they seem as if rising "out of the river."
and they fed in a meadow--Nile grass, the aquatic plants that grow on the marshy banks of that river, particularly the lotus kind, on which cattle were usually fattened.
19 behold, seven other kine . . . poor and ill-favoured--The cow being the emblem of fruitfulness, the different years of plenty and of famine were aptly represented by the different condition of those kine--the plenty, by the cattle feeding on the richest fodder; and the dearth, by the lean and famishing kine, which the pangs of hunger drove to act contrary to their nature.
22 I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears--that is, of Egyptian wheat, which, when "full and good," is remarkable in size (a single seed sprouting into seven, ten, or fourteen stalks) and each stalk bearing an ear.
23 blasted with the east wind--destructive everywhere to grain, but particularly so in Egypt; where, sweeping over the sandy deserts of Arabia, it comes in the character of a hot, blighting wind, that quickly withers all vegetation (compare
Ezek 19:12;
Hos 13:15).
24 the thin ears devoured the seven good ears--devoured is a different word from that used in
Gen 41:4 and conveys the idea of destroying, by absorbing to themselves all the nutritious virtue of the soil around them.
25 JOSEPH INTERPRETS PHARAOH'S DREAMS. (
Gen 41:25-
Gen 41:36)
Joseph said, . . . The dream . . . is one--They both pointed to the same event--a remarkable dispensation of seven years of unexampled abundance, to be followed by a similar period of unparalleled dearth. The repetition of the dream in two different forms was designed to show the absolute certainty and speedy arrival of this public crisis; the interpretation was accompanied by several suggestions of practical wisdom for meeting so great an emergency as was impending.
33 Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man--The explanation given, when the key to the dreams was supplied, appears to have been satisfactory to the king and his courtiers; and we may suppose that much and anxious conversation arose, in the course of which Joseph might have been asked whether he had anything further to say. No doubt the providence of God provided the opportunity of his suggesting what was necessary.
34 and let him appoint officers over the land--overseers, equivalent to the beys of modern Egypt.
take up the fifth part of the land--that is, of the land's produce, to be purchased and stored by the government, instead of being sold to foreign corn merchants.
38 JOSEPH MADE RULER OF EGYPT. (Gen. 41:37-57)
Pharaoh said unto his servants--The kings of ancient Egypt were assisted in the management of state affairs by the advice of the most distinguished members of the priestly order; and, accordingly, before admitting Joseph to the new and extraordinary office that was to be created, those ministers were consulted as to the expediency and propriety of the appointment.
a man in whom the Spirit of God is--An acknowledgment of the being and power of the true God, though faint and feeble, continued to linger amongst the higher classes long after idolatry had come to prevail.
40 Thou shalt be over my house--This sudden change in the condition of a man who had just been taken out of prison could take place nowhere, except in Egypt. In ancient as well as modern times, slaves have often risen to be its rulers. But the special providence of God had determined to make Joseph governor of Egypt; and the way was paved for it by the deep and universal conviction produced in the minds both of the king and his councillors, that a divine spirit animated his mind and had given him such extraordinary knowledge.
according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled--literally, "kiss." This refers to the edict granting official power to Joseph, to be issued in the form of a firman, as in all Oriental countries; and all who should receive that order would kiss it, according to the usual Eastern mode of acknowledging obedience and respect for the sovereign [WILKINSON].
41 Pharaoh said, . . . See, I have set thee over all the land--These words were preliminary to investiture with the insignia of office, which were these: the signet-ring, used for signing public documents, and its impression was more valid than the sign-manual of the king; the khelaat or dress of honor, a coat of finely wrought linen, or rather cotton, worn only by the highest personages; the gold necklace, a badge of rank, the plain or ornamental form of it indicating the degree of rank and dignity; the privilege of riding in a state carriage, the second chariot; and lastly--
43 they cried before him, Bow the knee--abrech, an Egyptian term, not referring to prostration, but signifying, according to some, "father" (compare
Gen 45:8); according to others, "native prince"--that is, proclaimed him naturalized, in order to remove all popular dislike to him as a foreigner.
44 These ceremonies of investiture were closed in usual form by the king in council solemnly ratifying the appointment.
I am Pharaoh, and without thee, &c.--a proverbial mode of expression for great power.
45 Zaphnath-paaneah--variously interpreted, "revealer of secrets"; "saviour of the land"; and from the hieroglyphics, "a wise man fleeing from pollution"--that is, adultery.
gave him to wife Asenath, the daughter of--His naturalization was completed by this alliance with a family of high distinction. On being founded by an Arab colony, Poti-pherah, like Jethro, priest of Midian, might be a worshipper of the true God; and thus Joseph, a pious man, will be freed from the charge of marrying an idolatress for worldly ends.
On--called Aven (
Ezek 30:17) and also Beth-shemesh (
Jer 43:13). In looking at this profusion of honors heaped suddenly upon Joseph, it cannot be doubted that he would humbly yet thankfully acknowledge the hand of a special Providence in conducting him through all his checkered course to almost royal power; and we, who know more than Joseph did, cannot only see that his advancement was subservient to the most important purposes relative to the Church of God, but learn the great lesson that a Providence directs the minutest events of human life.
46 Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh--seventeen when brought into Egypt, probably three in prison, and thirteen in the service of Potiphar.
went out . . . all the land--made an immediate survey to determine the site and size of the storehouses required for the different quarters of the country.
47 the earth brought forth by handfuls--a singular expression, alluding not only to the luxuriance of the crop, but the practice of the reapers grasping the ears, which alone were cut.
48 he gathered up all the food of the seven years--It gives a striking idea of the exuberant fertility of this land, that, from the superabundance of the seven plenteous years, corn enough was laid up for the subsistence, not only of its home population, but of the neighboring countries, during the seven years of dearth.
50 unto Joseph were born two sons--These domestic events, which increased his temporal happiness, develop the piety of his character in the names conferred upon his children.
53 The seven years of plenteousness . . . ended--Over and above the proportion purchased for the government during the years of plenty, the people could still have husbanded much for future use. But improvident as men commonly are in the time of prosperity, they found themselves in want, and would have starved by thousands had not Joseph anticipated and provided for the protracted calamity.
57 The famine was sore in all lands--that is, the lands contiguous to Egypt--Canaan, Syria, and Arabia.
