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Commentary Critical and Explanatory

Genesis 40:20-22

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.

The third day ... Pharaoh's birthday. This was a holiday season, celebrated at court with great magnificence, and honoured 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 honour of the true God that he should speak plainly.

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See also Genesis 40:20-22 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Genesis 40:20. _PHARAOH'S BIRTHDAY_] The distinguishing a birthday by a feast appears from this place to have been a very ancient custom. It probably had its origin from a correct notion of the...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    - Joseph in Prison An uncomplaining patience and an unhesitating hopefulness keep the breast of Joseph in calm tranquillity. There is a God above, and that God is with him. His soul swerves not from...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 40 JOSEPH THE INTERPRETER OF DREAMS _ 1. The fellow prisoners (Genesis 40:1)_ 2. The dream of the chief butler (Genesis 40:9) 3. The interpretation (Genesis 40:12) 4. Joseph's request ...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    GENESIS 40. JOSEPH INTERPRETS THEIR DREAMS TO PHARAOH'S TWO IMPRISONED OFFICERS. This chapter is from E, with harmonistic additions and touches from J (Genesis 40:3_ b_, Genesis 40:5_ b_, Genesis 40:1...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    The Fulfilment 20. _Pharaoh's birthday_ Cf. Matthew 14:6; Mark 6:21. Proclamations of amnesty on royal birthdays have been universal. They can be illustrated from the royal proclamations preserved in...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    PHARAOH'S BIRTH-DAY— The antiquity of celebrating birth-days is hence observable. Some think that the phrase _lifted up the head,_ as applied to the elevation of one officer and the destruction of the...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    2. _Joseph as Prisoner in Egypt_ (Genesis 39:1 to Genesis 41:45). 39 And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh'S, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of t...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    JOSEPH INTERPRETS THE DREAMS OF PHARAOH'S OFFICERS 1. Butler] rather, 'cupbearer,' a high court official: cp. Nehemiah 1:11; Nehemiah 2:1. BAKER] rather, 'cook.' It is conjectured that these official...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    These two dreams told what would happen 2 days later. And, 2 years after this time, *Pharaoh had two dreams. (See Genesis 41:1.) Those dreams told what would happen during the next 14 years. All these...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    GOD’S ANCIENT PEOPLE GENESIS _ALUN OWEN_ CHAPTER 40 THE *CUP-BEARER AND THE BAKER IN PRISON V1 Some time after this, the king of Egypt’s *cup-bearer offended his master the king. And the king’s...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    HE LIFTED UP THE HEAD. — From its use in this verse some have supposed that the phrase must mean “to put them on their trial,” or “take account of them” (whence the margin _reckon_). More probably the...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וַ יְהִ֣י ׀ בַּ † יֹּ֣ום הַ שְּׁלִישִׁ֗י...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    JOSEPH INTERPRETS TWO DREAMS Genesis 40:9 Joseph as an interpreter was among a thousand. Because his pure heart was open to God, he could unriddle the mysteries of human life. Very often those who wa...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The works of God are ever characterized by simplicity. No study is more fascinating in the Divine Oracles or in human experience than the wonderful mosaic of the divine government. If it may be stated...

  • Gary Hampton Commentaries

    GOD WAS WITH JOSEPH IN PRISON Again, the Lord was with Joseph. He caused the keeper of the prison to look on Joseph with mercy. Eventually, the keeper placed all under Joseph's authority, just as Pot...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    And it came to pass the third day, [which was] Pharaoh's (h) 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 servan...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Birth-day. This was a common practice among the pagans. (St. Matthew xiv. 6; 2 Machabees vi. 7.) (Calmet)_...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    Mark 6:21....

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    Having already shown the position of Isaac, I resume briefly with the remark that he stands before us clearly as the representative of the Son, and this too as dead, risen, and in heaven. All will und...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 37 THROUGH 41. What follows from chapter 37 is the interesting history of Joseph, to which even children ever yield a ready ear, although ignorant of all the...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    AND IT CAME TO PASS THE THIRD DAY, [WHICH WAS] PHARAOH'S BIRTHDAY,.... The third day from the time the dreams were told, and the interpretation of them given, was the birthday of Pharaoh; either the d...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    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....

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _He lifted up the head_ Of these servants; took an account of them, examined their cases, and, either according to the merit of their cause, or through caprice, disposed of them as is here mentioned....

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 The Butler and Baker of Pharaoh in prison. 4 Ioseph hath charge of them. 5 He interpreteth their dreames. 20 They come to passe according to his interpretation. 23 The ingratitude of the Butler....

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    THE DREAMS COME TRUE...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast unto all his servants, it being the custom of the ancient kings to celebrate these occasions with a great show of...

  • Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures

    FOURTH SECTION _Joseph as interpreter of the dreams of his fellow-prisoners_. GENESIS 40:1-23 1And it came to pass after these things _that_ the butler of the king of Egypt, and _his_ baker, had off...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    JOSEPH, INTERPRETER OF DREAMS Two men are seen now to be committed to Joseph's care in the prison, the cup bearer and the baker of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. It is not told us for what offenses they wer...

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    LIFTED UP: Or, reckoned...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    20-23 Joseph's interpretation of the dreams came to pass on the very day fixed. On Pharaoh's birth-day, all his servants attended him, and then the cases of these two came to be looked into. We may a...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    PHARAOH'S BIRTHDAY. Birth-days by persons of eminency then were, and since have usually been, celebrated with feasting and rejoicing....

  • Notes on the Pentateuch by Charles Henry Mackintosh

    In Genesis 1:23 Satan uses Potiphar's wife, and in Genesis 1:23 he uses Pharaoh's chief butler. The former he used to put Joseph into the dungeon; and the latter he used to keep him there, through his...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Genesis 40:20 third H7992 day H3117 Pharaohs H6547 birthday H3117 H3205 (H8715) made H6213 (H8799) feast...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ‘And it happened on the third day, being Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants and he lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servan...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Joseph in prison in Egypt. Interprets dreams. CHARACTERS: Butler, baker, captain of guard, Joseph, Potiphar. CONCLUSION: Whatever our lot in God's providence, we may ever be a blessing to...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Genesis 40:4. _Captain of the guard;_ that is, Potiphar who had a controul over the gaoler. It would seem, by enlarging Joseph's liberty in prison, that he now believed his asseverations of innocence:...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _The third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday_ BIRTHDAYS I. WE SHOULD MAKE IT A DAY OF THANKSGIVING. The birth of a human soul is a wondrous miracle, and for weal or woe is an event which will be felt...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _The captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them_ LIGHT UPON JOSEPH’S DESTINY This chapter discovers signs that Joseph was destined to fill an important place in the history of...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    GENESIS—NOTE ON GENESIS 40:1 Some time after Joseph was imprisoned (ch. Genesis 39:1), two royal attendants are imprisoned for offending Pharaoh. With God’s help, Joseph interprets their dreams. This...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    GENESIS—NOTE ON GENESIS 40:20 PHARAOH’S BIRTHDAY may refer to his actual birthday or to the anniversary of his becoming ruler, when pardons were more often granted. As Joseph said, the heads of both m...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.— The butler.] “The cupbearer and overseer of the WINE—MAKING and storing and serving, an important officer of the king. (2 Kings 18:17.) He was now a state prisoner for an offence agai...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION GENESIS 40:1 AND IT CAME TO PASS (literally, _and it was_) AFTER THESE THINGS (literally, _words_, _i.e._ after the transactions just recorded), THAT THE BUTLER—מָשְׁקֶה, the hiph. part. o...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    For the correlating audio message go to Chapter 39 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. And Pharaoh was ang...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    third day. Genesis 40:13 Genesis 40:19 birthday. Genesis 21:8 Esther 1:3 Job 3:1...

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

    JOSEPH IN PRISON Genesis 40:1 INTRODUCTORY WORDS We left Joseph, in chapter 39, in prison under the order of Potiphar, captain of the guard. Chapter forty of Genesis discovers to us several importan...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    He lifted up the head of these two prisoners — That is, arraigned and tried them; and he restored the chief butler, and hanged the chief baker....

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