Commentaire de citation sur La Genèse 41:30

AND BEHOLD, THERE CAME UP OUT OF THE RIVER. Since the land of Egypt is irrigated by the river, and it is from the river that abundance or famine befalls them, the king saw the cows coming up out of the river. The cows symbolize plowing, and the ears of corn symbolize the harvest, just as Joseph said, in which there shall be neither plowing nor harvest.¹²Genesis 45:6. Thus it is obvious that Joseph understood the characters in the dreams — i.e. the cows and the ears of corn — as symbolizing plowing and harvesting. He saw that the river rose only slightly and there would thus be no plowing, and the little which will be planted in moist places, a wind blowing from the east, a wind from the Eternal¹³Hosea 13:15. would burn them, even as he saw the ears of corn parched with the east wind.¹⁴Verse 6 here.
It would appear to be implied in the verses that the abundance was only in the land of Egypt, even as it said, Seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt;¹⁵Verse 29 here. likewise the verse, And he stored up all the food of the seven years which was in the land of Egypt.¹⁶Verse 48 here. But the famine, on the other hand, was in all the lands. And so did Joseph interpret it when he said, And there shall arise after them seven years of famine,¹⁷Verse 30 here. and did not mention the land of Egypt. It was for this reason that in the other countries they were unable to store up food even if they had heard about it, as they undoubtedly did, for the matter was well known throughout their lands. Perhaps this was alluded to in the dream since with respect to the fat cows, it mentions, And they fed in the reed-grass, for it was there in Egypt that they fed and stood, but the lean ones, after they consumed the fat ones, walked to and fro through the earth,¹⁸Zechariah 6:7. and Pharaoh did not know where they had gone.

AND THE COWS ATE UP. In my opinion²⁶Ramban’s interpretation differs from Rashi, who writes that the eating up of the fat by the lean indicates that all joy occasioned by the years of plenty would be forgotten in the days of the famine. His own opinion is presented in the text. this is a sign that the years of famine shall consume the years of plenty. It is from this that Joseph inferred that he should tell Pharaoh, And let them store up all the food of those good years,²⁷Verse 35 here. And the food shall serve as a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine,²⁸Verse 36 here. as he saw that the healthy cows and ears of corn were absorbed by the lean ones.²⁹The fact that the fat ones were absorbed by the lean ones was a sign to Joseph that the food from the seven years of plenty should be kept as a reserve for the years of famine. This was no mere counsel which Joseph proposed, for was he appointed to be a counselor of the king?³⁰See II Chronicles 25:16. It was only in connection with the interpretation of the dream that he said thus: And the plenty shall be forgotten,³¹Verse 30 here. And the plenty shall not be known.³²Verse 31 here. These words of Joseph constitute the interpretation of: It could not be known that they had eaten them up, their appearance being bad as previously,³³Verse 21 here. for Joseph saw that by their consumption of the fat cows, the lean ones did not become fine and plump. They served them for subsistence only, for had they not eaten them they would have died in their lean state. This is unlike Rashi, who says that the plenty shall be forgotten³¹Verse 30 here. is the interpretation of the eating itself.³⁴But according to Ramban, Joseph’s words, And the plenty shall be forgotten, are the interpretation of the aspect of the dream expressed by: It could not be known that they had eaten them up.