Genesis 40:5

40:1-19 It was not so much the prison that made the butler and baker sad, as their dreams. God has more ways than one to sadden the spirits. Joseph had compassion towards them. Let us be concerned for the sadness of our brethren's countenances. It is often a relief to those that are in trouble to be noticed. Also learn to look into the causes of our own sorrow. Is there a good reason? Is there not comfort sufficient to balance it, whatever it is? Why art thou cast down, O my soul? Joseph was careful to ascribe the glory to God. The chief butler's dream foretold his advancement. The chief baker's dream his death. It was not Joseph's fault that he brought the baker no better tidings. And thus ministers are but interpreters; they cannot make the thing otherwise than it is: if they deal faithfully, and their message prove unpleasing, it is not their fault. Joseph does not reflect upon his brethren that sold him; nor does he reflect on the wrong done him by his mistress and his master, but mildly states his own innocence. When we are called on to clear ourselves, we should carefully avoid, as much as may be, speaking ill of others. Let us be content to prove ourselves innocent, and not upbraid others with their guilt.

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 his dream; they dreamed each what was suitable to his office and character, and which portended what should hereafter befall them, as the interpretation of them by Joseph afterwards, and the event showed; so that it was not a vain idle dream, but divine and certain: the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, which were bound in the prison; this is added for explanation's sake, showing who were the persons spoken of that dreamed the dreams.

And they dreamed a dream both of them, each man his dream in one night, {b} each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, which were bound in the prison. (b) That is, every dream had his interpretation, as the thing afterward declared.

1718 i.e. Not a vain and idle dream, but one that had in it a signification of future things, and needed interpretation; and the several dreams were proper and agreeable to the several events which befell them, and to the several interpretations which Joseph put upon them: the dream and interpretation did fitly answer one to the other.

5-8. they dreamed a dream—Joseph, influenced by the spirit of true religion, could feel for others (Ec 4:1; Ro 12:15; Php 2:4). Observing them one day extremely depressed, he inquired the cause of their melancholy; and being informed it was owing to a dream they had respectively dreamed during the previous night, after piously directing them to God (Da 2:30; Isa 26:10), he volunteered to aid them, through the divine help, in discovering the import of their vision. The influence of Providence must be seen in the remarkable fact of both officers dreaming such dreams in one night. He moves the spirits of men.

CHAPTER 40 Ge 40:1-8. Two State Prisoners. 1. the butler—not only the cup-bearer, but overseer of the royal vineyards, as well as the cellars; having, probably, some hundreds of people under him. baker—or cook, had the superintendence of every thing relating to the providing and preparing of meats for the royal table. Both officers, especially the former, were, in ancient Egypt, always persons of great rank and importance; and from the confidential nature of their employment, as well as their access to the royal presence, they were generally the highest nobles or princes of the blood.

Verse 5. - And they dreamed a dream both of them (on dreams cf. Genesis 20:3 ), each man his dream in one night (this was the first remarkable circumstance connected with these dreams - they both happened the same night), each man according to the interpretation of his dream ( i.e. each dream corresponded exactly, as the event proved, to the interpretation put on it by Joseph, which was a second remarkable circumstance, inasmuch as it showed the dreams to be no vain hallucinations of the mind, but Divinely-sent foreshadowings of the future fortunes of the dreamers), the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, which were bound in the prison. Genesis 40:5

These prisoners dream, "each according to the interpretation of his dream," the imagery of which was suited to indicate his future state. They were sad - anxious to know the meaning of these impressive dreams. "Why are your forces bad today?" Joseph keeps up his character of frank composure. "Do not interpretations belong to God?" In his past history he had learned that dreams themselves come from God. And when he adds, "Tell them now to me," he intimates that God would enable him to interpret their dreams. Here again he uses the general name of God, which was common to him with the pagan.

The chief butler and chief baker, high officials in Pharaoh's court, come under the displeasure of their sovereign. "In the house of the captain of the guards." It appears that this officer's establishment contained the keep in which Joseph and these criminals were confined. "Charged Joseph with them." As Joseph was his slave, and these were state prisoners, he appointed him to wait upon them. It is probable that Joseph's character had been somewhat re-established with him during his residence in the prison.

After some time ("days," Genesis 40:4 , as in Genesis 4:3 ), and on the same night, these two prisoners had each a peculiar dream, "each one according to the interpretation of his dream;" i.e., each one had a dream corresponding to the interpretation which specially applied to him. On account of these dreams, which seemed to them to have some bearing upon their fate, and, as the issue proved, were really true omens of it, Joseph found them the next morning looking anxious, and asked them the reason of the trouble which was depicted upon their countenances.

[Reformed Biblical] 1 Genesis 40:2 Genesis 40:3 ## The captain of the guard, to wit, Potiphar, Gen_37:36, who being informed by his underkeeper of Joseph’s great care and faithfulness, began to have a better opinion of him, though for his own quiet, and his wife’s reputation, he left him still in the prison. ## Where Joseph was bound; was a prisoner, as that word is used, Isa_22:3; for Joseph being now made governor of the prisoners, was doubtless freed from his bonds: or had been bound, and that with irons in a cruel manner, Psa_105:18. Genesis 40:4 ## A season, Heb. days, i.e. either many days, or a year, as that word sometimes signifies. See Gen_24:55. Genesis 40:5 1718 i.e. Not a vain and idle dream, but one that had in it a signifi cation of future things, and needed interpretation; and the several dreams were proper and agreeable to the several events which befell them, and to the severa l interpretat ions which Jo seph put upon them: the dream and interpretation did fitly answer one to the other. Genesis 40:6 Perplexed and terrified both, because they perceived the dream was extraordinary and sent from God; compare Gen_41:8 Dan_2:1 Mat_27:19; and because they understood not the meaning of it. Genesis 40:8 ## There is no interpreter of it, to wit, with us, or to whom we can now resort; for otherwise there were many in Egypt of that profession, Gen_41:8. ## Do not interpretations belong to God? In vain do you expect su

3 . God came … in a dream ] Scholars have noticed that E frequently describes Divine interposition by means of a dream. Cf. Genesis 20:6 , Genesis 31:11 ; Genesis 31:24 , Genesis 37:5 ; Genesis 37:9 , Genesis 40:5 ff., Genesis 41:1 ff., Genesis 46:2 . art but a dead man ] i.e. “shalt die.” This sentence is not literally fulfilled. Cf. Genesis 2:17 .