Genesis 41 3

Genesis 41:3 kjv

And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill favored and leanfleshed; and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river.

Genesis 41:3 nkjv

Then behold, seven other cows came up after them out of the river, ugly and gaunt, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the river.

Genesis 41:3 niv

After them, seven other cows, ugly and gaunt, came up out of the Nile and stood beside those on the riverbank.

Genesis 41:3 esv

And behold, seven other cows, ugly and thin, came up out of the Nile after them, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile.

Genesis 41:3 nlt

Then he saw seven more cows come up behind them from the Nile, but these were scrawny and thin. These cows stood beside the fat cows on the riverbank.

Genesis 41 verses

Genesis 41 3 meaning

Genesis 41:3 describes the second part of Pharaoh's dream, where seven strikingly unhealthy and emaciated cows emerge from the Nile, following the previous seven healthy ones. Their severely poor appearance – gaunt and repulsive – directly contrasts with the fat, good-looking cows, signifying an impending period of extreme hardship, famine, and scarcity that would consume the prosperity previously enjoyed.

Genesis 41 3 Context

Genesis chapter 41 begins with Pharaoh's unsettling dreams, which no one in Egypt can interpret, leading to the remembrance of Joseph. The first part of Pharaoh's dream (v. 2) presented seven fat, healthy cows coming out of the Nile. Verse 3 immediately introduces a direct, stark contrast: seven extremely unhealthy cows following them. This sequence emphasizes the progression from abundance to utter destitution, crucial for understanding Joseph's later interpretation. Historically, ancient Egypt's prosperity was directly linked to the annual inundation of the Nile River, which fertilized the land and provided irrigation for crops. Dreams were also considered a significant means of divine or supernatural communication in ancient Near Eastern cultures, often requiring specialized interpreters. The imagery of cows was familiar to Egyptians as symbols of fertility and wealth (like the goddess Hathor). The dream's immediate shift to such repulsive cattle emerging from the life-giving Nile would have been deeply disturbing, implying a disruption of the natural order and source of Egyptian life.

Genesis 41 3 Word analysis

• And behold: (וְהִנֵּה, ve-hinnēh) – An interjection used to draw immediate attention to what follows; often signifies a surprising, dramatic, or significant event that suddenly appears. Here, it marks a pivotal shift in the dream's imagery.
• seven: (שֶׁבַע, shevaʿ) – A number often carrying biblical significance, particularly representing completeness or perfection, but here indicating a specific quantity (seven years) for the famine. It mirrors the preceding seven cows, setting up a parallel of quantity with a contrast of quality.
• other cows: (פָּרוֹת אֲחֵרוֹת, parot 'aḥerot) – Refers to a new set of distinct animals, indicating they are different from the first seven, yet part of the same overall vision. "Cows" (פָּרוֹת, parot) specifically represents livestock critical for wealth and food.
• came up after them: (עֹלוֹת אַחֲרֵיהֶן, ʿolót 'aḥareihen) – They follow the initial cows, signifying a temporal succession and direct interaction or consequence. The initial good cows were from the Nile, implying the source of life, but these "other" cows' appearance suggests something has gone wrong at that very source.
• out of the Nile: (מִן הַיְאֹר, min ha-ye'or) – The Nile (יְאֹר, ye'or) was the lifeblood of Egypt, symbolizing sustenance, fertility, and prosperity. For such emaciated creatures to come from this vital source heightens the dread and significance of the vision, indicating the very source of life itself is failing or producing death.
• poor: (רָעוֹת, ra'ot) – From רַע (ra'), meaning "bad, evil, sickly, displeasing." It describes their wretched physical condition, a strong negative judgment of their appearance.
• and very gaunt: (וְדַלּוֹת מְאֹד, ve-dallot m'od) – "Gaunt" (דַּלּוֹת, dallot) means lean, weak, meager, impoverished. The intensified "very" (מְאֹד, m'od) emphasizes an extreme state of emaciation, near death, painting a vivid picture of severe destitution. This imagery stands in stark opposition to the "fat" (בְּרִאוֹת, beri'ot) and "good-looking" (טוֹבֹת מַרְאֶה, tovot mar'eh) cows previously described.
• and stood by the other cows: (וַתַּעֲמֹדְנָה אֵצֶל הַפָּרוֹת, va-taʿamodna 'etsel ha-parot) – Their standing "by" (אֵצֶל, 'etsel) or alongside the fat cows signifies an immediate juxtaposition and confrontation of contrasting realities. They appear together, implying that the leaner, sicklier condition is an oppressive force against prosperity.
• on the bank of the Nile: (עַל שְׂפַת הַיְאֹר, ʿal s'fat ha-ye'or) – Reiteration of the setting, grounding the vision in Egypt's agricultural reality and highlighting that even at the very source of sustenance, decline is manifest.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• And behold, seven other cows: The abrupt interjection "behold" creates a sense of foreboding, introducing the parallel group that stands in opposition to the first. This is a critical point in the dream, designed to shock and concern Pharaoh.
• came up after them out of the Nile: This phrase establishes a direct cause-and-effect or sequential relationship. The negative event follows the positive, emerging from the same source of life, signaling a subversion or decay within that very source. It's not just "other" cows, but ones that intrude upon the previous healthy scene.
• poor and very gaunt: This vivid descriptor leaves no room for ambiguity about their unhealthy state. The dual adjectives intensify the visual representation of decay, directly setting the stage for Joseph's later interpretation of "famine." It foreshadows the consuming nature of the coming lean years.
• and stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile: The precise positioning ("by") implies a direct confrontation or an oppressive presence of the bad over the good. This physical proximity on the shared, vital bank underscores the dream's message: the coming years of famine will directly impact and overwhelm the years of abundance, even within the fertile environment of Egypt.

Genesis 41 3 Bonus section

• The dream's clarity and repetition (twice, once with cows, once with grain) indicate a message of undeniable truth from God. The ugly (as in v.19) and gaunt description would have been especially repulsive in a culture valuing health and prosperity.
• Pharaoh's dream specifically features cows, which were central to Egyptian agricultural life and, for some, held religious significance (e.g., associated with the goddess Hathor). The desecration of these figures through extreme emaciation would have heightened the dream's unsettling impact, implying that even sacred symbols of fertility would suffer.
• The recurrence of "seven" in both good and bad groups highlights a symmetrical prophetic structure – seven years of abundance balanced by seven years of devastating scarcity – signaling the divine ordering of time and events.
• The detail of them "standing by" the good cows suggests a battle between prosperity and scarcity, with the lean cows visually overwhelming the fat ones in the subsequent verses (4, 7). This prepares for the famine literally consuming the stored wealth.

Genesis 41 3 Commentary

Genesis 41:3 serves as the critical turning point in Pharaoh's dream, shifting from pleasant prosperity to dire foreboding. The appearance of these "poor and very gaunt" cows is a divinely crafted, stark visual warning of an impending period of extreme want and desolation. Their emergence from the life-giving Nile underscores the unprecedented and systemic nature of the coming famine, suggesting even Egypt's essential resource will not protect it. The imagery conveys that the abundance previously experienced will be consumed by this hardship, emphasizing a dramatic and destructive contrast. This precise, disturbing vision was given by God not merely to alarm Pharaoh, but to prompt him to seek divine understanding through Joseph, orchestrating events for Joseph's elevation and for the preservation of many, including God's covenant people. It showcases God's sovereign control over nations and their future, revealing His plans even to those who do not yet acknowledge Him.