Genesis 40:1

And it came to pass after these things,.... After Joseph had been accused and cast into prison, where he had been for some time: [that] the butler of the king of Egypt and [his] baker had offended

And it came to pass after these things, that the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker had offended their lord the king of Egypt.

Genesis 40:1 And it came to pass after these things, [that] the butler of the king of Egypt and [his] baker had offended their lord the king of Egypt.Ver. 1. Had offended their lord the king of Egypt.] What their offence was is not expressed. The Hebrews say, Pharaoh found a fly in his cup, and a little gravel in his bread, and therefore imprisoned these two great officers. But this had been to kill a fly, as one said, upon a man’ s forehead with a great beetle. Some think they attempted the chastity of Pharaoh’ s daughters. Such a thing as this made Augustus so angry against Ovid. But most likely it was for some conspiracy; such as was that of Bigthan and Teresh. The present government is, for most part, always grievous; to some discontented great ones especially, who know not when they are well, but are ready to drive a good prince out of the world, and then would dig him up again, if they could; as the swain said of Dionysius. But what said Alphonsus, that renowned king, to this, in a speech to the Pope’ s ambassador? He professed that he did not so much wonder at his courtiers’ ingratitude to him, who had raised sundry of them from mean to great estates, as at his own to God, whom by every sin we seek to depose, nay, to murder: for, Peccaturn est Deicidium . Aειτοπαρονβαρυ. - Thucyd. Dionysium refodio.

XL. JOSEPH THE DREAMS OF THE CHIEF BUTLER AND BAKER.(1) Butler.—Heb., one who gives to drink, cupbearer. As we learn in Genesis 40:11 that it was grapewine which he gave the king to drink, this chapter has been the main dependence of the new critics for their proof that the Book of Genesis was not written by Moses. For Herod. (i. 77) says, “The Egyptians make use of wine prepared from barley, because there are no vineyards in their country.” As Herodotus was thirteen centuries later than the time of Joseph, they argue not only that the vine could not have been introduced into Egypt at so early a date, but that the records of Joseph’s life could not have been put together by anyone acquainted with Egypt, in spite of their exact knowledge in all other respects of Egyptian customs. But when we turn to Herodotus himself, we find the most complete refutation of the previous statement. For, in Book ii. 37, speaking of the liberal treatment of the priests, he says, that they had an allowance of “grape-wine.” Again, in Genesis 39, he tells us that it was the custom to pour wine on a victim about to be sacrificed. To one used to the extensive vineyards of Greece and Asia Minor, the comparative scarcity of the vine, and the use of another ordinary drink in its place, would be striking; but that he was guilty of gross exaggeration in his statement is proved by evidence far more trustworthy than his own writings. For, on the tombs at Beni-hassan, which are anterior to the time of Joseph, on those at Thebes, and on the Pyramids, are representations of vines grown in every way, except that usual in Italy, festooned on trees; there is every process of the vintage, grapes in baskets, men trampling them in vats, various forms of presses for squeezing out the juice, jars for storing it, and various processes, even of the fermentation, noticed. Numerous engravings of the sculptures and paintings on these ancient monuments may be seen in Wilkinson’s Egypt; and most abundant evidence of the culture of the vine in ancient Egypt has been collected, and an account of the vines grown there given in Malan’s Philosophy or Truth, pp. 31-39. It neither is nor ever was a great wine-producing country, but the vine existed from one end of the country to the other, as it does at this day. Baker.—Wilkinson, Ancient Egyptians, ii. 38, 39, gives proof from the monuments, that they had carried the art of making confectionery to very great perfection.

CHAPTER XL Pharaoh's chief butler and his chief baker, having offended their lord, are put in prison, 1-3. The captain of the guard gives them into the care of Joseph, 4. Each of them has a dream, 5. Joseph, seeing them sad, questions them on the subject, 6, 7. Their answer, 8. The chief butler tells his dream, 9-11. Joseph interprets it, 12, 13. Gives a slight sketch of his history to the chief butler, and begs him to think upon him when restored to his office, 14, 15. The chief baker tells his dream, 16,17. Joseph interprets this also, 18,19. Both dreams are fulfilled according to the interpretation, the chief butler being restored to his office, and the chief baker hanged, 20-22. The chief butler makes no interest for Joseph, 23. NOTES ON CHAP. XL Verse 1. The butler] משקה mashkeh, the same as [Arabic] saky among the Arabians and Persians, and signifying a cup-bearer. Baker] אפה opheh; rather cook, confectioner, or the like. Had offended] They had probably been accused of attempting to take away the king's life, one by poisoning his drink, the other by poisoning his bread or confectionaries.

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.

- Joseph in Prison An uncomplaining patience and an unhesitating hopefulness keep the breast of Joseph in calm tranquillity. There is a God above, and that God is with him. His soul swerves not from this feeling.

1. After these things — After Joseph had been imprisoned, and had found favour with the keeper. The butler — Or, cup-bearer.