Genesis 40

Chap. XL. Ver. 1—23. Joseph interprets the butler and baker’s dreams.—Pharaoh’s chief butler and baker had both offended “their Lord, the king of Egypt.” The ground of their offence is not stated; but it is enough for arbitrary princes that they are displeased, and it was well for these prisoners that their heads were not immediately struck off. They were, however, to be the instruments of Joseph’s advancement, and are therefore brought under his care, and “continued a season in ward;” for it was not the custom in those days, nor is it now in arbitrary countries the custom, to hasten the process of justice. Both, however, dreamed in one night, “each man his dream.” Joseph seeing by their countenances that something had distressed them, on inquiry finds that each had “dreamed a dream,”

and there was no interpreter. Being in prison, they could have no access to the professed interpreters of dreams, “the wise men” of Egypt, and they themselves knew not what to make of them. Joseph told his fellow-prisoners, as he afterwards told Pharaoh, that interpretations belong to God; that he is the fountain of wisdom and of knowledge, and begs them to tell him their dreams, with an intimation, doubtless, that he would seek to him for the interpretation. The butler first tells his dream, and Joseph gives the interpretation; but we are not to conclude, from the rapid manner in which events are here related, that no interval occurred between. In all probability he applied himself secretly to prayer, and received in answer thereto a communication from above. Under these circumstances, we might wish to know in what light Joseph considered his own dreams and their interpretation. The probability is, that he continued unshaken in his conviction of their truth, notwithstanding the non-appearance of their fulfilment, and was therefore the more deeply interested in

the dreams of his companions. The interpretation he gave of the dream of the chief butler was so encouraging, that the baker (or confectioner rather) was induced to request the interpreta-

Notes on the verses

Ver. 14, Brought in a Hebrew.—{The base affection of this woman, disappointed, was changed into rancorous hatred, and she seized in the opportunity of being revenged on Joseph. She begins her accusation, in the affected language of offended modesty, rage, and disdain, by charging her husband, whom we may reasonably suppose she did not greatly love, with being an accessory to the indignity she pretended to have received: ‘he hath brought in a Hebrew,” a very abomination to an Egyptian, “to mock us,” insult and treat me in a base unworthy manner. The fable of the brave and virtuous Bellerophon and Sthenobia, wife of Prastus, king of the Argives, is supposed to have been founded on this history.

|—Bagster. Ver. 20. Into the prison.—Hebrew, “The round house, or tower.” Chap., XL. Ver. 1. The butler.—More properly, “the cup-bearer;” and his baker; rather, cook, or confectioner.—Dr. Clarke. *. Ver. 2. Two of his officers.—See note on (Genesis 37:36). 1 Ver. 4. Where Joseph was.—[Or, “Where Joseph was confined;” for he doubtless had his prison sweet: This place, we learn from the preceding chapter, (verse 20.) was the king’s prison. All the officers in the employment of the ancient kings of Egypt, according to Diodorus Siculus, were taken from the most illustrious families of the priesthood in the country; no slave or common person being ever permitted to serve in the presence of the king.

As these persons, therefore, were of the most noble families, it is natural to expect they would be put, when accused, into the state prison. |—Bagster. Ver. 4. A season.—{Yamim, literally days; how long is uncertain, though the word probably signifies, as many suppose, a complete year, (see (Genesis 4:3). xxiv. 55.) and as Pharaoh called them to an account on his birth-day, (ver. 20.) Calmet supposes they had offended on the preceding birth-day, and thus had been one whole year in prison. ]}—Bagster. See note on ch. XXIV. 55. Ver. 11. I took the grapes, &c.—[From this we find, that wine anciently was the mere expressed juice of the grape, without fermentation. The butler, or cup-bearer, took the bunch, pressed the juice into the cup, and instantly delivered it to his master.]|—Bagster.

The Egyptians drank no wine; they considered it as the invention of the evil genius, Typhon; but they did not object to drink the juice of the grape, provided it had not become wine by being fermented.—Michaelis. ’ i 1 or, reckon. x lifted up the head of the chief butler and of m 2 Ki. 25. three days:: j Zi. Je. 52, the chief baker among his servants. ‘ 13 Yet within three days shall ! Pharaoh 21 And he restored the chief butler unto his: n remember me with lift up thy ™head, and restore thee unto thy butlership again; and he gave the ¥ cup inte place: and thou shalt deliver Pharaoh’s cup Pharaoh’s hand; into his hand, after the former manner when 22 But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph thou wast his butler.

had * interpreted to them. 14 But “think on me when it shall be well 23 Yet did not the chief butler remember or, full o, with thee, and show kindness, °I pray thee,: hee Joseph, but * forgot him. t meat of unto me, and make mention of me unto Pha- the work raoh, and bring me out of this house: 1 Pharaoh’s two dreams. 25 Joseph interpreteth them; 33 he giveth of aba 15 For indeed I was stolen away out of the ker, or, eo ep is advanced: 50 he Gegettel Manasseh and Ephraim. c. 41. 26, t ver. 13, done P nothing that they should put me into u or, reckon ANP it came to pass at the end of two full years, that * Pharaoh dreamed: and bethee, and the dungeon.

take thy hold, he stood by the river. 16 When the chief baker saw that the in- Srom thee. 2 And behold, there came up out of the river v 1Sa. 17. 44 terpretation was good, he said unto Joseph, I seven well-favoured kine and fat-fleshed; and also was in my dream, and behold, I had they fed in a meadow. three a white baskets on my head: 3 And behold, seven other kine came up 17 And in the uppermost basket there was after them out of the river, ill-favoured and w Mat. 14.6. of all manner of * bake-meats for Pharaoh: lean-fleshed; and stood by the other kine and the birds did eat them out of the basket x or, reckupon the brink of the river. upon my head. y Ne 21. 4 And the ill-favoured and lean-fleshed kine 18 And Joseph answered, and said, This ts z ver.

19, did eat up the seven well-favoured and fat a Ps. 31. 12. the interpretation thereof: The three * baskets kine. So Pharaoh awoke. are three days: 16, Am. 5 And he slept and dreamed the second 19 Yet within «three days shall * Pharaoh A. M. 2289, time: and behold, seven ears of corn came B. C. 1715. lift up thy head from off thee, and shall hang up upon one stalk, » rank and good. a Es. 6. 1. 6 And behold, seven thin ears and blasted *ficsh from off thee. b fat. with the east wind sprung up after them. 20 7 And it came to pass the third day, but the God of Abraham did not. The friendtion of his dream also: the result was very different, but both ler forgot Joseph ship of the world is treacherous, but “there is a friend who however, to came literally true.

On giving his interpretation, sticketh closer than a brother.” ((Proverbs 23:24).) We have him, to rehere another instance of the influence which God has often exthe chief butler, Joseph makes a pathetic appeal to member him. “Think of me when it shall be well with thee; We remarked this in the cases of exerted upon the human mind. unto me, and make mention of and show kindness, I pray thee, Abimelech and Abraham, Laban and Jacob, and this was evibring me out of this house: for indeed I me unto Pharaoh, and dently the more necessary before a written revelation was given was stolen ‘away out of the land of the Hebrews.’—“But was to men. In this case, at least, divine interference was neces- “Did not the Ishmaelites this a just account?”

says Fuller, to save Egypt from absary to raise Joseph from the dungeon, which was buy him? They did; but it was of those who had no right to solute famine, and to bring Israel into Egypt, sell him, and therefore it was in reality stealing him. destined to be the scene of God’s mighty power and would be the purchase of a child by a kidnapper of an unremark, but shall leave On Pharaoh’s dream we need make no purchase of slaves to this day on pled nurse; and such is the In the mean time, the spirit it to the interpretation of Joseph. the coast of Africa.” He adds, “And here also have I of Pharaoh was troubled, and he calls for “all the magicians He connothing, that they should put me into this dungeon.

and wise men” of Egypt, but, alas! in vain. On the character tents himself, however, with pleading his own innocence, have farther occasion to remark; of these wise men, we shall Not a word about his unnatural brothers, or his abandoned mistress; the extreme anxiety of the king, at present, we may notice but, O this dunnatural brothers, or his abandoned mistress; inguire of all his courtiers, if they which naturally led him to: and those who con! Here “the iron entered into his soul skilful interpreter of dreams. Among others, it is knew any now what dungeons are in the East, and were formerly in our highly probable that he inquired of his chief butler, or cup bearer; will feel the force of this appeal; but, alas!

“the own country, citation, and his conscience now at least, he saw Pharaoh’s a i butler forgot Joseph !” him. I do remember (said he) my fault this day, un- The interpretation of the chief baker’s dream was, however, He remembers a Hebrew youth, grateful creature as I am! Bishop Patrick remarks, “that of a very different complexion. By Pat for he did divinely skilled in this art, and he had promised to speak for he had forgotten it. Now, how- he was not an agent, but a sufferer, in his dream; him to the king; but, alas! not give a cake or confection to the king, as the other did the ever, he can recollect, when it may be the means of ingratia- Joseph is therefore sent cup, but the fowls of the air descended upon his basket, and flew ting himself with his royal.

master. Both dreams appear to for in all haste. but the leading design and his nails talons; have been admonitory, and proved true; soon till his hairs became like feathers, Joseph to the governof Providence in both, was- to advance shave himself, or at ((Daniel 4:33).) but now he must run and ment of Egypt. least trim his beard, and wash and change his raiment, which to appear before the king. He Chap. LXI. Ver. 1—24. Pharaoh’s dreams and anxiety.—For was doubtless provided for him, two full years is Joseph suffered to remain in prison, till * the word does so; and his majesty instantly demands whether he can inof the Lord came and tried him.”

((Psalms 105:17-22).) The but- is applied exclusively to the Nile.—Seven well-favoured kine.—Clemens of Ver. 12. The three branches are three days.—This symbolical language appears Alexandria says, “The ox signifies, in the sacred symbolical writings of the In the portentum exhibited to the Greeks Pharaoh saw them come out of the Nile, because to have been common in Greece. Egyptians, agriculture. in Aulis, and there explained by Calchas, as Homer reports it, the eight young the fertility of Egypt entirely depends on the overflowing of that river.”— have a standard to measure this, which Pliny gives us. Orient Lit. birds with the mother, (which is the ninth,) being swallowed up by a dra- If it rise only The ordinary height of the inundation is sixteen cubits.

gon, signify that the Greeks should spend nine years in war against Troy, and take it in the tenth.—Orient. Lit. | twelve cubits, a famine is the consequence; even at thirteen cubits hunger preliteral, but the meaning somewhat Ver. 13. Will lift up thy head.—This is vails; fourteen produce general rejoicing; fifteen, perfect security; sixteen, But when it rises to eighteen, it prevents sowing of doubtful. ‘The margin says, “Reckon with;” Dr. Boothroyd, “Decide conall the luxuries of life; and (this also) produces a famine. the land in due season cerning thee;” Bp. Law, “Call thee to account;” all to much the same “Ted on the achu,” the reeds But we have a phrase of ‘holding up the hand” at the bar of judgehect.

4 Ver. 2 and 18. Fed in a meadow.—Rather, “lifting up the head” in a similar manment; and the Hebrews might use which grow on the banks of the Nile.—Dr. Wall’s Crit. Notes. u So when Ahab brought Naboth to a mock trial, it is said, “they set describes them as having scarce any branches, but numerous leaves, Which i Both the butler and baker had a hearing, the upper surface, and the plant about are narrow, smooth, channelled on him up on high.” (1 Kings 21:9). The Egyptians (says he) make ropes of the leaves. eleven feet high; probably, when one was acquitted and the other condemned. has been objected, that Canaan Ver. 15. From the land of the Hebrews.—It Ver. 5. Seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk.—{This remarkable emblem, and monstrous production, has always been was not known by this name till the times of Joshua; but it is probable that which appears to us an unusual of furnishing a symbol; Hebron might, from the long residence of the patriarchs in that quarter, considered as a liberty taken with nature, by way.

1 Genesis, xxi. 23. xxiii. 6, xxvi. 28. their treaties with surrounding nations. whereas the fact is, that a species of wheat, which grows in Egypt, does act talk, as its natural But if we were to admit that Joshua inserted these words, it would Xxxiv. 6. 1 actually bear, when perfect, this number of ears on one stalk. It differs from ours in having solid stem, or at least a stem detract nothing from the authority of the book.—See Bp. Patrick. thee.—The criminal was beheaded before Ver. 19. Lift up thy head from o, full of pith, in order to yield sufficient nourishment and support to so great a Taylor gives an engraving of upon hooks, or by the hand. (Lamentations 5:12).— he was hanged, and then hanged weight as the ears which it bears.

}—Bagster. “Dr. Clarke. Y this species, from a plant which grew in England.—Fragments, 147, mentions, in his late (Chap. XLI. Ver. 2. Came up out of the river.—Joliffe Shaw says, “In Barbary it is common to see one grain produce ten or fifteen stalks. Even some grains of the Murwany wheat, which I brought with tour in Egypt, that the cattle not employed in agriculture, in the heat of the “| have seen long strings me to Oxford and sowed in the physic garden threw out each of them day immerse themselves in water, except the head. of them, guided only by a peasant boy, traverse the current (of the Nile) fifty.” The Hebrew lor, translated “river,” where it is broadest and most rapid.”