Genesis 41:17
New International Version
Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile,

New Living Translation
So Pharaoh told Joseph his dream. “In my dream,” he said, “I was standing on the bank of the Nile River,

English Standard Version
Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Behold, in my dream I was standing on the banks of the Nile.

Berean Standard Bible
Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile,

King James Bible
And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river:

New King James Version
Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: “Behold, in my dream I stood on the bank of the river.

New American Standard Bible
So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream, there I was, standing on the bank of the Nile;

NASB 1995
So Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, “In my dream, behold, I was standing on the bank of the Nile;

NASB 1977
So Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, “In my dream, behold, I was standing on the bank of the Nile;

Legacy Standard Bible
So Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, “In my dream, behold, I was standing on the bank of the Nile;

Amplified Bible
So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream, I was standing on the bank of the Nile;

Christian Standard Bible
So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So Pharaoh said to Joseph: “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile,

American Standard Version
And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the brink of the river:

Contemporary English Version
The king told Joseph: I dreamed I was standing on the bank of the Nile River.

English Revised Version
And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the brink of the river:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile.

Good News Translation
The king said, "I dreamed that I was standing on the bank of the Nile,

International Standard Version
So Pharaoh told Joseph, "In my dream, I was standing on the bank of the Nile River,

Majority Standard Bible
Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile,

NET Bible
Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "In my dream I was standing by the edge of the Nile.

New Heart English Bible
Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "In my dream, look, I stood on the edge of the Nile.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Pharaoh said to Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river:

World English Bible
Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, “In my dream, behold, I stood on the brink of the river;
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And Pharaoh speaks to Joseph: “In my dream, behold, I am standing by the edge of the River,

Young's Literal Translation
And Pharaoh speaketh unto Joseph: 'In my dream, lo, I am standing by the edge of the River,

Smith's Literal Translation
And Pharaoh will say to Joseph, In my dream I stood by the lip of the river.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
So Pharao told what he had dreamed: Methought I stood upon the bank of the river,

Catholic Public Domain Version
Therefore, Pharaoh explained what he had seen: “I thought myself to be standing on the bank of a river,

New American Bible
Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: “In my dream, I was standing on the bank of the Nile,

New Revised Standard Version
Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing on the banks of the Nile;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, In my dream I was standing on the bank of the river;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Pharaoh said to Yoseph, “In my dream, behold, I am standing on the edge of the river:
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And Pharaoh spoke unto Joseph: 'In my dream, behold, I stood upon the brink of the river.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Pharao spoke to Joseph, saying, In my dream methought I stood by the bank of the river;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Joseph Interprets Pharaoh's Dreams
16“I myself cannot do it,” Joseph replied, “but God will give Pharaoh a sound answer.” 17Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile, 18when seven cows, well-fed and sleek, came up from the river and began to graze among the reeds.…

Cross References
Genesis 37:5-10
Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. / He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: / We were binding sheaves of grain in the field, and suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to mine.” ...

Daniel 2:1-3
In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams that troubled his spirit, and sleep escaped him. / So the king gave orders to summon the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers to explain his dreams. When they came and stood before the king, / he said to them, “I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to understand it.”

Daniel 4:5-9
I had a dream, and it frightened me; while I was in my bed, the images and visions in my mind alarmed me. / So I issued a decree that all the wise men of Babylon be brought before me to interpret the dream for me. / When the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners came in, I told them the dream, but they could not interpret it for me. ...

Acts 7:9-10
Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him / and rescued him from all his troubles. He granted Joseph favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler over Egypt and all his household.

Psalm 105:19-22
until his prediction came true and the word of the LORD proved him right. / The king sent and released him; the ruler of peoples set him free. / He made him master of his household, ruler over all his substance, ...

1 Kings 3:5
One night at Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “Ask, and I will give it to you!”

Job 33:14-16
For God speaks in one way and in another, yet no one notices. / In a dream, in a vision in the night, when deep sleep falls upon men as they slumber on their beds, / He opens their ears and terrifies them with warnings

Matthew 2:12-13
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they withdrew to their country by another route. / When the Magi had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up!” he said. “Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the Child to kill Him.”

Acts 2:17
‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.

Joel 2:28
And afterward, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.

Daniel 2:27-28
Daniel answered the king, “No wise man, enchanter, medium, or magician can explain to the king the mystery of which he inquires. / But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the latter days. Your dream and the visions that came into your mind as you lay on your bed were these:

Daniel 5:12
did this because Daniel, the one he named Belteshazzar, was found to have an extraordinary spirit, as well as knowledge, understanding, and the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve difficult problems. Summon Daniel, therefore, and he will give you the interpretation.”

1 Corinthians 12:10
to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in various tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.

Numbers 12:6
He said, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, will reveal Myself to him in a vision; I will speak to him in a dream.

Matthew 1:20
But after he had pondered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to embrace Mary as your wife, for the One conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.


Treasury of Scripture

And Pharaoh said to Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood on the bank of the river:

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Genesis 41
1. Pharaoh has two dreams.
9. Joseph interprets them.
33. He gives Pharaoh counsel, and is highly advanced, and married.
46. The seven years of plenty.
50. He begets children.
53. The famine begins.














So Pharaoh told Joseph his dream
The phrase begins with "So," indicating a continuation of the narrative where Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt, is recounting his dream to Joseph. This moment is pivotal as it sets the stage for Joseph's rise to power. The act of Pharaoh telling his dream signifies a moment of vulnerability and openness, as dreams were considered divine messages in ancient cultures. The Hebrew root for "told" (נָגַד, nagad) implies a declaration or making something known, highlighting the importance of communication and revelation in God's plan.

In my dream
Dreams in the ancient Near East were often seen as significant, carrying messages from the divine realm. Pharaoh's acknowledgment of his dream underscores the belief that dreams could foretell future events or divine will. The Hebrew word for "dream" (חֲלוֹם, chalom) is used throughout the Joseph narrative, emphasizing the recurring theme of God communicating through dreams. This sets the stage for Joseph's God-given ability to interpret dreams, a gift that will ultimately lead to his elevation.

I was standing
The imagery of standing suggests a position of readiness and alertness. In the context of a dream, it may symbolize Pharaoh's active role in the unfolding events. The Hebrew root for "standing" (עָמַד, amad) conveys a sense of being established or positioned, which can also imply authority and presence. This reflects Pharaoh's status as the ruler of Egypt, yet also his need for insight beyond his own understanding.

on the bank of the Nile
The Nile River was the lifeblood of Egypt, central to its agriculture, economy, and culture. Standing on its bank in a dream would have been a powerful image, laden with significance. The Nile was often associated with fertility and prosperity, and its mention here foreshadows the themes of abundance and famine that will follow in Joseph's interpretation. The Hebrew word for "bank" (שָׂפָה, saphah) can also mean edge or lip, suggesting a boundary or transition point, which is fitting as Pharaoh stands on the brink of understanding God's plan through Joseph. The Nile's prominence in the dream highlights the divine orchestration of events that will impact not only Egypt but the surrounding nations.

Verses 17-21. - Pharaoh then relates his dreams in substantially the same terms as those in which they have already been recited, only adding concerning the lean kine that they were (ver. 19) such as I never saw (literally, I never saw such as these) in all the land of Egypt for badness: and that (ver. 21) when they had eaten them (i.e. the good kine) up, it could not be known they had eaten them; - literally, and they (i.e. the good kine) went into the interior parts, i.e. the stomach (of the bad kine), and it was not known that they had gone into the interior parts - but they (the bad kine) were still ill-favored, as at the beginning - literally, and their appearance was bad as in the beginning, i.e. previously; and concerning the thin and blasted ears, that they were also (ver. 23) withered - צְנֻמות, from צָנַם, to be hard, meaning either barren (Gesenius), dry (Furst), or sapless (Kalisch) - a word which the LXX. and the Vulgate both omit. Onkelos explains by XXX, flowering, but not fruiting; and Dathius renders by jejunae. After which he (i.e. Pharaoh) informs Joseph that the professional interpreters attached to the Court (the chartummim, or masters of the occult sciences) could give him no idea of its meaning.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then Pharaoh
פַּרְעֹ֖ה (par·‘ōh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6547: Pharaoh -- a title of Egypt kings

said
וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר (way·ḏab·bêr)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

Joseph:
יוֹסֵ֑ף (yō·w·sêp̄)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3130: Joseph -- 'he increases', a son of Jacob, also the name of several Israelites

“In my dream
בַּחֲלֹמִ֕י (ba·ḥă·lō·mî)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 2472: A dream

I was standing
עֹמֵ֖ד (‘ō·mêḏ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 5975: To stand, in various relations

on
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the bank
שְׂפַ֥ת (śə·p̄aṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 8193: The lip, language, a margin

of the Nile,
הַיְאֹֽר׃ (hay·’ōr)
Article | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 2975: Nile -- a channel, a fosse, canal, shaft, the Nile, the Tigris


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OT Law: Genesis 41:17 Pharaoh spoke to Joseph In my dream (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 41:16
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