The First Book of Moses, called Genesis
Genesis 40
Chapter XL · Vol. I, pp. 279–280
1 The butler and baker of Pharaoh in prison are committed to Joseph's charge. 5 He interpreteth their dreams. 20 They come to pass according to his interpretation. 23 The ingratitude of the butler.
1 And ait came to pass after these things, that the bbutler of the king of Egypt and his baker had offended their lord the king of Egypt.
2 And Pharaoh was cwroth against two of his officers, against the chief of the butlers, and against the chief of the bakers.
c Pr. 16. 14; 19.12; 27.4.
3 And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard, into the dprison, the place where Joseph was4 bound.
A.M. 2286. B.C. 1718.
d ch. 39.20-23.
4 Had been.
4 And the ecaptain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them; and they continued a season in ward.
e ch. 37.36; 39.21-23.
5 And they fdreamed a dream5 both of them, each man his dream in one night, 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.
f ch. 20.3; 41.11; 12.1-7; 37. 5-10. Ju. 7.13,14. Da. ii. iv. vii. viii. Mat. 27. 19. Job 5. 12,13; 33. 13,14. Nu. 12.6.
5 1717.
6 And Joseph came in unto them in the morning, and looked upon them, and, behold, they were gsad.
g ch. 41. 8. Da. 2. 1, 3; 4.5; 7.28; 8.27.
7 And he asked Pharaoh's officers, that were with him in the ward of his lord's house, saying, Whereforeh look ye so sadly to-day?
h 1 Sa. 1. 8. 2 Sa. 13 14. Jn. 20.13. Ju. 18.24.
8 And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belongi to God?6 tell me them, I pray you.
9 And the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said unto him, In my dream, behold, a kvine7 was before me;
k ch. 37.7,10. Ju. 7.13. Da. 4.13.
7 One ancient author asserts that the vine did not grow in Egypt, but authors of equal credit describe it as cultivated abundantly, and its frequent occurrence in the ornaments of the subterranean tombs, amidst familiar objects, seems to put the matter beyond dispute.—C.
10 And in the vine were three branches: and it was as though it budded, and her blossoms shot forth; and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes.
11 And Pharaoh's cup was in my hand: and I took the grapes, and 8pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand.
8 The fresh juice of grapes or other fruits pressed out, and mingled with water, without fermentation, forming a sherbet, is still a favourite drink in warm eastern climates.—C.
12 And Joseph said unto him, This is the interpretation of it: The three branches lare three days.
l Signify, ch. 41. 26. Ex. 12.11. 1 Co. 10.4.
13 Yet mwithin three days shall Pharaoh liftn up thine head, and restore thee unto thy place: and thou shalt deliver Pharaoh's cup into his hand, after the former manner when thou wast his butler.
14 But othink on me when it shall be well with thee, and show kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house:
15 For indeed I was pstolen away out of qthe land of the Hebrews; and here also have rI done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon.
p ch. 37. 28, without my father's knowledge or consent.
q ch. 14.13.
A.M. 2287. B.C. 1717.
r ch. 39. 8-12, 20. Da. 6. 22. Jn. 10. 32. Ac. 24. 12, 13,20; 25.10, 11.
16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said unto Joseph, I also was in my dream, and, behold, I had three white9 baskets on my head:
9 Or, full of holes.
17 And in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of bake-meats for Pharaoh; and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my head.
18 And Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation thereof: The three baskets are three days.
19 Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee,1 and shall shang thee on a tree; and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee.
20 And it came to pass tthe third day, which was Pharaoh's ubirth-day,2 that he made a feast unto all his servants: and he xlifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants.
t ver. 13,19.
u Mat. 14.6. Es. 1. 3. See ch. 21.8.
2 That 'we take no note of time, but from its loss,' is a just and striking observation. A birth-day attained is really the loss of a unit from the sum of our years. Then how comes such a loss to be an occasion of congratulation and of feasting? Chiefly because worldly-minded men seldom retrace the 'time past of their lives,' 1 Pe. 4.3, or anticipate that portion of the future when they must give 'account to him who (1 Pe. 4.5) is ready to judge the quick and the dead,' but rather think it 'strange' (1 Pe. 4. 4) if Christian converts 'run not with them to the same excess of riot.' But how may a Christian observe a birth-day? Pharaoh furnishes a useful lesson. 1. He employed his birth-day in reviewing the affairs of his household; one servant, found innocent, he restored; another, found guilty, he condemned. So, a duty neglected, should by the Christian be zealously resumed, a sin discovered, be unreservedly mortified. 2. A year lost from the amount of a Christian's natural days, should be so much gained to his experience of the grace of God. 3. The loss of the past, should lead him to 'walk circumspectly, redeeming,' improving, putting to the highest price, 'the time, because the days are evil,' Ep. 5. 16. 4. Let the anniversary of our natural birth remind us that 'unless we be born again,' we can neither see, nor enter into the 'kingdom of God,' Jn. 3.3,5.—C.
x Or, reckoned, 2 Ki. 25.27.
21 And he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again; and he gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand:
Notes
[Ver. 16. 'Three baskets of white,' i.e. 'of white bread.' On the monuments of Egypt may be seen representations of bread thus carried to feasts. Baskets are still universally employed in Egypt for such purposes. P.]
Reflections.—Mark, my soul, in what slippery places great men stand; and how sudden may be their fall into destruction; their removal from a palace to a prison, nay, to a gibbet! It is much safer, as well as sweeter, to be the servants of Christ than of the loftiest monarchs on earth. Strangely, but in wisdom, are the links of Providence connected. God can easily wound the stoutest spirits, and make their imagination subservient to the ends of his glory and the advancement of his people. But distresses are often in the hearts of sinners, which themselves only know: and in his wisdom God sometimes renders his people more clear, with respect to the future lot of others on earth, than with respect to their own. It is a mercy, even in a prison, to have one to compassionate our case: and communication of our griefs to godly men is a ready way to obtain solution of our doubts, and recover comfort in our afflictions. It is prudent to conceal the infirmity of our friends, even while we plead our own innocence: and in exculpating ourselves, we cannot be too careful to avoid reflecting upon those who have injured us. What great events are often connected with the transaction of a moment: and often the enlargement of the wicked is at hand when that of the choicest saints lies at a great distance. Worldly advancements render men strangely thoughtless. No favour or even gratitude of men, especially of great ones, can be safely depended on. Let me therefore always trust in the Lord, and be in his fear all the day long. But turn aside, my soul. Behold the man who is God's Fellow, in prison and in judgment, on account of his persevering integrity and holiness! Behold how the imaginations of Caiaphas the high-priest, the stiffness of Pilate the Roman governer with respect to the inscription on the cross, and even the dream of his wife, concur to promote his honour! Behold him on the cross moved with deep compassion towards even his enemies, and crowning one of his fellow-sufferers with eternal life, while the unbelief of the other brings death! But, O Jehovah, forbid that I should ever forget the love and compassion of this adorable Jesus, but record his mercies in my heart for eternal remembrance.