Surah 12. Yusuf

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Verses [Section]: 1-6[1], 7-20 [2], 21-29 [3], 30-35 [4], 36-42 [5], 43-49 [6], 50-57 [7], 58-68 [8], 69-79 [9], 80-93 [10], 94-104 [11], 105-111 [12]

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Quran Text of Verse 43-49وَ قَالَAnd saidالْمَلِكُthe kingاِنِّیْۤIndeed Iاَرٰی[I] have seenسَبْعَsevenبَقَرٰتٍcowsسِمَانٍfatیَّاْكُلُهُنَّeating themسَبْعٌsevenعِجَافٌlean onesوَّ سَبْعَand sevenسُنْۢبُلٰتٍears (of corn)خُضْرٍgreenوَّ اُخَرَand otherیٰبِسٰتٍ ؕdryیٰۤاَیُّهَاOالْمَلَاُchiefs!اَفْتُوْنِیْExplain to meفِیْaboutرُءْیَایَmy visionاِنْifكُنْتُمْyou canلِلرُّءْیَاof visionsتَعْبُرُوْنَ interpret 12. Yusuf Page 241قَالُوْۤاThey saidاَضْغَاثُConfusedاَحْلَامٍ ۚdreamsوَ مَاand notنَحْنُweبِتَاْوِیْلِ(are) in the interpretationالْاَحْلَامِ(of) the dreamsبِعٰلِمِیْنَ learned وَ قَالَBut saidالَّذِیْthe one whoنَجَاwas savedمِنْهُمَاof the twoوَ ادَّكَرَand rememberedبَعْدَafterاُمَّةٍa periodاَنَاIاُنَبِّئُكُمْ[I] will inform youبِتَاْوِیْلِهٖof its interpretationفَاَرْسِلُوْنِ so send me forth یُوْسُفُYusufاَیُّهَاOالصِّدِّیْقُthe truthful one!اَفْتِنَاExplain to usفِیْaboutسَبْعِ(the) sevenبَقَرٰتٍcowsسِمَانٍfatیَّاْكُلُهُنَّeating themسَبْعٌsevenعِجَافٌlean onesوَّ سَبْعِand sevenسُنْۢبُلٰتٍears (of corn)خُضْرٍgreenوَّ اُخَرَand otherیٰبِسٰتٍ ۙdryلَّعَلِّیْۤthat I mayاَرْجِعُreturnاِلَیtoالنَّاسِthe peopleلَعَلَّهُمْso that they mayیَعْلَمُوْنَ know قَالَHe saidتَزْرَعُوْنَYou will sowسَبْعَ(for) sevenسِنِیْنَyearsدَاَبًا ۚas usualفَمَاand that whichحَصَدْتُّمْyou reapفَذَرُوْهُso leave itفِیْinسُنْۢبُلِهٖۤits earsاِلَّاexceptقَلِیْلًاa littleمِّمَّاfrom whichتَاْكُلُوْنَ you (will) eat ثُمَّThenیَاْتِیْwill comeمِنْۢafterبَعْدِafterذٰلِكَthatسَبْعٌsevenشِدَادٌhard (years)یَّاْكُلْنَ(which will) consumeمَاwhatقَدَّمْتُمْyou advancedلَهُنَّfor themاِلَّاexceptقَلِیْلًاa littleمِّمَّاof whatتُحْصِنُوْنَ you (will) store ثُمَّThenیَاْتِیْwill comeمِنْۢafterبَعْدِafterذٰلِكَthatعَامٌa yearفِیْهِin itیُغَاثُwill be given abundant rainالنَّاسُthe peopleوَ فِیْهِand in itیَعْصِرُوْنَ۠they will press

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Translation of Verse 43-49

43. And ˹one day˺ the King ⁴⁵¹ said, "I dreamt of seven fat cows eaten up by seven skinny ones; and seven green ears of grain and ˹seven˺ others dry. O chiefs! Tell me the meaning of my dream if you can interpret dreams."

44. They replied, "These are confused visions and we do not know the interpretation of such dreams."

45. ˹Finally,˺ the surviving ex-prisoner remembered ˹Joseph˺ after a long time and said, "I will tell you its interpretation, so send me forth ˹to Joseph˺."

46. ˹He said,˺ "Joseph, O man of truth! Interpret for us ˹the dream of˺ seven fat cows eaten up by seven skinny ones; and seven green ears of grain and ˹seven˺ others dry, so that I may return to the people and let them know."

47. Joseph replied, "You will plant ˹grain˺ for seven consecutive years, leaving in the ear whatever you will harvest, except for the little you will eat.

48. Then after that will come seven years of great hardship which will consume whatever you have saved, except the little you will store ˹for seed˺.

49. Then after that will come a year in which people will receive abundant rain and they will press ˹oil and wine˺."

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Commentary

451. In the Bible (the Book of Genesis), this ruler is referred to as a pharaoh, while in the Quran he is referred to as a king. Typically, Egypt was ruled by pharaohs, but there existed a brief period in Egyptian history in which Egypt was ruled by the Hyksos invaders (1700-1550 B.C.E.). Hyksos rulers were called kings, not pharaohs. Joseph entered Egypt during the reign of the Hyksos, who used to appoint some foreigners to prominent positions in Egypt. According to The Jewish Encyclopedia , "Those who regard the Joseph stories as historical generally hold that the Pharaoh by whom Joseph was made the practical ruler of Egypt was one of the Hyksos kings." " Joseph, " The Jewish Encyclopedia , Volume VII (London: Funk and Wagnalls Company, 1916), p. 252.