Genesis 40: The cupbearer's and the baker's dreams
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What happens?
Pharaoh's chief cupbearer and chief baker are put in the prison where Joseph is held, and each has a dream on the same night. Joseph explains them: in three days the cupbearer will get his job back and the baker will be hanged. It happens just as Joseph said, but the cupbearer forgets him.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. Joseph, the cupbearer and the baker speak. God does not speak in this chapter. Joseph says that interpretations belong to God (verse 8), but those are Joseph's words. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1After these things, the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker offended their lord, the king of Egypt.
In plain English: After this, the king of Egypt's butler (his cupbearer) and his baker offended their master, the king of Egypt.
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2Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cup bearer and the chief baker.
In plain English: Pharaoh was angry with his two officials (or: eunuchs), the chief cupbearer and the chief baker.
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3He put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound.
In plain English: He put them under guard in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison where Joseph was held.
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4The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he took care of them. They stayed in prison many days.
In plain English: The captain of the guard put Joseph in charge of them, and he looked after them. They were in prison for some time.
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5They both dreamed a dream, each man his dream, in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the cup bearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were bound in the prison.
In plain English: One night both of them had a dream, each man his own dream, and each dream had its own meaning: the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were held in the prison.
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6Joseph came in to them in the morning, and saw them, and saw that they were sad.
In plain English: When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they looked sad.
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7He asked Pharaoh’s officers who were with him in custody in his master’s house, saying, “Why do you look so sad today?”
In plain English: He asked Pharaoh's officials who were held with him in his master's house, "Why do you look so sad today?"
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8They said to him, “We have dreamed a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it.” Joseph said to them, “Don’t interpretations belong to God? Please tell it to me.”
In plain English: They answered, "We each had a dream, and there is no one who can explain it." Joseph said to them, "Don't interpretations belong to God? Please tell me your dream."
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9The chief cup bearer told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, “In my dream, behold, a vine was in front of me,
In plain English: So the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream. He said, "In my dream I saw a vine in front of me,
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10and in the vine were three branches. It was as though it budded, it blossomed, and its clusters produced ripe grapes.
In plain English: and the vine had three branches. As soon as it budded, it blossomed, and its clusters ripened into grapes.
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11Pharaoh’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.”
In plain English: Pharaoh's cup was in my hand. I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh's cup, and put the cup in Pharaoh's hand."
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12Joseph said to him, “This is its interpretation: the three branches are three days.
In plain English: Joseph said to him, "This is what it means: the three branches are three days.
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13Within three more days, Pharaoh will lift up your head, and restore you to your office. You will give Pharaoh’s cup into his hand, the way you did when you were his cup bearer.
In plain English: Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and give you back your job. You will put Pharaoh's cup in his hand, as you used to do when you were his cupbearer.
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14But remember me when it is well with you. Please show kindness to me, and make mention of me to Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house.
In plain English: But remember me when things go well for you. Please be kind to me: mention me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this house (this prison).
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15For indeed, I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon.”
In plain English: The truth is, I was stolen away from the land of the Hebrews, and here too I have done nothing to deserve being put in the dungeon (the pit)."
The Hebrew words: "I was stolen away" repeats the verb in Hebrew, "stolen, I was stolen", to make it strong. "Dungeon" is bor, a pit or a cistern.
How it is translated: In Genesis this Bible says "pit" for bor in 5 verses, all about the pit Joseph's brothers threw him into (). It says "dungeon" in 2: here and in .
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16When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said to Joseph, “I also was in my dream, and behold, three baskets of white bread were on my head.
In plain English: When the chief baker saw that the meaning was good, he said to Joseph, "I had a dream too: there were three baskets of white bread (or: three white baskets) on my head.
The Hebrew word: "White bread" is chori. It appears only here in the Bible, so its meaning is not certain: what is white may be the bread or the baskets.
How it is translated: This Bible says "three baskets of white bread". The King James Version says "three white baskets".
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17In the uppermost basket there were all kinds of baked food for Pharaoh, and the birds ate them out of the basket on my head.”
In plain English: In the top basket were all kinds of baked food for Pharaoh, and the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head."
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18Joseph answered, “This is its interpretation. The three baskets are three days.
In plain English: Joseph answered, "This is what it means: the three baskets are three days.
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19Within three more days, Pharaoh will lift up your head from off you, and will hang you on a tree; and the birds will eat your flesh from off you.”
In plain English: Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head from off you and hang you on a tree (or: a wooden pole), and the birds will eat your flesh off you."
Good to know: Joseph uses the same words for both men: "Pharaoh will lift up your head" (). For the cupbearer they mean he will be raised to his job again. For the baker, the added words "from off you" give them a deadly meaning. In Pharaoh "lifted up the head" of both.
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20On the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he made a feast for all his servants, and he lifted up the head of the chief cup bearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants.
In plain English: On the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, he gave a feast for all his servants. In front of his servants he lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker.
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21He restored the chief cup bearer to his position again, and he gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand;
In plain English: He gave the chief cupbearer his job back, and the cupbearer put the cup in Pharaoh's hand again,
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22but he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them.
In plain English: but he hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had explained to them.
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23Yet the chief cup bearer didn’t remember Joseph, but forgot him.
In plain English: Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph. He forgot him.
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