Joseph Interprets Two Prisoners' Dreams

Genesis 40

1 Some time after this, the e cupbearer of the king of Egypt and his baker committed an offense against their lord the king of Egypt. 2 And Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, 3 f and he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison where Joseph was confined. 4 The captain of the guard appointed Joseph to be with them, and he attended them. They continued for some time in custody.

5 And one night they both dreamed - the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison - each his own dream, and each dream with its own interpretation. 6 When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were troubled. 7 So he asked Pharaoh's officers who were with him in custody in his master's house, g "Why are your faces downcast today?" 8 They said to him, h "We have had dreams, and there is no one to interpret them." And Joseph said to them, i "Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me."

9 So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph and said to him, "In my dream there was a vine before me, 10 and on the vine there were three branches. As soon as it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and the clusters ripened into grapes. 11 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." 12 Then Joseph said to him, j "This is its interpretation: k the three branches are three days. 13 In three days Pharaoh will l lift up your head and restore you to your office, and you shall place Pharaoh's cup in his hand as formerly, when you were his cupbearer. 14 Only remember me, when it is well with you, and please do me the kindness to mention me to Pharaoh, and so get me out of this house. 15 For m I was indeed stolen out of the land of the Hebrews, and n here also I have done nothing that they should put me into the pit."

16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said to Joseph, "I also had a dream: there were three cake baskets on my head, 17 and in the uppermost basket there were all sorts of baked food for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating it out of the basket on my head." 18 And Joseph answered and said, o "This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days. 19 p In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head - from you! - and q hang you on a tree. And the birds will eat the flesh from you."

20 On the third day, which was Pharaoh's r birthday, he made a feast for all his servants and s lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. 21 t He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, and u he placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand. 22 But he v hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them. 23 Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.

  1. Cross References
    Nehemiah 1:11
    O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man." Now I was cupbearer to the king.
  2. Cross References
    Genesis 39:20
    And Joseph's master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king's prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison.
  3. Cross References
    Nehemiah 2:2
    And the king said to me, "Why is your face sad, seeing you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of the heart." Then I was very much afraid.
  4. Cross References
    Genesis 41:15
    And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.
  5. Cross References
    Genesis 41:16
    Joseph answered Pharaoh, "It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.
    Daniel 2:28
    But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head as you lay in bed are these:
    Daniel 2:47
    The king answered and said to Daniel, "Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.
  6. Cross References
    Genesis 40:18
    And Joseph answered and said, "This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days.
    Genesis 41:12
    A young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. When we told him, he interpreted our dreams to us, giving an interpretation to each man according to his dream.
    Daniel 2:36
    This was the dream. Now we will tell the king its interpretation.
  7. Cross References
    Genesis 41:26 - 27
    The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are one.
  8. Cross References
    2 Kings 25:27
    And in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, graciously freed Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison.
    Jeremiah 52:31
    And in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-fifth day of the month, Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he became king, graciously freed Jehoiachin king of Judah and brought him out of prison.
    Genesis 40:19 - 20
    In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head - from you! - and hang you on a tree. And the birds will eat the flesh from you.
    Genesis 40:22
    But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them.
    Psalms 3:3
    But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.
  9. Cross References
    Genesis 37:28
    Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt.
  10. Cross References
    Genesis 39:20
    And Joseph's master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king's prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison.
  11. Cross References
    Genesis 40:12
    Then Joseph said to him, "This is its interpretation: the three branches are three days.
  12. Cross References
    Genesis 40:13
    In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office, and you shall place Pharaoh's cup in his hand as formerly, when you were his cupbearer.
  13. Cross References
    Genesis 40:22
    But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them.
  14. Cross References
    Matthew 14:6
    But when Herod's birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company and pleased Herod.
    Mark 6:21
    But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee.
  15. Cross References
    Genesis 40:13
    In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office, and you shall place Pharaoh's cup in his hand as formerly, when you were his cupbearer.
    Genesis 40:19
    In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head - from you! - and hang you on a tree. And the birds will eat the flesh from you.
  16. Cross References
    Genesis 40:13
    In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office, and you shall place Pharaoh's cup in his hand as formerly, when you were his cupbearer.
  17. Cross References
    Nehemiah 2:1
    In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence.
  18. Cross References
    Genesis 40:19
    In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head - from you! - and hang you on a tree. And the birds will eat the flesh from you.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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