Genesis 41:18
New International Version
when out of the river there came up seven cows, fat and sleek, and they grazed among the reeds.

New Living Translation
and I saw seven fat, healthy cows come up out of the river and begin grazing in the marsh grass.

English Standard Version
Seven cows, plump and attractive, came up out of the Nile and fed in the reed grass.

Berean Standard Bible
when seven cows, well-fed and sleek, came up from the river and began to graze among the reeds.

King James Bible
And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow:

New King James Version
Suddenly seven cows came up out of the river, fine looking and fat; and they fed in the meadow.

New American Standard Bible
and behold, seven cows, fat and fine-looking came up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the marsh grass.

NASB 1995
and behold, seven cows, fat and sleek came up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the marsh grass.

NASB 1977
and behold, seven cows, fat and sleek came up out of the Nile; and they grazed in the marsh grass.

Legacy Standard Bible
and behold, seven cows, fat and sleek came up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the reeds.

Amplified Bible
and seven fat, sleek and handsome cows came up out of the river, and they grazed in the reed grass [of a marshy pasture].

Christian Standard Bible
when seven well-fed, healthy-looking cows came up from the Nile and grazed among the reeds.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
when seven well-fed, healthy-looking cows came up from the Nile and began to graze among the reeds.

American Standard Version
and, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fat-fleshed and well-favored: and they fed in the reed-grass:

Contemporary English Version
I saw seven fat, healthy cows come up out of the river, and they began feeding on the grass.

English Revised Version
and, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in the reed-grass:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Suddenly, seven nice-looking, well-fed cows came up from the river and began to graze among the reeds.

Good News Translation
when seven cows, fat and sleek, came up out of the river and began feeding on the grass.

International Standard Version
and all of a sudden seven healthy, plump, beautiful cows emerged from the Nile and began to graze among the reeds that line the bank.

Majority Standard Bible
when seven cows, well-fed and sleek, came up from the river and began to graze among the reeds.

NET Bible
Then seven fat and fine-looking cows were coming up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the reeds.

New Heart English Bible
And look, there came up out of the river seven cows, fat and sleek, and they grazed among the reeds.

Webster's Bible Translation
And behold, there came out of the river seven cows, fat-fleshed, and well-favored; and they fed in a meadow:

World English Bible
and behold, seven fat and sleek cattle came up out of the river. They fed in the marsh grass;
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and behold, out of the River coming up are seven cows, fat [in] flesh, and of beautiful form, and they feed among the reeds;

Young's Literal Translation
and lo, out of the River coming up are seven kine, fat in flesh, and of fair form, and they feed among the reeds;

Smith's Literal Translation
And behold, from the river came up seven heifers, fat of flesh and fair of form, and they will feed in marsh grass.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And seven kine came up out of the river exceeding beautiful and full of flesh: and they grazed on green places in a marshy pasture.

Catholic Public Domain Version
and seven cows climbed up from the river, exceedingly beautiful and full of flesh. And they grazed in a pasture of a marshy greenery.

New American Bible
when up from the Nile came seven cows, fat and well-formed; they grazed in the reed grass.

New Revised Standard Version
and seven cows, fat and sleek, came up out of the Nile and fed in the reed grass.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And, behold, there came up out of the river seven fat and beautiful cows; and they fed in a meadow;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And behold, from the river seven cows arise, fat in their flesh and their appearance excellent, and they feed in a meadow:
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fat-fleshed and well-favoured; and they fed in the reedgrass.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
and there came up as it were out of the river, seven cows well-favoured and choice-fleshed, and they fed on the sedge.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Joseph Interprets Pharaoh's Dreams
17Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile, 18 when seven cows, well-fed and sleek, came up from the river and began to graze among the reeds. 19After them, seven other cows—sickly, ugly, and thin—came up. I have never seen such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt!…

Cross References
Daniel 2:31-35
As you, O king, were watching, a great statue appeared. A great and dazzling statue stood before you, and its form was awesome. / The head of the statue was pure gold, its chest and arms were silver, its belly and thighs were bronze, / its legs were iron, and its feet were part iron and part clay. ...

Daniel 4:10-18
In these visions of my mind as I was lying in bed, I saw this come to pass: There was a tree in the midst of the land, and its height was great. / The tree grew large and strong; its top reached the sky, and it was visible to the ends of the earth. / Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit was abundant, and upon it was food for all. Under it the beasts of the field found shelter, in its branches the birds of the air nested, and from it every creature was fed. ...

Acts 7:9-10
Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him / and rescued him from all his troubles. He granted Joseph favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler over Egypt and all his household.

Psalm 105:17-22
He sent a man before them—Joseph, sold as a slave. / They bruised his feet with shackles and placed his neck in irons, / until his prediction came true and the word of the LORD proved him right. ...

Job 33:15-18
In a dream, in a vision in the night, when deep sleep falls upon men as they slumber on their beds, / He opens their ears and terrifies them with warnings / to turn a man from wrongdoing and keep him from pride, ...

1 Kings 3:5-15
One night at Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “Ask, and I will give it to you!” / Solomon replied, “You have shown much loving devotion to Your servant, my father David, because he walked before You in faithfulness, righteousness, and uprightness of heart. And You have maintained this loving devotion by giving him a son to sit on his throne this very day. / And now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in my father David’s place. But I am only a little child, not knowing how to go out or come in. ...

Matthew 2:13
When the Magi had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up!” he said. “Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the Child to kill Him.”

Acts 2:17
‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.

Joel 2:28
And afterward, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.

Matthew 27:19
While Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: “Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered terribly in a dream today because of Him.”

Daniel 7:1-3
In the first year of the reign of Belshazzar over Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he lay on his bed. He wrote down the dream, and this is the summary of his account. / Daniel declared: “In my vision in the night I looked, and suddenly the four winds of heaven were churning up the great sea. / Then four great beasts came up out of the sea, each one different from the others:

Numbers 12:6
He said, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, will reveal Myself to him in a vision; I will speak to him in a dream.

Job 4:12-16
Now a word came to me secretly; my ears caught a whisper of it. / In disquieting visions in the night, when deep sleep falls on men, / fear and trembling came over me and made all my bones shudder. ...

Matthew 1:20
But after he had pondered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to embrace Mary as your wife, for the One conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

Acts 16:9-10
During the night, Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” / As soon as Paul had seen the vision, we got ready to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.


Treasury of Scripture

And, behold, there came up out of the river seven cows, fat and well favored; and they fed in a meadow:

Jeremiah 24:1-3,5,8
The LORD shewed me, and, behold, two baskets of figs were set before the temple of the LORD, after that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, and the princes of Judah, with the carpenters and smiths, from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon…

Jump to Previous
Cattle Cows Fat Fatfleshed Fat-Fleshed Favored Fed Fine Flesh Food Form Good-Looking Grass Grazed Kine Marsh Meadow Nile Reed Reed-Grass River River-Grass Seven Sleek Well-Favored Well-Favoured
Jump to Next
Cattle Cows Fat Fatfleshed Fat-Fleshed Favored Fed Fine Flesh Food Form Good-Looking Grass Grazed Kine Marsh Meadow Nile Reed Reed-Grass River River-Grass Seven Sleek Well-Favored Well-Favoured
Genesis 41
1. Pharaoh has two dreams.
9. Joseph interprets them.
33. He gives Pharaoh counsel, and is highly advanced, and married.
46. The seven years of plenty.
50. He begets children.
53. The famine begins.














when seven cows
The number "seven" in biblical terms often symbolizes completeness or perfection, as seen in the seven days of creation. In this context, the "seven cows" represent a complete cycle or period, which is later revealed to be seven years. Cows, in ancient Egyptian culture, were symbols of fertility and abundance, often associated with the goddess Hathor. This imagery would have been significant to Pharaoh, as it directly related to the prosperity of the land.

well-fed and sleek
The description "well-fed and sleek" indicates health, prosperity, and abundance. In Hebrew, the word for "well-fed" can also imply being fat or plump, which in an agrarian society is a sign of wealth and blessing. The sleekness of the cows suggests they are in prime condition, reflecting a time of plenty. This imagery is crucial as it sets the stage for the contrast with the subsequent lean cows, highlighting the impending change from abundance to famine.

came up from the river
The Nile River was the lifeblood of Egypt, essential for agriculture and sustenance. The phrase "came up from the river" signifies the source of life and prosperity for the Egyptian people. In the dream, the cows emerging from the river symbolize the natural and divine provision of resources. Historically, the annual flooding of the Nile deposited rich silt on the land, making it fertile and capable of supporting livestock and crops.

and began to graze among the reeds
Grazing "among the reeds" suggests a peaceful and natural setting where the cows are at ease, feeding in a lush environment. Reeds, often found along the banks of the Nile, were part of the typical landscape of Egypt. This phrase paints a picture of tranquility and abundance, reinforcing the idea of a prosperous period. The act of grazing implies a continuous supply of nourishment, which is a metaphor for the years of plenty that Egypt would experience.

(18) In a meadow.--Heb., in the marsh-grass, as in Genesis 41:2.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
when seven
שֶׁ֣בַע (še·ḇa‘)
Number - feminine singular
Strong's 7651: Seven, seven times, a week, an indefinite number

cows,
פָּר֔וֹת (pā·rō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 6510: A heifer, cow

well-fed
בְּרִיא֥וֹת (bə·rî·’ō·wṯ)
Adjective - feminine plural construct
Strong's 1277: Fatted, plump

and sleek,
וִיפֹ֣ת (wî·p̄ōṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Adjective - feminine plural construct
Strong's 3303: Fair, beautiful

came up
עֹלֹת֙ (‘ō·lōṯ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine plural
Strong's 5927: To ascend, in, actively

from
מִן־ (min-)
Preposition
Strong's 4480: A part of, from, out of

the river
הַיְאֹ֗ר (hay·’ōr)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2975: Nile -- a channel, a fosse, canal, shaft, the Nile, the Tigris

and began to graze
וַתִּרְעֶ֖ינָה (wat·tir·‘e·nāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine plural
Strong's 7462: To tend a, flock, pasture it, in, to graze, to rule, to associate with

among the reeds.
בָּאָֽחוּ׃ (bā·’ā·ḥū)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 260: A bulrush, any marshy grass


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OT Law: Genesis 41:18 And behold there came up out (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 41:17
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