Genesis 40:7

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 he asked Pharaoh's officers that were with him,.... The chief butler and baker that were committed to his care, and with whom he now was: in the ward of the lord's house; this seems to confirm what is before observed, that the captain of the guard that charged Joseph with them was Potiphar his master; though indeed the keeper of the prison that was under Potiphar, the captain of the guard, might be called Joseph's lord or master, but the house could not with so much propriety be called his: saying, wherefore look ye so sadly today? as they were officers, who had been in lucrative places, they lived well and merrily, and expected very probably they should be released in a short time, nothing appearing against them; but now there was a strange alteration in them, which was very visible to Joseph, and for which he expresses a concern, being of a kind, tender, and benevolent disposition, as the question he puts to them shows.

1–8. The two Officers in Prison 1 . after these things ] A vague definition of time: see Genesis 15:1 , Genesis 22:1 , Genesis 39:7 . the butler ] In Genesis 40:2; Genesis 40:20 he is called “the chief butler.” The word is rendered in Nehemiah 1:11 , “cupbearer,” an officer who looked after the king’s cellar. his baker ] In Genesis 40:2; Genesis 40:22 he is called “the chief baker,” an officer who looked after the king’s bakehouse. These officials filled high positions at the Egyptian court. Cf. Genesis 37:36 . offended ] Lit. “sinned”; so LXX ἥμαρτον , Lat. peccarent .

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.Pharaoh’s chief butler and baker are put into prison, and committed to Joseph, Genesis 40:1-4. They dream, and are sad, Genesis 40:5,6. He asks the reason, Genesis 40:7. Their answer, and Joseph’s reply, Genesis 40:8. The chief butler tells his dream, Genesis 40:9-11. Joseph interprets it of his restoration, and desires him to be mindful of him, Genesis 40:12-15. The chief baker also tells his dream, Genesis 40:16,17. Joseph interprets it, Genesis 40:18,19. Both made good by the event, Genesis 40:20-22. The butler forgets Joseph, Genesis 40:23. 1720 No text from Poole on this verse.

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.

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.

Other commentators, while also taking πνευματ . as neuter , make συγκρίνειν , explicare , namely, either: explaining the N. T. doctrine from the types of the O. T. (Chrysostom and his successors[409]), or: “exponentes ea, quae prophetae Spiritu Dei acti dixere, per ea, quae Christus suo Spiritu nobis aperuit” (Grotius, Krebs), or: “spiritualibus verbis spiritualia interpretantes” (Elsner, Mosheim, Bolten, Neander). But the first two of these renderings are against the context, and all the three are against the usus loquendi ; for συγκρίνειν is never absolutely interpretari , either in profane Greek (in which, among later writers, as also in 2 Corinthians 10:12 , Wis 7:29 ; Wis 15:18 , 1Ma 10:71 , it very often means to compare ; comp Vulgate: comparantes , and see Lobeck, a [411] Phryn. p. 278) or in the LXX. With the latter it is indeed the common word for the interpretation of dreams ( פתר , see Genesis 40:8 ; Genesis 40:16 ; Genesis 40:22 ; Genesis 41:12 ; Genesis 41:15 ; Daniel 5:12 ); but in such cases (comp the passages from Philo, where ΔΙΑΚΡΊΝΕΙΝ occurs, in Loesner, p. 273) we have to trace it back to the literal signification of judging ,[413] namely, as to what was to be indicated by the vision in the dream (comp κρίνειν τὸ σημαινόμενον τῶν ὀνειράτων in Josephus, Antt. ii. 2. 2, also the Ὀνειροκριτικά of Artemidorus).