Words in italic type have been added for clarity. They are not found in the original Hebrew or Aramaic.

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What can we learn from this chapter?

• Symbolically: The cup bearer was “clean” because he was innocent.
• Symbolically: The baker was “unclean” because he was guilty.
• Therefore; the cup bearer was restored while the baker was hung.
• Joseph, like Daniel, relied on God to interpret dreams.

Genesis 40

• It is 1712 BC: Joseph was 28 years old when he was sent to prison for 2 years by Potiphar. Joseph was a good looking man, and Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce him and when he refused; she falsely accused him of attempting to rape her. [Gen 39:6-20]
• Who was the Pharaoh in 1712 BC?
  • It was 1446 BC when Moses leads the Exodus and Tutmosis II was Pharaoh of Egypt.
  • A difference of 266 years. Who was Pharaoh 266 years before Tutmosis II? If Egyptian history was less vague and more accurate this could be determined, but it is still questionable.

The Prisoners’ Dreams

Genesis 40:¹ It came to pass after these things that the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their lord, the king of Egypt

Genesis 40:² And Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief butler and the chief baker.

Genesis 40:³ So he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison, the place where Joseph was confined.

Genesis 40:⁴ And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them; so they were in custody for a while.

Genesis 40:⁵ Then the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, had a dream, both of them, each man’s dream in one night and each man’s dream with its own interpretation.

Genesis 40:⁶ And Joseph came in to them in the morning and looked at them, and saw that they were sad (dejected).

Genesis 40:⁷ So he asked Pharaoh’s officers who were with him in the custody of his lord’s house, saying, “Why do you look so sad today?”

Genesis 40:⁸ And they said to him, “We each have had a dream, and there is no interpreter of it.”

So Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God (‘ĕlōhîm)? Tell them to me, please.”

• Note: The Egyptians shared a belief, widespread in antiquity, that “sleep puts us in real and direct contact with the other world where not only the dead but also the gods dwell. Dreams therefore are a gift from the gods.” ~ ergote, Joseph en Egypte 48 Word Biblical Commentary
  Did these two officials understand that Joseph was talking about the God of Israel?

• Note: Interpretations belong to God.
  (Ref: Daniel 2:28 But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream, and the visions of your head upon your bed, were these.)

Genesis 40:⁹ Then the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, “Behold, in my dream a vine was before me,

Genesis 40:¹⁰ and in the vine were three branches; it was as though it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and its clusters brought forth ripe grapes.

Genesis 40:¹¹ Then Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.”

• Grapes symbolize blood. Take note that the grapes released him from captivity.

• In the same way Jesus, as the first fruits of God, used His blood to cover and forgive mankind’s sins, thus releasing believing men from their captivity to sin.

• This brings to mind the verse that says “The life is in the blood” and blood is the “atonement for the soul”. Leviticus 17:11

• The Hebrew word “dam” Strong’s H1818, has two meanings: red wine (from grapes) and blood. Think about the last supper, Jesus would have been speaking Hebrew when he held up the cup and announced: “For this is My “dam” (ie: red blood or red wine) of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” Matthew 26:28

• When the disciples were told this, what did they hear and what did they understand before Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion? “Wine?” or “Blood?”

Genesis 40:¹² And Joseph said to him, “This is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days.

• Three Branches Symbolize Three Days and Three Days are symbolic for “It’s time to separate the clean from the unclean” (for example Jesus rose from the dead after three days leaving the unclean grave for a glorified body.)

Genesis 40:¹³ Now within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your place (position), and you will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand according to the former manner, when you were his butler.

Genesis 40:¹⁴ But remember me when it is well with you, and please show kindness to me; make mention of me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this house.

 Genesis 40:¹⁵ For indeed I was stolen away from the land of the Hebrews; and also I have done nothing here that they should put me into the dungeon.”

Genesis 40:¹⁶ When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said to Joseph, “I also was in my dream, and there were three white baskets (Or baskets of white bread; Choriy H2751) on my head.

• Choriy H2751
  White bread is also translated Horite. It is made with flour and yeast; unlike Manna, which was the bread that came down to the Hebrews in the wilderness which had no yeast. Yeast is significant in its symbolism for “pride” which “puffs up”. Furthermore; pride is the product of sin.

• According to Genesis 36, the Horites co-existed and inter-married with the family of Esau, grandson of Abraham through Isaac (Genesis 25:21-25). They (the Horites) were eventually brought under the rule of the descendants of Esau, also then known as Edom.

• Gen 36:8 So Esau dwelt in Mount Seir. Esau is Edom. They settled in Mt. Seir.
  • H8165 – śēʿîr; meaning hairy or shaggy, wood demons, satyrs or terror.
    
• Horites Cave-men, a race of Troglodytes who dwelt in the limestone caves which abounded in Edom. Their ancestor was “Seir,” who probably gave his name to the district where he lived.
  • Horim, Chori. Hebrew: חֹרִי. Meaning: cave-men; cave-dwellers. a race of troglodytes (cave dwellers) who lived in the limestone caves …
    ~ https://christiananswers.net/dictionary/horites.html
• Horite: also the name of the baker’s “white bread” aka Choriy H2751.

Genesis 40:¹⁷ In the uppermost basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, and the birds ate them out of the basket on my head.”

Genesis 40:¹⁸ So Joseph answered and said, “This is the interpretation of it: The three baskets are three days.

• In this case, there are three baskets symbolizing three days. Again, Three Days are symbolic for “It’s time to separate the clean from the unclean”

Genesis 40:¹⁹ Within three days Pharaoh will lift off (Lit. up) your head from you and hang you on a tree; and the birds will eat your flesh from you.”

Genesis 40:²⁰ Now it came to pass 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 butler and of the chief baker among his servants.

• Both heads were “lifted up”; One, however, was a promotion while the other a demotion. One was given life and the other was given death.

Jesus was “lifted up” on the cross and then He was “lifted up” the third day. He was demoted and then promoted.

Like the cup bearer and chief baker, wine and bread were used at the Last Supper.

Genesis 40:²¹ Then he restored the chief butler to his butlership again, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.

Genesis 40:²² But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them.

• In “Three Days” – The “clean” was separated from the “unclean”.

Genesis 40:²³ Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.