Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Genesis 41:8
And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but [there was] none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.
8 32. Joseph as Interpreter
8. his spirit was troubled ] Compare the effect of the dreams in Gen 40:6; Dan 2:1-3.
all the magicians ] or, as R.V. marg., sacred scribes. The Heb. artummim used in this chapter and Exodus 7-9 probably designates the priestly class, which was credited with the knowledge of all sacred mysteries, cf. Gen 41:24; Exo 7:11, &c. LXX renders by = “interpreters,” Lat. conjectores. The rendering “magicians” represents “possessors of occult knowledge or magic.” The same Heb. word is used in Dan 2:2, probably in imitation of this passage; but it does not occur elsewhere. Possibly the word is derived from a root meaning “to cut” or “engrave,” from which came eret, “stylus” or “pen.” Cf. Tacitus, Hist. iv. 83, Ptolemaeus sacerdotibus Aegyptiorum, quibus mos talia intellegere, nocturnos visus aperit.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 8. Called for all the magicians] chartummim. The word here used may probably mean no more than interpreters of abstruse and difficult subjects; and especially of the Egyptian hieroglyphics, an art which is now entirely lost. It is most likely that the term is Egyptian, and consequently its etymology must remain unknown to us. If Hebrew, Mr. Parkhurst’s definition may be as good as any: ” cheret, a pen or instrument to write or draw with, and tam, to perfect or accomplish; those who were perfect in drawing their sacred, astrological, and hieroglyphical figures or characters, and who, by means of them, pretended to extraordinary feats, among which was the interpretation of dreams. They seem to have been such persons as Josephus (Ant., lib. ii., c. 9, s. 2) calls sacred scribes, or professors of sacred learning.”
Wise men] chacameyha, the persons who, according to Porphyry, “addicted themselves to the worship of God and the study of wisdom, passing their whole life in the contemplation of Divine things. Contemplation of the stars, self-purification, arithmetic, and geometry, and singing hymns in honour of their gods, was their continual employment.” – See Dodd. It was probably among these that Pythagoras conversed, and from whom he borrowed that modest name by which he wished his countrymen to distinguish him, viz., , a philosopher, simply, a lover of wisdom.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
His spirit was troubled, because he understood not the meaning of it, and dreaded the consequences of it. Compare Gen 40:6; Dan 2:1,3; Mt 27:19.
The magicians, whose profession it was to discover secret and future things; which they did either by the observation of the stars, or by other superstitious practices, and the help of evil spirits. See Exo 7:11; 8:19; Dan 2:2,10.
The wise men, who were conversant in the study of nature; and by reason of their great sagacity, did ofttimes make happy conjectures.
Pharoah calls them both one dream, either because they seemed to portend the same thing, or because they were the product of one night, and were divided only by a very little interruption.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
8. he called for all the magiciansof EgyptIt is not possible to define the exact distinctionbetween “magicians” and “wise men”; but theyformed different branches of a numerous body, who laid claim tosupernatural skill in occult arts and sciences, in revealingmysteries, explaining portents, and, above all, interpreting dreams.Long practice had rendered them expert in devising a plausible way ofgetting out of every difficulty and framing an answer suitable to theoccasion. But the dreams of Pharaoh baffled their united skill.Unlike their Assyrian brethren (Da2:4), they did not pretend to know the meaning of the symbolscontained in them, and the providence of God had determined that theyshould all be nonplussed in the exercise of their boasted powers, inorder that the inspired wisdom of Joseph might appear the moreremarkable.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And it came to pass in the morning, that his spirit was troubled,…. With the thoughts of his dreams; they were uppermost in his mind; he was continually thinking of them; it was as if he had always the same images before him now awake, as well as when asleep, and therefore could not be easy without getting knowledge of the meaning of them:
and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof; who pretended to have great skill in the things of nature, and in astrology and other sciences, by which they pretended to know future events, and to interpret dreams among other things; and show what they portended, and what things would happen for the accomplishment of them:
and Pharaoh told them his dream; both his dreams, which for the similarity of them, and there being so little interruption between them, are represented as one dream; for that both were told them appears by what follows:
but [there was] none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh; they were nonplussed and confounded, and did not know what to say; the things were so strange and surprising that he related, that they could not offer any conjectures about them, or, if they did, they were very unsatisfactory to Pharaoh.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Being troubled about this double dream, Pharaoh sent the next morning for all the scribes and wise men of Egypt, to have it interpreted. , from a stylus (pencil), and the , men of the priestly caste, who occupied themselves with the sacred arts and sciences of the Egyptians, the hieroglyphic writings, astrology, the interpretation of dreams, the foretelling of events, magic, and conjuring, and who were regarded as the possessors of secret arts (vid., Exo 7:11) and the wise men of the nation. But not one of these could interpret it, although the clue to the interpretation was to be found in the religious symbols of Egypt. For the cow was the symbol of Isis, the goddess of the all-sustaining earth, and in the hieroglyphics it represented the earth, agriculture, and food; and the Nile, by its overflowing, was the source of the fertility of the land. But however simple the explanation of the fat and lean cows ascending out of the Nile appears to be, it is “the fate of the wisdom of this world, that where it suffices it is compelled to be silent. For it belongs to the government of God to close the lips of the eloquent, and take away the understanding of the aged (Job 12:20).” Baumgarten.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
8. In the morning his spirit was troubled. A sting was left in Pharaoh’s heart, that he might know that he had to deal with God; for this anxiety was as an inward seal of the Spirit of God, to give authenticity to the dream; although Pharaoh deserved to be deprived of the advantage of this revelation, when he resorted to magicians and soothsayers, who were wont to turn the truth of God into a lie. (155) He was convinced by a secret impulse that the dream sent by God portended something important; but he seeks out imposters, who would darken, by their fallacies, the light which was divinely kindled; and it is the folly of the human mind to gather to itself leaders and teachers of error. No doubt he believed them to be true prophets; but because he voluntarily closes his eyes, and hastens into the snare, his false opinion forms no sufficient excuse for him; otherwise men, by merely shutting their eyes, might have some plausible pretext for mocking God with impunity: and we see that many seek protection for themselves in that gross ignorance in which they knowingly and purposely involve themselves. Pharaoh, therefore, as far as he was able, deprived himself of the benefit of the prophecy, by seeking for magicians as the interpreters of it. So we see it daily happens that many lose hold of the truth, because they either bring a cloud over themselves by their own indolence, or too eagerly catch at false and spurious inventions. But because the Lord would, at that time, succor the kingdom of Egypt, he drew Pharaoh back, as by main force, from his error.
There was none that could interpret. By this remedy God provided that the dream should not fail. We know what an inflated and impudent race of men these soothsayers were, and how extravagantly they boasted. How did it then happen that they gave the king no answer, seeing they might have trifled in any way whatever with a credulous man, who willingly suffered himself to be deluded? Therefore, that he might desist from inquiry, he is not allowed to find what he had expected in his magicians: and the Lord so strikes dumb the wicked workers of deceit, that they cannot even find a specious explanation of the dreams. Moreover, by this method, the anxiety of the king is sharpened; because he considers that what has escaped the sagacity of the magicians must be something very serious and secret. By which example we are taught, that the Lord provides the best for us, when he removes the incitements of error from those of us who with to be deceived; and we must regard it as a singular favor, when either false prophets are silenced, or their fatuity is, in any manner, discovered to us. As for the rest, the king might hence easily gather how frivolous and nugatory was the profession of wisdom, in which the Egyptians gloried above all others; for they boasted that they were possessed of the science of divination which ascended above the very heavens. But now, as far as they are concerned, the king is without counsel, and, being disappointed of his hope, is filled with anguish; nevertheless he does not so awake as to shake off his superstition. Thus we see that men, though admonished, remain still in their torpor. Whence we plainly perceive how inexcusable is the obstinacy of the world, which does not desist from following those delusions which are openly condemned as foolishness, from heaven.
(155) “Pharaoh calls ‘all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof,’ that they might interpret the dream by which he is troubled. Now, we find in Egyptian antiquity an order of persons, to whom this is entirely appropriate, which is here ascribed to the magicians. The priests had a double office, the practical worship of the gods, and the pursuit of that which in Egypt was accounted as wisdom. The first belonged to the so — called prophets, the second to the holy scribes. These last were the learned men of the nation; as in the Pentateuch they are called wise men, so the classical writers named them sages. The interpretation of dreams and also divination belonged to the order of the holy scribes,” — Egypt and the Books of Moses, p. 29. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(8) Magicians.The word used here probably means the sacred scribes, who were skilled in writing and reading hieroglyphics. But in ancient times the possession of real knowledge was generally accompanied by a claim to an occult and mysterious acquaintance with the secrets of the gods and of nature. And as the people regarded the knowledge which such scribes really possessed as more than human, the claim was easily maintained, or, rather, grew naturally out of the superstition of the multitude. So, too, the wise men were men educated and trained, but probably the profession of magic, of divination, and astrology was that which gained for them wealth and honour, and not the possession of whatever real science existed at that time in Egypt. We find, subsequently, even Joseph claiming the power of divination.
There was none that could interpret . . . Probably many of the wise men made the attempt, but in such an imperfect manner as not to be able to satisfy Pharaohs mind, or allay the excitement of his spirit.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
8. Spirit was troubled The dream was sent of God, and designed to impress him deeply, that it might lead to the great provisions which followed . Compare the effect of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream . Dan 2:1; Dan 2:3.
All the magicians of Egypt Of whom there were many, and they very skilful. Comp. Exo 7:11. The word rendered magicians ( ) is usually understood of the sacred scribes, who were supposed to be conversant with all mystic arts, and able to unravel the secrets of men’s lives .
Wise men A more general term, denoting all those who were devoted to the study of science or philosophy. All these belonged to a regular order in Egypt, as in other Oriental kingdoms. Comp. Dan 2:2; Dan 2:48; Dan 4:9; Dan 5:11.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And it happened in the morning that his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all Egypt’s wise men, and Pharaoh told them his dream, but there was no one who could interpret them for Pharaoh.’
Pharaoh was very disturbed by his dream. So he sent for the specialists, the magicians (chartummim – a word borrowed from the Egyptian hry-tp) and wise men. The greatest magicians were the lector priests, learned men who had studied the sacred writings, rituals and spells taught in the House of Life, the temple schools where literature was composed, copied and taught. Thus the parallel between magicians and wise men is apposite. Dreams were considered so important in Egypt that they and their interpretations were gathered into manuals of dream interpretation.
But nothing in their learning or in the manuals could enable them to interpret Pharaoh’s dream. They were, of course, partly hindered by the fact that any unfavourable interpretation might well invoke the Pharaoh’s wrath. So Pharaoh went further and sought out the lesser magicians and wise men, but they too could not interpret the dream.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Joseph is Summoned from Prison In Gen 41:8-14 we have the story of Joseph being summoned out of prison and into Pharaoh’s court.
Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures
Gen 41:8. His spirit was troubled; and he sent The peculiarity of the dreams made a strong impression upon Pharaoh’s spirit; and, desirous to be satisfied with respect to their meaning, he sent for all those whose province and profession it was to interpret dreams; but he inquired of them in vain; the rules of their art failed themthey could not interpret the dreams: whence it seems to follow, that God was pleased to reserve in his own power the interpretation of particular dreams; or, possibly, these magicians, &c. were mere pretenders, and easily baffled, when the Almighty thought fit to elude their little skill. See Dan. ch. 2: As the magicians and wise men were not able to interpret Pharaoh’s dream, so neither, I conceive, were they able to interpret those of the butler and baker. See note on Gen 41:5 in the foregoing chapter.
The magician chartumim, a kind of conjurers among the AEgyptians and Babylonians; properly, I apprehend, such as pretended to supernatural performances by the means of talismans, which were “magical figures cut or engraved with superstitious observations on the characterisms and configurations of the heavens, to which some astrologers have attributed wonderful virtues particularly that of calling down celestial influence.” So the Hebrew word is a compound of to engrave, and to close, stop up, from the supposed virtue of these talismanic engravings, to release the confined influences of the heavens, planets, &c. See Dan 1:20 and Parkhurst.
Wise men The AEgyptians gave the name of wise men to those whom the Greeks afterwards called more modestly philosophers, or lovers of wisdom. Before Greece became the nurse of arts and sciences, men came from every part to learn philosophy in the school of the AEgyptian priests, who had very generally a great reputation for wisdom. They tell us, that their kings enjoined them chiefly two thingsthe worship of GOD, and the study of wisdom; that, renouncing all other employments and all secular concerns, they passed their whole life in the contemplation of divine things. They always appeared with a grave demeanor, a composed walk, a fixed attention, laughed seldom, had always their hands folded in their habits, and were very much attached to the customs of their country; they gave their nights to study and the contemplation of the stars, or to self-purification, and their days to the worship of their gods, in honour of whom they sung hymns four times a day: all the time which remained from these occupations was employed, in the study of arithmetic and geometry. Such, according to Porphyry, were the wise men of AEgypt.
REFLECTIONS.When Joseph began to despair of his friend at court, to cease from man, and to trust wholly in God, then was his deliverance about to be accomplished. Two long years had he lain in the house of his prison without any relief from his expected friend, when God worked not only for his enlargement but his preferment. Pharaoh’s dreams trouble him. Though strange the rovings of his fancy, he felt an impression which he could not get rid of; the remembrance was strong upon his mind, but the magicians were called in vain to give the interpretation. Note; (1.) The nature of dreams is among the secret things. Though not utterly to be overlooked, they are not superstitiously to be attended to. (2.) When patience hath had her perfect work, God can easily furnish the means for the deliverance of his servants.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Gen 41:8 And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but [there was] none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.
Ver. 8. All the magicians. ] Or, Natural philosophers, that studied the secrets of nature, and could give a ready reason of everything. Magus is a Persian word, and hath affinity with the Hebrew , a contemplative person; : Such as was Aristotle among the heathens, and Augustine among Christians – the greatest and accuratest of men, after the apostles, in contemplation and argumentation, as many are of opinion. The Grecians were so delighted with his learned labours, that they have translated him wholly into their tongue. a As for the deep theorems of natural philosophy, they make one learned indeed, but seldom better, ofttimes worse, nearly atheists; as these wise men of Egypt, elsewhere called enchanters, wizards. Exo 7:11 Of these were “Jannes and Jambres” that “resisted Moses”; 2Ti 3:8 learned they were, and lewd, as were those philosophers. Rom 1:18-32
But there was none that could interpret.
a Planudes eum transtulit anis aliquot ante Constantinopolim captum. Manl., loc. com., p. 684.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
spirit. Hebrew. ruach. See App-9.
magicians. Priests were divided into four classes; and five priests chosen from them were the king’s councillors.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
his spirit: Gen 40:6, Dan 2:1-3, Dan 4:5, Dan 4:19, Dan 5:6, Dan 7:28, Dan 8:27, Hab 3:16
the magicians of Egypt: The word here used (chartummim) may mean no more than interpreters of abstruse or difficult subjects; especially of dreams and visions, which formed a considerable part of the ancient pagan religion; and the Egyptian priests were the first who professed this art. The word may be of affinity with, or derived from, the Persian chiradmand, wise, learned, judicious, intelligent, from chirad, understanding, judgment, and mand, endowed with. They seem to have been such persons as Josephus calls sacred scribes; or professors of sacred learning. Exo 7:11, Exo 7:22, Exo 8:7, Exo 8:18, Exo 8:19, Exo 9:11, Lev 19:31, Lev 20:6, Deu 18:9-14, Isa 8:19, Isa 19:3, Isa 29:14, Isa 47:12, Isa 47:13, Dan 1:20, Dan 2:2, Dan 4:7, Dan 5:7, Dan 5:11, Act 17:18
the wise men: Mat 2:1, Act 7:22
but there: Gen 40:8, Job 5:12, Job 5:13, Psa 25:14, Isa 19:11-13, Isa 29:14, Dan 2:4-11, Dan 2:27, Dan 2:28, Dan 5:8, 1Co 1:19, 1Co 3:18-20
Reciprocal: Gen 41:24 – I told this 1Sa 6:2 – called Est 6:13 – said his wise Job 7:14 – thou scarest Dan 1:17 – Daniel had understanding Dan 4:6 – to bring Dan 4:18 – forasmuch Dan 7:15 – the visions
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Gen 41:8. His spirit was troubled Because he was impressed with an idea that the dreams were supernatural, that something extraordinary was intended by them, and because he understood not their meaning, and dreaded the consequences. Compare Gen 40:6; Dan 2:1-3; and Mat 27:19. He called for the magicians, who professed to discover secret and future things, either by consulting the stars, or by other superstitious practices; but if they ever did any thing of that kind, no doubt it was by the help of evil spirits. The wise men, distinguished from these, were employed, it seems, in the study of nature, and, by their great sagacity, often made happy conjectures respecting abstruse and future things. On what principles they interpreted dreams, does not appear. In this instance, however, they were puzzled, and the rules of their art failed them. But this was intended to render Josephs interpretation of these dreams, by the Spirit of God, the more wonderful.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
41:8 And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was {c} troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but [there was] none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.
(c) This fear was enough to teach him that this vision was sent by God.