Table of Contents
Genesis 40 Discussion
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Genesis 40
1 And it came to pass after these things, that the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker offended their lord the king of Egypt.
2 And Pharaoh was furious against his two officers, against the chief of the butlers, and against the chief of the bakers.
3 And he put them into the ward of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound.
4 And the captain of the guard gave Joseph authority over them, and he ministered to them; and they were in the prison for several months.
5 And they dreamed a dream both of them, each man his dream, in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were bound in the prison.
6 And Joseph came to them in the morning, and saw them, and, beheld they were sad.
7 And he asked Pharaoh’s officers that were with him in ward in his master’s house, saying, “Why do you look so sad today?”
The interpretation of dreams is of God.
8 And they said to him, “We had a dream, and there is no one that can interpret it.” And Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? tell it me, I pray you.”
9 And the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, “In my dream, as I saw, a vine was before me;
10 and in the vine were three branches: and it was as though it budded, and its blossoms shot forth; and brought forth clusters there of ripe grapes;
11 and Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand.”
Joseph expoundeth the dreams of the two prisoners.
12 And Joseph said unto him, “This is the interpretation of it: the three branches are three days;
13 within yet three days shall Pharaoh pardon you, and restore you to your office; and you shall give Pharaoh’s cup into his hand, in the former manner when you were his butler.
14 But remember me when it goes well with you, and show kindness, I pray you, to me, and make mention of me to Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house;
15 for in fact I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews; and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon.”
16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said unto Joseph, “I also was in my dream, and, as I saw, three baskets of white bread were on my head;
17 and in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of baked food for Pharaoh; and the birds ate them out of the basket upon my head.
18 And Joseph answered and said, “This is the interpretation thereof: the three baskets are three days;
19 after those three days shall Pharaoh condemn you to death, and shall hang you on a tree; and the birds shall eat the flesh from your body.”
20 And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a feast unto all his servants; and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and the head of the chief baker among his servants.
21 And he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again; and he gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand;
22 but he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them.
The ingratitude of the butler.
23 Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph or mention him to the Pharaoh, but forgot him.
Commentary
Joseph in Prison with Two Others
This story is oddly reminiscient of the New Testament story of Jesus on the cross with two thieves, one of which ended up ‘living’ and another who ended up ‘dying’.