9 Then spoke the chief of the cup-bearers to Pharaoh, saying, I remember mine offences this day. 10 Pharaoh was wroth with his bondmen, and put me in custody into the captain of the life-guard's house, me and the chief of the bakers. 11 And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each according to the interpretation of his dream. 12 And there was there with us a Hebrew youth, a bondman of the captain of the life-guard, to whom we told [them], and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each he interpreted according to his dream. 13 And it came to pass, just as he interpreted to us, so it came about: me has he restored to my office, and him he hanged. 14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph; and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon. And he shaved [himself], and changed his clothes, and came in to Pharaoh. 15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, I have dreamt a dream, and there is none to interpret it. And I have heard say of thee, thou understandest a dream to interpret it. 16 And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.
17 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood on the bank of the river. 18 And behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fat-fleshed and of fine form, and they fed in the reed-grass. 19 And behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor, and very ill-formed, and lean-fleshed—such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness. 20 And the lean and bad kine ate up the seven first fat kine; 21 and they came into their belly, and it could not be known that they had come into their belly; and their look was bad, as at the beginning. And I awoke. 22 And I saw in my dream, and behold, seven ears came up on one stalk, full and good. 23 And behold, seven ears, withered, thin, parched with the east wind, sprung up after them; 24 and the thin ears devoured the seven good ears. And I told it to the scribes; but there was none to make it known to me. 25 And Joseph said to Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one. What God will do he has made known to Pharaoh. 26 The seven fine kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one. 27 And the seven lean and bad kine that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears, parched with the east wind, will be seven years of famine. 28 This is the word which I have spoken to Pharaoh: what God is about to do he has let Pharaoh see. 29 Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout the land of Egypt. 30 And there will arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine will waste away the land. 31 And the plenty will not be known afterwards in the land by reason of that famine; for it will be very grievous. 32 And as regards the double repetition of the dream to Pharaoh, it is that the thing is established by God, and God will hasten to do it.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Genesis 41:9-32
Commentary on Genesis 41:9-32
(Read Genesis 41:9-32)
God's time for the enlargement of his people is the fittest time. If the chief butler had got Joseph to be released from prison, it is probable he would have gone back to the land of the Hebrews. Then he had neither been so blessed himself, nor such a blessing to his family, as afterwards he proved. Joseph, when introduced to Pharaoh, gives honour to God. Pharaoh had dreamed that he stood upon the bank of the river Nile, and saw the kine, both the fat ones, and the lean ones, come out of the river. Egypt has no rain, but the plenty of the year depends upon the overflowing of the river Nile. See how many ways Providence has of dispensing its gifts; yet our dependence is still the same upon the First Cause, who makes every creature what it is to us, be it rain or river. See to what changes the comforts of this life are subject. We cannot be sure that to-morrow shall be as this day, or next year as this. We must learn how to want, as well as how to abound. Mark the goodness of God in sending the seven years of plenty before those of famine, that provision might be made. The produce of the earth is sometimes more, and sometimes less; yet, take one with another, he that gathers much, has nothing over; and he that gathers little, has no lack, Exodus 16:18. And see the perishing nature of our worldly enjoyments. The great harvests of the years of plenty were quite lost, and swallowed up in the years of famine; and that which seemed very much, yet did but just serve to keep the people alive. There is bread which lasts to eternal life, which it is worth while to labour for. They that make the things of this world their good things, will find little pleasure in remembering that they have received them.