Genesis 41:23
New International Version
After them, seven other heads sprouted—withered and thin and scorched by the east wind.

New Living Translation
Then seven more heads of grain appeared, but these were blighted, shriveled, and withered by the east wind.

English Standard Version
Seven ears, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprouted after them,

Berean Standard Bible
After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted—withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind.

King James Bible
And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them:

New King James Version
Then behold, seven heads, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprang up after them.

New American Standard Bible
and behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind sprouted up after them;

NASB 1995
and lo, seven ears, withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them;

NASB 1977
and lo, seven ears, withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them;

Legacy Standard Bible
and behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them;

Amplified Bible
and lo, seven [other] ears, withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind, sprouted after them;

Christian Standard Bible
After them, seven heads of grain—withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind—sprouted up.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
After them, seven heads of grain—withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind—sprouted up.

American Standard Version
and, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them:

Contemporary English Version
Then seven other heads of grain came up. They were thin and scorched by a wind from the desert.

English Revised Version
and, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Seven other heads of grain, withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind, sprouted behind them.

Good News Translation
Then seven heads of grain sprouted, thin and scorched by the desert wind,

International Standard Version
All of a sudden, seven thin, withered ears of grain, scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them.

Majority Standard Bible
After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted—withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind.

NET Bible
Then seven heads of grain, withered and thin and burned with the east wind, were sprouting up after them.

New Heart English Bible
And look, seven heads of grain, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprouted up after them.

Webster's Bible Translation
And behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them:

World English Bible
and behold, seven heads of grain, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and behold, seven ears, withered, thin, blasted with an east wind, are springing up after them;

Young's Literal Translation
and lo, seven ears, withered, thin, blasted with an east wind, are springing up after them;

Smith's Literal Translation
And behold, seven ears dry, thin, blasted by the east, springing up after them.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Other seven also thin and blasted, sprung of the stock:

Catholic Public Domain Version
Likewise, another seven, thin and struck with blight, rose up from the stalk.

New American Bible
Behind them sprouted seven ears of grain, shriveled and thin and scorched by the east wind;

New Revised Standard Version
and seven ears, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprouting after them;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And, behold, seven other ears, thin and blasted by the east wind, sprang up after them;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the hot wind sprouted after them:
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And other seven ears, thin and blasted with the wind, sprang up close to them.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Joseph Interprets Pharaoh's Dreams
22In my dream I also saw seven heads of grain, plump and ripe, growing on a single stalk. 23 After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted— withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind. 24And the thin heads of grain swallowed the seven plump ones. I told this dream to the magicians, but no one could explain it to me.”…

Cross References
Exodus 9:32
but the wheat and spelt were not destroyed, because they are late crops.)

Joel 1:4
What the devouring locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; what the swarming locust has left, the young locust has eaten; and what the young locust has left, the destroying locust has eaten.

Habakkuk 3:17
Though the fig tree does not bud and no fruit is on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though the sheep are cut off from the fold and no cattle are in the stalls,

Psalm 105:16
He called down famine on the land and cut off all their supplies of food.

Isaiah 5:6
I will make it a wasteland, neither pruned nor cultivated, and thorns and briers will grow up. I will command the clouds that rain shall not fall on it.”

Jeremiah 14:1-6
This is the word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought: / “Judah mourns and her gates languish. Her people wail for the land, and a cry goes up from Jerusalem. / The nobles send their servants for water; they go to the cisterns, but find no water; their jars return empty. They are ashamed and humiliated; they cover their heads. ...

Ezekiel 17:9-10
So you are to tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Will it flourish? Will it not be uprooted and stripped of its fruit so that it shrivels? All its foliage will wither! It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it up by its roots. / Even if it is transplanted, will it flourish? Will it not completely wither when the east wind strikes? It will wither on the bed where it sprouted.’”

Amos 4:9
“I struck you with blight and mildew in your growing gardens and vineyards; the locust devoured your fig and olive trees, yet you did not return to Me,” declares the LORD.

Haggai 1:11
I have summoned a drought on the fields and on the mountains, on the grain, new wine, and oil, and on whatever the ground yields, on man and beast, and on all the labor of your hands.”

Matthew 13:7
Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the seedlings.

Matthew 13:22
The seed sown among the thorns is the one who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

Mark 4:7
Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the seedlings, and they yielded no crop.

Mark 4:18-19
Others are like the seeds sown among the thorns. They hear the word, / but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

Luke 8:7
Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the seedlings.

Luke 8:14
The seeds that fell among the thorns are those who hear, but as they go on their way, they are choked by the worries, riches, and pleasures of this life, and their fruit does not mature.


Treasury of Scripture

And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them:

withered.

Genesis 41:6
And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them.

2 Kings 19:26
Therefore their inhabitants were of small power, they were dismayed and confounded; they were as the grass of the field, and as the green herb, as the grass on the housetops, and as corn blasted before it be grown up.

Psalm 129:6,7
Let them be as the grass upon the housetops, which withereth afore it groweth up: …

blasted.

Genesis 41:20
And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine:

Jump to Previous
Blasted Blighted Dry Ears East Grain Heads Parched Scorched Seven Springing Sprouted Sprung Thin Wasted Wind Withered
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Blasted Blighted Dry Ears East Grain Heads Parched Scorched Seven Springing Sprouted Sprung Thin Wasted Wind Withered
Genesis 41
1. Pharaoh has two dreams.
9. Joseph interprets them.
33. He gives Pharaoh counsel, and is highly advanced, and married.
46. The seven years of plenty.
50. He begets children.
53. The famine begins.














Then behold, seven heads of grain, withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them
Then behold
The phrase "Then behold" serves as a narrative device to draw attention to a significant event or revelation. In Hebrew, the word often translated as "behold" is "הִנֵּה" (hinneh), which is used to emphasize the importance or unexpected nature of what follows. This phrase invites the reader to pay close attention, as something of divine or prophetic significance is about to be revealed. In the context of Joseph's interpretation of Pharaoh's dream, it signals a pivotal moment where the dream's ominous elements are introduced.

seven heads of grain
The "seven heads of grain" symbolize a complete cycle of agricultural abundance or famine, as the number seven often represents completeness or perfection in biblical numerology. In the ancient Near Eastern context, grain was a staple of life, and its abundance or scarcity directly impacted the survival and prosperity of a nation. The imagery of grain in dreams would have been immediately understood by Pharaoh and his court as a matter of national importance.

withered, thin, and scorched
These descriptors paint a vivid picture of devastation and lack. The Hebrew words used here convey a sense of decay and insufficiency. "Withered" suggests a loss of vitality, "thin" implies inadequacy, and "scorched" indicates damage beyond repair. This triad of descriptors underscores the severity of the impending famine, contrasting sharply with the previous vision of healthy, full heads of grain. It serves as a warning of the dire consequences of the coming years.

by the east wind
The "east wind" in the ancient Near East was known for its harshness and destructive power. In Hebrew, the term "קָדִים" (qadim) refers to a hot, dry wind that blows from the desert, often causing crops to wither and die. This natural phenomenon was well-known in Egypt and surrounding regions, symbolizing forces beyond human control that could bring about disaster. The mention of the east wind highlights the divine orchestration of events, as it is God who controls the elements and uses them to fulfill His purposes.

sprouted up after them
The phrase "sprouted up after them" indicates a sequence of events, where the withered heads of grain follow the healthy ones. This progression is crucial in the interpretation of Pharaoh's dream, as it signifies the transition from years of plenty to years of famine. The Hebrew verb "צָמַח" (tsamach), meaning "to sprout" or "to spring up," suggests a natural, inevitable unfolding of events. It serves as a reminder of the cyclical nature of life and the divine timing in God's plan, urging the reader to trust in God's sovereignty even in times of hardship.

(23) Withered.--This word occurs only in this place. Its meaning is stony, that is, the grains were shrivelled and hard like bits of grit.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
After them,
אַחֲרֵיהֶֽם׃ (’a·ḥă·rê·hem)
Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's 310: The hind or following part

seven other
שֶׁ֣בַע (še·ḇa‘)
Number - feminine singular
Strong's 7651: Seven, seven times, a week, an indefinite number

heads of grain
שִׁבֳּלִ֔ים (šib·bo·lîm)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 7641: A stream, an ear of grain, a branch

sprouted—
צֹמְח֖וֹת (ṣō·mə·ḥō·wṯ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine plural
Strong's 6779: To sprout, spring up

withered,
צְנֻמ֥וֹת (ṣə·nu·mō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 6798: To dry up, harden

thin,
דַּקּ֖וֹת (daq·qō·wṯ)
Adjective - feminine plural
Strong's 1851: Crushed, small, thin

and scorched
שְׁדֻפ֣וֹת (šə·ḏu·p̄ō·wṯ)
Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - feminine plural construct
Strong's 7710: To scorch, blight

by the east wind.
קָדִ֑ים (qā·ḏîm)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6921: The fore, front part, the East


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OT Law: Genesis 41:23 And behold seven heads of grain withered (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 41:22
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