25 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
INTRODUCTION TO Genesis 40 The history of this chapter is, the imprisonment of two of Pharaoh's officers, his chief butler and chief baker, who by the captain of the guard were made the charge of Joseph, Genesis 40:1; they both dreamed in prison, which made them sad; Joseph taking notice of their sadness, asked the reason of it, and encouraged...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
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 their lord the king of Egypt; committed some fault, at least were accused of one, which raised his displeasure at them. The Targum of Jonathan says,...
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary - Matthew Henry
In this chapter things are working, though slowly, towards Joseph's advancement. I. Two of Pharaoh's servants are committed to prison, and there to Joseph's care, and so become witnesses of his extraordinary conduct, ver. 1-4. II. They dreamed each of them a dream, which Joseph interpreted (ver. 5-19), and the event verified the interpretation...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Pharaoh was wroth against two [of] his officers,.... The same above mentioned: against the chief of the butlers, and against the chief of the bakers; for as there were several butlers and bakers that belonged unto him, who were employed in providing wine and food for him, there was one of each who was over the rest; and as their business was...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard,.... Who is generally thought to be Potiphar, since this was the office he was in, Genesis 39:1; unless he was dead, and there was another put into his room, or there were more than one in the same office: into the prison, the place where Joseph [was] bound; that is, where he had...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them,.... Committed them to his care and custody, he being very probably recommended to him by the keeper of the prison for his prudence and fidelity; and if it was Potiphar, he knew his character full well, and might be now reconciled unto him, as having had a more full and clear account of the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And they dreamed a dream both of them,.... Not one and the same dream: each man his dream in one night; which made it the more remarkable, and the more impressed their minds, concluding from hence there must be something of importance in their dreams: each man according to the interpretation of his dream; they dreamed each what was suitable to his...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Joseph came in unto them in the morning,.... For though Joseph and they were in the same prison, yet not in the same ward. Aben Ezra thinks that Joseph lodged in the dungeon in the night, Genesis 40:15; and was let out in the morning to wait on these prisoners; but the great interest he had in the keeper of the prison, and the favour shown him...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And he asked Pharaoh's officers that [were] with him,.... The chief butler and baker that were committed to his care, and with whom he now was, in the ward of the lord's house; this seems to confirm what is before observed, that the captain of the guard that charged Joseph with them was Potiphar his master; though indeed the keeper of the prison...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And they said unto him, we have dreamed a dream,.... Each of them: and [there is] no interpreter of it; in that place in which they were, the prison; otherwise there were persons enough in the land that pretended to the interpretation of dreams, Genesis 41:8; but they could not come at them, being in prison: and Joseph said unto them, [do] not...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the chief butler told his dream to Joseph,.... He listened to what Joseph said, and paid a regard to it, and began to think he might be able to interpret his dream, and therefore was forward, and the first to tell him it at once; whereas the chief baker did not seem disposed to do it, until he observed the good interpretation given of the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And in the vine [were] three branches,.... Which shot out from the root or body of it: and it [was as] though it budded; the branches seemed to sprout out: [and] her blossoms shot forth; it knotted, and the flowers of the vine appeared, which blowing off, the tender grapes were seen: and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes; all which is...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Pharaoh's cup [was] in his hand,.... So it seemed to him in his dream, as it often had been when in his office: and I took the grapes; from off the vine that was before him: and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup; which some think was the custom of those times, to take a bunch of grapes and squeeze them into a cup, especially when they would make...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Joseph said unto him, this [is] the interpretation of it,.... Of the dream: the three branches [are] three days; signify three days, or, as Jarchi expresses it, are a sign of three days; which Joseph could know only by divine revelation; for there is no more likeness between branches and days, than between them and months or years, and bid as...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thine head,.... The Targum of Jonathan adds, with glory; and the sense is, either that Pharaoh would raise him up from the low estate in which he now was, to the same exalted station in which he had been before; or that he would reckon and number him among his servants, when he should take a catalogue of...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But think on me, when it shall be well with thee,.... He desires no reward for the interpretation of his dream, only that he would remember him in adversity, when he should be in prosperity in Pharaoh's court, and speak a good word for him, which was the least he could do; and though Joseph knew by his own dreams that he should be raised from his...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews,.... Not the whole land of Canaan, so called, either from the Hebrews sojourning: in it, or from its being given unto them by God; neither of which could be a reason why Joseph, when talking with an Egyptian, should give it this name, and which, it must be supposed, was known to him; but...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good,.... Meaning not that it was right and just, though it was; but that it was agreeable and pleasing, and portended good in the event; and therefore hoped a like interpretation would be given of his dream, and this encouraged him to tell it, which perhaps otherwise he would not have done: he...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And in the uppermost basket [there was] of all manner of bakemeats for Pharaoh,.... All sorts of pastry, as tarts, pies, c. Josephus (b) says, two of the baskets were full of bread, and the third had various sorts of food, such as is usually, prepared for kings: and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my head all the three baskets were...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Joseph answered and said,.... Immediately, directly, without any further thought and meditation, being divinely instructed: this [is] the interpretation thereof; of the above dream: the three baskets [are] three days; signify three days.