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Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Genesis 40:3

in ward Cf. Genesis 40:4; Genesis 40:7. An old English expression; cf. Shakespeare, 2 Hen. VI, v. i.:

"I know, ere they will have me go to ward,

They'll pawn their swords for my enfranchisement."

He committed them for safe keeping, while the enquiry into the charges against them went on.

captain of the guard See note on Genesis 37:36.

the prison = "the round house," as in Genesis 39:20. This clause seems to have been introduced, in order to harmonize the tradition of Joseph's position in the house of the "captain of the guard" with the account of his imprisonment in Genesis 39:20-23.

According to E, Pharaoh placed his two officials in confinement, but not in the prison, in the keeping of the "captain of the guard."

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See also Genesis 40:3 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Genesis 40:3. _WHERE JOSEPH WAS BOUND._] The place in which Joseph was now _confined_; this is what is implied in being _bound_; for, without doubt, he had his _personal_ liberty. As the butler...

  • 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...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    JOSEPH WAS BOUND— Rather read, _had been_ bound....

  • 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...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _AND PHARAOH WAS WROTH AGAINST TWO OF HIS OFFICERS, AGAINST THE CHIEF OF THE BUTLERS, AND AGAINST THE CHIEF OF THE BAKERS._ Pharaoh ... put them in ward ... Whatever was their crime (and it has been...

  • 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

    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

    IN THE HOUSE OF THE CAPTAIN OF THE GUARD. — That is, of Potiphar. As he is said to have charged Joseph with the care of these two high officials, he must, ere this, have become aware of his innocence....

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וַ יִּתֵּ֨ן אֹתָ֜ם בְּ מִשְׁמַ֗ר בֵּ֛ית שַׂ֥ר

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    JOSEPH FARES WELL IN PRISON Genesis 39:19; Genesis 40:1 These two men remind us of the two thieves crucified beside our Lord; to the one He was a savor of life, to the other of death. Jeremy Taylor s...

  • 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 he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where (a) Joseph [was] bound. (a) God works in many wonderful ways to deliver his own....

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Commander. Putiphar. (Calmet) --- Prisoner, though his chains were struck off. (Menochius)_...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    Gen_39:21; Gen_39:23...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    Reader! do not overlook in this verse, that this captain of the guard must have been Potiphar, Genesis 39:1. Whether by this time Joseph's master had begun to believe Joseph was innocent doth not appe...

  • 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...

  • James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary

    _A NOBLE PRISONER_ ‘The place where Joseph was bound.’ Genesis 40:3 The oldest prison story that has been preserved from the oblivion underneath which time buries human events is this of Joseph in...

  • 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 HE PUT THEM IN WARD IN THE HOUSE OF THE CAPTAIN OF THE GUARD,.... Who is generally thought to be Potiphar, since this was the office he was in, Genesis 39:1; unless he was dead, and there was anot...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph [was] bound. Ver. 3. _And he put them in ward, &c._] See the slippery estate of courtiers: to...

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

    We should not have had this story of Pharaoh's butler and baker recorded in Scripture, if it had not been serviceable to Joseph's preferment. The world stands for the sake of the church, and is govern...

  • 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

    And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard, in to the prison, the place where Joseph was bound. They were committed to the care of Potiphar, the chief officer of Pharaoh's body-g...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    THE DREAMS OF THE TWO PRISONERS...

  • 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...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-19 It was not so much the prison that made the butler and baker sad, as their dreams. God has more ways than one to sadden the spirits. Joseph had compassion towards them. Let us be concerned for t...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    THE CAPTAIN OF THE GUARD, to wit, Potiphar, GENESIS 37:36, who being informed by his underkeeper of Joseph's great care and faithfulness, began to have a better opinion of him, though for his own quie...

  • 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 40:3 put H5414 (H8799) custody H4929 house H1004 captain H8269 guard H2876 prison H1004 H5470 place...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ‘And he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound. And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them and he served them. And t...

  • 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 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 40:2 CAPTAIN OF THE GUARD. This same title is given to Potiphar (Genesis 37:36;...

  • 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

    the place. Genesis 39:20 Genesis 39:23 where Joseph was bound....

  • 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...

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