Genesis 40

King James Version

Full text for Genesis Chapter 40

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.

2And Pharaoh was wroth against two [of] his officers, against the chief of the butlers, and against the chief of the bakers.

3And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph [was] bound.

4And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them: and they continued a season in ward.

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.

6And Joseph came in unto them in the morning, and looked upon them, and, behold, they [were] sad.

7And 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?

8And 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.

9And the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, In my dream, behold, a vine [was] before me;

10And in the vine [were] three branches: and it [was] as though it budded, [and] her blossoms shot forth; and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes:

11And 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.

12And Joseph said unto him, This [is] the interpretation of it: The three branches [are] three days:

13Yet 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.

14But 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:

15For 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.

16When 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:

17And 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.

18And Joseph answered and said, This [is] the interpretation thereof: The three baskets [are] three days:

19Yet 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.

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.

21And he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again; and he gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand:

22But he hanged the chief baker: as Joseph had interpreted to them.

23Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Pharaoh's chief butler and baker are imprisoned with Joseph, having offended their lord. Both men dream, and Joseph, attributing interpretation to God, accurately foretells the butler's restoration and the baker's execution within three days. On Pharaoh's birthday, these predictions are fulfilled precisely, but the chief butler, once restored, forgets Joseph.

Medium Summary

After offending Pharaoh, his chief butler and chief baker are cast into the same prison where Joseph is held, and Joseph is appointed to serve them. One morning, observing their sadness, Joseph inquires about their distress, learning they had both dreamed and lacked an interpreter. Joseph declares that interpretations belong to God and invites them to share their dreams. The butler recounts a dream of a vine with three branches yielding grapes, which he pressed into Pharaoh's cup, signifying his restoration in three days. Joseph then pleads with the butler to remember him and mention him to Pharaoh, explaining his unjust imprisonment. The baker, encouraged by this, shares his dream of three baskets of bakemeats on his head, which birds ate, to which Joseph prophesies his execution by hanging in three days. On Pharaoh's birthday, the interpretations are fulfilled precisely, with the butler restored and the baker hanged, yet the butler fails to remember Joseph.

Long Summary

Genesis chapter 40 opens with Pharaoh's chief butler and chief baker offending their lord, leading to their imprisonment in the house of the captain of the guard, the very place where Joseph was bound. The captain of the guard placed Joseph in charge of them, and he served them during their time in ward. After a season, both the butler and the baker dreamed distinct dreams on the same night, causing them great sadness. Joseph, observing their dejected countenances, inquired about their sorrow, to which they responded that they had dreamed and had no interpreter. Joseph, asserting that interpretations belong to God, urged them to recount their dreams to him. The chief butler then described his dream of a vine with three branches that budded, blossomed, and bore ripe grapes, which he pressed into Pharaoh's cup and presented to the king. Joseph interpreted this dream to mean that within three days, Pharaoh would restore the butler to his former position. Following this hopeful interpretation, Joseph earnestly requested the butler to remember him when he was restored, to show him kindness, and to mention him to Pharaoh, explaining that he was unjustly stolen from the land of the Hebrews and had committed no offense deserving of imprisonment. Encouraged by the butler's favorable interpretation, the chief baker then shared his dream of three white baskets on his head, with the uppermost containing all manner of bakemeats for Pharaoh, which birds were eating. Joseph, however, delivered a grim interpretation for the baker, stating that within three days, Pharaoh would lift his head from him, hanging him on a tree, where birds would consume his flesh. Exactly three days later, on Pharaoh's birthday, a feast was held for his servants. Pharaoh then fulfilled Joseph's interpretations precisely: he restored the chief butler to his office, allowing him to deliver the cup to Pharaoh's hand once more. Conversely, he hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had foretold. Despite the accurate and life-saving interpretation, the chief butler, once restored to his position, failed to remember Joseph and instead forgot him.

Core Concepts

  • Divine InterpretationJoseph attributes the ability to interpret dreams solely to God, emphasizing that his understanding comes from a divine source rather than human wisdom. He states, "Do not interpretations belong to God?"
  • Prophetic DreamsThe dreams of the butler and the baker are presented not as mere subconscious thoughts but as divinely inspired messages foretelling their respective fates, which are fulfilled precisely within three days.
  • Justice and InjusticeJoseph highlights his own unjust imprisonment, stating he was "stolen away" and had "done nothing" to deserve his dungeon, contrasting with the precise and deserved fates of the butler and baker.
  • Memory and ForgetfulnessDespite Joseph's accurate prophecy and direct request, the chief butler, once restored to his position, "forgat" Joseph, demonstrating a significant act of ingratitude and oversight.
  • Pharaoh's AuthorityPharaoh's absolute power is demonstrated by his ability to arbitrarily imprison, restore, or execute his servants, fulfilling Joseph's interpretations on his birthday.
  • Symbolism in DreamsThe dreams contain specific symbolic elements, such as the three branches or three baskets representing three days, which Joseph interprets directly to reveal future events.