Joseph Interprets Dreams in Prison
Genesis 40:1-23
Gen.40.1 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויהי: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- אחר: PREP
- הדברים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- האלה: DEM,pl
- חטאו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- משקה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- מצרים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- והאפה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- לאדניהם: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs,3,m,pl
- למלך: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,cons
- מצרים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
Parallels
- Genesis 39:20-23 (structural): Immediate narrative background: Joseph is thrown into the prison (Potiphar’s house) and the account explains why he is there, setting the stage for the episode with Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker.
- Genesis 40:6-8 (structural): Direct continuation within the same episode: the cupbearer and baker are placed with Joseph, and they report their dreams to him — the event that follows verse 40:1.
- Genesis 41:1-14 (structural): Follow-up to the incident: after two full years the chief cupbearer remembers Joseph, which leads to Pharaoh’s dreams and Joseph’s interpretation and elevation — the outcome of the cupbearer/baker episode.
- Psalm 105:17-19 (thematic): A poetic retelling of Joseph’s experience in Egypt — God’s providential purposes in Joseph’s being put in prison until the appointed time are emphasized, paralleling the narrative situation of Genesis 40:1.
- Acts 7:9-10 (thematic): Stephen’s summary of Israelite history recounts Joseph’s suffering and eventual deliverance; the passage thematically echoes Joseph’s wrongful confinement and God’s vindication that begin with episodes like Genesis 40:1.
Alternative generated candidates
- And it happened after these things that the cupbearer of the king of Egypt and the baker offended their lord, the king of Egypt.
- And it happened after these things that the cupbearer of the king of Egypt and the baker sinned against their lord, the king of Egypt.
Gen.40.2 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויקצף: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- פרעה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- על: PREP
- שני: NUM,m,pl,construct
- סריסיו: NOUN,m,sg,abs,3,ms
- על: PREP
- שר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- המשקים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- ועל: CONJ+PREP
- שר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- האופים: NOUN,m,pl,def
Parallels
- Genesis 40:4-15 (structural): Immediate literary continuation: the same two officials (the chief cupbearer and chief baker) relate their dreams to Joseph, who interprets them and thereby explains the cause and outcome of their punishment/incarceration.
- Genesis 41:9-13 (structural): Narrative resolution: the restored chief cupbearer remembers Joseph and brings him before Pharaoh, linking the officials' prior anger/punishment to Joseph’s eventual release and promotion.
- Psalm 105:17-22 (allusion): Poetic retelling of Joseph’s suffering and rise: the psalm recounts Joseph’s imprisonment and deliverance (including his time among officials), framing those events as part of God’s providential plan.
- Daniel 2:12-13 (thematic): Parallel motif of a ruler’s wrath toward court functionaries: Nebuchadnezzar’s fury and threatened execution of his wise men when they cannot interpret his dream echoes the precarious position of officials whose fortunes depend on a sovereign’s favor.
Alternative generated candidates
- And Pharaoh was angry with his two officials—with the chief of the cupbearers and with the chief of the bakers.
- And Pharaoh was angry with his two officials: with the chief of the cupbearers and with the chief of the bakers.
Gen.40.3 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויתן: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אתם: PRON,2,m,pl
- במשמר: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בית: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הטבחים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- אל: NEG
- בית: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הסהר: NOUN,m,sg,def
- מקום: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- יוסף: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אסור: ADJ,ptcp,pas,m,sg
- שם: ADV
Parallels
- Gen.39.20 (verbal): Same action and setting: Joseph is placed in the prison (the house of the keeper of the prison); verse repeats the language of confinement and custody.
- Gen.40.4 (structural): Immediate narrative parallel: this verse continues the scene—Joseph meets the cupbearer and baker in the same prison and later interprets their dreams, linking their confinement to Joseph's fate.
- Ps.105:17-19 (allusion): The psalmic retelling of Israel’s history recalls Joseph’s being put in chains and kept in prison until God’s purpose was fulfilled—an interpretive summary of the prison episode.
- Acts 16:23-34 (thematic): Paul and Silas are beaten and placed in custody in the inner prison under a jailer—themewise parallel of faithful sufferers confined by official custody and later vindicated/delivered.
Alternative generated candidates
- And he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison-house, the place where Joseph was confined.
- And he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison-house, the place where Joseph was confined.
Gen.40.4 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויפקד: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- שר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הטבחים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- את: PRT,acc
- יוסף: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אתם: PRON,2,m,pl
- וישרת: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- אתם: PRON,2,m,pl
- ויהיו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- ימים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- במשמר: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Gen.39:20 (verbal): Both verses report Joseph being put into the prison (the place where the king's prisoners were), using similar language about custody.
- Gen.39:21-23 (thematic): These verses explain that the LORD gave Joseph favor with the prison keeper and that Joseph served well there—paralleling Gen 40:4's note that Joseph served while in custody.
- Gen.40:6-8 (structural): Immediate narrative parallel: the chief cupbearer and baker appear in the same prison setting, relate dreams to Joseph, and show Joseph functioning as servant/interpreter while confined.
- Gen.41:1-14 (thematic): After the prisoners' dreams and two full years in custody (cf. Gen 40:4's 'continued a season in ward'), Pharaoh's dreams lead to Joseph's recall and release—continuation of the prison-service motif.
- Ps.105:17-19 (allusion): The psalm recounts Joseph being put in prison and tested until God's timing brought deliverance, echoing Genesis' depiction of Joseph's imprisonment and faithful service.
Alternative generated candidates
- And the captain of the guard appointed Joseph to be with them, and he served them; and they were some days in custody.
- And the captain of the guard appointed Joseph to be with them, and he served them; and they were for some days in custody.
Gen.40.5 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויחלמו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- חלום: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שניהם: PRON,3,m,pl
- איש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חלמו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- בלילה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אחד: NUM,card,m,sg
- איש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כפתרון: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חלמו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- המשקה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- והאפה: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- למלך: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מצרים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- אסורים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- בבית: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,def
- הסהר: NOUN,m,sg,def
Parallels
- Genesis 40:8 (verbal): Directly connected within the same scene—Joseph’s reply that interpretations belong to God follows immediately after the two prisoners’ dreams and frames the narrative of interpretation.
- Genesis 41:1-13 (structural): Immediate narrative continuation: Pharaoh’s dream and the butler’s remembrance of Joseph lead to Joseph’s release and elevation; shows the wider significance of the prisoners’ dreams.
- Genesis 37:5-11 (thematic): Earlier episode of Joseph’s own dreams; establishes dream-vision motif and divine communication through dreams that recurs in Joseph’s life.
- Psalm 105:17-22 (allusion): Poetic summary of Joseph’s suffering, imprisonment, testing, and eventual vindication—echoes the prison-dream episode as part of God’s providential plan.
- Daniel 2:1-11 (thematic): Royal dreams and the problem of interpretation: Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and the failure of Babylonian wise men parallel the motif of royal dreams needing a God-given interpreter (like Joseph).
Alternative generated candidates
- And both of them dreamed a dream, each his dream in one night, each according to the interpretation of his dream—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison-house.
- And they dreamed a dream, both of them, each his dream in one night, each according to the interpretation of his dream—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt who were confined in the prison-house.
Gen.40.6 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויבא: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- אליהם: PREP,3,m,pl
- יוסף: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בבקר: PREP
- וירא: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אתם: PRON,2,m,pl
- והנם: CONJ+DEM,3,m,pl
- זעפים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
Parallels
- Genesis 40:5 (structural): Immediate context: the two prisoners had dreamed and been dismayed; verse 40:6 follows directly and describes Joseph's morning visit and his noticing their dejection.
- Psalm 42:5 (thematic): Both texts register a deep dejection—Psalmist's 'Why art thou cast down, O my soul?' parallels the observation of sorrow ('they were sad'), highlighting the motif of inner despondency.
- Luke 7:13 (thematic): Jesus sees a widow's grief and responds with compassion; thematically akin to Joseph's noticing the prisoners' sad state and later engaging with them.
- John 11:33 (thematic): Jesus is moved when he sees Mary and others weeping over Lazarus—another instance of a narrator noting visible sorrow and preparing to act on behalf of the afflicted.
Alternative generated candidates
- And Joseph came to them in the morning and saw them, and there they were, downcast.
- And Joseph came to them in the morning and saw them, and there they were, downcast.
Gen.40.7 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וישאל: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- סריסי: NOUN,m,pl,cons
- פרעה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- אתו: PRON,3,m,sg,acc
- במשמר: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- בית: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אדניו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+POSS,3,m,sg
- לאמר: INF,qal,infc
- מדוע: ADV
- פניכם: NOUN,f,pl,abs+PRON,2,m,pl
- רעים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- היום: NOUN,m,sg,def
Parallels
- Genesis 41:1-14 (structural): Direct continuation of the Joseph cycle: the chief cupbearer ultimately remembers Joseph’s prison interpretation and reports him to Pharaoh, showing the immediate narrative consequence of the prison episode where officials appear troubled.
- Daniel 2:24-30 (thematic): A captive/exile (Daniel) interprets troubling royal dreams and is elevated as a result—parallel motif of an imprisoned/foreign interpreter whose skill with dreams affects the court.
- Daniel 4:19-27 (thematic): Another instance where a disturbing royal dream prompts seeking an interpreter; the scene parallels the emotional distress caused by dreams and the role of an interpreter to explain and avert disaster.
- Psalm 42:5 (42:11) (verbal): Uses the same rhetorical question about inward sorrow—'Why are you cast down, O my soul?'—parallel in form and theme to the question 'Why are your faces sad?' addressing visible distress.
Alternative generated candidates
- And he asked the officials of Pharaoh who were with him in custody in his master’s house, saying, Why are your faces downcast today?
- And he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were with him in custody in his master’s house, saying, Why are your faces downcast today?
Gen.40.8 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמרו: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,pl
- אליו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- חלום: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חלמנו: VERB,qal,perf,1,_,pl
- ופתר: CONJ
- אין: PART,neg
- אתו: PRON,3,m,sg,acc
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אלהם: PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
- יוסף: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הלוא: PART
- לאלהים: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- פתרנים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ספרו: VERB,qal,impv,2,_,pl
- נא: PART
- לי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
Parallels
- Gen.41:15-16 (verbal): Joseph again refuses personal credit for interpretation and explicitly attributes the explanation to God—language and claim closely parallel Gen 40:8.
- Dan.2:27-28 (thematic): Daniel declares that no human wise man can reveal the king’s dream but ‘there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries,’ echoing the motif that dream-interpretation comes from God.
- 1 Kgs.3:5-15 (thematic): God appears to Solomon in a dream and grants him wisdom/understanding; this demonstrates the biblical theme that God communicates and imparts insight through dreams.
- Job 33:14-18 (thematic): Elihu explains that God speaks to people in dreams and visions to instruct and turn them from wrongdoing, reflecting the idea that divine revelation and interpretation occur via dreams.
Alternative generated candidates
- And they said to him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter for it. And Joseph said to them, Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell me.
- And they said to him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no one to interpret it. And Joseph said to them, Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell it, please, to me.
Gen.40.9 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויספר: VERB,piel,impf,3,m,sg
- שר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- המשקים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- את: PRT,acc
- חלמו: NOUN,m,sg,abs,3,m,sg
- ליוסף: PREP+NOUN,prop,sg,m
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- לו: PRON,3,m,sg
- בחלומי: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs,1,sg
- והנה: ADV
- גפן: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- לפני: PREP
Parallels
- Gen 40:5-8 (structural): Immediate context: both the chief cupbearer and chief baker report dreams to Joseph in the prison, setting up the interpretive episode of which v.9 is the opening line.
- Gen 41:1-16 (thematic): Later parallel where Pharaoh’s servants relate Pharaoh’s dreams and bring them to Joseph; repeats the pattern of dream-report → Joseph’s interpretation and advances the same role for Joseph.
- Gen 37:5-11 (thematic): Joseph’s earlier dreams about his future status—another major instance of dreams as revelatory/plot-driving elements in Joseph’s life, linking v.9 to the broader dream motif in the Joseph cycle.
- Dan 2:27-28 (verbal): Daniel’s formula that God reveals mysteries (and that the interpreter must credit God) parallels Joseph’s insistence that God gives interpretations, a shared theological claim about the origin of dream-knowledge.
Alternative generated candidates
- And the chief of the cupbearers recounted his dream to Joseph and said to him, In my dream, and look, a vine was before me.
- And the chief of the cupbearers recounted his dream to Joseph and said to him, In my dream, there was a vine before me.
Gen.40.10 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ובגפן: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- שלשה: NUM,m
- שריגם: NOUN,m,sg,abs+SUFF,3,pl
- והיא: CONJ+PRON,3,f,sg
- כפרחת: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- עלתה: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- נצה: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- הבשילו: VERB,qal,perf,3,pl
- אשכלתיה: NOUN,f,pl,abs+SUFF,3,f,sg
- ענבים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
Parallels
- Gen.40.12-13 (verbal): Immediate interpretation of the cupbearer’s vine-dream: Joseph explains the three branches as three days until the cupbearer’s restoration—direct verbal continuation of the imagery.
- Gen.40.16 (structural): The baker’s dream in the same chapter also uses the number three (three baskets) and is paired with the cupbearer’s dream—structural parallel in motif, symbolism, and immediate interpretation/outcome.
- Gen.41.1-7 (thematic): Pharaoh’s dreams use agricultural imagery (cattle and ears of grain) and require interpretation; parallels the use of plant/produce symbolism and prophetic dream-interpretation tradition.
- Gen.41.25-32 (thematic): Joseph’s interpretation of Pharaoh’s agricultural dreams explains future years of plenty and famine—parallel in function (interpreting symbolic agricultural visions) and in prophetic timing.
- Isa.5:1-2 (thematic): The ‘Song of the Vineyard’ employs cultivated-vine imagery (planting, budding, yielding grapes); thematically echoes the vine/cluster ripening language of the dream vision.
Alternative generated candidates
- And on the vine were three branches; and it was as though it were budding—its blossom came up, its clusters ripened into grapes.
- And on the vine were three branches; and as it budded, its blossom came up, its clusters ripened into grapes.
Gen.40.11 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וכוס: NOUN,f,sg,cstr
- פרעה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- בידי: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,suff1s
- ואקח: VERB,qal,impf,1,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- הענבים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- ואשחט: VERB,qal,impf,1,sg
- אתם: PRON,2,m,pl
- אל: NEG
- כוס: NOUN,f,sg,cstr
- פרעה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ואתן: VERB,qal,impf,1,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- הכוס: NOUN,f,sg,def
- על: PREP
- כף: NOUN,f,sg,construct
- פרעה: NOUN,m,sg,def
Parallels
- Genesis 40:9-15 (verbal): Immediate context: the cupbearer’s dream and Joseph’s interpretation are given in full here (including the image of taking grapes and putting the cup in Pharaoh’s hand).
- Genesis 40:23 (structural): Narrative consequence: the chief cupbearer’s failure to remember Joseph after his release explains why Joseph’s interpretation did not immediately lead to freedom.
- Genesis 41:9-13 (thematic): Outcome of the cupbearer episode: two years later the restored cupbearer reports Joseph to Pharaoh, enabling Joseph’s rise — a direct narrative sequel to the dream/interpretation.
- Nehemiah 2:1-8 (thematic): Parallel social role: describes the Persian king’s cupbearer and the privileges of that office, echoing the ancient Near Eastern position to which Genesis 40 refers.
- Daniel 2:24-28 (thematic): Dream-interpretation motif: like Joseph, Daniel speaks before a king to interpret dreams and explain their signs — a parallel instance of prophetic/wise interpretation in a royal court.
Alternative generated candidates
- And Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes and squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh’s palm.
- And Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes and squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and I put the cup upon Pharaoh’s palm.
Gen.40.12 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- לו: PRON,3,m,sg
- יוסף: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- זה: PRON,dem,m,sg
- פתרנו: NOUN,m,sg,abs,3,m,sg
- שלשת: NUM,m,pl,abs
- השרגים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- שלשת: NUM,m,pl,abs
- ימים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- הם: PRON,personal,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Genesis 40:8 (thematic): Joseph frames dream-interpretation as a divine gift — here he invokes God as the source before giving the interpretation in 40:12.
- Genesis 40:20 (structural): Narrative fulfillment: the chief cupbearer is restored on the third day exactly as Joseph interpreted the three branches as three days.
- Genesis 41:25 (verbal): Joseph uses a similar interpretive formula when explaining Pharaoh’s dreams, presenting a direct interpretation of symbolic imagery and its time-frame.
- Daniel 2:27-28 (thematic): Like Joseph, Daniel insists that God reveals the meaning of dreams/mysteries, highlighting the motif that interpretation is a divine disclosure.
- Jonah 1:17 (thematic): The three-day period motif recurs in the OT (Jonah’s three days in the fish), where three days mark a crisis followed by deliverance, paralleling the time-element in Joseph’s interpretation.
Alternative generated candidates
- And Joseph said to him, This is its interpretation: the three branches are three days.
- And Joseph said to him, This is its interpretation: the three branches are three days.
Gen.40.13 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- בעוד: PREP
- שלשת: NUM,m,pl,abs
- ימים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ישא: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- פרעה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- את: PRT,acc
- ראשך: NOUN,m,sg,abs+2ms
- והשיבך: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg+2ms
- על: PREP
- כנך: NOUN,m,sg,abs+2ms
- ונתת: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- כוס: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- פרעה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- בידו: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+3,m,sg
- כמשפט: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הראשון: ADJ,m,sg,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- היית: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,sg
- משקהו: VERB,qal,ptcp,ms+3ms
Parallels
- Genesis 40:21-22 (structural): Immediate narrative fulfillment: on the third day Pharaoh restored the chief cupbearer to his office and put the cup in Pharaoh's hand, yet he forgot Joseph—fulfills the prediction of Gen 40:13.
- Genesis 41:14-15 (structural): Later development in the same narrative: the chief cupbearer remembers Joseph and Pharaoh sends for him, leading to Joseph's release and interpretation of Pharaoh's dreams—consequence of the cupbearer's restoration and memory.
- Psalm 105:17-22 (thematic): Poetic retelling of Joseph's story: recounts his imprisonment, God's timing, the king's sending to free him, and his rise to authority—echoes the themes of vindication and restoration found in Gen 40:13.
- Daniel 2:48 (thematic): Parallel motif of a royal interpreter being rewarded with promotion: after interpreting the king's dream Daniel is elevated to high office, analogous to the cupbearer's restoration and Joseph's eventual advancement.
Alternative generated candidates
- In yet three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your post, and you will put Pharaoh’s cup into his hand according to the former practice, when you were his cupbearer.
- Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your post, and you will put Pharaoh’s cup into his hand as was the former practice when you were his cupbearer.
Gen.40.14 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- אם: CONJ
- זכרתני: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,sg
- אתך: PREP+PRON,2,m,sg
- כאשר: CONJ
- ייטב: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- לך: PRON,2,m,sg
- ועשית: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,sg
- נא: PART
- עמדי: PREP+1cs
- חסד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- והזכרתני: VERB,hiphil,perf,2,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- פרעה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- והוצאתני: VERB,hiphil,perf,2,m,sg
- מן: PREP
- הבית: NOUN,m,sg,def
- הזה: DEM,m,sg
Parallels
- Gen.40:23 (verbal): Immediate narrative echo — the cupbearer’s failure to remember Joseph is the direct outcome of Joseph’s plea (’remember me’), making v.23 a verbal and narrative counterpoint.
- Gen.41:1-13 (structural): Narrative continuation: the cupbearer is restored to his office and later dreams are told to Pharaoh; Joseph’s earlier request to be remembered sets up this sequence (and its ironic delay/forgetting).
- Ps.105:17-22 (allusion): Retells the Joseph episode (prison, God’s favor, interpreter of dreams) — thematically parallels Joseph’s plea for remembrance and God’s providential role in his eventual rise.
- Acts 7:9-10 (quotation): Stephen’s summary of Israelite history recounts Joseph’s imprisonment and deliverance, including the detail that God rescued him when the time came — echoing the request for remembrance and eventual vindication.
Alternative generated candidates
- Only remember me when it is well with you, and do, please, deal kindly with me and mention me to Pharaoh, and bring me out from this house.
- But if only you remember me when it is well with you, and please deal kindly with me, and mention me to Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house.
Gen.40.15 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- גנב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- גנבתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,_,sg
- מארץ: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- העברים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- וגם: CONJ
- פה: ADV
- לא: PART_NEG
- עשיתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,_,sg
- מאומה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- כי: CONJ
- שמו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- אתי: PRON,1,sg
- בבור: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Gen.37:28 (structural): The brothers sell Joseph to the Ishmaelites; this episode explains how Joseph was taken from the ‘land of the Hebrews,’ the background to his claim that he was carried away.
- Gen.39:20-23 (thematic): Immediate narrative parallel: Joseph is put in prison in Egypt after Potiphar’s wife’s charge. Both passages treat his unjust imprisonment and the claim of innocence.
- Ps.105:17-19 (allusion): A poetic retelling of Joseph’s bondage—‘he was put in chains… until the time that his word came’—which echoes the Genesis account of his imprisonment in Egypt.
- Acts 7:9-10 (allusion): Stephen’s speech in the New Testament recounts the patriarchs’ envy and Joseph’s being sold and taken to Egypt, echoing the Genesis narrative of his removal from Canaan and subsequent suffering.
- Ps.142:7 (thematic): A lament from confinement—‘Bring my soul out of prison’—that parallels the motif of wrongful imprisonment and the plea for vindication found in Joseph’s statement of innocence.
Alternative generated candidates
- For indeed I was stolen, stolen from the land of the Hebrews; and here also I have done nothing that they should put me in the pit.
- For indeed I was stolen from the land of the Hebrews; and here also I have done nothing that they should have put me into the pit.
Gen.40.16 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וירא: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- שר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- האפים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- כי: CONJ
- טוב: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- פתר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- יוסף: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אף: ADV
- אני: PRON,1,sg
- בחלומי: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,1,sg
- והנה: ADV
- שלשה: NUM,m
- סלי: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- חרי: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- על: PREP
- ראשי: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,1,sg
Parallels
- Genesis 41:1-16 (structural): Joseph again interprets dreams in a prison/court context (Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker episode anticipates and parallels Joseph’s later interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams).
- Genesis 37:5-11 (thematic): Early Joseph dreams (sheaves and stars) establish the motif of dreams as divinely significant revelations about destiny, similar to the prisoners’ dreams.
- Daniel 2:26-28 (thematic): Court interpreter (Daniel) explains a ruler’s dream as revelation from God, paralleling Joseph’s role as God-given interpreter in a foreign court.
- Job 33:15-16 (allusion): Affirms that God communicates through dreams and visions—background theological claim that grounds Joseph’s interpretations as divine disclosure.
- Joel 2:28 (verbal): Proclaims that God will grant dreams and visions to his people, echoing the prophetic/dream motif whereby God speaks through dreams (the word 'dreams' functions as a key verbal link).
Alternative generated candidates
- And the chief of the bakers saw that he had interpreted well, and he said to Joseph, I also, in my dream, and look, three baskets of white bread were on my head.
- And the chief of the bakers saw that he had interpreted well, and he said to Joseph, I also, in my dream: there were three baskets of white bread upon my head.
Gen.40.17 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ובסל: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- העליון: ADJ,m,sg,def
- מכל: PREP
- מאכל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- פרעה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- מעשה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אפה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- והעוף: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,def
- אכל: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אתם: PRON,2,m,pl
- מן: PREP
- הסל: NOUN,m,sg,def
- מעל: PREP
- ראשי: NOUN,m,sg,cons+1s
Parallels
- Gen.40.13 (verbal): Immediate parallel within the same dream-interpretation: the interpreter tells the chief cupbearer that in three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your place (near-identical prophecy).
- Gen.40.20-22 (structural): Narrative counterpart in the same scene: the baker is executed while the cupbearer is restored to his office, showing the realized outcomes of the two interpretations.
- Gen.41.9-13 (thematic): Narrative follow-up: the restored cupbearer later remembers Joseph and reports him to Pharaoh, an action that leads to Joseph's release and rise—continuation/fulfillment of the cupbearer’s restoration’s narrative significance.
- Ps.105:17-19 (allusion): Psalmic retelling of Joseph’s story emphasizes his descent into prison and subsequent elevation in Egypt, echoing the theme of reversal from confinement to restored honor found in the cupbearer’s prediction.
Alternative generated candidates
- And in the top basket were all kinds of food for Pharaoh, the work of a baker; and the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.
- And in the top basket were all kinds of Pharaoh’s food, the work of a baker; and the birds were eating them out of the basket from upon my head.
Gen.40.18 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויען: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- יוסף: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- זה: PRON,dem,m,sg
- פתרנו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שלשת: NUM,m,pl,abs
- הסלים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- שלשת: NUM,m,pl,abs
- ימים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- הם: PRON,personal,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Gen.40:13-15 (verbal): Immediate literary context — Joseph gives the fuller interpretation that the chief cupbearer will be restored in three days while the chief baker will be executed; 40:18 is Joseph’s concise statement of the same timing.
- Gen.41:1 (structural): Narrative contrast: although the cupbearer’s restoration was to occur in three days, the text reports a two‑year pause before Pharaoh’s dream brings Joseph back into prominence, highlighting delays in fulfillment and memory.
- Matt.12:40 (thematic): Uses a 'three days' motif as a decisive, salvific period (Jesus’ sign of Jonah). Connects to ancient Near Eastern and biblical use of 'three days' as a time of reversal or vindication like Joseph’s impending restoration.
- Dan.2:26-30 (thematic): Parallel pattern of God revealing and a servant interpreting a dream for a ruler, resulting in deliverance or advancement; Daniel’s role mirrors Joseph’s function as royal interpreter.
Alternative generated candidates
- And Joseph answered and said, This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days.
- And Joseph answered and said, This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days.
Gen.40.19 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- בעוד: PREP
- שלשת: NUM,m,pl,abs
- ימים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ישא: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- פרעה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- את: PRT,acc
- ראשך: NOUN,m,sg,abs,2,m
- מעליך: PREP,2,m
- ותלה: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- אותך: PRON,2,m,sg
- על: PREP
- עץ: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ואכל: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- העוף: NOUN,m,sg,def
- את: PRT,acc
- בשרך: NOUN,m,sg,abs,2,m
- מעליך: PREP,2,m
Parallels
- Deuteronomy 21:22–23 (structural): Law prescribing that a man executed and hung on a tree is under God’s curse and must not remain overnight — provides legal/ideological background for the Israelites' motif of hanging as a cursed, public execution.
- Joshua 8:29 (structural): Narrative example in which the king of Ai is hanged on a tree until evening — a near-contemporary Israelite instance of execution by hanging, paralleling Gen 40:19’s method and public display.
- Psalm 79:2 (thematic): Laments that enemies have given the dead bodies of God's servants to the birds — echoes the image of birds consuming the flesh of the executed in Genesis 40:19.
- Galatians 3:13 (allusion): New Testament citation of the 'hanged on a tree' motif (drawing on Deut. 21:23) to denote curse — shows how hanging on a tree functions theologically as a mark of curse/execution in later Scripture, resonant with Gen 40:19’s imagery.
Alternative generated candidates
- In yet three days Pharaoh will lift up your head from upon you, and he will hang you on a tree, and the birds will eat your flesh from upon you.
- Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head from upon you and hang you on a tree, and the birds will eat your flesh from upon you.
Gen.40.20 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויהי: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- ביום: PREP
- השלישי: ADJ,m,sg,def
- יום: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הלדת: NOUN,f,sg,construct
- את: PRT,acc
- פרעה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ויעש: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- משתה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לכל: PREP
- עבדיו: NOUN,m,pl,abs+3ms
- וישא: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- ראש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- המשקים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- ואת: CONJ
- ראש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- האפים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- בתוך: PREP
- עבדיו: NOUN,m,pl,abs+3ms
Parallels
- Genesis 40:13-15 (verbal): Joseph's interpretation that the chief cupbearer would be restored and the chief baker executed — Genesis 40:20 reports the actual fulfillment of that prediction.
- Genesis 41:41-43 (thematic): After the dreams and the cupbearer’s later remembrance, Joseph is exalted by Pharaoh — echoes the narrative theme of reversal from imprisonment to high office initiated in ch.40.
- Mark 6:21-28 (thematic): Herod's birthday feast leads to the beheading of John the Baptist; parallels the motif of a royal birthday banquet producing a decisive life-or-death outcome.
- Daniel 5:1-5 (thematic): Belshazzar's great feast serves as the setting for sudden divine judgment (the writing on the wall) — another instance of a royal banquet functioning as the turning point of a narrative.
Alternative generated candidates
- And it happened on the third day, Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants; and he lifted up the head of the chief of the cupbearers and the head of the chief of the bakers in the midst of his servants.
- And it happened on the third day, Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants, and he lifted up the head of the chief of the cupbearers and the head of the chief of the bakers among his servants.
Gen.40.21 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וישב: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- שר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- המשקים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- על: PREP
- משקהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3,m,sg
- ויתן: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- הכוס: NOUN,f,sg,def
- על: PREP
- כף: NOUN,f,sg,construct
- פרעה: NOUN,m,sg,def
Parallels
- Gen.40.13 (structural): Joseph's interpretation told the chief cupbearer that within three days Pharaoh would restore him to his office; Gen 40:21 records the fulfillment when the cupbearer is returned and puts the cup in Pharaoh's hand.
- Gen.40.23 (structural): Immediately after the cupbearer's restoration the narrative notes that he forgot Joseph; this verse contrasts the cupbearer's return to service (40:21) with his failure to remember Joseph (40:23).
- Gen.41:14 (structural): Later Pharaoh summons Joseph at the cupbearer's remembrance; Gen 41:14 shows the action set in motion by the cupbearer's restored position and eventual report to Pharaoh.
- Gen.41:40-41 (thematic): After interpreting Pharaoh's dreams Joseph is promoted to authority over Egypt; thematically this continues the motif of access to Pharaoh (holding the cup/standing before Pharaoh) leading to restoration or elevation.
- Ps.105:17-22 (thematic): This psalm retells Joseph's imprisonment, interpretation, and rise to power in Egypt, echoing the cycle in Genesis where the cupbearer's restoration and report eventually lead to Joseph's vindication and promotion.
Alternative generated candidates
- And he restored the chief of the cupbearers to his cupbearing, and he gave the cup into Pharaoh’s palm.
- And he restored the chief of the cupbearers to his post as cupbearer, and he put the cup upon Pharaoh’s palm.
Gen.40.22 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואת: CONJ
- שר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- האפים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- תלה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- כאשר: CONJ
- פתר: VERB,piel,perf,3,m,sg
- להם: PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
- יוסף: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Genesis 40:13–19 (verbal): These verses record Joseph’s original interpretation of the baker’s fate (he would be executed)—the source saying that the baker would be ‘hanged’ which is fulfilled in 40:22.
- Genesis 40:20–21 (structural): The immediate parallel within the chapter that repeats the outcome: the chief cupbearer is restored and the chief baker is executed—this gives the fulfillment context for 40:22.
- Genesis 41:14–16 (thematic): Joseph interprets Pharaoh’s dreams and thereby is elevated out of prison—contrast with 40:22 where one dream-interpreter’s word is fulfilled by execution, showing differing outcomes for interpreters.
- Psalm 105:17–19 (allusion): The psalm recounts Joseph’s imprisonment and God’s providential timing in his release (‘until his word came to pass’), thematically echoing the prison-dream episode and its divinely guided outcomes.
- Acts 7:9–10 (allusion): In Stephen’s speech the story of Joseph’s affliction and God’s deliverance is recalled—an NT retelling that alludes to Joseph’s prison experiences and the interpreters’ role in God’s plans.
Alternative generated candidates
- But the chief of the bakers he hanged, as Joseph had interpreted to them.
- But the chief of the bakers he hanged, just as Joseph had interpreted to them.
Gen.40.23 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ולא: CONJ
- זכר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- המשקים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- את: PRT,acc
- יוסף: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וישכחהו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Gen.40.14 (verbal): Joseph pleads with the chief cupbearer to 'remember me' and show kindness to him—this is the immediate verbal and thematic foil to v.23, where the cupbearer fails to remember.
- Gen.41:9-13 (structural): After two years the chief cupbearer finally remembers Joseph and reports him to Pharaoh, leading to Joseph's release—this passage functions as the narrative counterpart and resolution to the forgetfulness of v.23.
- Ps.105:17-22 (thematic): The psalm recounts Joseph's imprisonment, testing, and eventual exaltation in Egypt; thematically parallels the delayed deliverance motif caused in part by human forgetfulness.
- Acts 7:9-10 (allusion): Stephen's retelling of Joseph's sale, affliction, and God's deliverance echoes the Genesis account and underscores that human neglect (including being forgotten) did not thwart God's purposes for Joseph.
Alternative generated candidates
- Yet the chief of the cupbearers did not remember Joseph, and he forgot him.
- Yet the chief of the cupbearers did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.
And it happened after these things that the cupbearer of the king of Egypt and the baker offended their master, the king of Egypt. And Pharaoh was angry with his two officials—with the chief of the cupbearers and with the chief of the bakers. And he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison-house, the place where Joseph was confined. And the captain of the guard appointed Joseph to be with them, and he attended them; and they were some days in custody. And the two of them dreamed a dream, each his dream in one night, each according to the interpretation of his dream—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt who were confined in the prison-house. And Joseph came to them in the morning and saw them, and there they were, downcast. And he asked the officials of Pharaoh who were with him in custody in his master’s house, saying, Why are your faces downcast today? And they said to him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter with us. And Joseph said to them, Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell it, please, to me. And the chief of the cupbearers recounted his dream to Joseph, and he said to him, In my dream: there was a vine before me,
and on the vine were three branches; and as it was budding, its blossom came up; its clusters ripened into grapes. And Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes and squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and I put the cup on Pharaoh’s palm. And Joseph said to him, This is its interpretation: the three branches are three days.
Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and will restore you to your post, and you will put Pharaoh’s cup into his hand according to the former custom, when you were his cupbearer.
Only remember me when it is well with you, and please deal kindly with me, and mention me to Pharaoh, and bring me out from this house.
For I was indeed stolen from the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have done nothing that they should put me in the dungeon. And the chief of the bakers saw that he had interpreted well, and he said to Joseph, I also, in my dream: and there were three baskets of white bread on my head,
and in the top basket were all kinds of Pharaoh’s food, the work of a baker; and the birds were eating them from the basket on my head. And Joseph answered and said, This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days.
Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head from upon you and hang you on a tree, and the birds will eat your flesh from upon you. And it was on the third day, Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants; and he lifted up the head of the chief of the cupbearers and the head of the chief of the bakers among his servants. And he restored the chief of the cupbearers to his post as cupbearer, and he put the cup on Pharaoh’s palm. But the chief of the bakers he hanged, as Joseph had interpreted to them.
Yet the chief of the cupbearers did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.