And the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke.

GENESIS 41:4KJV
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Genesis 41:4 (KJV)

What does Genesis 41:4 mean?

Genesis 41:4 describes Pharaoh’s dream in which seven thin, unhealthy cows eat up seven healthy, fat cows, and then Pharaoh wakes up. The verse highlights the strange and unsettling nature of the dream, with the weak cows consuming the strong ones.

In the story, Pharaoh is the ruler of Egypt, and he is experiencing a troubling dream that he cannot understand. The verse is part of a larger sequence where Pharaoh dreams about cows by the river, which sets the stage for Joseph to later interpret the dream. The detail that the thin cows eat the fat cows, yet remain thin, is meant to be disturbing and puzzling, signaling that something unusual and important is being revealed through the dream.

The Hebrew behind Genesis 41:4

  • "ill" (רַע, ra‘, H7451): This word means "bad" or "evil" and is used here to describe the appearance of the thin cows, emphasizing just how unhealthy and unattractive they are.
  • "leanfleshed" (דַּקּוֹת בָּשָׂר, daqqot basar, H1851, H1320): This phrase means "thin of flesh," painting a vivid picture of cows that are not just skinny, but almost wasted away, which would be alarming in an agricultural society.
  • "eat up" (אָכַל, akhal, H398): This verb means "to eat" or "devour." The use of this word stresses the unnaturalness of the event, as cows do not eat other cows, and especially not in this aggressive way.
  • "well" (יָפֶה, yafeh, H3303) and "fat" (בָּרִיא, bari’, H1277): These words describe the healthy cows as both attractive and robust, making the contrast with the sickly cows even more striking.

Why Genesis 41:4 matters

  • The verse sets up the mystery and tension that drives the next part of the story, making Pharaoh desperate for an interpretation and opening the way for Joseph’s rise to power.
  • The unnatural image of sickly cows devouring healthy ones hints at a coming reversal or disaster, which is later revealed to be years of famine following years of plenty.
  • The details in the verse emphasize how disturbing and memorable the dream is, helping the reader understand why Pharaoh is so troubled and why the dream demands explanation.

Where else these words appear

“awoke” Hebrew H3364 · used in 11 verses

  • Genesis 9:24 And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.
  • Genesis 41:21 And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they were still ill favoured, as at the beginning. So I awoke.
  • 1 Kings 3:15 And Solomon awoke; and, behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.

“leanfleshed” Hebrew H1851 · used in 13 verses

  • Genesis 41:3 And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill favoured and leanfleshed; and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river.
  • Genesis 41:24 And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: and I told this unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me.
  • Leviticus 21:20 Or crookbackt, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken;

“fat” Hebrew H1277 · used in 13 verses

  • Genesis 41:2 And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favoured kine and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow.
  • Genesis 41:20 And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine:
  • Ezekiel 34:3 Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock.

“kine” Hebrew H6510 · used in 22 verses

  • Genesis 32:15 Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten bulls, twenty she asses, and ten foals.
  • Genesis 41:27 And the seven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine.
  • 1 Samuel 6:10 And the men did so; and took two milch kine, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home: