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Genesis 40

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Part of Joseph📖 Genesis introduction

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1Some time later, the king’s cupbearer and baker offended their master, the king of Egypt. ✦ 2Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, ✦ 3and imprisoned them in the house of the captain of the guard, the same prison where Joseph was confined. ✦ 4The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he became their personal attendant. After they had been in custody for some time, ✦ 5both of these men—the Egyptian king’s cupbearer and baker, who were being held in the prison—had a dream on the same night, and each dream had its own meaning. ✦ 6When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were distraught. ✦ 7So he asked the officials of Pharaoh who were in custody with him in his master’s house, “Why are your faces so downcast today?” ✦ 8“We both had dreams,” they replied, “but there is no one to interpret them.” Then Joseph said to them, “Don’t interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.” ✦ 9So the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream: “In my dream there was a vine before me, ✦ 10and on the vine were three branches. As it budded, its blossoms opened and its clusters ripened into grapes. 11Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, squeezed them into his cup, and placed the cup in his hand.” ✦ 12Joseph replied, “This is the interpretation: The three branches are three days. ✦ 13Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore your position. You will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you did when you were his cupbearer. ✦ 14But when it goes well for you, please remember me and show me kindness by mentioning me to Pharaoh, that he might bring me out of this prison. ✦ 15For I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing for which they should have put me in this dungeon.” ✦ 16When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said to Joseph, “I too had a dream: There were three baskets of white bread on my head. ✦ 17In the top basket were all sorts of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.” ✦ 18Joseph replied, “This is the interpretation: The three baskets are three days. ✦ 19Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head and hang you on a tree. Then the birds will eat the flesh of your body.” ✦ 20On the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he held a feast for all his officials, and in their presence he lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker. ✦ 21Pharaoh restored the chief cupbearer to his position, so that he once again placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand. ✦ 22But Pharaoh hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had described to them in his interpretation. ✦ 23The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot all about him. ✦

Tap any verse for its study page. Underlined terms mark a concept, person, or place; ✦ marks verses with cross-references.

Where this chapter connects

Gen 40 ·16Gen 41 ·11Dan 2 ·9Dan 4 ·8Gen 39 ·7Gen 37 ·4Judg 7 ·3Dan 5 ·3

Christ at the center

From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.

How Genesis 40 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Resources, by level

Lay

  • ★ Start hereDocumentaryExpedition BibleJoel Kramer · Free · evangelical

    On-location biblical archaeology from a credentialed archaeologist (M.A., excavated in Israel) — the best free place to start on "did it really happen?"

  • ★ Start hereAudioThrough the WordThrough the Word · ~10 min/chapter · Free · evangelical

    A clear ~10-minute audio teaching for every one of the Bible's 1,189 chapters — the most systematic free way to study chapter by chapter.

  • ★ Start hereVideoOverview: Genesis 1–11BibleProject · 9 min · Free

    The single best free starting point for Genesis 1–11 — clear, visual, and faithful to the literary design.

  • VideoSpoken GospelSpoken Gospel · Free · evangelical

    Short, gospel-centered videos and spoken-word poems showing how each passage points to Jesus — especially strong on the Old Testament.

  • ReferenceBook of Genesis — Visual GuideBibleProject · Free

    A free structured guide to the whole book — outline, themes, and links to each video.

  • DocumentaryIs Genesis History?Del Tackett · Free · evangelical

    A young-earth-creationist case for a literal Genesis, free on YouTube. (YEC is one view held by faithful Christians; others read Genesis differently — see the genre guide on how to read it.)

Pastoral

  • SermonChuck Smith — C2000 SeriesChuck Smith · Free · evangelical

    Free verse-by-verse audio through the entire Bible from the founder of Calvary Chapel.

Seminary

  • ★ Start hereCommentaryGenesis (Word Biblical Commentary)Gordon J. Wenham · Paid · evangelical

    For decades the gold-standard commentary on Genesis — technical but rich. (See the ranked list for alternatives like Hamilton, NICOT.)

  • BookThe Pentateuch as NarrativeJohn H. Sailhamer · ~560 pp · Library · evangelical

    A literary-theological reading that makes Genesis's design visible.

Commentaries & study tools

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