Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Genesis 41:21
And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they [were] still ill favored, as at the beginning. So I awoke.
Verse 21. And when they had eaten them up, c.] Nothing can more powerfully mark the excess and severity of the famine than creatures of the beeve or of the hippopotamus kind eating each other, and yet without any effect remaining as lean and as wretched as they were before. A sense of want increases the appetite, and stimulates the digestive powers to unusual action; hence the concoction of the food becomes very rapid, and it is hurried through the intestines before its nutritive particles can be sufficiently absorbed; and thus, though much is eaten, very little nourishment is derived from it. And 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. A most nervous and physically correct description.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
They seemed to be neither fatter in the flesh, nor fuller in their bodies. As many times in famine men eat much, but are not satisfied, because God withdraws his blessing from it, by which alone it is that meat nourisheth us.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And when they had eaten them up,…. Or “were come into their bowels” k, into their inward parts, their bellies, being swallowed and devoured by them:
it could not be known that they had eaten them: or were in their bellies, they seemed never the fuller nor the fatter for them:
but they [were] still ill favoured as at the beginning; looked as thin and as meagre as they did when they first came out of the river, or were first seen by Pharaoh:
so I awoke; surprised at what he had seen; this was his first dream.
k “et venerunt ad interiora earum”, Pagninus, Montanus; “in ventrem istarum”, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Drusius, Tigurine version.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Gen 41:21. When they had eaten, &c. It would be difficult to give a more lively idea of the extreme horrors of famine, than that which arises from this picture; the kine which devoured the others, without losing any thing of their ill favour, is the most expressive emblem of that dreadful judgment.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Gen 41:21 And 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.
Ver. 21. See Trapp on “ Gen 41:2 “ See Trapp on “ Gen 41:3 “ See Trapp on “ Gen 41:4 “
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
eaten them up: Heb. come to the inward parts of them, Eze 3:3, Rev 10:9, Rev 10:10
still: Psa 37:19, Isa 9:20
Reciprocal: Gen 41:3 – ill favoured Gen 41:30 – shall be