Genesis 40:3-13

3 So he put them in confinement in the house of the 1captain of the bodyguard, in the jail *, the same place where * Joseph was imprisoned.
4 The captain of the bodyguard put Joseph in charge of them, and he took care of them; and they were in confinement for some time.
5 Then the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt, who were confined in jail *, both had a dream the same night, each man with his own dream and each dream with its own interpretation.
6 When Joseph came to them in the morning and observed them, behold, they were dejected.
7 He asked Pharaoh's officials who were with him in confinement in his master's house, "2Why are your faces so sad today?"
8 Then they said to him, "3We have had a dream and there is no one to interpret it." Then Joseph said to them, "4Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell it to me, please."
9 So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, "In my dream, behold, there was a vine in front of me;
10 and on the vine were three branches. And as it was budding, its blossoms came out, and its clusters produced ripe grapes.
11 "Now Pharaoh's cup was in my hand; so I took the grapes and squeezed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I put the cup into Pharaoh's hand."
12 Then Joseph said to him, "This is the 5interpretation of it: the three branches are three days;
13 within three more days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office; and you will put Pharaoh's cup into his hand according to your former custom when you were his cupbearer.

Genesis 40:3-13 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 40

The history of this chapter is, the imprisonment of two of Pharaoh's officers, his chief butler and chief baker, who by the captain of the guard were made the charge of Joseph, Ge 40:1-4; they both dreamed in prison, which made them sad; Joseph taking notice of their sadness, asked the reason of it, and encouraged them to tell him their dreams, Ge 40:5-8; the chief butler told his dream of the vine and three branches, which Joseph interpreted of his restoration to his office within three days, and desired him to remember him unto Pharaoh when he stood before him, telling him his case, Ge 40:9-15; then the chief baker told his dream of three white baskets of food on his head, which the birds ate, and this Joseph interpreted of his being hanged within three days, Ge 40:16-19; and the events answered to the interpretation, but Joseph was forgot by the chief butler, Ge 40:20-23.

Cross References 5

  • 1. Genesis 39:1, 20
  • 2. Nehemiah 2:2
  • 3. Genesis 41:15
  • 4. Genesis 41:16; Daniel 2:27, 28
  • 5. Daniel 2:36; Daniel 4:18, 19

Footnotes 10

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