59 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
INTRODUCTION TO Genesis 41 In this chapter are related Pharaoh's dreams, which his magicians could not interpret, Genesis 41:1, upon which the chief butler now remembering Joseph, recommended him to Pharaoh as an interpreter, having had an happy experience of him as such himself, Genesis 41:10, when Joseph was sent for out of prison; and Pharaoh...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And it came to pass at the end of two full years,.... It is not a clear case, as Aben Ezra observes, from whence these years are to be reckoned, whether from the time of Joseph's being put into prison, or from the time that the chief butler was taken out of it; the latter seems more probable, and better connects this and the preceding chapter:...
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary - Matthew Henry
Two things Providence is here bringing about:—I. The advancement of Joseph. II. The maintenance of Jacob and his family in a time of famine; for the eyes of the Lord run to and fro through the earth, and direct the affairs of the children of men for the benefit of those few whose hearts are upright with him. In order to these, we have here, 1....
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favoured kine, and fatfleshed,.... Seven cows or heifers, sleek, fat, and plump, goodly to look at; these seemed in the dream, as if they came out of the river, because they were fed with the fruits of the earth, which the overflowing of the river Nile, and its canals, produced: and they fed...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill favoured, and leanfleshed,.... Thin and haggard, their bones stuck out, having scarce any flesh upon them, and made a wretched figure: and stood by the [other] kine; and looked so much the worse, when compared with them: upon the brink of the river; it not being overflowed, so...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine,.... So it seemed in the dream as if this was done, was very strange and surprising that animals should devour one another; and especially that tame ones, cows or heifers, should eat those of their own species, which was never known to be done: so Pharaoh...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And he slept, and dreamed the second time,.... He fell asleep again quickly, and dreamed another dream the same night, and to the same purpose, being much of the like kind with the former: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good; which were very uncommon even in those fruitful countries; though Dr. Shaw (e) observes...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And, behold, seven thin ears, and blasted with the east wind,.... Which is very fatal to corn, to dry, burn, smite, or blast it; and especially to the corn in Egypt, whither it blew from the desert of Arabia: these sprung up after them; after the seven full ears, in the same place the other did, or near unto them.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears,.... So it appeared to Pharaoh in his dream, which must be very amazing to behold, and unaccountable how it should be: and Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, [it was] a dream; not a real fact, but a dream; yet not a common dream, but had some important signification in it; it not vanishing...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And it came to pass in the morning, that his spirit was troubled,.... With the thoughts of his dreams; they were uppermost in his mind; he was continually thinking of them; it was as if he had always the same images before him now awake, as well as when asleep, and therefore could not be easy without getting knowledge of the meaning of them: and...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh,.... When the magicians and wise men could not interpret his dreams, he was in distress of mind on that account: saying, I do remember my faults this day; which some interpret of his forgetfulness of Joseph and his afflictions, and of his ingratitude to him, and breach of promise in not making mention of...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Pharaoh was wroth with his servants,.... Not with all of them, but with the butler and the baker. Aben Ezra observes here, that Pharaoh was not the proper name of this king, but a title of office, and signifies the king; for it cannot be thought that the butler would use such freedom in his presence as to call him by his name: the true name of...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he,.... In one and the same night: we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream; they both dreamed exactly what should befall them, as it was interpreted to them; the dreams, the interpretation of them, and the events, answered to each other.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And [there was] there with us a young man,.... Who was in the prison with them, had the care of them, and waited upon them; he was then about twenty eight years of age; for it was two years ago he speaks of, and Joseph was thirty when he stood before Pharaoh, Genesis 41:46: an Hebrew servant to the captain of the guard; he first describes him by...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was,.... The event answered to the interpretation, and showed it to be right; this is frequently hinted and repeated, to show the exactness and certainty of the interpretation given, in order to recommend Joseph to Pharaoh the more: me he restored unto my office, and him he hanged: that is,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph,.... Sent messengers to him to come to him directly, ordered the captain of the guard, or keeper of prison, to loose him, and let him free, see Psalms 105:20; and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon; that is, out of the prison house; which, as Jarchi says, was made like a ditch or dungeon, or in which...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Pharaoh said unto Joseph,...., Immediately, upon his being introduced to him: I have dreamed a dream, and [there] is none that can interpret it; that he could yet meet with; none of his magicians or wise men, who made great pretensions to skill in such matters: and I have heard say of thee, [that] thou canst understand a dream to interpret it;...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, [it is] not in me,.... Which expresses his great modesty, that he did not arrogate such skill and wisdom to himself; declaring that he had no such power and abilities in and of himself, to interpret dreams; what he had was a gift of God, and wholly depended upon his influence, and the revelation he was pleased...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Pharaoh said unto Joseph,.... Relating both his dreams in a more ample manner, though to the same purpose, than before related: in my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river; the river Nile, where he could have a full sight of what were after presented to his view.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine,.... Cows or heifers, [See comments on Genesis 41:2]; the account of them is the same here as there, and of the place where they fed, only the words are transposed.