INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 40
The history of this chapter is, the imprisonment of two of Pharaoh's
officers, his chief butler and chief baker, who by the captain of the
guard were made the charge of Joseph, Genesis 40:1; they both dreamed
in prison, which made them sad; Joseph taking notice of their s... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT CAME TO PASS AFTER THESE THINGS,.... After Joseph had been
accused and cast into prison, where he had been for some time:
[THAT] THE BUTLER OF THE KING OF EGYPT AND [HIS] BAKER HAD OFFENDED
THEIR LORD THE KING OF EGYPT; committed some fault, at least were
accused of one, which raised his dis... [ Continue Reading ]
AND PHARAOH WAS WROTH AGAINST TWO [OF] HIS OFFICERS,.... The same
above mentioned:
AGAINST THE CHIEF OF THE BUTLERS, AND AGAINST THE CHIEF OF THE BAKERS;
for as there were several butlers and bakers that belonged unto him,
who were employed in providing wine and food for him, there was one of
each... [ Continue Reading ]
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 another put
into his room, or there were more than one in the same office:
INTO THE PRISON, THE PLACE W... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE CAPTAIN OF THE GUARD CHARGED JOSEPH WITH THEM,.... Committed
them to his care and custody, he being very probably recommended to
him by the keeper of the prison for his prudence and fidelity; and if
it was Potiphar, he knew his character full well, and might be now
reconciled unto him, as ha... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY DREAMED A DREAM BOTH OF THEM,.... Not one and the same dream:
EACH MAN HIS DREAM IN ONE NIGHT; which made it the more remarkable,
and the more impressed their minds, concluding from hence there must
be something of importance in their dreams:
EACH MAN ACCORDING TO THE INTERPRETATION OF HI... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JOSEPH CAME IN UNTO THEM IN THE MORNING,.... For though Joseph and
they were in the same prison, yet not in the same ward. Aben Ezra
thinks that Joseph lodged in the dungeon in the night, Genesis 40:15;
and was let out in the morning to wait on these prisoners; but the
great interest he had in t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE ASKED PHARAOH'S OFFICERS THAT [WERE] WITH HIM,.... The chief
butler and baker that were committed to his care, and with whom he now
was,
IN THE WARD OF THE LORD'S HOUSE; this seems to confirm what is before
observed, that the captain of the guard that charged Joseph with them
was Potiphar hi... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY SAID UNTO HIM, WE HAVE DREAMED A DREAM,.... Each of them:
AND [THERE IS] NO INTERPRETER OF IT; in that place in which they were,
the prison; otherwise there were persons enough in the land that
pretended to the interpretation of dreams, Genesis 41:8; but they
could not come at them, being... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE CHIEF BUTLER TOLD HIS DREAM TO JOSEPH,.... He listened to what
Joseph said, and paid a regard to it, and began to think he might be
able to interpret his dream, and therefore was forward, and the first
to tell him it at once; whereas the chief baker did not seem disposed
to do it, until he o... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IN THE VINE [WERE] THREE BRANCHES,.... Which shot out from the
root or body of it:
AND IT [WAS AS] THOUGH IT BUDDED; the branches seemed to sprout out:
[AND] HER BLOSSOMS SHOT FORTH; it knotted, and the flowers of the vine
appeared, which blowing off, the tender grapes were seen:
AND THE CLUS... [ Continue Reading ]
AND PHARAOH'S CUP [WAS] IN HIS HAND,.... So it seemed to him in his
dream, as it often had been when in his office:
AND I TOOK THE GRAPES; from off the vine that was before him:
AND PRESSED THEM INTO PHARAOH'S CUP; which some think was the custom
of those times, to take a bunch of grapes and squee... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JOSEPH SAID UNTO HIM, THIS [IS] THE INTERPRETATION OF IT,.... Of
the dream:
THE THREE BRANCHES [ARE] THREE DAYS; signify three days, or, as Jarchi
expresses it, are a sign of three days; which Joseph could know only
by divine revelation; for there is no more likeness between branches
and days,... [ Continue Reading ]
YET WITHIN THREE DAYS SHALL PHARAOH LIFT UP THINE HEAD,.... The Targum
of Jonathan adds, with glory; and the sense is, either that Pharaoh
would raise him up from the low estate in which he now was, to the
same exalted station in which he had been before; or that he would
reckon and number him among... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THINK ON ME, WHEN IT SHALL BE WELL WITH THEE,.... He desires no
reward for the interpretation of his dream, only that he would
remember him in adversity, when he should be in prosperity in
Pharaoh's court, and speak a good word for him, which was the least he
could do; and though Joseph knew by... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR INDEED I WAS STOLEN AWAY OUT OF THE LAND OF THE HEBREWS,.... Not
the whole land of Canaan, so called, either from the Hebrews
sojourning: in it, or from its being given unto them by God; neither
of which could be a reason why Joseph, when talking with an Egyptian,
should give it this name, and w... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THE CHIEF BAKER SAW THAT THE INTERPRETATION WAS GOOD,.... Meaning
not that it was right and just, though it was; but that it was
agreeable and pleasing, and portended good in the event; and therefore
hoped a like interpretation would be given of his dream, and this
encouraged him to tell it, wh... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IN THE UPPERMOST BASKET [THERE WAS] OF ALL MANNER OF BAKEMEATS FOR
PHARAOH,.... All sorts of pastry, as tarts, pies, c. Josephus b says,
two of the baskets were full of bread, and the third had various sorts
of food, such as is usually, prepared for kings:
AND THE BIRDS DID EAT THEM OUT OF THE... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JOSEPH ANSWERED AND SAID,.... Immediately, directly, without any
further thought and meditation, being divinely instructed:
THIS [IS] THE INTERPRETATION THEREOF; of the above dream:
THE THREE BASKETS [ARE] THREE DAYS; signify three days.... [ Continue Reading ]
YET WITHIN THREE DAYS SHALL PHARAOH LIFT UP THINE HEAD FROM OFF
THEE,.... Order thee to be beheaded; so the Targum of Jonathan and Ben
Melech interpret it,
"Pharaoh shall remove thy head from thy body with a sword:''
AND SHALL HANG THEE ON A TREE; his body after his head was severed
from it, this... [ Continue Reading ]
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
day in which a son of his was born, or in which he himself was born,
as Ben Melech observes; but the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE RESTORED THE CHIEF BUTLER UNTO HIS BUTLERSHIP AGAIN,.... Put
him into the same office he was in before:
AND HE GAVE THE CUP INTO PHARAOH'S HAND; ministered to him in his
office the same day, according to his dream and the interpretation of
it: the Targum of Jonathan adds this as a reason of... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT HE HANGED THE CHIEF BAKER,.... The is, he ordered him to be
hanged; because, as the same Targum says, he consulted to kill him
(Pharaoh):
AS JOSEPH HAD INTERPRETED TO THEM; the events as to both answered to
the interpretation Joseph had given of their several dreams.... [ Continue Reading ]
YET DID NOT THE CHIEF BUTLER REMEMBER JOSEPH,.... To speak of him to
Pharaoh, neither on that day in which he was restored, nor for a long
time after, even for the space of two years, as seems from the
following chapter:
BUT FORGOT HIM; never more thought of him, of the favour he had done
him in in... [ Continue Reading ]