Genesis40

Pharaoh's chief butler and baker are imprisoned with Joseph, having offended their lord. Both men dream, and Joseph, attributing interpretation to God, accurately foretells the butler's restoration and the baker's execution within three days. On Pharaoh's birthday, these predictions are fulfilled precisely, but the chief butler, once restored, forgets Joseph.
Listen to this chapter
0:00 0:00

Pharaoh's Officers Imprisoned with Joseph

1
Some time later, the king’s cupbearer and baker offended their master, the king of Egypt. ​
2
Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker,
3
and imprisoned them in the house of the captain of the guard, the same prison where Joseph was confined. ​
4
The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he became their personal attendant. After they had been in custody for some time,

Joseph Attributes Interpretation to God

5
both of these men—the Egyptian king’s cupbearer and baker, who were being held in the prison—had a dream on the same night, and each dream had its own meaning.
6
When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were distraught.
7
So he asked the officials of Pharaoh who were in custody with him in his master’s house, “Why are your faces so downcast today?”
8
“We both had dreams,” they replied, “but there is no one to interpret them.” Then Joseph said to them, “Don’t interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.” ​

The Dream of the Chief Butler

9
So the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream: “In my dream there was a vine before me,
10
and on the vine were three branches. As it budded, its blossoms opened and its clusters ripened into grapes.
11
Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, squeezed them into his cup, and placed the cup in his hand.”
12
Joseph replied, “This is the interpretation: The three branches are three days.
13
Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore your position. You will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you did when you were his cupbearer. ​
14
But when it goes well for you, please remember me and show me kindness by mentioning me to Pharaoh, that he might bring me out of this prison. ​
15
For I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing for which they should have put me in this dungeon.”

The Dream of the Chief Baker

16
When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said to Joseph, “I too had a dream: There were three baskets of white bread on my head. ​
17
In the top basket were all sorts of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.”
18
Joseph replied, “This is the interpretation: The three baskets are three days.
19
Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head and hang you on a tree. Then the birds will eat the flesh of your body.” ​

Fulfillment and Joseph's Neglect

20
On the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he held a feast for all his officials, and in their presence he lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker. ​
21
Pharaoh restored the chief cupbearer to his position, so that he once again placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.
22
But Pharaoh hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had described to them in his interpretation.
23
The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot all about him. ​

Study Notes for Genesis 40

Verse 1

This introduction sets the stage for God to use Joseph’s gifts in the Egyptian court. The offenses of the butler and baker were serious enough to warrant immediate imprisonment under the Captain of the Guard, likely Potiphar.

Verse 3

Joseph’s continued proximity to Potiphar’s household, though in prison, suggests God is carefully orchestrating events. Joseph is now serving high-ranking court officials, a necessary step before he can serve Pharaoh himself.

Verse 8

Joseph firmly attributes the power of interpretation to God, contrasting the divine revelation he possesses with the reliance of Egyptians on human magicians and diviners. This statement is central to Joseph’s character and mission.

Verse 13

The phrase 'lift up thine head' here is an idiom meaning to 'acquit' or 'restore to office.' Joseph’s interpretation is precise, specifying the exact time frame (three days) and outcome (restoration).

Verse 14

This appeal is the only recorded moment where Joseph attempts to actively leverage his prophetic gift for self-deliverance, demonstrating his profound frustration after years of unjust imprisonment.

Verse 16

Seeing that the butler’s interpretation was favorable, the baker eagerly tells his dream. His dream, however, depicts unclean birds eating the food, which suggests defilement and divine rejection.

Verse 19

Joseph uses a grim pun on the idiom from verse 13: 'lift up thy head from off thee' means decapitation. The exposure of the body to birds was a horrific form of execution, preventing proper burial and dishonoring the condemned.

Verse 20

Pharaoh’s birthday provided the immediate occasion for the fulfillment of the prophecies. Ancient rulers often used birthdays or festivals to demonstrate power through acts of clemency or judgment.

Verse 23

The chief butler’s failure to remember Joseph provides the narrative delay necessary before Joseph's eventual elevation. This neglect tests Joseph’s faith and emphasizes that his deliverance would come solely through divine timing, not human effort.

Use ← → arrow keys to navigate
Settings

Reading Style

Typeface

Font Size 19px

Reading Width 45 chars

Options