Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Genesis 41:2
And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favored kine and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow.
2. out of the river ] The Nile is the source of the fertility and wealth of Egypt. The cows issuing from the Nile would be a symbol of fertility. The Egyptian goddess Hathor is represented with the head of a cow.
seven kine ] The number “seven” is commonly employed for the purposes of symbolism. The god Osiris is represented in Egyptian drawings as an ox accompanied by seven cows.
reed-grass ] The Heb. word au transliterates the Egyptian au, or ii. It is found also in Gen 41:18; Job 8:11; Hos 13:15. LXX , which occurs also in Isa 19:7; Sir 40:16 . Jerome, commenting on Isa 19:7, explains as quicquid in palude virens nascitur. The word, derived from a root meaning “green,” is applied to the Nile reed-grass whose vivid green, under that bright sky, strikes every traveller in Egypt 1 [58]
[58] “ Pro junco papyrum transtulerunt LXX, de quo charta fit, addentes de suo Achi, viride, quod in Hebraeo non habetur. Cumque ab eruditis quaererem, quid hic sermo significaret, audivi ab Aegyptiis hoc nomine lingua eorum quicquid in palude virens nascitur appellari” ( Comm. in Esai, 291).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 2. There came up out of the river seven well-favoured kine] This must certainly refer to the hippopotamus or river horse, as the circumstances of coming up out of the river and feeding in the field characterize that animal alone. The hippopotamus is the well-known inhabitant of the Nile, and frequently by night comes out of the river to feed in the fields, or in the sedge by the river side.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
This suits well with the nature of the thing, for both the fruitfulness and the barrenness of Egypt depended, under God, upon the increase or diminution of the waters of that river.
Kine, when they appeared in dreams, did portend, in the opinion of the learned Egyptians, the years or times to come, and them either good or bad, according to their quality.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favoured kine, and fatfleshed,…. Seven cows or heifers, sleek, fat, and plump, goodly to look at; these seemed in the dream, as if they came out of the river, because they were fed with the fruits of the earth, which the overflowing of the river Nile, and its canals, produced:
and they fed in a meadow; adjoining to the river, where there was good pasture for them, and gives a reason of their being in so good a condition.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(2) Kine.The cow was regarded by the Egyptians as the symbol of the earth, and of agriculture; and naturally both the kine and the ears of wheat rose out of the river, because as no rain falls in Egypt, its fertility entirely depends upon the overflow of the Nile. The cows sacred to Isis were seven in number, and in a copy of the Ritual of the Dead, Mr. Malan (p. 192) found a picture of the seven sacred cows with the divine bull.
In a meadow.Heb., in the marsh-grass. The word occurs only in this chapter and in Job. 8:11, where it is translated flag. It is the name of the rank herbage which grows luxuriantly along the banks of the Nile; or, as some think, of one special kind of marsh-grass, called by botanists cyperus esculentus.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2. Seven well favoured kine Hebrews, seven heifers beautiful in appearance . “The Egyptians esteemed the cow above all other animals . It was sacred to Isis, (Herod . 2:41,) or rather to Athor, the Venus Genetrix of Egypt, and was looked on as a symbol of the earth and its cultivation and food . Hence it was very natural that in Pharaoh’s dream the fruitful and unfruitful years should be typified by well favoured and ill favoured kine . ” Speaker’s Com.
In a meadow Rather, in the marsh grass, ( . )
The word is of Egyptian origin, and signifies, according to Gesenius, “marsh-grass, reeds, bulrushes, sedge, every thing which grows in wet grounds. The word was adopted not only into the Hebrew, but also into the Greek idiom of Alexandria.” The Sept. does not translate the word, but reads, .
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Magicians, so called from being considered wise men. But as the world by wisdom knew not GOD, nor ever will, so worldly wisdom will be always found to lead the heart from GOD rather than to GOD. Hence those magicians pretended to explain hidden things, interpret secrets and the like, by which they imposed upon the credulity of mankind. See Exo_9:11; Exo_8:18-19 ; Dan 2:1 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Gen 41:2 And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favoured kine and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow.
Ver. 2. There came up out of the river ] Nile; which, by overflowing, fatteneth the plain of Egypt, filling it with fruits; and so fitly deciphering the seven years of plenty. a So far as this river watereth, there is a black mould so fruitful, that they do but throw in the seed, and have four rich harvests in less than four months, say travellers. b
a Mercer.
b Blunt’s Voyage, p. 37.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
seven . . . kine. The cow was the emblem of Isis. In the Egyptian “Book of the Dead”, Osiris is represented as a bull, accompanied by seven cows. (British Museum.) This was the basis of the dream, and gave it such significance and mystery.
in a meadow = among the rushes, or reeds, ‘ahu, probably an Egyptian word.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
there came: Gen 41:17-27
a meadow: Or, rather, “on, or among the reeds or sedges;” for so achoo is generally supposed to denote – see note on Job 8:11, so called, according to Mr. Parkhurst, from its fitness for making ropes, or the like, to connect or join things together, from achah, to join, connect. Thus the Latin juncus, a bulrush, a jungendo, from joining, for the same reason. He supposes it to be that sort of reed growing near the Nile which Hasselquist describes as “having scarce any branches, but numerous leaves, which are narrow, smooth, channelled on the upper surface, and the plant about eleven feet high. The Egyptians make ropes of the leaves.
Reciprocal: Gen 41:26 – are
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Gen 41:2. There came out of the river A just and proper emblem this, because both the fruitfulness and barrenness of the land of Egypt depended, under God, on the increase or diminution of the waters of that river. Well-favoured kine, and fat-fleshed Signifying plenty of grass, whereby they had been thus fed, and promising milk and flesh-meat in abundance.