English Standard Version
Genesis 41:1
1After two whole years, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile,
Genesis 41:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.
- New International Version (NIV)When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing by the Nile,
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then it came to pass, at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh had a dream; and behold, he stood by the river.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Two full years later, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing on the bank of the Nile River.
Context of Genesis 41:1
After two whole years, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile, 2and behold, there came up out of the Nile seven cows, attractive and plump, and they fed in the reed grass. 3And behold, seven other cows, ugly and thin, came up out of the Nile after them, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile.
Read all of Genesis 41Genesis 41:1 word by word
וַיְהִ֕י מִקֵּ֖ץ שְׁנָתַ֣יִם יָמִ֑ים וּפַרְעֹ֣ה חֹלֵ֔ם וְהִנֵּ֖ה עֹמֵ֥ד עַל־הַיְאֹֽר׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Genesis 41:1
- Genesis 29:14and Laban said to him, "Surely you are my bone and my flesh!" And he stayed with him a month.
- Genesis 20:3But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, "Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man's wife."
- Genesis 37:5Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more.
- Genesis 40:5And one night they both dreamed—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison—each his own dream, and each dream with its own interpretation.
- Judges 7:13When Gideon came, behold, a man was telling a dream to his comrade. And he said, "Behold, I dreamed a dream, and behold, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian and came to the tent and struck it so that it fell and turned it upside down, so that the tent lay flat."
- Esther 6:1On that night the king could not sleep. And he gave orders to bring the book of memorable deeds, the chronicles, and they were read before the king.
- Job 33:15In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, while they slumber on their beds,
- Daniel 2:1In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his spirit was troubled, and his sleep left him.
- Daniel 4:5I saw a dream that made me afraid. As I lay in bed the fancies and the visions of my head alarmed me.
- Daniel 7:1In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head as he lay in his bed. Then he wrote down the dream and told the sum of the matter.
- Matthew 27:19Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, "Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream."
- Genesis 31:21He fled with all that he had and arose and crossed the Euphrates, and set his face toward the hill country of Gilead.
- Exodus 1:22Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, "Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live."
- Exodus 4:9If they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground, and the water that you shall take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground."
- Deuteronomy 11:10For the land that you are entering to take possession of it is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you sowed your seed and irrigated it, like a garden of vegetables.
- Isaiah 19:5And the waters of the sea will be dried up, and the river will be dry and parched,
Commentaries on Genesis 41:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Two full years - ימים שנתים shenathayim yamim, two years of days, two complete solar revolutions, after the events mentioned in the preceding chapter. The river - The Nile, the cause of the fertility of Egypt.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-57Verses 1-57 - Joseph Was Exalted 1. יאר ye'or “river, canal,” mostly applied to the Nile. Some suppose the word to be Coptic. 2. אחוּ 'āchû “sedge, reed-grass, marsh-grass.” This word is probably Coptic. 8. חרטמים charṭumı̂ym ̓̀ exēgētai ̔͂ hierogrammateis “sacred scribes, hieroglyphs.” חרט chereṭ “stylus,” a graving tool. 43. אברך 'abrēk “bend the knee.” In this sense it is put for הברך habrēk imperative hiphil of ברך bārak Those who take the…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1Pharaoh's dreams. (1-8) Joseph interprets Pharaoh's dreams. (9-32) Joseph's counsel, He is highly advanced. (33-45) Joseph's children, The beginning of the famine. (46-57) Verses 1-8 The means of Joseph's being freed from prison were Pharaoh's dreams, as here related. Now that God no longer speaks to us in that way, it is no matter how little we either heed dreams, or tell them. The telling of foolish dreams can make no better than foolish talk. But these…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-4Pharaoh's first dream was about cows. Cows often stood half-submerged in the Nile River's reeds to escape the heat and flies. They would leave the water to find grass. The second group of cows worried Pharaoh because they were thin but were able to swallow the fat cows.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-241. 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,"…Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 41:1
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Genesis 41
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries