Genesis 41:8
in Genesis 41In 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Genesis 41
Commentary
7 notes on this verseCalled for all the magicians - חרטמים 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.
This site's exposition
his spirit was troubled
His spirit is troubled in the morning, and he summons every magician and wise man in Egypt. Egypt kept a trained profession for reading dreams, and the profession fails in front of the king. The same thing happens in Babylon at Daniel 2, where the wise men cannot read the king's dream and a Hebrew captive can. Pharaoh is left with two dreams and no meaning.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
His spirit was troubled - It cannot but put us into a concern to receive any extraordinary message from heaven. And his magicians were puzzled; the rules of their art failed them; these dreams of Pharaoh did not fall within the compass of them. This was to make Joseph's performance by the Spirit of God the more admirable.
12 And there was there with us a young man, a Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret. 13 And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:100%@v11-13
And it came to pass in the morning, that his spirit was troubled,....
This was to make Joseph's performance by the Spirit of God the more admirable. Human reason, prudence, and foresight, must be nonplussed, that divine revelation may appear the more glorious in the contrivance of our redemption, 1 Cor. ii.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
he called for all the magicians of Egypt--It is not possible to define the exact distinction between "magicians" and "wise men"; but they formed different branches of a numerous body, who laid claim to supernatural skill in occult arts and sciences, in revealing mysteries, explaining portents, and, above all, interpreting dreams.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
22 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְהִ֤י | vayhi | and it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| בַבֹּ֙קֶר֙ | vaboker | in the morning | H1242 → | 214 times |
| וַתִּפָּ֣עֶם | vatipaem | and it was troubled | H6470 → | |
| רוּח֔וֹ | rucho | spirit his | H7307 → | 378 times |
| וַיִּשְׁלַ֗ח | vaiyishlach | and he sent | H7971 → | 845 times |
| וַיִּקְרָ֛א | vaiyikra' | and he summoned | H7121 → | 733 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| חַרְטֻמֵּ֥י | chartumei | [the] diviner priests of | H2748 → | |
| מִצְרַ֖יִם | mitzrayim | Egypt | H4714 → | 641 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| חֲכָמֶ֑יהָ | chakhameiha | wise [men] its | H2450 → | 138 times |
| וַיְסַפֵּ֨ר | vaysaper | and he recounted | H5608 → | 159 times |
| פַּרְעֹ֤ה | paroh | Pharaoh | H6547 → | 274 times |
| לָהֶם֙ | lahem | to <the> them | ||
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| חֲלֹמ֔וֹ | chalomo | dream his | H2472 → | 65 times |
| וְאֵין־ | veein- | and there not | H369 → | 789 times |
| פּוֹתֵ֥ר | poter | [was one who] interpreted | H6622 → | 9 times |
| אוֹתָ֖ם | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| לְפַרְעֹֽה׃ | lefaroh | for Pharaoh | H6547 → | 274 times |
וַיְהִ֤יand it was
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
בַבֹּ֙קֶר֙in the morning
vabokerH1242 →214 times
וַתִּפָּ֣עֶםand it was troubled
vatipaemH6470 →
רוּח֔וֹspirit his
ruchoH7307 →378 times
וַיִּשְׁלַ֗חand he sent
vaiyishlachH7971 →845 times
וַיִּקְרָ֛אand he summoned
vaiyikra'H7121 →733 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
חַרְטֻמֵּ֥י[the] diviner priests of
chartumeiH2748 →
מִצְרַ֖יִםEgypt
mitzrayimH4714 →641 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
חֲכָמֶ֑יהָwise [men] its
chakhameihaH2450 →138 times
וַיְסַפֵּ֨רand he recounted
vaysaperH5608 →159 times
פַּרְעֹ֤הPharaoh
parohH6547 →274 times
לָהֶם֙to <the> them
lahem
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
חֲלֹמ֔וֹdream his
chalomoH2472 →65 times
וְאֵין־and there not
veein-H369 →789 times
פּוֹתֵ֥ר[was one who] interpreted
poterH6622 →9 times
אוֹתָ֖ם<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
לְפַרְעֹֽה׃for Pharaoh
lefarohH6547 →274 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 29:14Therefore 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.”
it leads to
- Habakkuk 1:5
“Look at the nations and observe—be utterly astounded! For I am doing a work in your days that you would never believe even if someone told you.
- 1 Corinthians 1:19–24
For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”
- Isaiah 28:21
For the LORD will rise up as at Mount Perazim. He will rouse Himself as in the Valley of Gibeon, to do His work, His strange work, and to perform His task, His disturbing…
- Jeremiah 49:7
Concerning Edom, this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Is there no longer wisdom in Teman? Has counsel perished from the prudent? Has their wisdom decayed?
- John 9:39–41
Then Jesus declared, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind may see and those who see may become blind.”
- Habakkuk 1:5
Through
Daniel 1:20In 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.
it leads to
- Isaiah 47:12–14
So take your stand with your spells and with your many sorceries, with which you have wearied yourself from your youth. Perhaps you will succeed; perhaps you will inspire terror!
- Exodus 8:19
“This is the finger of God,” the magicians said to Pharaoh. But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.
- Isaiah 47:12–14
Through
Exodus 7:22But 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.
it leads to
- 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.
- Exodus 7:11
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Genesis

Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
