8 And they said H559 unto him, We have dreamed H2492 a dream, H2472 and there is no interpreter H6622 of it. And Joseph H3130 said H559 unto them, Do not interpretations H6623 belong to God? H430 tell me H5608 them, I pray you.
And Pharaoh H6547 said H559 unto Joseph, H3130 I have dreamed H2492 a dream, H2472 and there is none that can interpret H6622 it: and I have heard H8085 say H559 of thee, that thou canst understand H8085 a dream H2472 to interpret H6622 it. And Joseph H3130 answered H6030 Pharaoh, H6547 saying, H559 It is not in me: H1107 God H430 shall give H6030 Pharaoh H6547 an answer H6030 of peace. H7965
In a dream, H2472 in a vision H2384 of the night, H3915 when deep H8639 sleep falleth H5307 upon men, H582 in slumberings H8572 upon the bed; H4904 Then he openeth H1540 the ears H241 of men, H582 and sealeth H2856 their instruction, H4561
There is H383 a man H1400 in thy kingdom, H4437 in whom is the spirit H7308 of the holy H6922 gods; H426 and in the days H3118 of thy father H2 light H5094 and understanding H7924 and wisdom, H2452 like the wisdom H2452 of the gods, H426 was found H7912 in him; whom the king H4430 Nebuchadnezzar H5020 thy father, H2 the king, H4430 I say, thy father, H2 made H6966 master H7229 of the magicians, H2749 astrologers, H826 Chaldeans, H3779 and soothsayers; H1505 Forasmuch as H6903 H3606 an excellent H3493 spirit, H7308 and knowledge, H4486 and understanding, H7924 interpreting H6590 of dreams, H2493 and shewing H263 of hard sentences, H280 and dissolving H8271 of doubts, H7001 were found H7912 in the same Daniel, H1841 whom the king H4430 named H7761 H8036 Belteshazzar: H1096 now H3705 let Daniel H1841 be called, H7123 and he will shew H2324 the interpretation. H6591 Then H116 was Daniel H1841 brought in H5954 before H6925 the king. H4430 And the king H4430 spake H6032 and said H560 unto Daniel, H1841 Art thou H607 that Daniel, H1841 which art of H4481 the children H1123 of the captivity H1547 of Judah, H3061 whom the king H4430 my father H2 brought H858 out of H4481 Jewry? H3061 I have even heard H8086 of thee, that the spirit H7308 of the gods H426 is in thee, H5922 and that light H5094 and understanding H7924 and excellent H3493 wisdom H2452 is found H7912 in thee. And now H3705 the wise H2445 men, the astrologers, H826 have been brought H5954 in before H6925 me, that they should read H7123 this H1836 writing, H3792 and make known H3046 unto me the interpretation H6591 thereof: but they could H3546 not H3809 shew H2324 the interpretation H6591 of the thing: H4406
G1161 To another G243 the working G1755 of miracles; G1411 G1161 to another G243 prophecy; G4394 G1161 to another G243 discerning G1253 of spirits; G4151 G1161 to another G2087 divers kinds G1085 of tongues; G1100 G1161 to another G243 the interpretation G2058 of tongues: G1100 But G1161 all G3956 these G5023 worketh G1754 that one G1520 and G2532 the selfsame G846 Spirit, G4151 dividing G1244 to every man G1538 severally G2398 as G2531 he will. G1014
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Genesis 40
Commentary on Genesis 40 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 40
Ge 40:1-8. Two State Prisoners.
1. the butler—not only the cup-bearer, but overseer of the royal vineyards, as well as the cellars; having, probably, some hundreds of people under him.
baker—or cook, had the superintendence of every thing relating to the providing and preparing of meats for the royal table. Both officers, especially the former, were, in ancient Egypt, always persons of great rank and importance; and from the confidential nature of their employment, as well as their access to the royal presence, they were generally the highest nobles or princes of the blood.
3. Pharaoh put them in ward, &c.—Whatever was their crime, they were committed, until their case could be investigated, to the custody of the captain of the guard, that is, Potiphar, in an outer part of whose house the royal prison was situated.
4. The captain of the guard charged Joseph with them—not the keeper, though he was most favorably disposed; but Potiphar himself, who, it would seem, was by this time satisfied of the perfect innocence of the young Hebrew; though, probably, to prevent the exposure of his family, he deemed it prudent to detain him in confinement (see Ps 37:5).
They continued a season in ward—literally, "days," how long, is uncertain; but as they were called to account on the king's birthday, it has been supposed that their offense had been committed on the preceding anniversary [Calvin].
5-8. they dreamed a dream—Joseph, influenced by the spirit of true religion, could feel for others (Ec 4:1; Ro 12:15; Php 2:4). Observing them one day extremely depressed, he inquired the cause of their melancholy; and being informed it was owing to a dream they had respectively dreamed during the previous night, after piously directing them to God (Da 2:30; Isa 26:10), he volunteered to aid them, through the divine help, in discovering the import of their vision. The influence of Providence must be seen in the remarkable fact of both officers dreaming such dreams in one night. He moves the spirits of men.
Ge 40:9-15. The Butler's Dream.
9-11. In my dream, behold, a vine was before me—The visionary scene described seems to represent the king as taking exercise and attended by his butler, who gave him a cooling draught. On all occasions, the kings of ancient Egypt were required to practice temperance in the use of wine [Wilkinson]; but in this scene, it is a prepared beverage he is drinking, probably the sherbet of the present day. Everything was done in the king's presence—the cup was washed, the juice of the grapes pressed into it; and it was then handed to him—not grasped; but lightly resting on the tips of the fingers.
12-15. Joseph said, … This is the interpretation—Speaking as an inspired interpreter, he told the butler that within three days he would be restored to all the honors and privileges of his office; and while making that joyful announcement, he earnestly bespoke the officer's influence for his own liberation. Nothing has hitherto met us in the record indicative of Joseph's feelings; but this earnest appeal reveals a sadness and impatient longing for release, which not all his piety and faith in God could dispel.
Ge 40:16-23. The Baker's Dream.
16. I had three white baskets—The circumstances mentioned exactly describe his duties, which, notwithstanding numerous assistants, he performed with his own hands.
white—literally, "full of holes"; that is, wicker baskets. The meats were carried to table upon the head in three baskets, one piled upon the other; and in the uppermost, the bakemeats. And in crossing the open courts, from the kitchen to the dining rooms, the removal of the viands by a vulture, eagle, ibis, or other rapacious bird, was a frequent occurrence in the palaces of Egypt, as it is an everyday incident in the hot countries of the East still. The risk from these carnivorous birds was the greater in the cities of Egypt, where being held sacred, it was unlawful to destroy them; and they swarmed in such numbers as to be a great annoyance to the people.
18, 19. Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation—The purport was that in three days his execution should be ordered. The language of Joseph describes minutely one form of capital punishment that prevailed in Egypt; namely, that the criminal was decapitated and then his headless body gibbeted on a tree by the highway till it was gradually devoured by the ravenous birds.
20-22. it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday—This was a holiday season, celebrated at court with great magnificence and honored by a free pardon to prisoners. Accordingly, the issue happened to the butler and baker, as Joseph had foretold. Doubtless, he felt it painful to communicate such dismal tidings to the baker; but he could not help announcing what God had revealed to him; and it was for the honor of the true God that he should speak plainly.
23. yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph—This was human nature. How prone are men to forget and neglect in prosperity, those who have been their companions in adversity (Am 6:6)! But although reflecting no credit on the butler, it was wisely ordered in the providence of God that he should forget him. The divine purposes required that Joseph should obtain his deliverance in another way, and by other means.