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אֶל־פַּרְעה פעמיִם כִּי־נָכוֹן הַדָּבָר מֵעִם הָאֱלֹהִים וּמְמַהֵר האֱלֹהִים לֶעָשׂתו : 33 וְעַתָּה ירא פַּרְעֹה אִישׁ נָבוֹן וְחָכָם וִישִׁיתֵהוּ עַל־אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם: 34 יַעֲשֶׂה פַרְעֹה וְיַפְקֵד פְּקָדִים עַל־הָאָרֶץ וְחָמֵשׁ אֶת־אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם בְּשֶׁבַע שְׁנֵי הַשָׂבָע : 35 וְיִקְבְּצוּ אֶת־כָּל־אֹכֶל הַשְׁנִיִם הַשׂלֹוֹת הַבָּאת הָאֵלֶה וְיִצְבְּרוּ־בָר תַּחַת יַד־פַּרְעָה אֹכֶל בְּעָרִים וְשָׁמְרוּ : 36 וְהָיָה הָאֹכֶל לְפַקְדוּן לָאָרֶץ לְשֶׁבַע שְׁנֵי הָרָעָב אֲשֶׁר תִּהְיִין בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם וְלֹא־תִכָּרֵת הָאָרֶץ בָּרָעָב : 37 וַיִּיטַב הַדָּבָר בְּעֵינֵי פַרְעֹה וּבְעֵינֵי כָּל־

עֲבָדָיו : 38 וַיֹּאמֶר פַּרְעֹה אֶל-עֲבָדָיו הַנְמְצָא כָּזֶה אִישׁ שלישי אֲשֶׁר רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים בּוֹ : 39 וַיֹּאמֶר פַּרְעה אֶל־יוֹסֵף אַחֲרֵי

הוֹדִיעַ אֱלֹהִים אִוֹתְךָ אֶת־כָּל־זָאת אֵין־נָכוֹן וְחָכָם כָּמְוֹךְ: 40 אַתָּה תִּהְיֶה עַל־בֵּיתִי וְעַל־פִּיךְ יִשַׁק כָּל־ עַמִּי רַק הַכַּלֵּא אֶנְבֵּל מִמָּךְ : 41 וַיֹּאמֶר פַּרְעֹה אֶל־ יוֹסֵף רְאֵה נָתַתִּי אֹתְךָ עַל כָּל־אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם: 42 וַיָּסָר פַּרְעָה אֶת־שַׁבַּעְתּוֹ מֵעַל יָדֹוֹ וַיִּתֵּן אֹתָהּ על־ד יוֹסֶף וַיִּלְבַּשׁ אֹתוֹ בִּנְדִי-שֵׁשׁ וַיָּשֶׂם רְבָר הַזָהָב עַל־צוארו : 43 וַיִּרְכַּב אֹתוֹ בְּמִרְכֶּבֶת הַמִּשְׁנֶה אֲשֶׁר־־לוֹ וַיִּקְרְאוּ לְפָנָיו אַבְרָךְ וְנָתוֹן אֹתוֹ עַל כָּל־אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם: 4 וַיֹּאמֶר פַּרְעֹה אֶל־יוֹסֵף אֲנִי פַרְעָה וּבְלְעָרִיךְ לְא־יָרִים אִישׁ אֶת־ יָדָו וְאֶת־רַגְלוֹ בְּכָל־אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם: 45 וַיִּקְרָא פַרְעה שס־יוֹסֵף עֶפְנַת פַּעֲנַח וַיִּתֶּן־־לי אֶת־אָסְנַת בַּת־פּוֹטִי פרע כּהֵן אֵן לְאִשָּׁה וַיצא יוֹסֵף עַל־אֶרֶץ מִצְרים : 46 וְיוֹסֵף בֶּן־־שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה בְּעָמְרוֹ לִפְנֵי פַרְעֹה מֶלֶךְ־ מִצְרָיִם וַיצא יוֹסֵף מִלָּפְנֵי פַרְעֹה וַיַּעֲבֹר בְּכָל־־אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם : 47 וַתַּעַשׂ הָאָרֶץ בְּשֶׁבַע שְׁנֵי הַשָׂבָע לִקְמָצִים: 48 וַיִּקְבֹּץ אֶת־כָּל־אֹכֶל שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים אֲשֶׁר הָיוּ בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם וַיִּתֶּן־־אֹכֶל בֶּעָרִים אֲכֶל שְׁדֵה־־הָעִיר אֲשֶׁר סְבִיבֹתֵיהָ נָתַן בְּתוֹכָהּ: 49 וַיִּצְבַּר יוֹסֵף בָּר כְּחוֹל הַיָּם

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and he shaved himself and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh.

15 And

Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream, to interpret it.

16 And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.

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the east-wind, sprung up after them.

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

25 And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh' what he is about to do.

26 The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one.

27 And the seven thin and illfavoured kine that came up after them, are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east-wind, shall be seven years of famine. ||

28 This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God is about to do, he sheweth unto Pharaoh. T

29 Behold, there come seven years of great plenty, throughout all the land of Egypt.

30 And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and. all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt: and the famine shall consume the land.

31 And the plenty shall not be known in the land, by reason of that famine following: for it shall be very grievous. **

32 And for that the dream was

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

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

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

20 And the lean and the illfavoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine.

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

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

23 And behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with

It is not in me to understand the dream to interpret it, as you have said :-it is not owing to any great wisdom of mine, but it is through God's assistance; and who, I hope, will answer Pharaoh peaceably. § Heb. Came to the inward parts of them.

That is, there was none that could give a satisfactory interpretation: the magicians in general judged it to be two different dreams, and it was the opinion of Pharaoh that it was but one, and therefore their answers were not satisfactory; but when Joseph explained it as one dream, the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh. (See verse 37.)

It seems rather extraordinary that Joseph should mention the seven years of famine first, when the seven years of plenty preceded them; but as he had premised that God had shewed Pharaoh what he was about to do, and as Egypt was a fruitful land, he to convince them of the truth of his prediction informed them of the seven years of famine, although a thing so unusual with them, but which God was pleased to acquaint him (Pharaoh) with, that they might be enabled to provide for their preservation during the seven years of plenty.

In the 25th verse Joseph makes use of the word He hath told and in this verse he makes use of the word He hath shewn (or sheweth.) The reason of which according to the opinion of Jarchi, is as follows. The former he made use of when speaking of the seven plentiful years, and which being near at hand, were as if told him of a certainty: but as to the seven years of famine, which seemed to be yet at some distance, he made use of the latter expression, to denote its being shewn him, as a person that views a thing at a distance. **Heb. Heavy.

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שני הַבּוֹר וַעֲלֶה וִיחֵלֶף שִׁמְלֹהָיו וַיָּבֵא אֶל־פַּרְעָה: 15 וַיֹּאמֶר פַּרְעה אֶל־־יוֹסֵף חֲלִוֹם חָלַמְתִּי וּפתֵר אֵין אֹתוֹ וַאֲנִי

שָׁמַעְתִּי עָלֶיךָ לֵאמֹר תִּשְׁמַע חֲלֹוֹם לִפְתֹּר אֹתוֹ: 16 ויען יוֹסֶף אֶת־פַּרְעָה לֵאמֹר בִּלְעָדִי אֱלֹהִים יַעֲנֶה אֶת־שְׁלֹוֹם פַּרְשָׂה: 17 וַיְדַבֵּר פַּרְעה אֶל־־יוֹסֵף בַּחֲלמִי הִנְנִי עמך

רשְׂפַת הַיְאֹר: 18 וְהִנֵּה מִן־הַיְאֹר עלה שֶׁבַע פָּרוֹת בְּרִיאוֹת בָּשָׂר וִיפַת תֹּאַר וַתִּרְעֶינָה בָּאָחוּ : 19 וְהִנֵּה שֶׁבַע־פָּרָוֹת אֲחֵרות עלוֹת אַחֲרֵיהֶן הֵלוֹת וְרָעוֹת תְּאַר מְאֹד וְרַקָוֹת בָּשָׂר לֹא־רָאִיתִי כָהֵנָה בְּכָל־אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לרע : 20 וַתּאכַלְנָה הַפָּרוֹת הָרַקְוֹת וְהָרָעוֹת אֵת שֶׁבַע הַפָּרָוֹת הָרִאשׁוֹת הַבְּרִיאָת: 21 וַתָּבָאנָה קרְבֶּנָה וְלֹא נוֹדַע כִּי־בָאוּ אֶל־קִרְבֶּנָה וּמַרְאֵיהֶן רַע כַּאֲשֶׁר בַּתְּחִלָּה וָאִיקָץ: 22 וָאֵרֶא בַּחֲלֹמֵי וְהִנֵּה שֶׁבַע שַׁבָּלִים עלֹת בְּקָנֶה אֶחָד מְלֵאֹת וְטִבְוֹת: 23 וְהִנֵּה שֶׁבַע שַׁבָּלִים צְנְמְוֹת הַקְות שְׁדֶפְוֹת קָדִים צְמְחוֹת אַחֲרֵיהֶם: 24 וַתִּבְלַשְׁן הַשַׁבָּלִים הַבַּשׂוֹת אֵת שֶׁבַע הַשַׁבָּלִים הַטבות וָאֹמַר אֶל־הַחַרְטְמִים וְאֵין מַגִיד לִי: 25 וַיֹּאמֶר יוֹסֵף אֶל־פַּרְעֹה חֲלִוֹם פַּרְעֹה אֶחָד הוּא אֵת אֲשֶׁר הָאֱלֹהִים עשָׂה הִגִּיד לְפַרְעָה: 26 שֶׁבַע פָּרַת הַשׂוֹת שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים הֵנָּה וְשֶׁבַע הַשַׁבָּלִים הַטרֹת שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים הֵנָּה חֲלוֹם אֶחָד הוּא : 27 וְשֶׁבַע הַפָּרוֹת הָרַקות וְהָרָעת הָעלֹת אַחֲרֵיהֶן שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים הֵנָּה וְשֶׁבַע הַשַׁבָּלִים הָרַקְוֹת שְׁדְפִוֹת הַקְדִים יִהְיוּ שֶׁבַע שְׁנֵי רָעָב: 28 הוּא הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתִּי אֶל־פַּרְעָה אֲשֶׁר הָאֱלֹהִים עשֶׁה הֶרְאָה אֶת־־פַּרְעה : 29 הִנֵּה שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים בָּאוֹת שָׂבָע גָּדוֹל

אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם: 30 וְקָמוּ שֶׁבַע שְׁנֵי רָעָב אַחֲרֵיהֶן וְנִשְׂכַּח כָּל־הַשָׂבָע בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם וְכַלָּה הָרָעָב אֶת־ הָאָרֶץ: 31 וְלֹא־יִנְדֶע הַשָׂבָע בָּאָרֶץ מִפְּנֵי הָרָעָב הַהוּא אַחֲרֵי-כֵן כִּי־כָבֵר הוּא מְאֹד : 32 וְעַל הַשָּׁנָוֹת הַחֵלֶום

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2 And behold, there came up out of the river § seven wellfavoured kine, and fat-fleshed; and they fed in a meadow.

3 And behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river ill-favoured, and lean-fleshed; and stood by the other kine, upon the brink of the river.

4 And the ill-favoured and leanfleshed kine, did eat up the seven well-favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke.

5 And he slept and dreamed the second time: and behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good. ‡

6 And behold, seven thin ears

and blasted with the east-wind sprung up after them.

7 And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears: and Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream.

8 And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise-men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret

them unto Pharaoh.

9 ¶ Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day.

10 Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in ward in the captain of the guard's house, both me and the chief baker.

11 And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he: we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.

12 And there was there with us a young man, an Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams: to each man according to his dream he did interpret.

13 And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was: me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged.

14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon:

That is, he shewed his ingratitude to him (as is generally the custom of mankind,) in not mentioning him to the king, till God was pleased to force him to it, by means of Pharaoh's dreams. This suited exceedingly well with the nature of the thing; for as both the fruitfulness and barrenness of Egypt depended upon the increase or diminution of the waters of the river Nile, which yearly overflows, he therefore very properly saw them coming out of that river, from whence proceeded both plenty and famine. Nachmanides and Abarbanel Heb. Fat.

This was a great proof of Joseph's penetration in interpreting the two dreams differently, for it might naturally be expected, that as their dreams were alike the interpretations would be so also: but this Joseph did not do, and yet, both of them were accomplished, according to the different predictions. Heb. Made him run.

Ver. 18-Phantasms in dreams were superstitiously thought to be symbolical: God therefore when it was his good pleasure to send dreams to Pharaoh, made the foundation of them two well known symbols; and this doubtless in order to engage the dreamer's more serious attention: but then to confound the Egyptian oneirocritics (interpreters of dreams) these dreams were so circumstanced with matters foreign to the principles of their art, that there was need of a truly divine interpreter.

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