Joseph Rises to Power

Genesis 41

37 This proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants. 38 And Pharaoh said to his servants, "Can we find a man like this, u in whom is the Spirit of God?" 1 39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are. 40 v You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. 2 Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you." 41 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "See, w I have set you over all the land of Egypt." 42 Then Pharaoh x took his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph's hand, and y clothed him in garments of fine linen z and put a gold chain about his neck. 43 And he made him ride in his second chariot. a And they called out before him, "Bow the knee!" 3 Thus he set him b over all the land of Egypt. 44 Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I am Pharaoh, and c without your consent no one shall lift up hand or foot in all the land of Egypt." 45 And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphenath-paneah. And he gave him in marriage Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On. So Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.

46 Joseph was thirty years old when he d entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt. 47 During the seven plentiful years the earth produced abundantly, 48 and he gathered up all the food of these seven years, which occurred in the land of Egypt, and put the food in the cities. He put in every city the food from the fields around it. 49 And Joseph stored up grain in great abundance, e like the sand of the sea, until he ceased to measure it, for it could not be measured.

50 Before the year of famine came, f two sons were born to Joseph. Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, bore them to him. 51 Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh. "For," he said, "God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father's house." 4 52 The name of the second he called Ephraim, "For God has g made me fruitful in the land of my affliction." 5

53 The seven years of plenty that occurred in the land of Egypt came to an end, 54 and h the seven years of famine began to come, i as Joseph had said. There was famine in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. 55 When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, "Go to Joseph. What he says to you, do."

56 So when the famine had spread over all the land, Joseph opened all the storehouses 6 and j sold to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. 57 Moreover, all the earth came to Egypt to Joseph to buy grain, because the famine was severe k over all the earth.

  1. Cross References
    Numbers 27:18
    So the Lord said to Moses, "Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him.
    Daniel 4:8
    At last Daniel came in before me - he who was named Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods - and I told him the dream, saying.
    Daniel 4:18
    This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. And you, O Belteshazzar, tell me the interpretation, because all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation, but you are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you.
    Daniel 5:11
    There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him, and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father - your father the king - made him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers.
    Daniel 5:14
    I have heard of you that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you.
  2. Cross References
    Psalms 105:21
    He made him lord of his house and ruler of all his possessions.
    Acts 7:10
    And rescued him out of all his afflictions and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him ruler over Egypt and over all his household.
  3. Cross References
    Genesis 42:6
    Now Joseph was governor over the land. He was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brothers came and bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground.
  4. Cross References
    Esther 3:10
    So the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews.
    Esther 8:2
    And the king took off his signet ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.
    Esther 8:8
    But you may write as you please with regard to the Jews, in the name of the king, and seal it with the king's ring, for an edict written in the name of the king and sealed with the king's ring cannot be revoked.
    Esther 8:10
    And he wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed it with the king's signet ring. Then he sent the letters by mounted couriers riding on swift horses that were used in the king's service, bred from the royal stud.
  5. Cross References
    Esther 8:15
    Then Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal robes of blue and white, with a great golden crown and a robe of fine linen and purple, and the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced.
  6. Cross References
    Ezekiel 16:11
    And I adorned you with ornaments and put bracelets on your wrists and a chain on your neck.
    Daniel 5:7
    The king called loudly to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers. The king declared to the wise men of Babylon, "Whoever reads this writing, and shows me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.
    Daniel 5:29
    Then Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel was clothed with purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made about him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
  7. Cross References
    Esther 6:9
    And let the robes and the horse be handed over to one of the king's most noble officials. Let them dress the man whom the king delights to honor, and let them lead him on the horse through the square of the city, proclaiming before him: 'Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.'
  8. Cross References
    Genesis 41:40
    You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you.
    Genesis 42:6
    Now Joseph was governor over the land. He was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brothers came and bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground.
    Genesis 45:8 - 9
    So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
    Genesis 45:26
    And they told him, "Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt." And his heart became numb, for he did not believe them.
  9. Cross References
    Psalms 105:21 - 22
    He made him lord of his house and ruler of all his possessions.
  10. Cross References
    1 Samuel 16:21
    And David came to Saul and entered his service. And Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor-bearer.
    1 Kings 12:6
    Then King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, who had stood before Solomon his father while he was yet alive, saying, "How do you advise me to answer this people?
    1 Kings 12:8
    But he abandoned the counsel that the old men gave him and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him and stood before him.
    Daniel 1:19
    And the king spoke with them, and among all of them none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Therefore they stood before the king.
  11. Cross References
    Genesis 22:17
    I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies.
    Judges 7:12
    And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the people of the East lay along the valley like locusts in abundance, and their camels were without number, as the sand that is on the seashore in abundance.
    1 Samuel 13:5
    And the Philistines mustered to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen and troops like the sand on the seashore in multitude. They came up and encamped in Michmash, to the east of Beth-aven.
    Psalms 78:27
    He rained meat on them like dust, winged birds like the sand of the seas.
  12. Cross References
    Genesis 46:20
    And to Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera the priest of On, bore to him.
    Genesis 48:5
    And now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are.
  13. Cross References
    Genesis 49:22
    Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a spring; his branches run over the wall.
    Hosea 13:15
    Though he may flourish among his brothers, the east wind, the wind of the Lord, shall come, rising from the wilderness, and his fountain shall dry up; his spring shall be parched; it shall strip his treasury of every precious thing.
  14. Cross References
    Psalms 105:16
    When he summoned a famine on the land and broke all supply of bread.
    Acts 7:11
    Now there came a famine throughout all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction, and our fathers could find no food.
  15. Cross References
    Genesis 41:30
    But after them there will arise seven years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will consume the land.
  16. Cross References
    Genesis 42:6
    Now Joseph was governor over the land. He was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brothers came and bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground.
    Genesis 47:14
    And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, in exchange for the grain that they bought. And Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house.
    Genesis 47:20
    So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for all the Egyptians sold their fields, because the famine was severe on them. The land became Pharaoh's.
    Genesis 47:24
    And at the harvests you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four fifths shall be your own, as seed for the field and as food for yourselves and your households, and as food for your little ones.
  17. Cross References
    Genesis 41:54
    And the seven years of famine began to come, as Joseph had said. There was famine in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.
    Genesis 41:56
    So when the famine had spread over all the land, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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