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Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

Genesis 41

Genesis 41:1

GENESIS CHAPTER 41 Pharaoh's two dreams, GENESIS 41:1. He is troubled; sends for interpreters; their inability, GENESIS 41:8. The chief butler, sensible of his fault, remembers Joseph, GENESIS 41:9; commends him to Pharaoh, GENESIS 41:10, who causes him to be brought before him, GENESIS 41:14, expec... [ Continue Reading ]

Genesis 41:2

This suits well with the nature of the thing, for both the fruitfulness and the barrenness of Egypt depended, under God, upon the increase or diminution of the waters of that river. KINE, when they appeared in dreams, did portend, in the opinion of the learned Egyptians, the years or times to come,... [ Continue Reading ]

Genesis 41:5

EARS OF CORN are fit and proper resemblances of the thing here intended, both because the fertility of a land doth mainly consist in the abundance and goodness of these; and because _ears of corn_ appearing to any in a dream, did, in the judgment of the Egyptian wise men, signify years, as Josephus... [ Continue Reading ]

Genesis 41:6

A boisterous wind, and in those parts of the world very pernicious to the fruits of the earth, EZEKIEL 17:10, EZEKIEL 19:12 HOSEA 13:15.... [ Continue Reading ]

Genesis 41:7

Not a real thing, as Pharaoh in his sleep imagined it to be. Heb. _Behold the dream, _ i.e. the dream did not vanish, as dreams commonly do, but was fixed in his mind, and he could not shake it off; by which he saw that it was no common or natural, but a Divine and significant dream.... [ Continue Reading ]

Genesis 41:8

HIS SPIRIT WAS TROUBLED, because he understood not the meaning of it, and dreaded the consequences of it. Compare GENESIS 40:6 DANIEL 2:1,3 MT 27:19. THE MAGICIANS, whose profession it was to discover secret and future things; which they did either by the observation of the stars, or by other supers... [ Continue Reading ]

Genesis 41:9

Not against Joseph by ingratitude, but against the king; by which expression he both acknowledgeth the king's justice in imprisoning him, and his clemency in pardoning him.... [ Continue Reading ]

Genesis 41:13

ME HE RESTORED; either, 1. Pharaoh. But then he would have mentioned either his name or title, and not have spoken so slightly and indecently of him. Or rather, 2. Joseph, of whom he spake last, and who is here said to restore the one, and to hang the other, because he foretold those events, as Je... [ Continue Reading ]

Genesis 41:14

THE DUNGEON, or _prison, _ by a synecdoche of the part for the whole. For it is not probable that Joseph, who was now so much employed, and intrusted with all the affairs of the prison and prisoners, GENESIS 39:21, should still be kept in the dungeon properly so called. HE SHAVED HIMSELF; for till t... [ Continue Reading ]

Genesis 41:16

I cannot do this by any power, or virtue, or art of my own, for I am but a man, as your magicians are, but only by inspiration from the great God. Thus he gives the honour from himself unto God, and leads Pharaoh to the knowledge of the true God. For the phrase compare MATTHEW 10:20 1 CORINTHIANS 15... [ Continue Reading ]

Genesis 41:21

They seemed to be neither fatter in the flesh, nor fuller in their bodies. As many times in famine men eat much, but are not satisfied, because God withdraws his blessing from it, by which alone it is that meat nourisheth us.... [ Continue Reading ]

Genesis 41:30

There shall be no relics of it to keep it in men's minds, which will be so taken up with the contemplation of their present misery and future danger, that they will have neither heart nor leisure to reflect upon their former plenty, the remembrance whereof will but aggravate the present calamity.... [ Continue Reading ]

Genesis 41:34

Not by force or violence, for Joseph would never be the author of such unrighteous counsels; but by purchase at the common price, which was like to be very low in that case, and therefore might easily be compassed by that rich and mighty prince. QUEST. Why THE FIFTH PART, and not half, seeing the ye... [ Continue Reading ]

Genesis 41:39

GOD HATH SHOWED THEE ALL THIS, i.e. hath given thee this extraordinary gift of foreseeing and foretelling things to come, and of giving such sage advice for the future.... [ Continue Reading ]

Genesis 41:40

ACCORDING UNTO THY WORD, i.e. direction and command, Heb. _mouth, _ which is oft put for command, _\as EXODUS 17:1, EXODUS 38:21 NUMBERS 3:16,39, &c.,\ shall all my poeple be ruled, _ or, _be fed; _ they shall receive their provisions from thy hand, and according to thy disposal. Others, _shall kiss... [ Continue Reading ]

Genesis 41:42

HIS RING was both a token of highest dignity, and an instrument of greatest power, by which he had authority to make and sign what decrees he thought fit in the king's name. See ESTHER 3:10, ESTHER 8:2. With FINE LINEN the greatest potentates were arrayed. See PROVERBS 31:22,24 EZE 16:10 LUKE 16:19... [ Continue Reading ]

Genesis 41:43

IN THE SECOND CHARIOT; in the king's second chariot, that he might be known and owned to be the next person to the king in power and dignity. Compare 2 CHRONICLES 35:24 ESTHER 6:8, ESTHER 10:3 DANIEL 5:29. BOW THE KNEE: they commanded all that passed by him, or came to him, to show their reverent re... [ Continue Reading ]

Genesis 41:44

I AM PHARAOH, i.e. I only am the king, I reserve to myself the sovereign power over thee, and over all. As the name of Caesar among the Romans was commonly used for the emperor, so the name of Pharaoh for the king. Or thus, I have the supreme power, and therefore as I have authority to give thee the... [ Continue Reading ]

Genesis 41:45

ZAPHNATH-PAANEAH, i.e. _The revealer of secrets, _ as the Hebrews generally understand it, and with them most others. POTI-PHERAH, not that _Potiphar,_ GENESIS 39:1; both because he had another title, and dwelt in another place; and because it is not probable Joseph would have married the daughter o... [ Continue Reading ]

Genesis 41:46

Joseph's age is here noted to teach us, 1. That Joseph's short affliction was recompensed with a much longer prosperity, even for eighty years. 2. That Joseph's excellent wisdom did not proceed from his large and long experience, but from the singular gift of God. HE STOOD BEFORE PHARAOH, as his c... [ Continue Reading ]

Genesis 41:47

Or, _unto handfuls, _ to wit, growing upon one stalk; or, _unto heaps; _ or, as the ancients render it, _for the barns_ or _storehouses; _ i.e. in such plenty, that all their storehouses were filled with heaps of corn.... [ Continue Reading ]

Genesis 41:48

ALL THE FOOD; that is, either all sorts of grain which was proper for food; or all which he intended to gather, to wit, the fifth part, GENESIS 41:34.... [ Continue Reading ]

Genesis 41:51

i.e. Hath expelled all sorrowful remembrance of it by my present comfort and glory. ALL MY TOIL, AND ALL MY FATHER'S HOUSE, i.e. the toil of my father's house, or the toil and misery which for many years I have endured by means of my father's family, and my own brethren, who sold me hither; a figure... [ Continue Reading ]

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