Joseph’s Rise to Power
Joseph's Rise to Power
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The Pharaoh’s Dream
Two whole years later, the pharaoh dreamed he was standing on the banks of the Nile. Out of the Nile came seven splendidly fat cows, who grazed among the reeds. Seven hideously scrawny cows came out after them and stood beside them on the banks of the Nile. The hideously scrawny cows ate the seven splendidly fat cows. Then the pharaoh woke up.
He fell back asleep and had a second dream. Seven heads of well-ripened grain grew on a single stalk. After them sprouted seven thin heads withered by the desert wind. The thin heads of grain swallowed the seven fully ripened heads. Then the pharaoh woke up and realized it was a dream.
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After the pharaoh released his cupbearer, Joseph languished in prison for another two full years. At the end of these two years, the pharaoh had a pair of dreams—or rather, nightmares.
In the first, he saw seven fat cows come out from the Nile River, where they probably bathed to escape the heat and the flies.1 Like normal cows, they started grazing on the riverbank. But this peaceful, everyday scene was quickly interrupted by seven hideously scrawny cows that came out of the river and ate the healthy cows! The shock of seeing cows eating cows woke the pharaoh up.
Eventually, the pharaoh managed to fall back asleep, and he had a second dream. This time he saw a single stalk of grain with seven ripe, healthy heads. Then seven thin heads sprouted, probably on the same stalk. These heads had inedible grain kernels withered by scorching wind from the Sahara Desert.2 Once again bad devoured good. As if cows becoming carnivores wasn’t terrifying enough, the pharaoh saw grain come to life and swallow other grain. The dream seemed so real he didn’t realize it was a dream until he woke up again.
Joseph Summoned
In the morning, [the pharaoh] was distressed. So he summoned all the magicians of Egypt and all his skilled advisers. The pharaoh described his dream, but no one could explain the meaning to him.
Then the head cupbearer told the pharaoh, “Today I am reminded of my failures. The pharaoh was angry with his servants and placed me under guard in the prison overseen by the captain of the palace guard, along with the head baker. One night, he and I each had a different dream with its own interpretation. A young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the palace guard. We described our dreams to him, and he explained the meaning of each. And everything happened just as he predicted. I was restored to my position, but the baker was hanged.”
So the pharaoh summoned Joseph, and he was quickly retrieved from the pit. He shaved, changed his clothes, and appeared before the pharaoh.
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The vivid nightmare stuck with the pharaoh through the night, and he still felt distressed in the morning. So he called all his magicians and other advisors to explain the meaning. These advisors were educated in the literature of the day, including the symbolism involved in dream interpretation.3 But a given symbol could have more than one meaning.4
The magicians and advisors likely proposed explanations but couldn’t agree on one that satisfied the pharaoh. The text suggests the pharaoh had already reached two conclusions. First, his distress indicates he expected a negative interpretation. Second, he consistently referred to a single dream, indicating he already knew the cows and grain formed two parts of the same dream. So he likely would have rejected any other explanation.
While the advisors debated, the pharaoh’s head cupbearer stood nearby in case the pharaoh should desire something to drink. Seeing the pharaoh grow frustrated with his advisors’ failure, the cupbearer saw an opportunity to ingratiate himself with his master. He finally fulfilled his obligation to mention Joseph and his ability to explain dreams.5
Suddenly the pharaoh’s servants snatched Joseph out of the “pit” of slavery and false imprisonment. Before he knew what was happening, they made him presentable and thrust him before the man who could finally free him.
Beyond Me
The pharaoh said to [Joseph], “I had a dream, but no one can explain the meaning. I have heard you need only hear a dream to explain it.”
“That is quite beyond me,” Joseph replied. “But God will give the pharaoh the answer he seeks.”
So the pharaoh told Joseph, “In my dream I was standing on the banks of the Nile. Out of the Nile came seven splendidly fat cows, who grazed among the reeds. Seven hideously scrawny cows came out after them. I’ve never seen such hideous cows in all the land of Egypt! The hideously scrawny cows ate the first seven fat cows. Yet after they had eaten them, you would never know it! They were just as hideous as before. Then I woke up.
“I also saw in my dream seven heads of fully ripened grain growing on a single stalk. After them sprouted seven thin heads parched and withered by the desert wind. The thin heads of grain swallowed the seven ripe heads. When I told my advisers, no one could explain it to me.”
Edited from Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
The pharaoh explained to Joseph why he summoned him. The pharaoh wanted Joseph to explain what his own advisors could not. His description of the dream differs little from the narrator’s except for the pharaoh’s commentary on the scrawny cows. He described them as more hideous than any real cows he had ever seen anywhere in Egypt. Even after each one ate a whole fat cow, they didn’t fatten up at all.
The dream interpreters of Egypt and Mesopotamia spent years studying literature that explained the symbolism of dreams.6 Yet despite their expertise, they had failed to interpret the dream. According to the cupbearer’s testimony, Joseph needed no references to explain a dream. He needed only to hear the dream described.
Joseph denied possessing any such skill. Finally given a chance to win his freedom, he reacted by humbly downplaying his own abilities. Like Daniel after him, Joseph credited God with revealing the meaning of the dream.7 Joseph merely served as a willing vessel through whom God would answer the pharaoh.
The Interpretation
“The pharaoh’s dream is one dream,” Joseph told him. “God has shown you what he is about to do. The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years. The dream is the same. The seven hideously scrawny cows coming out after them are seven years, and the seven empty heads of grain withered by the desert wind will be seven years of famine.
“As I told the pharaoh, what God is about to do, he has shown you. The entire land of Egypt will soon enjoy seven years of abundance. But seven years of famine will follow, and all the abundance in the land of Egypt will be forgotten. The famine will decimate the land. No evidence will remain of the abundance in the land because of how devastating the famine that follows will be. Since the pharaoh had the same dream twice, God has firmly decided the matter and is moving quickly to accomplish it.”
As the cupbearer told the pharaoh, when Joseph heard the dream, he immediately knew its meaning. God had sent the pharaoh a symbolic message warning him about a coming disaster. The dreams indicated good would appear first, but only to be swallowed up by bad. For seven years, Egypt would enjoy abundant harvests, and everyone would have plenty of food. But seven years of extreme famine would immediately follow, and the land would fall into ruin.
Unlike many other biblical prophecies predicting famine and other disasters, Joseph’s prophecy contained no hint that God intended it as a punishment for sin.8 Joseph didn’t rebuke the Egyptians or call for them to repent. Indeed, the double dream meant God had decided and nothing the Egyptians could do would change his mind. The famine would serve a vital role in the history of the nation God would create through Jacob and his sons. It had to happen. But God also cared about Egypt and had sent them warning and given them time to prepare.
Joseph’s Advice
“Therefore, let the pharaoh seek out a wise and discerning man to put in charge of the land of Egypt. Appoint overseers over the land and divide the land of Egypt into five parts during the seven years of abundance. Let them gather all the food during these coming good years to store the grain in the cities under the pharaoh’s authority. They must protect it! This food should be stored for the land to eat during the seven years of famine that will afflict the land of Egypt. That way, the land will not be decimated by the famine.”
Having interpreted the pharaoh’s dream as requested, Joseph rather audaciously went on to advise the pharaoh about how to prepare for the coming famine. He suggested finding someone “wise and discerning” to put in charge of storing grain throughout Egypt during the seven years of abundance. This man would need to have the intelligence and authority to react to changes in the situation, including knowing when and how to distribute the stored grain.
Joseph also advised dividing Egypt into five districts and appointing overseers over each.9 These overseers would work under the authority of the man in charge of all Egypt, carrying out his orders everywhere. During the seven years of abundance, they would gather all the surplus grain into granaries and ensure its protection. They would then oversee the distribution during the famine. If the pharaoh would take Joseph’s advice, Egypt would have food and escape destruction.
Second-in-Command
The pharaoh and all his servants approved of the plan. So the pharaoh asked his servants, “Could we find anyone filled with a divine spirit like this man?”
Then the pharaoh said to Joseph, “Now that the gods have revealed all this to you, no one else is as wise and discerning as you. You will be in charge of my household, and all of my people will submit to your command. Only because of the throne will I be greater than you. See, I put you in charge of the entire land of Egypt!”
The pharaoh took his signet ring off his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger. Then he clothed Joseph in fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. He had Joseph ride in the chariot of his second-in-command as servants cried out before him, “Make way!” In this way he put him in charge of the entire land of Egypt.
The pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am the pharaoh, yet without your permission, no one in the entire land of Egypt will lift hand or foot.” He named Joseph Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, as his wife. And Joseph ruled the land of Egypt.
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The pharaoh and his servants all saw the wisdom in Joseph’s plan and knew they had found the right man to lead Egypt through the famine. So the pharaoh appointed Joseph as his second-in-command through an elaborate ceremony. He had Joseph clothed in the finest attire, gold and linen. With the pharaoh’s signet ring, Joseph had the authority to write orders to governors throughout Egypt stamped with the pharaoh’s own insignia. Finally, Joseph was paraded around the city in a special chariot reserved for the second-in-command.
Joseph had humbly given God all the credit for his ability to interpret dreams. But as James 4:10 says, “If you humble yourselves in the Lord’s presence, he will exalt you.” The pharaoh recognized Joseph as a divine messenger and treated him as such. By giving Joseph authority over all Egypt, the pharaoh gave the God who sent him authority over all Egypt. Though the pharaoh didn’t know Joseph’s God, the dream, interpretation, and wise advice proved he could trust him with Egypt’s future.
After Joseph’s rise to power, he integrated into Egyptian society. The pharaoh gave him an Egyptian name and a high-ranking Egyptian wife. Though the Israelites generally frowned on integrating with foreigners, Joseph had no choice. In one day, he went from Hebrew slave to Egyptian nobility.
Abundance
Joseph was thirty years old when he appeared before the pharaoh, king of Egypt. When he left the pharaoh’s presence, he traveled throughout the land of Egypt. During the seven years of abundance, the land produced bountiful harvests. Joseph gathered all the food from those seven years in the land of Egypt. He stored the food in the cities, with each city storing the food from the fields around it. He stored up grain like the sand of the sea, so much he stopped recording the amount. It was too much to keep track of!
Image by Julie Ayers from Creation Swap
Joseph spent thirteen years as a slave in Egypt.10 During that time, he learned how to manage a wealthy household and how to supervise the work of others.11 Most importantly, he learned to rely on Yahweh in any situation.12 By the time he rose to power, Joseph was well qualified for the job and knew what to do.
Knowing he didn’t have long to prepare the country, Joseph left the pharaoh’s presence and traveled around Egypt. He needed to visit each of the five new districts to appoint the overseers and ensure the construction of adequate granaries. He also set up a system for recording the amount of grain stored in each location.
When the abundant harvests began, Joseph and those working under him gathered as much grain as they could. That they stored “all the food” is hyperbole.13 Some must have been eaten, and some used for seed. But Joseph collected the vast majority of each harvest. God rewarded his faithfulness by providing even more than Joseph prepared for, to the point he had to give up recording how much he had stored. Joseph planned to sustain the Egyptians through the coming famine. But God had a greater plan.
Joseph’s Sons
Before the famine started, Joseph fathered two sons. Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, gave birth to them. Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh because “God has allowed me to forget all my troubles and everyone in my father’s household.” He named the second Ephraim because “God has made me fruitful in this land where I have suffered.”
Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay
While Egypt flourished, so did Joseph’s Egyptian family. During the seven years of abundance, his wife, Asenath, gave birth to two sons. Joseph named them both in honor of God rescuing him from slavery and imprisonment.
Manasseh’s name looked to the past and celebrated God’s deliverance from the trauma Joseph had endured. Manasseh (menasheh) sounds like nashani (“he caused me to forget”). Of course, Joseph hadn’t truly forgotten his father and brothers. But Manasseh’s birth gave him his own family to care for, which helped heal his emotional scars. Joseph no longer thought as much about his family in Canaan or the pain his brothers had caused him.
Ephraim’s name looked to the future and celebrated the restoration of his fortunes. Ephraim (ʾephrayim) sound like hiphrani (“he made me fruitful”). Joseph knew that difficult days were coming, but he trusted God’s provision. Despite the famine, his family would continue to prosper.
The Famine
The seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt ended, and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was a famine everywhere, but in the entire land of Egypt, there was food.
Everyone in Egypt was hungry, so the people cried out to the pharaoh for food. The pharaoh told all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph. Do whatever he tells you to.”
So when the famine had spread throughout the land, Joseph opened the granaries and sold grain to the Egyptians because the famine was severe. Then the whole world came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph because the famine was severe everywhere.
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After the seven years of abundance, the seven years of famine began just as Joseph predicted. But he had not predicted the famine would affect the entire Mediterranean world. Egypt relied on the flooding of the Nile to water their crops, while the surrounding nations relied on rainfall. These rarely failed at the same time.14 Yet that’s what happened, and everyone quickly ran out of food. Only Egypt was prepared.
The Egyptians knew the government had been storing it, so they went to the pharaoh to beg for food. Having entrusted Joseph with the task of distributing grain, the pharaoh sent the people to him. When the famine had grown severe, Joseph opened the granaries throughout Egypt so the people could buy grain.
Word that Egypt had food inevitably reached the surrounding nations, and they also came to buy grain from Joseph. The immeasurable amount of grain God had provided during the years of abundance allowed Joseph to bless the other nations as well as the Egyptians.15 Word would also reach Canaan, setting the stage for the climax of the story—Joseph’s reunion with his family.
- Kidner, Genesis, 205–206; Ross, “Genesis,” 222–223.
- In Hebrew, the wind from the Sahara is called “eastern wind,” or simply “eastern,” because in Israel it blows toward the east. It has several names in different areas. In Egypt, it’s called the khamsin. Encyclopaedia Britannica Online, s.v. “khamsin,” accessed May 4, 2023, https://www.britannica.com/science/khamsin; Kidner, Genesis, 206.
- See Daniel 1:3–5.
- Wenham, Genesis 16–50, 391.
- See Joseph’s Plea.
- Walton, Matthews, and Chavalas, Bible Background Commentary, Genesis 40:5–18; Wenham, Genesis 16–50, 382.
- Daniel 2:27–28.
- Kidner, Genesis, 207.
- Although most translations have a fifth of the harvest being gathered, this requires an unnecessary addition to the text. The Hebrew has the land being divided, not the crops. One-fifth of the harvests would not have fed Egypt during the famine, much less the rest of the Mediterranean world.
- See Genesis 37:2.
- Genesis 39:5, 22.
- Genesis 39:23; 40:8; 41:15.
- See Hyperbole.
- Kidner, Genesis, 209–210; Wenham, Genesis 16–50, 398.
- See Why Israel?