Genesis 41:23

23 Seven other heads of grain, withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind, sprouted behind them.

Genesis 41:23 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 41:23

And, behold, seven ears withered
Here a new epithet of the bad ears is given, and expressed by a word nowhere else used, which Ben Melech interprets, small, little, according to the use of the word in the Misnah; Aben Ezra, void, empty, such as had no grains of corn in them, nothing but husk or chaff, and observes that some render it images; for the word is so used in the Arabic language, and may signify that these ears were only mere shadows or images of ears, which had no substance in them: Jarchi says, the word, in the Syriac language signifies a rock, and so it denotes that these ears were dry as a rock, and had no moisture in them, laid dried, burnt up, and blasted with the east wind.

Genesis 41:23 In-Context

21 Even though they had eaten them, no one could tell they had eaten them. They looked just as sick as before. Then I woke up.

22 "In my second dream I saw seven good, full heads of grain growing on a single stalk.

23 Seven other heads of grain, withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind, sprouted behind them.

24 The thin heads of grain swallowed the seven good heads. I told this to the magicians, but no one could tell me what it meant."

25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, "Pharaoh had the same dream twice. God has told Pharaoh what he's going to do.