40.1-23

Genesis

Just as Potiphar had concerned himself only with the food of his household when Joseph's lord placed him in charge of all (other) things (39:6), Pharaoh had become offended by the two men responsible for the food of their lord's house (v1). Whether Pharaoh was concerned with other things is unknown, but he was furious here to the point of imprisoning the chief cupbearer and the chief baker (v3). Potiphar's anger (39:19) that landed Joseph in jail may have even been at his wife, who didn't even accuse Joseph to her husband, of the same offense she stated to the other men of her household (39:14) - that he had attempted to "lie with (her)." The accusation she made to her husband was more believable of a slave he trusted with everything he owned, "(he) came in to me to laugh at me" (39:17). Unsurprisingly then, Joseph arrives at prison with "favor in the sight of the chief jailer" (39:20). Yet it is Yahweh who extends חֶסֶד hesed, lovingkindness, (39:21). Both Potiphar and the chief jailer had the opportunity to see Joseph's good works "and favor" with Yahweh, and give glory to his God, (Mt 5:16). Joseph's response is not to only honor those who show him favor, but as these other prisoners arrive, he shows them compassion (vv6-8). After interpreting the cupbearer's dream, Joseph makes a request. He asks the cupbearer to show the same חֶסֶד hesed, lovingkindness, that Yahweh extended (v14). Joseph had already done so toward both of his fellow prisoners. It is within man's ability to demonstrate God's lovingkindness towards others. It is important to remember to do so. "Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him." (v23) *for two years.

CHAPTER 40

Joseph Interprets the Officials’ Dreams

1 Now it happened that after these things, the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt offended their lord, the king of Egypt.
2 And Pharaoh was furious with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker.
3 So he put them in confinement in the house of the captain of the bodyguard, in the jail, the same place where Joseph was imprisoned.
4 And the captain of the bodyguard appointed Joseph as overseer over them, and he attended to them; and they were in confinement for some time.
5 Then the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt, who were confined in jail, both had a dream the same night, each man with his own dream and each dream with its own interpretation.
6 Now Joseph came to them in the morning and saw them, and behold, they were dejected.
7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were with him in confinement in his master’s house, saying, “Why are your faces so sad today?”
8 Then they said to him, “We have had a dream, and there is no one to interpret it.” Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Recount it to me, please.”
9 So the chief cupbearer recounted his dream to Joseph and said to him, “In my dream, behold, there was a vine in front of me;
10 and on the vine were three branches. And as it was budding, its blossoms came out, and its clusters produced ripe grapes.
11 “Now Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand; so I took the grapes and squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and I put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand.”
12 Then Joseph said to him, “This is the interpretation of it: the three branches are three days;
13 within three more days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office; and you will put Pharaoh’s cup into his hand according to your former custom when you were his cupbearer.
14 “Only remember me when it goes well with you, and please show me lovingkindness by remembering me to Pharaoh and getting me out of this house.
15 “For I was in fact stolen from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing that they should have put me into the pit.”
16 And the chief baker saw that he had interpreted favorably, so he said to Joseph, “I also saw in my dream, and behold, there were three baskets of white bread on my head;
17 and in the top basket there were some of all sorts of baked food for Pharaoh, and the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.”
18 Then Joseph answered and said, “This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days;
19 within three more days Pharaoh will lift up your head off of you and will hang you on a tree, and the birds will eat your flesh off of you.”
20 Thus it happened on the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants; and he lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants.
21 And he restored the chief cupbearer to his office, and he put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand;
22 but he hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had interpreted to them.
23 Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.