FRAMEWORKS:
Genesis 40: Two Dreams & Interpretations
v.1-5
The Cupbearer and the Baker Imprisoned
v.5-8
Two Dreams
v.9-15
The Cupbearer's Dream & Interpretation
v.16-19
The Baker's Dream & Interpretation
v.20-23
Both Dreams Fulfilled
v.1-5
The Cupbearer and the Baker Imprisoned
v.1
Some
time later, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt offended
their master, the king of Egypt.
v.2,3
Pharaoh
was angry with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the
chief baker, and put them in custody in the house of the captain
of the guard, in the same prison where Joseph was confined.
v.4,5
The
captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he attended
them.
[Notes:
Two
of Pharaoh's servants are imprisoned and put in Joseph's care.]
v.5-8
Two Dreams
After
they had been in custody for some time, each of the two men—the
cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were being held
in prison—had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning
of its own.
v.6
When
Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were dejected.
v.7
So
he asked Pharaoh's officials who were in custody with him in his
master's house, “Why do you look so sad today?”
v.8
“We
both had dreams,” they answered, “but there is no one to interpret
them.”
Then
Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to
God? Tell me your dreams.”
[Notes:
Both
men have dreams and Joseph offers to interpret
them.]
v.9-15
The Cupbearer's Dream & Interpretation
v.9
So
the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream. He said to him, “In
my dream I saw a vine in front of me,
v.10
and
on the vine were three branches. As soon as it budded, it blossomed,
and its clusters ripened into grapes.
v.11
Pharaoh's
cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, squeezed them into
Pharaoh's cup and put the cup in his hand.”
v.12
“This
is what it means,” Joseph said to him. “The three branches are
three days.
v.13
Within
three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your
position, and you will put Pharaoh's cup in his hand, just as
you used to do when you were his cupbearer.
v.14
But
when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness;
mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison.
v.15
I
was forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews, and even
here I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon.”
[Notes:
The
chief cupbearer tells of a wine-associated dream and Joseph interprets
it as him being restored to his old position within three days.]
v.16-19
The Baker's Dream & Interpretation
v.16
When
the chief baker saw that Joseph had given a favorable interpretation,
he said to Joseph, “I too had a dream: On my head were three baskets
of bread.
v.17
In
the top basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, but
the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.”
v.18
“This
is what it means,” Joseph said. “The three baskets are three days.
v.19
Within
three days Pharaoh will lift off your head and impale your body
on a pole. And the birds will eat away your flesh.”
[Notes:
The
baker has a bread-associated dream and Joseph interprets it as
the baker being executed within three days.]
v.20-23
Both Dreams Fulfilled
v.20
Now
the third day was Pharaoh's birthday, and he gave a feast for
all his officials. He lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer
and the chief baker in the presence of his officials:
v.21,22
He
restored the chief cupbearer to his position, so that he once
again put the cup into Pharaoh's hand— but he impaled the chief
baker, just as Joseph had said to them in his interpretation.
v.23
The
chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.
[Notes:
On
the third day the cupbearer is restored and the baker executed,
but the cupbearer forgets about Joseph.]