77 Joseph Becomes Egypt's Prime Minister

Pharaoh listened to Joseph telling him the nature of his dreams and the plan that must be implemented in order to save the nation of Egypt from the coming famine. He agreed with Joseph that his plan had merit. He then turned to his advisers who recognized that the dreams were correct asking, “Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom the spirit of God is?” The text does not show any comments coming from the advisors. They perhaps thought they would be chosen to implement this grand fourteen-year plan to save Egypt. If so their silence indicates their disappointment in not getting chosen.
Pharaoh’s mention of a man in which the Spirit of God resides is actually as spirit of the gods. רוּחַ אֱלֹהִיםThe term gods here is Eloheem, which can mean The Godhead, or it can refer to the pagan gods or even to our Father Jehovah if His name YHWH is coupled with Eloheem. This context suggests that it is a reference to some generic gods. Context governs how we translate this word. Its translation in various English texts lets us know the personal preference of the translator. Pharaoh did not know Jehovah and saw a supernatural interpretation of his dream by Joseph and therefore attributed it to “some god” as its source was clearly beyond all natural reason. This is the first reference within the biblical text of one so endowed. Pharaoh then goes on to repeat Joseph’s own words of a person so “discerning and wise.”