Genesis 41:9

9 Finally, the king’s chief cup-bearer spoke up. “Today I have been reminded of my failure,” he told Pharaoh.

Genesis 41:9 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 41:9

Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh
When the magicians and wise men could not interpret his dreams, he was in distress of mind on that account: saying, I do remember my faults this day;
which some interpret of his forgetfulness of Joseph and his afflictions, and of his ingratitude to him, and breach of promise in not making mention of him to Pharaoh before this time; but they seem rather to be faults he had committed against Pharaoh, and were the reason of his being wroth with him, as in ( Genesis 41:10 ) ; and these were either real faults, which the king had pardoned, or however such as he had been charged with, and cleared from; and which he now in a courtly manner takes to himself, and owns them, that the king's goodness and clemency to him might appear, and lest he should seem to charge the king with injustice in casting him into prison; which circumstance he could not avoid relating in the story he was about to tell.

Genesis 41:9 In-Context

7 And these thin heads swallowed up the seven plump, well-formed heads! Then Pharaoh woke up again and realized it was a dream.

8 The next morning Pharaoh was very disturbed by the dreams. So he called for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. When Pharaoh told them his dreams, not one of them could tell him what they meant.

9 Finally, the king’s chief cup-bearer spoke up. “Today I have been reminded of my failure,” he told Pharaoh.

10 “Some time ago, you were angry with the chief baker and me, and you imprisoned us in the palace of the captain of the guard.

11 One night the chief baker and I each had a dream, and each dream had its own meaning.