Genesis 41:1-8

"And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river. And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, well-favored and fat-fleshed: and they fed in the reedgrass. And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, and lean-fleshed, and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river. And the and lean-fleshed kine did eat up the seven well-favored and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke. And he slept and dreamed a second time: and, behold, seven ears of grain came up upon one stalk, rank and good. And, behold, seven ears, thin and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them. And the seven thin ears swallowed up the seven rank and full ears. Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream. 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 dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh."

"Pharaoh ..." This monarch, under whom Joseph was elevated, "was probably one of the Hyksos rulers shortly after 1720 B.C."[4]

"Reed-grass ..." was rendered "Nile-grass"[5] by Keil and probably referred to any lush grass growing in the vicinity of the river, which, of course, was the Nile.

"Ears of grain ..." The word here rendered "grain" is the Hebrew term [~bar], the meaning of which is "wheat."[6]

"There was none that could interpret ..."; Genesis 41:24 gives further light on the situation in Pharaoh's remark that, "none could declare it unto him." The evil import of the dream seems perfectly obvious. And the skilled interpreters could have come up with a lot of reasonable solutions, but none of them would do so! According to the Midrash, one of the interpretations was that Pharaoh would beget seven daughters and bury all seven of them. Another said that seven provinces would rise in rebellion against him, etc. The meaning was that they had some interpretations, but kept whispering around among themselves and would not tell Pharaoh anything.[7] However it happened, Pharaoh got nothing from the interpreters and wise men. "Thus the hand of God was upon the interpreters, making their devices of no effect, that the revelation might come by his own chosen instrument."[8] Keil also has a priceless word on this which he attributed to Baumgarten:

"It is the fate of the wisdom of this world that where it suffices it is compelled to be silent. For it belongs to the government of God to close the lips of the eloquent, and take away the understanding of the aged" (Job 12:20).[9]