And behold, after them sprouted seven ears: after them means “after the king saw the seven good heads.” We must assume that the thin heads of grain were growing on one stalk, just as the healthy ones were; this may have been the same stalk or it may have been a different stalk. Some translations say, for example, “Then he saw another stalk of wheat, on which were seven….” Sprouted refers here to growing from nothing to full size. It means to push out or grow out from the main stem of the stalk.

Thin and blighted: thin translates the same Hebrew word as used of the cows in Gen 41.3. However, in translation the term must be one that describes a weak, stunted, underdeveloped head of grain. Blighted means “withered,” “scorched,” or “dried up.” Instead of receiving rain to make them grow, these heads are said to have been blighted by the east wind. East wind translates “eastern” and as in Job 27.21 refers to the hot wind that blows from the desert. In areas where “east” does not make people think of the desert, translators are advised to follow Good News Translation “desert wind” or some such equivalent in their own languages.

We may render verse 6, for example, “After the good heads had formed, seven thin heads sprouted that looked as though they had been scorched by the desert wind” or “… scorched by a hot wind.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .