Genesis 41:29Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Joseph is graciously freed from incarceration by the decree of Pharaoh, serving as a true representation of Christ; he easily discerns the significance of dreams and predicts future prosperity. In contrast, our Lord Jesus Christ rises from the dead through His own divine authority, triumphs over hell, offers our salvation as a gift to His Father, and proclaims resurrection and everlasting life.

It is remarkable how accurately the Seventy Interpreters captured the term sabee (שָׂבָ֥ע) in this instance. In the case of the last well that Isaac's servants excavated, I interpreted this word as ‘abundance’ or ‘surplus.’ The Seventy rendered it as ‘oath,’ yet this term can also convey meanings such as ‘oath,’ ‘seven,’ ‘excess,’ and ‘abundance,’ depending on the context in which it appears. Furthermore, whenever the term ‘abundance’ is encountered, the original Hebrew consistently employs the word sabee (שָׂבָ֥ע).