Bible Commentaries

Pharaoh's chief butler and his chief baker, having offended their lord, are put in prison, Genesis 40:1-3. The captain of the guard gives them into the care of Joseph, Genesis 40:4. Each of them has a dream, Genesis 40:5. Joseph, seeing them sad, questions them on the subject, Genesis 40:6, Genesis 40:7. Their answer, Genesis 40:8. The chief butler tells his dream, Genesis 40:9-11. Joseph interprets it, Genesis 40:12, Genesis 40:13. Gives a slight sketch of his history to the chief butler, and begs him to think upon him when restored to his office, Genesis 40:14, Genesis 40:15. The chief baker tells his dream, Genesis 40:16, Genesis 40:17. Joseph interprets this also, Genesis 40:18, Genesis 40:19. Both dreams are fulfilled according to the interpretation, the chief butler being restored to his office, and the chief baker hanged, Genesis 40:20-22. The chief butler makes no interest for Joseph, Genesis 40:23.

The butler - משקה mashkeh, the same as saky among the Arabians and Persians, and signifying a cup-bearer.

Baker - אפה opheh; rather cook, confectioner, or the like.

Had offended - They had probably been accused of attempting to take away the king's life, one by poisoning his drink, the other by poisoning his bread or confectionaries.

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 and. the baker were state criminals they were put in the same prison with Joseph, which we learn from the preceding chapter, Genesis 39:20, was the king's prison. All the officers in the employment of the ancient kings of Egypt were, according to Diodorus Siculus, taken from the most illustrious families of the priesthood in the country; no slave or common person being ever permitted to serve in the presence of the king. As these persons, therefore, were of the most noble families, it is natural to expect they would be put, when accused, into the state prison.

They continued a season - ימים yamim, literally days; how long we cannot tell. But many suppose the word signifies a complete year; and as Pharaoh called them to an account on his birthday, Genesis 40:20, Calmet supposes they had offended on the preceding birthday, and thus had been one whole year in prison.

Each man according to the interpretation - Not like dreams in general, the disordered workings of the mind, the consequence of disease or repletion; these were dreams that had an interpretation, that is, that were prophetic.

They were sad - They concluded that their dreams portended something of great importance, but they could not tell what.

There is no interpreter - They either had access to none, or those to whom they applied could give them no consistent, satisfactory meaning.

Do not interpretations belong to God? - God alone, the Supreme Being, knows what is in futurity; and if he have sent a significant dream, he alone can give the solution.

And I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup - From this we find that wine anciently was the mere expressed juice of the grape, without fermentation. The saky, or cup-bearer, took the bunch, pressed the juice into the cup, and instantly delivered it into the hands of his master. This was anciently the יין yain of the Hebrews, the οινος of the Greeks, and the mustum of the ancient Latins.