Bible Strands
Genesis 41:8
In the morning his spirit was troubled, so he summoned all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Pharaoh acts upon his troubled spirit the morning after waking from his dreams, summoning Egypt’s magicians and wise men to recount the visions. He addresses them directly, but they cannot interpret the dreams for him.
The words — The text highlights וַתִּפָּעֶם (va.tippa‘em, H6470) for his spirit and רוּחוֹ (rucho) as the mechanism of his distress, literally meaning his inner being was violently agitated. He then issues וַיִּקְרָא (va.yiqra, H7121) to summon the entire council of Egyptian experts.
The thread — This pattern of royal distress and failed human interpretation recurs when Pharaoh summons his wise men in Exodus 7:11 and 7:22, and when Nebuchadnezzar tells his dream to magicians and diviners in Daniel 4:7.
Why it lands — The verse requires the reader to recognize the limits of human wisdom when confronting divine revelation. It establishes that interpretation must await a source beyond the royal court.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
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.
Cross-references
- Daniel 4:7 When the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners came in, I told them the dream, but they could not interpret it for me.
- Exodus 7:22 But the magicians of Egypt did the same things by their magic arts. So Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said.
- Exodus 7:11 But Pharaoh called the wise men and sorcerers and magicians of Egypt, and they also did the same things by their magic arts.
- Isaiah 29:14 Therefore I will again confound these people with wonder upon wonder. The wisdom of the wise will vanish, and the intelligence of the intelligent will be hidden.”
- Daniel 1:20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom.
- Daniel 4:5 I had a dream, and it frightened me; while I was in my bed, the images and visions in my mind alarmed me.
- Matthew 2:1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem,
- Genesis 40:6 When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were distraught.
- Genesis 40:8 “We both had dreams,” they replied, “but there is no one to interpret them.” Then Joseph said to them, “Don’t interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.”
- Exodus 8:7 But the magicians did the same thing by their magic arts, and they also brought frogs up onto the land of Egypt.