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Genesis 40

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Part of Joseph📖 Genesis introduction

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1Some time later, Pharaoh’s chief cup-bearer and chief baker offended their royal master. ✦ 2Pharaoh became angry with these two officials, ✦ 3and he put them in the prison where Joseph was, in the palace of the captain of the guard. ✦ 4They remained in prison for quite some time, and the captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, who looked after them. ✦ 5While they were in prison, Pharaoh’s cup-bearer and baker each had a dream one night, and each dream had its own meaning. ✦ 6When Joseph saw them the next morning, he noticed that they both looked upset. ✦ 7“Why do you look so worried today?” he asked them. ✦ 8And they replied, “We both had dreams last night, but no one can tell us what they mean.” “Interpreting dreams is God’s business,” Joseph replied. “Go ahead and tell me your dreams.” ✦ 9So the chief cup-bearer told Joseph his dream first. “In my dream,” he said, “I saw a grapevine in front of me. ✦ 10The vine had three branches that began to bud and blossom, and soon it produced clusters of ripe grapes. 11I was holding Pharaoh’s wine cup in my hand, so I took a cluster of grapes and squeezed the juice into the cup. Then I placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.” ✦ 12“This is what the dream means,” Joseph said. “The three branches represent three days. ✦ 13Within three days Pharaoh will lift you up and restore you to your position as his chief cup-bearer. ✦ 14And please remember me and do me a favor when things go well for you. Mention me to Pharaoh, so he might let me out of this place. ✦ 15For I was kidnapped from my homeland, the land of the Hebrews, and now I’m here in prison, but I did nothing to deserve it.” ✦ 16When the chief baker saw that Joseph had given the first dream such a positive interpretation, he said to Joseph, “I had a dream, too. In my dream there were three baskets of white pastries stacked on my head. ✦ 17The top basket contained all kinds of pastries for Pharaoh, but the birds came and ate them from the basket on my head.” ✦ 18“This is what the dream means,” Joseph told him. “The three baskets also represent three days. ✦ 19Three days from now Pharaoh will lift you up and impale your body on a pole. Then birds will come and peck away at your flesh.” ✦ 20Pharaoh’s birthday came three days later, and he prepared a banquet for all his officials and staff. He summoned his chief cup-bearer and chief baker to join the other officials. ✦ 21He then restored the chief cup-bearer to his former position, so he could again hand Pharaoh his cup. ✦ 22But Pharaoh impaled the chief baker, just as Joseph had predicted when he interpreted his dream. ✦ 23Pharaoh’s chief cup-bearer, however, forgot all about Joseph, never giving him another thought. ✦

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

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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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