word. Hebrew mouth. Metonymy (of Cause). Mouth is put for the commands uttered by it. be ruled. Hebrew. nashak, to bend (as a bow). Figure of speech Metonymy (of Adjunct). = bend put for submit. See Genesis 41:43 , below, "Bow the knee", and note on "kiss", Psalms 2:12 . greater. Compare Genesis 45:8 . read more
"And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants. And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom the spirit of God is? And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath showed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou: thou shall be over my house, and according to thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the... read more
Genesis 41:40. Shalt be over my house— Be the chief minister of my court, Psalms 105:21. He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance. And according to thy word, conformably to thy orders, shall all my people be ruled. The Hebrew is, according to thy word shall my people kiss; that is; they shall pay thee that submission and obedience of which the kiss was a token. See Psalms 2:12. 1Ki 19:18. 1Sa 10:1 and in this sense it is taken by the LXX, the Samaritan, the Vulgate, and... read more
40. Thou shalt be over my house—This sudden change in the condition of a man who had just been taken out of prison could take place nowhere, except in Egypt. In ancient as well as modern times, slaves have often risen to be its rulers. But the special providence of God had determined to make Joseph governor of Egypt; and the way was paved for it by the deep and universal conviction produced in the minds both of the king and his councillors, that a divine spirit animated his mind and had given... read more
Pharaoh recognized Joseph as one who had unique supernatural powers (Genesis 41:38; cf. Daniel 5:14). He probably did not identify the "spirit" in Joseph as the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity. There is no evidence that Pharaoh understood or believed in the God of Israel much less comprehended his triunity. Most likely he thought some deity had manifested himself or herself through Joseph.It was not unknown in Egypt for the Pharaohs to appoint individuals who lacked previous social... read more
The Dreams of Pharaoh and the Advancement of Joseph1. Pharaoh] It is believed that a dynasty of Asiatic (perhaps Bedouin) conquerors, known as the Hyksôs or Shepherd kings, were now in power in Egypt. Their rule lasted for 500 years, until 1700 or 1600 b.c., when a native Nubian dynasty from Thebes expelled the invaders. The court was at Zoan on the eastern frontier of Egypt. The elevation of Joseph to an almost royal position, and the welcome extended to his kinsmen, were natural at the hands... read more
(40) Over my house.—The chief over the palace was in ancient times next in power to the sovereign, and under the Frankish kings the “major domi,” or mayor of the palace, first usurped the whole royal power, and finally Pepin, the son of Charles Martel, took the name of king as well as the reality.According unto thy word shall all my people be ruled.—The general sense is easy, namely that all the people of Egypt should obey Joseph’s orders, but the translation of the phrase is difficult. The... read more
Joseph the Optimist Genesis 41:33 Neither the personality nor the public position of Joseph accounts for his effect on posterity. His peculiarity is not that he rises to a pinnacle of earthly splendour. It is that his splendour has come out of his dungeon. I. The portrait of Joseph is a philosophical picture the earliest attempt to delineate a theory of the universe in the form of the narrative. Joseph is made the spokesman of the new evangel. He comes before us as the advocate for optimism.... read more
PHARAOH’S DREAMSGenesis 41:1-57"Thus saith the Lord, that frustrateth the tokens of the liars and maketh diviners mad; that confirmeth the word of His servant, and performeth the counsel of His messengers; that saith of Cyrus, He is nay shepherd, and shall perform all My pleasure."- Isaiah 44:25; Isaiah 44:28.THE preceding act in this great drama-the act comprising the scenes of Joseph’s temptation, unjust imprisonment, and interpretation of his fellow-prisoners’ dreams-was written for the sake... read more
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Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Genesis 41:1-57
Joseph’s rise to power (39:1-41:57)In contrast to Judah, Joseph was blameless in his behaviour in Egypt. Soon he was placed in charge of Potiphar’s household (39:1-6). When he rejected the immoral invitations of Potiphar’s wife, she turned against him bitterly and had him thrown into prison (7-20). Again his behaviour was blameless, and soon he was given a position of responsibility over the other prisoners (21-23).Among the prisoners who later joined Joseph were two of Pharaoh’s palace... read more