What does "There came into Egypt a Pharaoh that did not know" mean?
In the 1987 movie Wall Street, Carl Fox (played by Martin Sheen) is skeptical of Gordon Gekko's intentions. He says to his son Bud:
There came into Egypt a Pharaoh that did not know.
I was wondering what this actually meant. I've always assumed it's from the Bible, but I couldn't find an exact quote.
So what does Carl Fox mean? Is there a specific property that he expects from Gekko? (Untrustworthy for example, or bosses looking down on the workers, etc.)
Here's a clip of the line: https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/d5110999-2658-4597-b626-e9fe53874679
Best Answer
If we look at the full exchange
Carl Fox : "There came into Egypt a Pharaoh who did not know."
Gordon Gekko : I beg your pardon, is that a proverb?
Carl Fox : No, a prophecy. The rich have been doing it to the poor since the beginning of time. The only difference between the Pyramids and the Empire State Building is the Egyptians didn't allow unions. I know what this guy is all about, greed. He don't give a damn about Bluestar or the unions. He's in and out for the buck and he don't take prisoners.
And then the matching reference in Exodus 1
Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them...So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves
It seems to me that Carl Fox is comparing Gordon Gekko to the new Pharaoh, as he is coming into Bluestar without understanding or appreciating the company and people that work there. And just like the new Pharaoh, Gekko will exploit them (that is the prophecy part, that Gekko will do what the Pharaoh did).
Pictures about "What does "There came into Egypt a Pharaoh that did not know" mean?"
Why did the Israelites refuse to worship the Pharaohs?
Why did the Israelites refuse to worship the Pharaoh? The Israelites refused because they believed in Allah and in His Messengers. Pharaoh, therefore, became very angry with the Israelites.Who was the new Pharaoh in Exodus 1?
The identity of Pharaoh in the Moses story has been much debated, but many scholars are inclined to accept that Exodus has King Ramses II in mind.Did Pharaoh know Joseph?
Following his dream about seven fat cows and seven lean cows, an earlier Pharaoh recognized that he needed an immigrant (Joseph) who was lingering in his jail in order to face an uncertain future. By contrast, the new Pharaoh (who did not know Joseph) fails to see the immigrants as assets.Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Arralyn, Mouad Mabrouk, Andreea Ch, Dave Ang