Genesis 41:20
1And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.2And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favoured kine and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow.3And, 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.4And the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke.5And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good.6And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them.7And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.8And 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.9Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day:10Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in ward in the captain of the guard’s house, both me and the chief baker:11And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.12And there was there with us a young man, an 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.13And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged.14Then 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.15And 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.16And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.17And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river:18And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow:19And, 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:20And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine:21And 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.22And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good:23And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them:24And 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.25And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.26The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one.27And 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.28This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God is about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh.29Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt:30And 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;31And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous.32And 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.33Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.34Let 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.35And 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.36And 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.37And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.38And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?39And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art:40Thou 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.41And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.42And 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;43And 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.44And 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.45And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnathpaaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.46And 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.47And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls.48And 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.49And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number.50And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him.51And 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.52And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.53And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended.54And 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.55And 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.56And 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.57And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands.
King James Version (1769)
Other translations
| Verse | KJV | BSB | ASV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine: | Then the thin, ugly cows devoured the seven well-fed cows that were there first. | and the lean and ill-favored kine did eat up the first seven fat kine: |
In context
Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.
Original Hebrew words
| English | Hebrew | Say it | Strong's | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| and they ate | וַתֹּאכַ֙לְנָה֙ | va-to-KHAL-nah | H0398 | to eatאָכַל (a.khal) 1) to eat, devour, burn up, feed 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to eat (human subject) 1a2) to eat, devour (of beasts and birds) 1a3) to devour, consume (of fire) 1a4) to devour, slay (of sword) 1a5) to devour, consume, destroy (inanimate subjects - ie, pestilence, drought) 1a6) to devour (of oppression) 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be eaten (by men) 1b2) to be devoured, consumed (of fire) 1b3) to be wasted, destroyed (of flesh) 1c) (Pual) 1c1) to cause to eat, feed with 1c2) to cause to devour 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to feed 1d2) to cause to eat 1e) (Piel) 1e1) consume Aramaic equivalent: a.khal (אֲכַל "to devour" H0399) |
| the cows | הַפָּר֔וֹת | ha-pa-ROT | H6510 | heiferפָּרָה (pa.rah) cow, heifer |
| the thin | הָרַקּ֖וֹת | ha-ra-KOT | H7534 | thinרַק (raq) adj thin, lean |
| and the displeasing | וְהָרָע֑וֹת | ve-ha-ra-'ot | H7451A | bad: harmfulרַע (ra) : harmful adj 1) bad, evil 1a) bad, disagreeable, malignant 1b) bad, unpleasant, evil (giving pain, unhappiness, misery) 1c) evil, displeasing 1d) bad (of its kind-land, water, etc) 1e) bad (of value) 1f) worse than, worst (comparison) 1g) sad, unhappy 1h) evil (hurtful) 1i) bad, unkind (vicious in disposition) 1j) bad, evil, wicked (ethically) 1j1) in general, of persons, of thoughts 1j2) deeds, actions |
| seven | שֶׁ֧בַע | SHE-va' | H7651 | sevenשֶׁ֫בַע (she.va) 1) seven (cardinal number) 1a) as ordinal number 1b) in combination-17, 700 etc Aramaic equivalent: shiv.ah (שִׁבְעָה "seven" H7655) |
| the cows | הַפָּר֛וֹת | ha-pa-ROT | H6510 | heiferפָּרָה (pa.rah) cow, heifer |
| the former | הָרִאשֹׁנ֖וֹת | ha-ri-sho-NOT | H7223G | firstרִאשׁוֹן (ri.shon) : first adj 1) first, primary, former 1a) former (of time) 1a1) ancestors 1a2) former things 1b) foremost (of location) 1c) first (in time) 1d) first, chief (in degree) adv 2) first, before, formerly, at first |
| the fat | הַבְּרִיאֹֽת׃ | ha-be-ri-'OT | H1277 | fatבִּרְיָה (ber.yah) 1) fat 2) (TWOT) fat, fatter, fed, firm, plenteous, rank |
Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.