Глава 41

Gen.41:1. After two years, Pharaoh dreamed: behold, he was standing by the river; Two years are considered, probably, judging by the connection of speech with Gen. 40:23, from the liberation of the cupbearer, or this date may indicate the entire period of Joseph's stay in prison. River, Heb. jeor, - without a doubt, Nile, called by this common noun in the proper meaning not only in the Pentateuch, but also in other books of the Old Testament (Is. 7:18–19; Jer. 46:7–8; Ezek. 29:3, etc.). The Hebrew name of the Nile is consonant with the Egyptian: lapo - river: one can think that in the Egyptian language the common noun initially jeor later began to designate only the Nile, the most important river for Egypt (as urbs in Latin - Roma; ἄστυ in Greek - Αθῆναι). The pharaoh who elevated Joseph was supposed to be Apophis or Apapi of the Hyx dynasty, or, according to others, Amenemha III, of the 12th Egyptian dynasty. Gen.41:2–3. and behold, seven cows, good in appearance and fat in flesh, came out of the river, and grazed among the reeds; but behold, after them, seven other cows came out of the river, thin in appearance and skinny in flesh, and stood near those cows on the bank of the river; The Nile, in its periodic floods (from June to October), is the main source of Egypt's fertility, sometimes more or less, depending on the abundance of water (Deut. 11:10). This specifically Egyptian feature of the pharaoh’s dream is further complemented by features that are equally characteristic of Egypt: cows emerge from the Nile (cattle in hot countries remain in the water for a long time). These animals were extremely valued in ancient Egypt, serving as objects of worship. The bull - especially the famous Apis - was a symbol of the Nile and Osiris (the priests also adopted the latter name for the Nile), and therefore of agriculture and fertility. The cow in Egyptian symbolism is a type of earth, also fertility, the personification of Egypt itself (Jer. 46:20–21). Just as the bull was dedicated to Osiris, the inventor of agriculture, so the cow was dedicated to Isis, the goddess of fertility and love. Cows graze in the reeds - the Nile plant, in Hebrew achu (cf. Job 8:11). LXX in some codes: ἐν τῶ αχει, in others:. ἐν τῆ ὄχὕη; slav.: “along the shore”; Vulg. – closer to the thought of the Hebrew text: in locis palustribus. 7 fat cows emerging from the Nile were a symbol of the 7-fold fertility of the Egyptian soil due to the influence of the Nile. In contrast to this, 7 skinny cows, also emerging from the Nile, are 7 periods-years of famine, depending on the Nile, namely its lesser flooding and drought. Gen.41:4. and the thin-looking cows and the lean ones ate up the seven good-looking and fat cows. Seven years of famine follow immediately after seven years of fertility and completely destroy all supplies and the very memory of the latter (cf. vv. 30-31): this is indicated by a fantastic feature, understandable only in a dream, - the destruction of well-fed cows by thin ones. Gen.41:5. and fell asleep again, and he dreamed another time: behold, seven fat and good ears of grain rose on one stalk; The repetition of the dream in a different form, which according to the concepts of antiquity meant the identity of the meaning of both dreams and their unconditional reality, was intended to arouse the attention of the pharaoh and his faith in the providential meaning of the first dream; Moreover, the second dream, reflecting the agricultural life and fertility of Egypt, is more understandable: the growth of 7 ears of corn (full) on one stalk is a very familiar phenomenon in the fertile Nile Valley. Gen.41:6. but behold, after them seven ears of grain grew, thin and withered by the east wind; In contrast, 7 thin ears grow in isolation; they are scorched by the “eastern” - in relation to Arabia and Palestine, but the north-eastern - in relation to Egypt, the wind, khamsin (Jer. 18:17; Ezek. 17:10, 19:12; Hos. 13:15). Gen.41:7. and the lean ears devoured the seven fat and full ears. And Pharaoh woke up and realized that it was a dream. The vividness of the images of both dreams was so great that only after the final awakening did the pharaoh realize that what he had seen was a dream. Gen.41:8. In the morning his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called all the wise men of Egypt and all his wise men, and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was no one to interpret it to Pharaoh. Pharaoh's confusion, which is natural in general after dreams (Gen. 40:7), could also be caused by the following circumstances: the repetition of the dream, the view of antiquity that the destinies of peoples can be revealed to their rulers (cf. Dan. 10:7), and finally, the dominance in Egypt of the system of hieroglyphs, in which ideas were expressed by symbolic signs. This last thing prompts Pharaoh to call the wise men, chartummim (cf. Ex. 7:11, 22, 8:7, 9:11) and all the wise men of Egypt in general. The etymology of chartummim is not established; the root of this word was sought not only in Hebrew (from cheret - a chisel, a writing instrument), but also in Syriac, Arabic and Egyptian, for example, it was derived (with dubious philological validity) from two Aramaic words: chur, to see, and tum (Heb. taman), to hide: interpreter of secrets. According to a more accepted interpretation: Khartummim are specialists (from the priests) in reading hieroglyphs (LXX: ἐξηγητὰς, Vulg:. conjutores), the so-called. ίερογραμματεῖς (according to ancient evidence, Egyptian priests were divided into three classes: προφῆται, ίερογραμματεῖς, νεωκόροι). Of course, they were not limited to reading hieroglyphs, but, as is known from the book. Exodus, they were together and actually the Magi, trying to work miracles. The pharaoh turned to them precisely because his dream itself contained a kind of hieroglyphs. 7 He also turned to the sages of Egypt in general, among whom was the already famous cupbearer. Gen.41:9. And the chief cupbearer began to speak to Pharaoh and said: I remember my sins today; Pharaoh's dreams and the need to interpret them bring the cupbearer to Joseph's memory, and he finally remembers him, realizing his “sin,” i.e. or his guilt before Pharaoh, for which he was imprisoned (Gen. 40:1), or, closer, the sin of ingratitude towards Joseph (Gen. 40:14, 23). Gen.41:10–12. Pharaoh was angry with his servants and put me and the chief baker under guard in the house of the chief of the bodyguards; and we had a dream one night, me and him, each had a dream of special significance; There was also with us a young Jew, a slave of the chief of the bodyguards; we told him our dreams, and he interpreted each of us according to his dream; A brief presentation of the story of chapter 40, which can serve as an example of the language of the Egyptian courtiers: characteristically there is a diplomatic mention of the hanged baker (at the end of verse 10, see the Hebrew text, so as not to arouse the wrath of Pharaoh), as well as a condescending and arrogant mention of Joseph (“the young Hebrew slave,” v. 12, - according to the Midrash, in an unkind sense, out of reluctance rise of Joseph). Gen.41:14. And Pharaoh sent and called Joseph. And they hastily led him out of prison. He cut his hair and changed his clothes and came to Pharaoh. The butler's word had an effect: Pharaoh immediately demands Joseph to come to him, he is released from prison, and he prepares for an audience with Pharaoh: he cuts his head and beard and changes his clothes - cutting hair is a specifically Egyptian trait - the Egyptians let their hair grow only in sadness (Herod. 2:36), but they usually wore short hair and a beard; Egyptian etiquette did not allow appearing before the pharaoh in mourning and in everyday clothes. Gen.41:16. And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, This is not mine; God will give an answer for Pharaoh's benefit. Pharaoh, like his courtiers (Gen. 40:8), believed that the interpretation of dreams is a matter of art for specialists of this kind. But Joseph, in both cases, rejects the glory of a professional dream interpreter and produces his interpretation solely from God, and Pharaoh, having listened to Joseph, recognizes divine inspiration as the source of his wisdom (v. 38). Telling dreams and interpreting them Gen.41:17–24. And Pharaoh said to Joseph: I dreamed: behold, I stand on the bank of the river; and behold, seven cows, fat in flesh and good in appearance, came out of the river and grazed among the reeds; but behold, after them, seven other cows came out, thin, very bad in appearance and skinny in flesh: I have not seen in all the land of Egypt as thin as these; and the thin and thin cows ate up the seven fat cows; and the fat ones entered their womb, but it was not noticeable that they entered their womb: they were as thin in appearance as at first. Then I dreamed: behold, seven full and good ears of grain rose on one stalk; but behold, after them seven ears of grain grew, thin, skinny, and dried up by the east wind; and the lean ears devoured the seven good ears. I told this to the wise men, but no one explained it to me. Here (Gen. 41:17–24) is a repetition on behalf of Pharaoh of what was told above by the sacred writer (vv. 1–8), with the aim of more separately informing the reader of the details of Pharaoh’s dreams; here, Art. 21, contains a significant addition to the first story, namely: an indication that the fertility of the first seven years will not be able to cover with its surplus the poverty of the next 7 years of famine. Gen.41:25–32. And Joseph said to Pharaoh: The dream of the Pharaohs is one: what God will do, He told Pharaoh. Seven good cows equals seven years; and seven good ears of grain are seven years: one dream; and the seven lean and thin cows that came out after those are seven years, and also the seven lean ears of corn and withered by the east wind are seven years of famine. That is why I said to Pharaoh: He showed Pharaoh what God would do. Behold, seven years of great abundance are coming throughout all the land of Egypt; after them seven years of famine will come, and all that abundance in the land of Egypt will be forgotten, and famine will exhaust the land, and the former abundance on earth will be unnoticeable because of the famine that will follow, for it will be very severe. And that the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice, this means that this is truly the word of God, and that God will soon fulfill this. Starting to interpret the dreams of Pharaoh, Joseph with particular force of conviction emphasizes the providential meaning of dreams (as he said earlier, v. 16): through these dreams, divine providence reveals to the ruler of Egypt the fate of the country in the following years. At the same time, Joseph repeatedly points out the proof of the highest meaning of dreams and their immutability in the repetition or duality of Pharaoh’s dream in two forms, essentially identical (vv. 25, 26, 32), although they may suggest a different meaning. In general, the interpretation of Joseph is distinguished by remarkable simplicity, naturalness and complete plausibility (in fact, later justified), and these features are infinitely different from the sayings of all pagan oracles. In the fact that, despite the apparent simplicity of the meaning of dreams, this meaning remained unsolved for the sages of Egypt, one can discern the deliberate action of Providence, which through Joseph had the wisdom to fulfill its plans regarding the descendants of Abraham. In 26–27, the meaning of dream images is revealed in parallel, and in verses 28–31. do the same, but without specific images; 32 Art. highlights the unconditional correctness of the interpretation, the necessity and proximity of its implementation. Application of Dream Interpretation - Joseph's Advice to Pharaoh Gen.41:33–36. And now let Pharaoh look for a man of understanding and wisdom and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh command that overseers be appointed over the land, and that in the seven years of plenty, one-fifth of the land of Egypt be collected; let them take all the grain of these coming good years and gather grain in the cities under the authority of Pharaoh for food, and let them save it; And this food will be a storehouse for the land for the seven years of famine that will be in the land of Egypt, so that the land will not perish from famine. The great, God-enlightened wisdom of Joseph is especially expressed in the fact that, convinced of the imminent, according to his prediction, the onset of first 7 years of rare fertility in Egypt, and then extreme famine for 7 other years, he draws Pharaoh’s attention to the need to prevent the disaster of famine with possible measures, taking advantage of the years of fertility. It is he who gives advice to Pharaoh: 1) to appoint a practically wise and knowledgeable man over Egypt, and to subordinate to him the overseers of the conservation of grain in the Egyptian granaries, and 2) for this last purpose, to establish a law so that the entire country would produce a fifth of all the products of the land during 7 years of fertility, and these reserves could be stored in the royal stores scattered throughout the country (cf. Gen. 41:56). Probably, the tithe or 1/10 of the products of the land was the usual tax collected by the pharaohs and other kings of the ancient East (cf. 1 Kings 8:15, 17: the tithe is supposed to be the usual tribute paid to kings) from their subjects; now, on the occasion of extraordinary fertility and in view of the approaching famine, Joseph advises doubling the usual tax (cf. Gen. 47:24); it is possible, however, that for this surplus of the collected amount of land products from the sums of the pharaoh or the state, some kind of price, even a very low one, was paid to the residents. In suggesting that Pharaoh choose a wise man to manage the matter of state savings, Joseph, no doubt, did not mean to recommend himself to Pharaoh for this purpose; on the contrary, he is completely captured not only by a clear foreknowledge of the future destinies of Egypt, but also by a sincere desire to prevent the disaster of starvation in Egypt - “so that the land does not perish from hunger” (v. 36), and does not think about himself personally at all. Moreover, the position he is projecting for managing the collection of supplies is much lower and more special than the position and position of the supreme ruler of Egypt, which Pharaoh provides to Joseph. The rise of Joseph and his government activities Gen.41:38–39. And Pharaoh said to his servants: Will we find one like him, a man in whom is the Spirit of God? And Pharaoh said to Joseph: Since God has revealed all this to you, there is no one so intelligent and wise as you; The supernatural wisdom of Joseph was revealed to Pharaoh and his courtiers in foreseeing it and delineating the necessary measures in case of famine: the interpretation of dreams given by him was fully justified by the Egyptian symbolism familiar to them, and the practical advice given by Joseph amazed the Egyptian sages with its expediency and applicability in the interests of state economy. Both of them, despite their apparent simplicity, were not solved or proposed by them. Therefore, together with their king, they see the source of Joseph’s wisdom in God (Elohim, not lehovah) - the highest intelligent Being who gave reason and wisdom to Joseph. Recognizing the reasonableness of both the predictions and Joseph's advice, Pharaoh immediately raises the question of who could fulfill his plans in the interests of the country - and resolves this issue in Joseph's favor. Gen.41:40–41. You will be over my house, and all my people will keep your word; Only with the throne will I be greater than you. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, Behold, I have made thee over all the land of Egypt. Pharaoh makes Joseph both the ruler of his court (the kings of Israel and Judah later had the same kind of stewards, 1 Kings 18:3; 2 Kings 18:18) and the ruler, the first after the king, of the entire country. Such an instant elevation of a foreign slave to the rank of first minister in the state is quite compatible with the customs and morals of despot kings not only of the ancient East (cf. Dan. 2:48), but also of the modern (“grand vizier” of the Turkish Sultan, nobles of the Persian Shah often reach their high positions from a low social state). Gen.41:42–43. And Pharaoh took his ring from his hand and put it on Joseph's hand; He dressed him in fine linen, and put a golden chain around his neck; ordered to take him on the second of his chariots and proclaim before him: bow down! and he set him over all the land of Egypt. The regalia and honors bestowed on Joseph by the will of the Pharaoh are distinguished by their purely Egyptian and generally specifically Eastern character. Thus, removing the ring from one’s hand and placing it on the hand of a person invested with new high power was very common among the kings of the ancient East (Esther. 3:10, 8:2; 1 Mac. 6:15). Clothes made of fine linen, made from schesch or luz fabric, made from cotton growing only in Egypt (cf. Ezek. 27:7), are part of the life of the upper classes in Egypt. Likewise, the golden neck chain and the ceremonial chariot on which Joseph was carried (“second” - that is, after Pharaoh’s own chariot) were native signs in Egypt, so to speak, of court investiture; The placing of fine linen on Joseph, according to some, meant his initiation into the priestly caste. The rise of Joseph was publicly announced by the herald who drove his chariot with the exclamation: “abrech.” The last word is recognized by most interpreters as Egyptian (like the Egyptian root of the hitherto encountered jeor, achu, art. 1, 2), but its meaning is defined differently. Some (Grotius, Yablonsky, etc.), bringing this word closer to the Coptic “apereh” or “sure”, render it: “bow your head.” In this or a similar meaning, it is about kneeling that Aquila, the Vulgate, is understood (“ut omnes coram eum genu flecterent”). According to the Targums, "abrekh" means "father of the king," a title that Joseph apparently actually bore (Gen. 45:8). According to Jewish commentators, this word has the same meaning as Hebrew. barach in f. gif. - to kneel (Greek and Slavic translations take the word abrech as the name of a herald). Gen.41:44–45. And Pharaoh said to Joseph: I am Pharaoh; without you no one will move his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Tzaphnath-paneah, and gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of Heliopolis, as his wife. And Joseph walked through the land of Egypt. Confirming his authority to Joseph, the pharaoh, in order to bring him closer to the Egyptian type and merge his interests with the Egyptian nationality and country, gives Joseph a new, undoubtedly Egyptian name “Tzafnaf-paneah” (LXX: Ψονθομφανήχ) and marries him to the priest’s daughter. The meaning of the new name of Joseph - “savior of the world” (Vulg: salvator mundi), or “revealer of secrets” (according to Josephus), “feeder of life”, or “spirit flowing around the world” - has not been established with precision; in any case, Joseph’s new name expressed the Pharaoh’s thought that Joseph was a man sent by God and destined to serve the salvation of Egypt. Asenath (Asvaf), LXX: Ασεννέθ, from Egyptian - servant of the goddess Neith (Egyptian Minerva), daughter of Potiphera; the latter (his name means servant of the sun god) is different from Potiphar, the former master of Joseph, although Jewish interpreters and, perhaps, LXX, confused one and the other. Asenath's father was a priest in the city of On, in Egyptian Anu (north of Memphis), otherwise called Heliopolis or Bet-Shemesh (Jer. 43:13) - “the house or city of the sun,” there was a famous church of the sun; the priestly caste was especially influential here. Through this marriage, Pharaoh introduces Joseph into the ranks of the highest Egyptian aristocracy, from whose midst the Pharaoh came. Jewish tradition denied this connection between Joseph and the house of the idolatrous priest. But Joseph, despite his external way of life being similar to the Egyptians, always remained faithful to the faith of his fathers (Gen. 41:51–52, 42:18, 43:29, 45:5–9, 50:19–24). Gen.41:46. Joseph was thirty years old when he appeared before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. At the age of 30, therefore 13 years after his involuntary arrival in Egypt, Joseph begins to fulfill the duties of his post. Gen.41:47–49. In the seven years of abundance, the earth brought forth handfuls of grain. And he gathered all the grain of the seven years that were [fruitful] in the land of Egypt, and laid the grain in the cities; in each city he laid the grain of the fields surrounding it. And Joseph accumulated very much bread, like the sand of the sea, so that he stopped counting, for there was no counting. Verses 47–49 depict a picture of extreme fertility in Egypt in the first 7 years, when “handfuls were born from one grain” (v. 47), - the grandiose activity of Joseph in collecting bread and all kinds of fruits from the regions into the king’s city stores (v. 48), and the city was supposed to become the granary of the surrounding villages during the famine; the total amount of grain collected could not even be counted due to the multitude (v. 49). Рождение детей; начало голода Gen.41:50–52. Before the onset of the years of famine, Joseph had two sons, whom Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, priest of Heliopolis, bore to him. And Joseph called the name of his firstborn Manasseh, because [he said] God made me forget all my misfortunes and all my father’s house. And he named the other Ephraim, because [he said] God made me fruitful in the land of my suffering. During the years of fertility, perhaps in the second half of this period, Joseph had two sons from Asenath, whose descendants were of very great importance in the subsequent history of Israel: the sacred writer speaks about their birth here, adhering to the chronology of events and wanting to give complete information about the new period of Joseph’s life in Egypt (cf. Gen. 41:45). The names of both of Joseph's sons are significant because they reflect his spiritual mood. Manasseh (Heb. Menashe) - “making one forget” precisely all the misadventures he experienced from the time he left his father’s house and even during his stay there; only insofar as the memory of his father’s house caused a bitterness of sadness in Joseph, he forgot him and all the disasters, due to God’s mercy towards him. If, therefore, the name of the firstborn has a more negative meaning, although it contains thanksgiving to God on the part of Joseph, then the name of the 2nd son of Joseph - Ephraim (Hebrew Ephraim) - “double fertility”, indicates a positive consequence of his rise in Egypt: deliverance from disasters and glorification. Gen.41:55–57. But when the whole land of Egypt began to suffer famine, the people began to cry out to Pharaoh for bread. And Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, Go to Joseph and do as he tells you. And there was a famine throughout the whole land; And Joseph opened all the barns and began to sell grain to the Egyptians. The famine increased in the land of Egypt. And people from all countries came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, for the famine had increased throughout the whole land. With the cessation of fertility - apparently dependent, as usual in Egypt, on the unsatisfactory floods of the Nile - famine began in Egypt and surrounding countries, such as Libya, Arabia, Palestine, Phenicia. At the first time of famine, the inhabitants of Egypt could still eat their own reserves, accumulated during the years of plenty by individual families, regardless of state reserves. But then private supplies ran out, the people began to “cry out” to Pharaoh, and he sent him to Joseph. The latter (offering, according to the Midrash, Beresch. r. Par. 90, s. 441, all the Egyptians who turned to him to accept circumcision) then opens the royal granaries and sells grain from them, first only to the Egyptians (v. 56), and then to foreigners (v. 57). The latter was the reason for the arrival of Joseph's brothers in Egypt and their meeting with their sold brother, approximately 21–22 years after his sale (13 years + 7 years + 1(2) years). According to the Midrash, the interpreters offered the pharaoh different explanations of the dreams (for example: 7 daughters will be born to him and he will lose 7 daughters), but the pharaoh did not like these interpretations. Beresch.r.Par.LXXXIX,s.437. You might be interested in: