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Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
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Matthew Henry |
G E N E S I S
CHAP. XLI.
Two things Providence is here bringing about:–
I. The advancement
of Joseph.
II. The maintenance of Jacob and his family in a
time of famine; for the eyes of the Lord run to and fro through
the earth, and direct the affairs of the children of men for the
benefit of those few whose hearts are upright with him. In order to
these, we have here,
1. Pharaoh’s dreams,
2. The recommendation
of Joseph to him for an interpreter,
3. The
interpretation of the dreams, and the prediction of seven years
of plenty and seven years of famine in Egypt, with the prudent
advice given to Pharaoh thereupon,
4. The preferment
of Joseph to a place of the highest power and trust in
Egypt,
5. The accomplishment of Joseph’s prediction,
and his fidelity to his trust,
&c.
| Pharaoh’s Portentous Dream. | B. C. 1715. |
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1 And it came to pass at the end
of two full years, that Pharaoh
dreamed: and, behold, he stood by
the river.
2 And, behold, there came
up out of the river seven well favoured
kine and fatfleshed; and they fed in a
meadow.
3 And, behold, seven other
kine came up after them out of the
river, ill favoured and leanfleshed; and
stood by the other kine upon the brink
of the river.
4 And the ill favoured
and leanfleshed kine did eat up the
seven well favoured and fat kine. So
Pharaoh awoke.
5 And he slept and
dreamed the second time: and, behold,
seven ears of corn came up upon
one stalk, rank and good.
6 And, behold,
seven thin ears and blasted with
the east wind sprung up after them.
7 And the seven thin ears devoured
the seven rank and full ears. And
Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a
dream.
8 And it came to pass in the
morning that his spirit was troubled;
and he sent and called for all the magicians
of Egypt, and all the wise men
thereof: and Pharaoh told them his
dreams; but there was none that could
interpret them unto Pharaoh.
Observe,
1. The delay of Joseph’s enlargement.
It was not till the end of two
full years
(v. 1);
so long he waited after he
had entrusted the chief butler with his case
and began to have some prospect of relief.
Note, We have need of patience, not only
bearing, but waiting, patience. Joseph lay
in prison until the time that his word came,
There is a time set for the deliverance
of God’s people; that time will
come, though it seem to tarry; and, when it
comes, it will appear to have been the best
time, and therefore we ought to wait for it
(Hab. ii. 3),
and not think two full years too
long to continue waiting.
2. The means of
Joseph’s enlargement, which were Pharaoh’s
dreams, here related. If we were to look
upon them as ordinary dreams, we might
observe from them the follies and absurdities
of a roving working fancy, how it represents
to itself tame cows as beasts of prey (nay,
more ravenous than any, eating up those of
their own kind), and ears of corn as devouring
one another. Surely in the multitude of
dreams, nay, even in one dream, there are
divers vanities,
Now that God
no longer speaks to us in that way, I think it
is no matter how little we either heed them
or tell them. Foolish dreams related can
make no better than foolish talk. But these
dreams which Pharaoh dreamed carried their
own evidence with them that they were sent
of God; and therefore, when he awoke, his
spirit was troubled,
v. 8.
It cannot but put
us into a concern to receive any extraordinary
message from heaven, because we are conscious
to ourselves that we have no reason to
expect any good tidings thence. His magicians
were puzzled, the rules of their art
failed them: these dreams of Pharaoh, it
seems, did not fall within the compass of
them, so that they could not offer at the interpretation
of them. This was to make Joseph’s
performance by the Spirit of God the
more admirable. Human reason, prudence,
and foresight, must be nonplussed, that divine
revelation may appear the more glorious in
the contrivance of our redemption,
Compare with this story,
Joseph’s own dreams were the
occasion of his troubles, and now Pharaoh’s
dreams were the occasion of his enlargement.
| Joseph Brought before Pharaoh. | B. C. 1715. |
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9 Then spake the chief butler unto
Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my
faults this day:
10 Pharaoh was wroth
with his servants, and put me in ward
in the captain of the guard’s house,
both me and the chief baker:
11 And
we dreamed a dream in one night, I
and he; we dreamed each man according
to the interpretation of his dream.
12 And there was there with us a
young man, a Hebrew, servant to
the captain of the guard; and we told
him, and he interpreted to us our
dreams; to each man according to his
dream he did interpret.
13 And it
came to pass, as he interpreted to us,
so it was; me he restored unto mine
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 raiment, and came in unto
Pharaoh.
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.
16 And Joseph answered
Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God
shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.
Here is,
1. The recommending of Joseph
to Pharaoh for an interpreter. The chief
butler did it more in compliment to Pharaoh,
to oblige him, than in gratitude to Joseph,
or in compassion for his case. He makes a
fair confession
(v. 9):
“I remember my faults
this day, in forgetting Joseph.” Note, It is
best to remember our duty, and to do it in
its time; but, if we have neglected that, it is
next best to remember our faults, and repent
of them, and do our duty at last; better late
than never. Some think he means his faults
against Pharaoh, for which he was imprisoned;
and then he would insinuate that, though
Pharaoh had forgiven him, he had not forgiven
himself. The story he had to tell was,
in short, That there was an obscure young
man in the king’s prison, who had very properly
interpreted his dream, and the chief
baker’s (the event corresponding in each with
the interpretation), and that he would recommend
him to the king his master for an interpreter.
Note, God’s time for the enlargement
of his people will appear at last to be
the fittest time. If the chief butler had at
first used his interest for Joseph’s enlargement,
and had obtained it, it is probable that
upon his release he would have gone back
to the land of the Hebrews again, which he spoke
of so feelingly
(ch. xl. 15),
and then he would
neither have been so blessed himself, nor such
a blessing to his family, as afterwards he
proved. But staying two years longer, and
coming out now upon this occasion, at last,
to interpret the king’s dreams, way was made
for his very great preferment. Those that
patiently wait for God shall be paid for their
waiting, not only principal but interest,
2. The introducing of Joseph to
Pharaoh. The king’s business requires
haste. Joseph is sent for out of the dungeon
with all speed; Pharaoh’s order discharged
him both from his imprisonment and from
his servitude, and made him a candidate for
some of the highest trusts at court. The
king can scarcely allow him time, but that
decency required it, to shave himself, and to
change his raiment,
It is done with
all possible expedition, and Joseph is brought
in, perhaps almost as much surprised as
Peter was,
So suddenly is his
captivity brought back that he is as one that
dreams,
Pharaoh immediately,
without enquiring who or whence he was,
tells him his business, that he expected he
should interpret his dream,
To which,
Joseph makes him a very modest decent reply,
(v. 16),
in which,
(1.) He gives honour
to God. “It is not in me, God must give
it.” Note, Great gifts appear most graceful
and illustrious when those that have them
use them humbly, and take not the praise of
them to themselves, but give it to God. To
such God gives more grace.
(2.) He shows
respect to Pharaoh, and hearty good-will to
him and his government, in supposing that
the interpretation would be an answer of
peace. Note, Those that consult God’s oracles
may expect an answer of peace. If Joseph
be made the interpreter, hope the best.
| Joseph Interprets Pharaoh’s Dream. | B. C. 1715. |
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17 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph,
In my dream, behold, I stood upon the
bank of the river:
18 And, behold, there
came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed
and well favoured; and they
fed in a meadow:
19 And, behold,
seven other kine came up after them,
poor and very ill favoured and leanfleshed,
such as I never saw in all the
land of Egypt for badness:
20 And
the lean and the ill favoured kine did
eat up the first seven fat kine:
21 And when they had eaten them up, it
could not be known that they had
eaten them; but they were still ill favoured,
as at the beginning. So I
awoke.
22 And I saw in my dream,
and, behold, seven ears came up in
one stalk, full and good:
23 And,
behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and
blasted with the east wind, sprung up
after them:
24 And the thin ears devoured
the seven good ears: and I
told this unto the magicians; but there
was none that could declare it to me.
25 And Joseph said unto Pharaoh,
The dream of Pharaoh is one: God
hath showed Pharaoh what he is about
to do.
26 The seven good kine are
seven years; and the seven good ears
are seven years: the dream is one.
27 And the seven thin and ill favoured
kine that came up after them are seven
years; and the seven empty ears
blasted with the east wind shall be
seven years of famine.
28 This is the
thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh:
What God is about to do he
showeth unto Pharaoh.
29 Behold,
there come seven years of great plenty
throughout all the land of Egypt:
30 And there shall arise after them seven
years of famine; and all the plenty
shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt;
and the famine shall consume the land;
31 And the plenty shall not be known
in the land by reason of that famine following;
for it shall be very grievous.
32 And for that the dream was doubled
unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the
thing is established by God, and God
will shortly bring it to pass.
Here,
I. Pharaoh relates his dream.
He dreamt 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. For the kingdom of Egypt had no
rain, as appears,
but the plenty
of the year depended upon the overflowing
of the river, and it was about one certain time
of the year that it overflowed. If it rose to
fifteen or sixteen cubits, there was plenty; if
to twelve or thirteen only, or under, there
was scarcity. See how many ways Providence
has of dispensing its gifts; yet, whatever
the second causes are, our dependence
is still the same upon the first Cause, who
makes every creature that to us that it is, be
it rain or river.
II. Joseph interprets his dream, and tells
him that it signified seven years of plenty
now immediately to ensue, which should be
succeeded by as many years of famine.
Observe,
1. The two dreams signified the
same thing, but the repetition was to denote
the certainty, the nearness, and the importance,
of the event,
Thus God has often
shown the immutability of his counsel by two
immutable things,
Heb. vi. 17, 18.
The
covenant is sealed with two sacraments; and
in the one of them there are both bread
and wine, wherein the dream is one, and yet
it is doubled, for the thing is certain.
2. Yet
the two dreams had a distinct reference to
the two things wherein we most experience
plenty and scarcity, namely, grass and corn.
The plenty and scarcity of grass for the cattle
were signified by the fat kine and the lean
ones; the plenty and scarcity of herb for the
service of man by the full ears and the thin
ones.
3. See what changes the comforts of
this life are subject to. After great plenty
may come great scarcity; how strong soever
we may think our mountain stands, if God
speak the word, it will soon be moved. We
cannot be sure that to-morrow shall be as this
day, next year as this, and much more abundant,
Isa. lvi. 12.
We must learn how to
want, as well as how to abound.
4. See the
goodness of God in sending the seven years
of plenty before those of famine, that provision
might be made accordingly. Thus he
sets the one over-against the other,
Eccl. vii. 14.
With what wonderful wisdom has Providence,
that great housekeeper, ordered the
affairs of this numerous family from the
beginning hitherto! Great variety of seasons
there have been, and the produce of the earth
is sometimes more and sometimes less; yet,
take one time with another, what was miraculous
concerning the manna is ordinarily verified
in the common course of Providence,
He that gathers much has nothing over, and he
that gathers little has no lack,
Exod. xvi. 18.
5. See the perishing nature of our worldly
enjoyments. The great increase of the years
of plenty was quite lost and swallowed up in
the years of famine; and the overplus of it,
which seemed very much, yet did but just
serve to keep men alive,
Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats, but God
shall destroy both it and them,
1 Cor. vi. 13.
There is bread which endures to everlasting
life, which shall not be forgotten, and which
it is worth while to labour for,
Those that make the things of this world
their good things will find but little pleasure
in remembering that they have received them,
6. Observe, God revealed
this beforehand to Pharaoh, who, as king of
Egypt, was to be the father of his country,
and to make prudent provision for them.
Magistrates are called shepherds, whose care
it must be, not only to rule, but to feed.
| Joseph’s Exaltation. | B. C. 1715. |
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33 Now therefore let Pharaoh look
out a man discreet and wise, and set
him over the land of Egypt.
34 Let
Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint
officers over the land, and take up the
fifth part of the land of Egypt in the
seven plenteous years.
35 And let
them gather all the food of those
good years that come, and lay up corn
under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them
keep food in the cities.
36 And that
food shall be for store to the land
against the seven years of famine,
which shall be in the land of Egypt;
that the land perish not through the
famine.
37 And the thing was good
in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes
of all his servants.
38 And Pharaoh
said unto his servants, Can we find
such a one as this is, a man in whom
the Spirit of God is?
39 And Pharaoh
said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath
showed thee all this, there is
none so discreet and wise as thou
40 Thou shalt be over my house,
and according unto thy word shall all
my people be ruled: only in the throne
will I be greater than thou.
41 And
Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have
set thee over all the land of Egypt.
42 And Pharaoh took off his ring
from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s
hand, and arrayed him in vestures
of fine linen, and put a gold chain
about his neck;
43 And he made him
to ride in the second chariot which he
had; and they cried before him, Bow
the knee: and he made him ruler over
all the land of Egypt.
44 And Pharaoh
said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh,
and without thee shall no man lift up
his hand or foot in all the land of
Egypt.
45 And Pharaoh called Joseph’s
name Zaphnath-paaneah; and
he gave him to wife Asenath the
daughter of Poti-pherah priest of On.
And Joseph went out over all the land
of Egypt.
Here is, I. The good advice that Joseph
gave to Pharaoh, which was,
1. That in the
years of plenty he should lay up for the years
of famine, buy up corn when it was cheap,
that he might both enrich himself and
supply the country when it would be dear and
scarce. Note, Fair warning should always
be followed with good counsel. Therefore
the prudent man foresees the evil, that he may
hide himself. God has in his word told us of
a day of trial and exigence before us, when
we shall need all the grace we can get, and
all little enough, “Now, therefore, provide
accordingly.” Note, further, Times of gathering
must be diligently improved, because
there will come a time of spending. Let us
go to the ant, and learn of her this wisdom,
2. Because that which is
everybody’s work commonly proves nobody’s
work, he advises Pharaoh to appoint officers
who should make it their business, and to
select some one person to preside in the
affair,
Probably, if Joseph had not
advised this, it would not have been done;
Pharaoh’s counsellors could no more improve
the dream than his magicians interpret it;
therefore it is said of him
that he
taught the senators wisdom. Hence we may
justly infer with Solomon
(Eccl. iv. 13),
Better
is a poor and a wise child than an old and
foolish king.
II. The great honour that Pharaoh did to
Joseph.
1. He gave him an honourable testimony:
He is a man in whom the Spirit of
God is; and this puts a great excellency
upon any man; such men ought to be valued,
He is a nonsuch for prudence:
There is none so discreet and wise as thou art,
v. 39.
Now he is abundantly recompensed
for the disgrace that had been done him;
and his righteousness is as the morning-light,
2. He put him into an
honourable office; not only employed him
to buy up corn, but made him prime-minister
of state, comptroller of the household–Thou
shalt be over my house, chief justice of the
kingdom–according to thy word shall all my
people be ruled, or armed, as some read it,
and then it bespeaks him general of the
forces. Him commission was very ample: I
have set thee over all the land of Egypt
(v. 41);
without thee shall no man lift up his hand or
foot
(v. 44);
all the affairs of the kingdom
must pass through his hand. Nay
(v. 40),
only in the throne will I be greater than thou.
Note, It is the wisdom of princes to prefer
those, and the happiness of people to have
those preferred, to places of power and trust,
in whom the Spirit of God is. It is probable
that there were those about the court who
opposed Joseph’s preferment, which occasioned
Pharaoh so often to repeat the grant,
and with that solemn sanction
(v. 44),
I am
Pharaoh. When the proposal was made that
there should be a corn-master-general nominated,
it is said
(v. 37),
Pharaoh’s servants
were all pleased with the proposal, each
hoping for the place; but when Pharaoh said
to them, “Joseph shall be the man,” we do
not read that they made him any answer,
being uneasy at it, and acquiescing only
because they could not help it. Joseph had
enemies, no doubt, archers that shot at him,
and hated him
(ch. xlix. 23),
as Daniel,
3. He put upon him all the marks of
honour imaginable, to recommend him to the
esteem and respect of the people as the king’s
favourite, and one whom he delighted to
honour.
(1.) He gave him his own ring, as
a ratification of his commission, and in token
of peculiar favour; or it was like delivering
him the great seal.
(2.) He put fine clothes
upon him, instead of his prison garments.
For those that are in kings’ palaces must
wear soft clothing; he that, in the morning,
was dragging his fetters of iron, before night
was adorned with a chain of gold.
(3.) He made him ride in the second chariot to his
own, and ordered all to do homage to him:
“Bow the knee, as to Pharaoh himself.”
(4.) He gave him a new name, to show his
authority over him, and yet such a name as
bespoke the value he had for him, Zaphnath-paaneah–A
revealer of secrets.
(5.) He married
him honourably to a prince’s daughter.
Where God had been liberal in giving
wisdom and other merits, Pharaoh was
not sparing in conferring honours. Now
this preferment of Joseph was,
[1.] An
abundant recompense for his innocent and
patient suffering, a lasting instance of the
equity and goodness of Providence, and an
encouragement to all good people to trust in
a good God.
[2.] It was typical of the
exaltation of Christ, that great revealer of
secrets
(John i. 18),
or, as some translate
Joseph’s new name, the Saviour of the world.
The brightest glories of the upper world
are put upon him, the highest trust is
lodged in his hand, and all power is given
to him both in heaven and earth. He is gatherer,
keeper, and disposer, of all the stores
of divine grace, and chief ruler of the kingdom
of God among men. The work of ministers
is to cry before him, “Bow the knee; kiss the
Son.“
| The Famine in Egypt and Canaan. | B. C. 1706. |
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46 And Joseph was thirty years old
when he stood before Pharaoh king
of Egypt. And Joseph went out from
the presence of Pharaoh, and went
throughout all the land of Egypt.
47 And in the seven plenteous years the
earth brought forth by handfuls.
48 And he gathered up all the food of
the seven years, which were in the
land of Egypt, and laid up the food
in the cities: the food of the field,
which was round about every city, laid
he up in the same.
49 And Joseph
gathered corn as the sand of the sea,
very much, until he left numbering;
for it was without number.
50 And
unto Joseph were born two sons before
the years of famine came, which
Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah
priest of On bare unto him.
51 And
Joseph called the name of the firstborn
Manasseh: For God, said he,
hath made me forget all my toil, and
all my father’s house.
52 And the
name of the second called he Ephraim:
For God hath caused me to be fruitful
in the land of my affliction.
53 And the seven years of plenteousness,
that was in the land of Egypt, were
ended.
54 And the seven years of
dearth began to come, according as
Joseph had said: and the dearth was
in all lands; but in all the land of
Egypt there was bread.
55 And when
all the land of Egypt was famished,
the people cried to Pharaoh for bread:
and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians,
Go unto Joseph; what he saith
to you, do.
56 And the famine was
over all the face of the earth: and
Joseph opened all the storehouses,
and sold unto the Egyptians; and
the famine waxed sore in the land of
Egypt.
57 And all countries came
into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn;
because that the famine was so sore in
all lands.
Observe here,
I. The building of Joseph’s
family in the birth of two sons, Manasseh
and Ephraim,
In the names he
gave them, he owned the divine Providence
giving this happy turn to his affairs,
1. He
was made to forget his misery,
We should bear our afflictions when they are
present as those that know not but Providence
may so outweigh them by after-comforts
as that we may even forget them
when they are past. But could he be so
unnatural as to forget all his father’s house?
He means the unkindness he received from
his brethren, or perhaps the wealth and
honour he expected from his father, with the
birthright. The robes he now wore made
him forget the coat of divers colours which
he wore in his father’s house.
2. He was
made fruitful in the land of his affliction. It
had been the land of his affliction, and in
some sense it was still so, for it was not
Canaan, the land of promise. His distance
from his father was still his affliction. Note,
Light is sometimes sown for the righteous in
a barren and unlikely soil; and yet if God
sow it, and water it, it will come up again.
The afflictions of the saints promote their
fruitfulness. Ephraim signifies fruitfulness,
and Manasseh forgetfulness, for these two
often go together; when Jeshurun waxed fat,
he forgot God his Maker.
II. The accomplishment of Joseph’s predictions.
Pharaoh had great confidence in
the truth of them, perhaps finding in his own
mind, beyond what another person could, an
exact correspondence between them and his
dreams, as between the key and the lock;
and the event showed that he was not deceived.
The seven plenteous years came
(v. 47),
and, at length, they were ended,
Note, We ought to foresee the approaching
period of the days both of our prosperity and
of our opportunity, and therefore must not
be secure in the enjoyment of our prosperity
nor slothful in the improvement of our opportunity;
years of plenty will end, therefore,
Whatever thy hand finds to do do it;
and gather in gathering time. The morning
cometh and also the night
(Isa. xxi. 12),
the plenty and also the famine.
The seven years
of dearth began to come,
v. 54.
See what changes of condition we are liable to in this
world, and what need we have to be joyful
in a day of prosperity and in a day of adversity
to consider,
This famine,
it seems, was not only in Egypt, but in other
lands, in all lands, that is, all the neighbouring
countries; fruitful lands are soon turned
into barrenness for the iniquity of those that
dwell therein,
Ps. cvii. 34.
It is here said
that in the land of Egypt there was bread,
meaning probably, not only that which Joseph
had bought up for the king, but that
which private persons, by his example, and
upon the public notice of this prediction, as
well as by the rules of common prudence,
had laid up.
III. The performance of Joseph’s trust.
He was found faithful to it, as a steward
ought to be.
1. He was diligent in laying
up, while the plenty lasted,
He
that thus gathers is a wise son.
2. He was
prudent and careful in giving out, when the
famine came, and kept the markets low by
furnishing them at reasonable rates out of
his stores. The people in distress cried to
Pharaoh, as that woman to the king of Israel
Help, my lord, O king: he
sent them to his treasurer, Go to Joseph.
Thus God in the gospel directs those that
apply to him for mercy and grace to go to the
Lord Jesus, in whom all fulness dwells; and,
What he saith to you, do. Joseph, no doubt,
with wisdom and justice fixed the price of
the corn he sold, so that Pharaoh, whose
money had bought it up, might have a reasonable
profit, and yet the country might not
be oppressed, nor advantage taken of their
prevailing necessity; while he that withholdest
corn when it is dear, in hopes it will
yet grow dearer, though people perish for
want of it, has many a curse for so doing
(and it is not a curse causeless), blessings
shall be upon the head of him that thus selleth
it,
Prov. xi. 26.
And let the price be determined
by that golden rule of justice, to do as
we would be done by.
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