Genesis 41:3-4

41:3 Then seven bad-looking, thin cows were coming up after them from the Nile, ¹  and they stood beside the other cows at the edge of the river. ²  41:4 The bad-looking, thin cows ate the seven fine-looking, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.

Genesis 41:19-21

41:19 Then ³  seven other cows came up after them; they were scrawny, very bad-looking, and lean. I had never seen such bad-looking cows ⁴  as these in all the land of Egypt! 41:20 The lean, bad-looking cows ate up the seven ⁵  fat cows. 41:21 When they had eaten them, ⁶  no one would have known ⁷  that they had done so, for they were just as bad-looking as before. Then I woke up.

Genesis 41:27

41:27 The seven lean, bad-looking cows that came up after them represent seven years, as do the seven empty heads of grain burned with the east wind. They represent ⁸  seven years of famine.

[41:3]  ¹ tn Heb “And look, seven other cows were coming up after them from the Nile, bad of appearance and thin of flesh.”

[41:3]  ² tn Heb “the Nile.” This has been replaced by “the river” in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[41:19]  ³ tn Heb “And look.”

[41:19]  ⁴ tn The word “cows” is supplied here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[41:20]  ⁵ tn Heb “the seven first fat cows.”

[41:21]  ⁷ tn Heb “when they went inside them.”

[41:21]  ⁸ tn Heb “it was not known.”

[41:27]  ⁹ tn Heb “are.” Another option is to translate, “There will be seven years of famine.”