Bible Commentaries

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Genesis 40

Clinging to a Counterfeit Cross
Introduction

1  The chief butler and baker of Pharaoh being imprisoned, Joseph is charged with them.
5  He interprets their dreams.
20  They are accomplished according to his interpretation.
23  The ingratitude of the butler, in forgetting Joseph.
Verse 1

And it came to pass after these things, that the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker had offended their lord the king of Egypt.
it came
39:20-23, Esther 6:1
the butler
Mashkeh, from shakah, to give drink, is the same as saky among the Arabians and Persians, and signifies a cup-bearer.
13, Nehemiah 1:11, 2:1,2
Verse 2

And Pharaoh was wroth against two of his officers, against the chief of the butlers, and against the chief of the bakers.
wroth
Psalms 76:10, Proverbs 16:14, 19:12,19, 27:4, Acts 12:20
the chief of the butlers
1 Chronicles 27:27
Verse 3

And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound.
the place
39:20,23
where Joseph was bound
Or, "where Joseph was confined," for he doubtless had his personal liberty. This place, we learn from the preceding chapter, (ver. 20,) was the king's prison. All the officers in the employment of the ancient kings of Egypt, according to Diodorus Siculus, were taken from the most illustrious families of the priesthood in the country; no slave or common person being ever permitted to serve in the presence of the king. As these persons were of the most noble families, it is natural to expect they would be put, when accused, into the state prison.
Verse 4

And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them: and they continued a season in ward.
the captain
37:36, 39:1,21-23, Psalms 37:5
a season
Yamim, literally days; how long is uncertain, though the word may signify, as many suppose, a complete year (see Ge 4:3; 24:55); and as Pharaoh called them to an account on his birthday, (ver. 20,) Calmet supposes they had offended on the preceding birthday, and thus had been one whole year in prison.
Verse 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, which were bound in the prison.
A. M. 2287. B.C. 1717
8, 12:1-7, 20:3, 37:5-10, 41:1-7,11, Numbers 12:6, Judges 7:13,14, Esther 6:1, Job 33:15-17, Daniel 2:1-3, 4:5,9,19, 7:1-8
Verse 6

And Joseph came in unto them in the morning, and looked upon them, and, behold, they were sad.
and, behold
8, 41:8, Daniel 2:1-3, 4:5, 5:6, 7:28, 8:27
Verse 7

And he asked Pharaoh's officers that were with him in the ward of his lord's house, saying, Wherefore look ye so sadly to day?
Wherefore
Judges 18:24, 1 Samuel 1:8, 2 Samuel 13:4, Nehemiah 2:2, Luke 24:17
look ye so sadly to-day
Heb. are your faces evil.
Verse 8

And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God? tell me them, I pray you.
Do not, etc
41:15,16, Job 33:15,16, Psalms 25:14, Isaiah 8:19, Daniel 2:11,28,47, 4:8, Daniel 5:11-15, 1 Corinthians 12:10,11, Amos 3:7
Verse 9

And the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, In my dream, behold, a vine was before me;
a vine
37:5-10, Judges 7:13-15, Daniel 2:31, 4:8,10-18
Verse 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.
And I took, etc
From this we find that wine anciently was the mere expressed juice of the grape, without fermentation. The saky, or cup-bearer, took the bunch, pressed the juice into the cup, and instantly delivered it to his master.
pressed
49:11, Leviticus 10:9, Proverbs 3:10
hand
21, 1 Kings 10:5, 2 Chronicles 9:4, Nehemiah 1:11, 2:1
Verse 12

And Joseph said unto him, This is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days:
This
18, 41:12,25,26, Judges 7:14, Daniel 2:36-45, 4:19-33
The three
41:26, Judges 7:14, Matthew 26:26, 1 Corinthians 10:4, Galatians 4:25
Verse 13

Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thine head, and restore thee unto thy place: and thou shalt deliver Pharaoh's cup into his hand, after the former manner when thou wast his butler.
within
7:4
shall
20-22, 2 Kings 25:27, Psalms 3:3, Jeremiah 52:31
lift up thine head
or, reckon.
19; *marg:; 20; *marg:
Verse 14

But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house:
think on me
Heb. remember me with thee. on me.
1 Samuel 25:31, Luke 23:42, 1 Corinthians 7:21
shew
Joshua 2:12, 1 Samuel 20:14,15, 2 Samuel 9:1, 1 Kings 2:7
Verse 15

For indeed 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.
stolen
37:28, Exodus 21:16, Deuteronomy 24:7, 1 Timothy 1:10
the Hebrews
14:13, 41:12
done
39:8-12,20, 1 Samuel 24:11, Psalms 59:3,4, Daniel 6:22, John 10:32, 15:25, Acts 24:12-21, 25:10,11, 1 Peter 3:17,18
Verse 16

When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said unto Joseph, I also was in my dream, and, behold, I had three white baskets on my head:
the chief
1,2
white baskets
or, baskets full of holes.
Verse 17

And in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of bakemeats for Pharaoh; and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my head.
bake-meats
Heb. meat of Pharaoh, the work of a baker, or cook.
49:20, 1 Chronicles 12:20
Verse 18

And Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation thereof: The three baskets are three days:
12, 41:26, 1 Corinthians 10:4, 11:24
Verse 19

Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree; and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee.
within
lift up thy head from off thee
or, reckon thee and take thy office from thee. hang thee.
22, 41:13, Deuteronomy 21:22,23, Joshua 8:29, 10:26, 2 Samuel 21:6, Proverbs 30:17, Galatians 3:13
and the birds
17, 1 Samuel 17:44,46, 2 Samuel 21:10, Ezekiel 39:4, Acts 20:27
Verse 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 of the chief baker among his servants.
third day
13,19
birthday
21:8, Esther 1:3, Job 3:1, Matthew 14:6, Mark 6:21
lifted up
or, reckoned.
13,19; *marg:; 2 Kings 25:27, Matthew 18:23-25, 25:19, Luke 16:1,2
Verse 21

And he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again; and he gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand:
gave the cup
13, Nehemiah 2:1
Verse 22

But he hanged the chief baker: as Joseph had interpreted to them.
he hanged
8,19, 41:11-13,16, Jeremiah 23:28, Daniel 2:19-23,30, 5:12, Acts 5:30
Verse 23

Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him.
but forgat him
Job 19:14, Psalms 31:12, 105:19, Ecclesiastes 9:15,16, Amos 6:6

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