38
Pharaohפַּרְעֹהsaidוַיֹּאמֶרto his servants,אֶל עֲבָדָיו“Can we findהֲנִמְצָאanyone like this,כָזֶהa manאִישׁin whomאֲשֶׁר בּוֹis the spiritרוּחַof Elohim?”אֱלֹהִים
Genesis 41:38
Study it in the app“Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find anyone like this, a man in whom is the spirit of Elohim?””
With the Hebrew beneath
Genesis 41:38, word by word
- Pharaohפַּרְעֹהparo
Pharaoh
Pharaoh: the title of the kings of Egypt, not a personal name.
Where else “paro” appears- saidיֹּאמֶרyomer
say
To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.
Where else “yomer” appears- to his servantsעֲבָדָיavaday
servant
Someone who works for another, or a king's official.
Where else “avaday” appears- “Can we findנִמְצָאnimtsa
find
To come upon what one seeks, or something not expected.
Where else “nimtsa” appears- a manאִישׁish
man
An adult male person; also each man of a people, a trade or a place.
Where else “ish” appears- is the spiritרוּחַruach
Spirit of God
The spirit of Elohim or YHWH: his presence and power.
Where else “ruach” appears- of Elohimאֱלֹהִיםelohim
Elohim
The one true God, the Creator; the word is plural but means one.
Where else “elohim” appears
Translation note
The speaker is Pharaoh; he says literally “a man in whom is the spirit of Elohim” (ruach Elohim). Joseph had told him that the answer came from Elohim (41:16, 25, 28).
The context
37The proposal seemed good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants.
38 · This verse (above)
39Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since Elohim has made known to you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you.
To study Genesis 41 in a group
1. What it says
What did Pharaoh dream, and what plan did Joseph propose (vv. 1-7, 33-36)?
2. What it means
Why did Pharaoh recognize that the spirit of Elohim was in Joseph (v. 38)?
3. How I live it
What can you wisely prepare today for hard times that might come?