to say (used with great latitude) · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
Joseph
יוֹסֵ֖ףyo.Sef
H3130
Joseph · proper noun, a man's name
Pharaoh
פַרְעֹ֑הfar.'Oh
H6547
Paroh · noun, masculine singular absolute
without
וּבִלְעָדֶ֗יךָu.vil.'a.Dei.kha
H1107
except · conjunction + cardinal number, both genders singular construct + pronominal suffix, 2nd person masculine singular
man
אִ֧ישׁ'ish
H376
a man as an individual or a male person · noun, common masculine singular absolute
up
יָרִ֨יםya.Rim
H7311
to be high actively · verb, hiphil imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
hand
יָד֛וֹya.Do
H3027
a hand (the open one (indicating power · noun, common both genders singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
foot
רַגְל֖וֹrag.Lo
H7272
a foot (as used in walking) · noun, common feminine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
land
אֶ֥רֶץ'E.retz
H776
the earth (at large · noun, common feminine singular construct
Egypt
מִצְרָֽיִםmitz.Ra.yim
H4714
Mitsrajim · proper noun, a place name
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Psalms 105:22 To bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his senators wisdom.
Exodus 11:7 But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that the LORD doth put…
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Genesis 41:33-45
Here is, I. The good advice that Joseph gave to Pharaoh, which was, 1. That in the years of plenty he should lay up for the years of famine, buy up corn when it was cheap, that he might both enrich himself and supply the country when it would be dear and scarce. Note, Fair warning should always be followed with good counsel. Therefore the prudent man foresees the evil, that he may hide himself. God has in his word told us of a day of trial and exigence before us, when we shall need all the grace we can get, and all little enough, "Now, therefore, provide accordingly." Note, further, Times of gathering must be diligently improved, because there will come a time of spending. Let us go to the a…
These ceremonies of investiture were closed in usual form by the king in council solemnly ratifying the appointment.
I am Pharaoh, and without thee, &c.--a proverbial mode of expression for great power.
Adam Clarke on Genesis 41:44
I am Pharaoh - The same as if he had said, I am the king; for Pharaoh was the common title of the sovereigns of Egypt.
John Gill on Genesis 41:44
And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh,.... Or I am king, which the word Pharaoh signifies, as Josephus (z) says; and that this is not a proper name, but a title of office, seems plain from these words; and the sense either is, that though Pharaoh had raised Joseph to such high honour and dignity, yet he alone was king: or this he said to show his power and authority to do what he had done, and would stand by him, and support him in his office and grandeur:
and without thee shall not a man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt; which is to be taken not in a strict literal sense, but proverbially, signifying, that nothing should be done in the nation of any moment or importan…
Joseph's [former] master was there when the dreams of Pharaoh were being interpreted. When [Potiphar] saw that only in respect to the throne was [Joseph] less than Pharaoh, he returned quickly to his house. In his haste to go to tell his wife of [Joseph's] greatness, he closely resembled his wife when she had come out to meet him to accuse Joseph. Potiphar said to his wife, "Joseph, our servant, has become our master. He whom we sent to prison without clothing, Pharaoh has now clothed with a garment of fine white linen. He whom we cast prostrate into prison now sits upon the chariot of Pharaoh. He whom we had bound in irons now has a gold necklace set on his neck.… How then can I look again upon him whom my eyes are unable to look upon?"Then she said to him, "Do not fear Joseph to whom you did no evil, for he knows that the disgrace that came upon him in our home, whether justly or not, came upon him from my hands. Go, then, without fear with the princes and army commanders who follow behind his chariot, lest he think that the royal dignity that he has received is an affliction to us. To show you that he is not evil, I will now speak the truth, which is contrary to my previous lie. I was enamored of Joseph when I falsely accused him. I made assault upon his clothing because I was overcome by his beauty. If he is just, it is I whom he will bring to grief and not you. And if he is [truly] upright, he will not bring me to grief, either, because if he had not been wronged he would not have been imprisoned. If he had not been imprisoned, he would not have interpreted the dreams of Pharaoh and he would not have come to this royal dignity of which you just informed me. Although we did not exalt him, it is as if we did exalt him, for it was due to our afflicting him that he has been accorded such honor and become second to the king." Then Joseph's [former] master went and, with those who were higher in rank than he, followed Joseph's chariot through the streets of Egypt. But Joseph did him no evil because he knew that it was God who had permitted his brothers to throw him into the pit in the desert, and [who had delivered him] from the pit, in order to send him in irons to Egypt, and who had permitted his master to send him to prison so that from that humble seat he might set him upon the chariot of Pharaoh.
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Famine — The first mentioned in Scripture was so grievous as to compel Abraham to go down to the land of Egypt (Gen. 26:1). Another is mentioned as having occurred in the days of Isaac, causing him to go to…
Kine — (Heb. sing. parah, i.e., “fruitful”), mentioned in Pharaoh’s dream (Gen. 41: 18). Here the word denotes “buffaloes,” which fed on the reeds and sedge by the river’s brink.
Pharaoh — The official title borne by the Egyptian kings down to the time when that country was conquered by the Greeks. (See EGYPT.) The name is a compound, as some think, of the words Ra, the “sun” or…
Captive · Advanced to positions in state — Advanced to positions in state
Civil Service · APPOINTMENT IN, ON ACCOUNT OF MERIT — APPOINTMENT IN, ON ACCOUNT OF MERIT
Economics · POLITI — POLITI
Egypt · Under a governor — Under a governor
Government · Paternal functions of — Paternal functions of
Joseph · .Is promoted to authority next to Pharaoh at thirty years of age — .Is promoted to authority next to Pharaoh at thirty years of age
Minister, Civil · Joseph — Joseph
Prisoners · Joseph — Joseph
Promotion · .Joseph, from impri — .Joseph, from impri
Prudence
John Calvin on Genesis 41:40-45
Thou shalt be over my house. Not only is Joseph made governor of Egypt, but is adorned also with the insignia of royalty, that all may reverence him, and may obey his command. The royal signet is put upon his finger for the confirmation of decrees. He is clothed in robes of fine linen, which were then a luxury, and were not to be had at any common price. He is placed in the most honorable chariot. [159] It may, however, be asked, whether it was lawful for the holy man to appear with so great pomp? I answer, although such splendor can scarcely ever be free from blame, and therefore frugality in external ornaments is best; yet all kind of splendor in kings and other princes of the world is not…
"I am Pharaoh," he said to him, "and without thee shall no man lift his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt;" i.e., I am the actual king, and thou, the next to me, shalt rule over all my people.
Tyndale Open Study Notes on Genesis 41:43-44
Pharaoh made Joseph second-in-command; all the people had to submit to him. Cp. Ps 105:16-22.
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
