Setting
The lesson progresses on Joseph’s life journey at prison. In this passage, not only does Joseph meet the two officials of Pharaoh in prison but he also gets the chance to interpret their dreams. Through the narrative, we will learn how the Lord gives us the opportunity to use our talents and shapes the events for His larger purpose in our walk of life.
Key Verse
(40:8)
Did You Know...?
- The butler (40:1): In Hebrew, the word can be literally translated as “one who causes to drink.”
- The baker (40:1): The word can literally be translated in Hebrew as “one who cook or bake.” Archeological findings show that Egyptians had conducted the arts of the confectioner and cook to a high degree of perfection. [ref]
- “[They] offended” (40:1): In Hebrew, the same word root is used interchangeably as a verb and as a noun. While the word refers to the offense against Pharaoh in Gen 40:1, the same word is used to refer to the sin against God in Gen 39:8. In the Scriptures, the word is mostly used to refer to the sin committed against the Lord (Lev 4:14;
1 Kgs 8:50; 2 Kgs 17:7; Ezek 37:23; Hos 4:7; Zeph 1:17; 2 Chr 6:39; Neh 9:29; Jer 33:8, 50:7). - “He served them” (40:4): The word “serve” in Hebrew can be used as references to minister to the king (1 Kgs 1:4; Est 1:10;
2 Chr 17:19), to minister in the house of God (Ezek 44:11), to minister to the congregation of Israel (Num 16:9) and to minister to the Lord God (Isa 56:6; Deut 10:8; 1 Chr 23:13). - “They were sad” (40:6): The sentence can literally be translated as “they were dejected” or “they were out of humor” in Hebrew. In addition, the sentence can be translated literally in Greek-Septuagint as “they were at some point in the past in the state of having been disturbed or thrown into confusion.”
- Interpreter (40:8): In Greek-Septuagint, the word can literally be translated as “one who brings things together so as to form a unit.”
- Vine (40:9): Normally, the vineyard, after pruning to induce a greater nourishment, can be harvested for its grapes within nine months.
[ref]
The chief butler’s dream of the vine suggested that the vine’s growth to bring forth ripe grapes in an instant did not necessarily follow the regular nine-month cultivation process. - “Clusters of grapes” (40:10): The book of Isaiah mentions that a new wine is found in the cluster and there is a blessing in it (Isa 65:8). In other words, a brand new wine can be obtained from the fresh ripened cluster of grape.
- “In Pharaoh’s hand” (40:11): Literally, the sentence can be translated in Hebrew as “upon the palm of Pharaoh.”
- “Three days” (40:12): In the Scriptures, the mentioned expression is used to reference several significances. First, in the book of Joshua, the phrase expressed the numbered period of time spent before the children of Israel possessed the Promised Land (Josh 1:11). Also, a similar phrase in the book of Joshua was used to mark the period when the Israelite spies would be safe from the Jerichoan pursuers (Josh 2:16, 22). Lastly, a similar expression was used by Ezra as a deadline for the Israelites to gather at Jerusalem. Failure to obey such an instruction would cause all of their property to be confiscated (Ezra 10:7-8).
- Restore (40:13): The verb “restore” in Hebrew literally has several meanings, such as the act of God to restore a man to His righteousness (Job 33:26), the act of the angel of God to put back his sword to its sheath, withdrawing the plague of God (1 Chr 21:27) and the act of Moses to report the words of the people to the LORD (Ex 19:8).
- “Remember me” (40:14): In the Scriptures, such an expression in Hebrew is used when one pleads with the LORD for strength and for deliverance (Judg 16:28;
1 Sam 1:11; Jer 15:15; Psa 106:4) and when the LORD states how mankind should remember Him (Isa 43:26; Zech 10:9). - “Get me out” (40:14): The mentioned expression, in Hebrew, can have several usage in the Scriptures, such as when one pleads to be delivered from distresses (Psa 25:17), from battle (2 Chr 18:33), from enemies (2 Sam 22:49) or when the Spirit of God brought out the prophet Ezekiel to the outer court in his vision (Ezek 46:21, 47:2). In addition, the phrase can also be used to express God’s deliverance to the way of light (Mic 7:9), from the hidden net of evil (Psa 31:4) and to a broad place away from enemies (Psa 18:19).
- “I was stolen away”(40:15): This expression in Greek-Septuagint can literally be translated as “I was stolen by means of theft.”
- Hebrews (40:15): In the Scriptures, the word “Hebrews” is used to refer to a certain distinguished ethnicity (Gen 14:13; Ex 1:19; Jon 1:9) or to a lower status or occupation (Gen 43:32;
1 Sam 29:3). In addition, the Scriptures refers to the God of Israel as the LORD, the God of the Hebrews (Ex 3:18, 5:3, 7:16, 9:1, 13, 10:3). - Dungeon (40:15), in Greek-Septuagint, the word can literally be translated as “den” or “pit.” The word “dungeon” in Hebrew can have several literal translations, such as: pit (Gen 37:22; Isa 14:15; Ezek 26:20), cistern (Lev 11:36; Jer 38:6; Ecc 12:6), quarry (Isa 51:1), well (Jer 6:7) and symbolically, Sheol—the regions of dark and deep (Ps 88:6; Prov 1:12; Isa 14:15).
- White baskets (40:16): In Hebrew, the sentence can literally be translated as “baskets of white bread.” Alternatively, the sentence in Greek-Septuagint can literally be translated as “baskets of reed of cakes of coarse grain.”
- Baked goods (40:17): In Greek-Septuagint, the expression can literally be translated as “all kinds of food for Pharaoh, the work of a baker.”
- “On my head” (40:17): According to historical reference, Egyptian men commonly carried on their heads while Egyptian women, on their shoulders like Hagar (Gen 21:14). [ref]
- “[He] will lift off your head from you and hang you on a tree” (40:19): In Greek-Septuagint, the sentence can be literally translated as “he will detach your head by force and he will crucify you on a cross.”
- Banquet (40:20) in Greek-Septuagint, can literally be translated as “drinking party, a social gathering at which wine is served.”
- Birthday (40:20): The word can literally be translated as “the hour of birth” in Greek-Septuagint. According to historical reference, birthdays of the kings of Egypt were considered holy and were celebrated with great joy and rejoicing. All business were suspended and the people generally took part in the festivities. [ref]
- “He hanged” (40:22): In the Scriptures, hanging someone in the form of a death sentence can be performed on a tree (Gen 41:13; Deut 21:22; Josh 8:29), or specifically in an oak (2 Sam 18:10), or at the public square of Beth-shan (2 Sam 21:12), beside the pool at Hebron (2 Sam 4:12), and on gallows (Est 2:23, 8:7, 9:25).
Outline
General Analysis
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1. List the “coincidences” which proved God’s guidance over Joseph’s life.
Segment Analysis
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40:1-4
1a. Contrast the reason of Joseph’s confinement with that of the Pharaoh’s chief officers.
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1b. In Gen 40:2, how did the chief officers make Pharaoh angry? Compare with Joseph’s reluctance to sin against his master and against his God in Gen 39:8, 9.
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2a. List from the Scriptures the characters who performed their services to a higher authority. See Deut 10:8;
1 Kgs 1:4, 19:21; 1 Sam 2:18 and 2 Chr 17:19. -
2b. How was Joseph’s example of service to the two chief officials in Gen 40:4 seem unusual compared to the above examples in the Scriptures?
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2c. What lesson can we learn about faithfulness in servitude from Joseph that in his prison-bound condition, he still served the two chief officials of Pharaoh? See Gen 39:4.
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40:5-19
3. How were the butler’s and the baker’s dream in prison unique?
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4a. According to the Scriptures, what is the significance of dreaming a dream? See also Ecc 5:3; Deut 13:5; Gen 20:3, 31:11, 41:32; Num 12:6 and Job 33:15.
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4b. How did the dreams of the butler and the baker in Gen 40:5 prove God’s abidance with Joseph?
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5a. Describe Joseph’s care toward the chief officers of Pharaoh from the passage.
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5b. From the example of Joseph’s care toward the chief officers, what lesson can we learn about the attitude of helping others?
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6a. Why did the two officials “look so sad”?
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6b. What would they have done with the dream, if they had not been in prison?
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7a. How did the dreams affect both Joseph and the two officers, in regards of: Joseph’s confession of faith;
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7b. Joseph’s realization of his gifts and its usefulness for others;
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7c. The officials’ recognition of the true God;
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8a. Describe the content of the chief butler’s dream.
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8b. Describe the content of the chief baker’s dream.
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8c. Compare and contrast the content of the dreams between the chief butler’s and the baker’s. The presence of Pharaoh;
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8d. The grapes vs. the baked goods;
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8e. The cup vs. the birds;
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9a. How did Joseph interpret the chief butler’s dream?
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9b. How did Joseph interpret the chief baker’s dream?
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9c. How did the Scriptures view the chief baker’s type of death? See Deut 21:23
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40:20-23
10a. What did Joseph request of the chief butler?
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10b. Why did Joseph plead his case to the chief butler?
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11a. How would Joseph feel that the chief butler “did not remember Joseph, but forgot him”? Joseph’s distress;
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11b. Joseph’s discovery;
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12. What caused the chief butler to forget Joseph? See also Ecc 9:15 and
2 Chr 24:22. -
13a. In the Scriptures, list God’s faithfulness in remembering His people. And how do they relate to Joseph’s and our condition when we are forgotten by people around us. See also Psa 9:12, 98:3, 105:8, 42, 115:12 and 136:23.
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13b. Share an experience of how God faithfully remembered you in your distress.