And the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke.
After Joseph had spent two more years in gloomy prison, the Lord gave Pharaoh two remarkable dreams in one night, both pointing to the same coming event and foreshadowing some great calamity. This verse belongs to the first of those dreams. As Pharaoh later recounted it to Joseph, he stood on the bank of the river where seven fat-fleshed and well-favored cows fed in a meadow, and then seven other cows, poor and very ill-favored and lean-fleshed, such as had never been seen in all Egypt for badness, came up after them. Those seven ugly thin cows ate up the first seven fat cows, yet when they had eaten them it could not be known that they had eaten them, for they remained still ill-favored as at the beginning, and then Pharaoh awoke.
In the morning the dreams troubled Pharaoh because he could not understand or determine their significance. He related them to the magicians of Egypt and the wise men, expecting help because of their reputation for solving difficult problems. Yet with all their magic and boasted wisdom they could not explain them. His perplexity and distress increased until terror and general agitation spread throughout his palace.
Seeing his distress recalled to the chief butler his own dream that Joseph had interpreted and that had been fulfilled, bringing conviction of forgetfulness and ingratitude toward Joseph. Though humiliated to turn away from his learned wise men to a Hebrew servant, Pharaoh condescended to accept the humble services of a slave if his troubled mind could obtain relief. Joseph was therefore brought hastily out of the dungeon, shaved, and clothed in changed raiment. When brought before Pharaoh he modestly disclaimed all superior wisdom in himself, declaring that God alone could explain the mystery and give Pharaoh an answer of peace.
After Joseph had spent two more years in gloomy prison, the Lord gave Pharaoh two remarkable dreams in one night, both pointing to the same coming event and foreshadowing some great calamity. This verse belongs to the first of those dreams. As Pharaoh later recounted it to Joseph, he stood on the bank of the river where seven fat-fleshed and well-favored cows fed in a meadow, and then seven other cows, poor and very ill-favored and lean-fleshed, such as had never been seen in all Egypt for badness, came up after them. Those seven ugly thin cows ate up the first seven fat cows, yet when they had eaten them it could not be known that they had eaten them, for they remained still ill-favored as at the beginning, and then Pharaoh awoke.
In the morning the dreams troubled Pharaoh because he could not understand or determine their significance. He related them to the magicians of Egypt and the wise men, expecting help because of their reputation for solving difficult problems. Yet with all their magic and boasted wisdom they could not explain them. His perplexity and distress increased until terror and general agitation spread throughout his palace.
Seeing his distress recalled to the chief butler his own dream that Joseph had interpreted and that had been fulfilled, bringing conviction of forgetfulness and ingratitude toward Joseph. Though humiliated to turn away from his learned wise men to a Hebrew servant, Pharaoh condescended to accept the humble services of a slave if his troubled mind could obtain relief. Joseph was therefore brought hastily out of the dungeon, shaved, and clothed in changed raiment. When brought before Pharaoh he modestly disclaimed all superior wisdom in himself, declaring that God alone could explain the mystery and give Pharaoh an answer of peace.