Genesis 40:1-23
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.
2 And Pharaoh was wroth against two of his officers, against the chief of the butlers, and against the chief of the bakers.
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.
4 And 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.
6 And Joseph came in unto them in the morning, and looked upon them, and, behold, they were sad.
7 And he asked Pharaoh's officers that were with him in the ward of his lord's house, saying, Wherefore looka ye so sadly to day?
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.
9 And the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, In my dream, behold, a vine was before me;
10 And 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:
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.
12 And Joseph said unto him, This is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days:
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.
14 But thinkb 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:
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.
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 whitec baskets on my head:
17 And in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of bakemeatsd for Pharaoh; and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my head.
18 And Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation thereof: The three baskets are three days:
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.
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.
21 And he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again; and he gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand:
22 But he hanged the chief baker: as Joseph had interpreted to them.
23 Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him.
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: and in that case, he ought to have enlarged him. But oh what it costs a man to say before the public, I have erred, I have sinned, I have been dishonoured in my tenderest interests: sooner than do this, Potiphar chose to employ Joseph as an under gaoler.
Genesis 40:8. We have dreamed a dream. Though all persons using divinations were utterly prohibited among the Jews; (Deuteronomy 18.) yet judicious men have noted impressive dreams. Hippocrates and Galen have written on the subject. Few will doubt but certain persons have been warned of impending danger by dreams. Infidelity indeed has said, “These things may be true; meanwhile they are not true.” In this case, every man must be allowed to judge for himself; and yet it is desirable that all persons should be cautioned against the weakness of superstition, as knowing that we are all under the immediate care of a superintending providence. The scriptures fully admit that many dreams are induced on the mind by a superior influence. See note on Genesis 41:1.
Genesis 40:13. Lift up thine head. Tremellius, on this passage, has a curious note. The Jews, he says, kept account of the servants by pegs put into a board full of holes, which they removed according to their services and duties. These pegs they called heads. Hence Pharaoh would take up his head to read it, and restore him to his place.
Genesis 40:15. I was stolen. What an appeal in this verse of suffering innocence to the feelings of humanity: but he brings no complaints either against God or man.
Genesis 40:19. Hang thee on a tree. This was a hard truth to tell a fellow prisoner; but ministers must do their duty, and declare the whole counsel of God. Whether the alarming dreams of unregenerate men proceed from terrors of conscience, or from the convincing operations of the Holy Spirit, we should press them to hearken to the warning voice, which calls them to repentance and reformation of life.
REFLECTIONS.
We learn from this chapter, that great and sudden afflictions often befal the righteous and the wicked, the rich and the poor. Joseph a poor slave, and Pharaoh's confidential servant, were involved in various calamities. What conclusions may we not deduce concerning the uncertainty of worldly good; what instructions may we not derive concerning the necessity of having a hope laid up in heaven, and above the vicissitudes of life!
We learn also, that providence avails itself even of the crimes and passions of man to fulfil its vast designs. They do evil for the sake of evil; and though God may often bring the greatest good from it, being ever mindful of the reformation and good of human kind; yet it neither alters the nature of their sin, nor shall it diminish their punishment.
Piety is uniformly characterized and distinguished by compassion. Joseph, seeing the prisoners sad, inquired the cause. Just so, wherever distress and misery prevail, thither the feet of mercy find their way. God's angels of benevolence enter that house, and blessings drop from their hands, and consolations from their lips. Great indeed is the privilege of being surrounded with a good man in a time of affliction, to irradiate our minds by his counsel, and to aid our devotion by his faith. By Joseph's ministry, the chief butler, for three whole days anticipated the joys of restoration; and the chief baker had three days allowed for recollection and repentance.
But oh, we learn from this butler, and from a thousand like cases, that when the dark clouds of adversity are dispelled by the sunshine of life, unregenerate men forget both God and his servants. This officer was busy in the bustle of the court, and whenever the recollection of Joseph obtruded, he must either wait for a favourable opportunity, or he must not, as yet offend Potiphar, who also was high in office. Let us be thankful, that we have a better advocate at the right hand of God, Jesus Christ the righteous. The best of men under affliction, have constant need of divine aid and support. If Joseph had looked too much at the hatred and treason of his brethren, at his mistress's wickedness, and Potiphar's long severity; and above all, at the butler's ingratitude; he might have sunk into hopeless dejection. Even Peter, when he considered the wind, and looked at the waves, began to sink. Let us therefore in all our troubles look through the means to the end, for God will never leave nor forsake his suffering saints; and disregarding as much as possible our present evils, let us look only at that sure promise: “in due time ye shall be exalted.”