Limitless Word
So Pharaoh asked his officials, “Can we find anyone else like this man so obviously filled with the spirit of God?”
Genesis 41:38 · New Living Translation
Parallel translations
  • WEB Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?”
  • KJV And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?
  • BSB So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, in whom the Spirit of God abides?”
  • NKJV And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?”
  • NASB Then Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom there is a divine spirit?”

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Pharaoh recognizes that Joseph is a man in whom is the Spirit of God.

Overview

Even a pagan king discerns that Joseph's wisdom comes from God's Spirit. This testimony from outside Israel honors the true God. Joseph's Spirit-given discernment marks him as God's chosen instrument of deliverance.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 8

  • Job 32:8But there is a spirit in man, and the breath of the Almighty gives them understanding.
  • Dan 5:14I have heard of you, that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you.
  • Num 27:18Yahweh said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him.
  • Dan 5:11There is a man in your kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of your father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him; and the king Nebuchadnezzar your father, the king, your father, made him master of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and soothsayers;
  • Dan 4:18This dream I, king Nebuchadnezzar, have seen; and you, Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation, because all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation; but you are able; for the spirit of the holy gods is in you.
  • Dan 4:8–9But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods: and I told the dream before him, saying,
  • Dan 4:6Therefore made I a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream.
  • Dan 6:3Then this Daniel was distinguished above the presidents and the satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (11)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Genesis videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Genesis 41:38YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on GenesisMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.

How Genesis 41:38 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.