Genesis 41:15
And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Pharaoh doesn't just say he heard Joseph can interpret dreams; he specifically states he heard Joseph hears dreams to interpret them, highlighting a supernatural or divinely-given ability rather than just learned skill. This subtle phrasing emphasizes that Pharaoh isn't looking for a psychologist, but someone who has a direct line to understanding divine messages.
Pharaoh is deeply troubled by two consecutive dreams of cows and ears of corn, which his wise men cannot interpret. The chief butler, finally remembering Joseph's gift for dream interpretation from his own experience in prison, suggests Joseph to the distressed Pharaoh. Pharaoh then summons Joseph, who, after being properly prepared, is brought before the king.
Pharaoh is distressed, his wisest men are baffled, and a strange dream haunts him. What's really going on when a ruler feels this way?
Pharaoh's dream wasn't just a random nighttime flicker. It caused him significant distress ('his spirit was troubled,' Genesis 41:8). This wasn't just a bad dream; it was a divine message that weighed heavily on his heart. His inability to find an interpreter among his own wise men and magicians highlights that this dream was beyond ordinary human understanding. This often happens in Scripture: God uses unusual circumstances, like disturbing dreams or unsettling events, to get our attention when conventional methods fail.
Someone tells Pharaoh about a Hebrew man who can interpret dreams. How did Joseph get that reputation, especially from a prison cell?
Pharaoh's statement, 'I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it,' points to Joseph's established reputation. This wasn't a sudden fame; it was built on past faithfulness and God's empowerment.
Joseph's appearance before Pharaoh wasn't a random event but the culmination of years of hardship and divine preparation. The failure of Egypt's own 'wise men' highlights the unique, God-given insight Joseph possessed, setting the stage for his rise to power.
c. 1700 BC
Joseph sold into slavery
Joseph's jealous brothers sell him into slavery, leading to his eventual arrival in Egypt.
c. 1700-1690 BC
Joseph serves in Potiphar's household
Joseph prospers in the household of Potiphar until falsely accused and imprisoned.
c. 1690 BC
Joseph imprisoned
Joseph is imprisoned in the Pharaoh's jail, where he interprets the dreams of the king's cupbearer and baker.
c. 1688 BC— this verse
Pharaoh's troubled dreams
Pharaoh experiences disturbing dreams of cows and grain stalks, which trouble him greatly.
c. 1688 BC
Like Pharaoh, King Nebuchadnezzar has a troubling dream that his wise men cannot interpret, highlighting the limitations of human wisdom when facing divine messages.
1 Samuel 16:14This passage shows how an 'evil spirit from the Lord' tormented King Saul, similar to how Pharaoh's dream troubled him, and how music, a form of divine gift, was used to bring relief.
Isaiah 44:25This prophetic declaration directly addresses the frustration of rulers like Pharaoh who seek answers from fallible human interpreters, affirming that God alone can thwart their schemes and confirm His servants' words.
Job 33:15-16Eliphaz explains that God speaks to people in dreams and visions, often to warn them or to keep them from sin, paralleling Pharaoh's experience of receiving a significant, unsettling dream.
gillGenesis 41:15: "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."
And Pharaoh said unto Joseph,...., Immediately, upon his being introduced to him: I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it; that he could yet meet with; none of his magicians or wise men, who made great pretensions to skill in such matters: and I have heard say of thee, that thou c…
calvinGenesis 41:1-57: "And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river."
And the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke.
Et comederunt vaccae turpes aspectu, et tenues carne, septem vaccas pulchras aspectu et pingues: et expergefactus est Pharao.
And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good.
Deinde do…
Pharaoh doesn't just say he heard Joseph can interpret dreams; he specifically states he heard Joseph hears dreams to interpret them, highlighting a supernatural or divinely-given ability rather than just learned skill. This subtle phrasing emphasizes that Pharaoh isn't looking for a psychologist, but someone who has a direct line to understanding divine messages.
Pharaoh is deeply troubled by two consecutive dreams of cows and ears of corn, which his wise men cannot interpret. The chief butler, finally remembering Joseph's gift for dream interpretation from his own experience in prison, suggests Joseph to the distressed Pharaoh. Pharaoh then summons Joseph, who, after being properly prepared, is brought before the king.
Pharaoh is deeply troubled by two consecutive dreams of cows and ears of corn, which his wise men cannot interpret. The chief butler, finally remembering Joseph's gift for dream interpretation from his own experience in prison, suggests Joseph to the distressed Pharaoh. Pharaoh then summons Joseph, who, after being properly prepared, is brought before the king.
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Magicians fail to interpret dreams
Pharaoh summons Egypt's magicians and wise men, but none can explain the meaning of his dreams.
c. 1688 BC
Cupbearer remembers Joseph
The chief cupbearer, remembering Joseph's past interpretation of his own dream, recommends him to Pharaoh.
c. 1688 BC
Joseph interprets Pharaoh's dreams
Joseph is brought before Pharaoh and accurately interprets the dreams as a prophecy of seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine.
"And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.”" — Pharaoh doesn't just say he heard Joseph can interpret dreams; he specifically states he heard Joseph hears dreams to interpret them, highlighting a supernatural or divinely-given ability rather…
