Genesis 40:2-12

2 Par`oh was angry against his two officers, against the chief of the butlers, and against the chief of the bakers.

3 He put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Yosef was bound.

4 The captain of the guard assigned them to Yosef, and he took care of them. They stayed in prison many days.

5 They both dreamed a dream, 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 Mitzrayim, who were bound in the prison.

6 Yosef came in to them in the morning, and saw them, and, saw that they were sad.

7 He asked Par`oh's officers who were with him in custody in his master's house, saying, "Why do you look so sad today?"

8 They said to him, "We have dreamed a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it." Yosef said to them, "Don't interpretations belong to God? Please tell it to me."

9 The chief butler told his dream to Yosef, and said to him, "In my dream, behold, a vine was in front of me,

10 and in the vine were three branches. It was as though it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and the clusters of it brought forth ripe grapes.

11 Par`oh's cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Par`oh's cup, and I gave the cup into Par`oh's hand."

12 Yosef said to him, "This is the interpretation of it: the three branches are three days.

Genesis 40:2-12 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.