Discovery BoxGenesis 40:1-23
Context40:1 After these things happened, the cupbearer 1 to the king of Egypt and the royal baker 2 offended 3 their master, the king of Egypt. 40:2 Pharaoh was enraged with his two officials, 4 the cupbearer and the baker, 40:3 so he imprisoned them in the house of the captain of the guard in the same facility where Joseph was confined. 40:4 The captain of the guard appointed Joseph to be their attendant, and he served them. 5
They spent some time in custody. 6 40:5 Both of them, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, had a dream 7 the same night. 8 Each man’s dream had its own meaning. 9 40:6 When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were looking depressed. 10 40:7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officials, who were with him in custody in his master’s house, “Why do you look so sad today?” 11 40:8 They told him, “We both had dreams, 12 but there is no one to interpret them.” Joseph responded, “Don’t interpretations belong to God? Tell them 13 to me.”
40:9 So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph: 14 “In my dream, there was a vine in front of me. 40:10 On the vine there were three branches. As it budded, its blossoms opened and its clusters ripened into grapes. 40:11 Now Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, so I took the grapes, squeezed them into his 15 cup, and put the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.” 16
40:12 “This is its meaning,” Joseph said to him. “The three branches represent 17 three days. 40:13 In three more days Pharaoh will reinstate you 18 and restore you to your office. You will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you did before 19 when you were cupbearer. 40:14 But remember me 20 when it goes well for you, and show 21 me kindness. 22 Make mention 23 of me to Pharaoh and bring me out of this prison, 24 40:15 for I really was kidnapped 25 from the land of the Hebrews and I have done nothing wrong here for which they should put me in a dungeon.”
40:16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation of the first dream was favorable, 26 he said to Joseph, “I also appeared in my dream and there were three baskets of white bread 27 on my head. 40:17 In the top basket there were baked goods of every kind for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them from the basket that was on my head.”
40:18 Joseph replied, “This is its meaning: The three baskets represent 28 three days. 40:19 In three more days Pharaoh will decapitate you 29 and impale you on a pole. Then the birds will eat your flesh from you.”
40:20 On the third day it was Pharaoh’s birthday, so he gave a feast for all his servants. He “lifted up” 30 the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker in the midst of his servants. 40:21 He restored the chief cupbearer to his former position 31 so that he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand, 40:22 but the chief baker he impaled, just as Joseph had predicted. 32 40:23 But the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph – he forgot him. 33
Genesis 16:1
Context16:1 Now Sarai, 34 Abram’s wife, had not given birth to any children, 35 but she had an Egyptian servant 36 named Hagar. 37
Matthew 27:61
Context27:61 (Now Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there, opposite the tomb.)
Matthew 28:1
Context28:1 Now after the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
Luke 23:55--24:2
Context23:55 The 38 women who had accompanied Jesus 39 from Galilee followed, and they saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. 23:56 Then 40 they returned and prepared aromatic spices 41 and perfumes. 42
On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment. 43
24:1 Now on the first day 44 of the week, at early dawn, the women 45 went to the tomb, taking the aromatic spices 46 they had prepared. 24:2 They 47 found that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb, 48
[40:1] 1 sn The Hebrew term cupbearer corresponds to the Egyptian wb’, an official (frequently a foreigner) who often became a confidant of the king and wielded political power (see K. A. Kitchen, NBD3 248). Nehemiah held this post in Persia.
[40:1] 2 sn The baker may be the Egyptian retehti, the head of the bakers, who had privileges in the royal court.
[40:1] 3 sn The Hebrew verb translated offended here is the same one translated “sin” in 39:9. Perhaps there is an intended contrast between these officials, who deserve to be imprisoned, and Joseph, who refused to sin against God, but was thrown into prison in spite of his innocence.
[40:2] 4 tn The Hebrew word סָרִיס (saris), used here of these two men and of Potiphar (see 39:1), normally means “eunuch.” But evidence from Akkadian texts shows that in early times the title was used of a court official in general. Only later did it become more specialized in its use.
[40:4] 5 sn He served them. This is the same Hebrew verb, meaning “to serve as a personal attendant,” that was translated “became [his] servant” in 39:4.
[40:4] 6 tn Heb “they were days in custody.”
[40:5] 7 tn Heb “dreamed a dream.”
[40:5] 8 tn Heb “a man his dream in one night.”
[40:5] 9 tn Heb “a man according to the interpretation of his dream.”
[40:6] 10 tn The verb זָעַף (za’af) only occurs here and Dan 1:10. It means “to be sick, to be emaciated,” probably in this case because of depression.
[40:7] 11 tn Heb “why are your faces sad today?”
[40:8] 12 tn Heb “a dream we dreamed.”
[40:8] 13 tn The word “them” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[40:9] 14 tn The Hebrew text adds “and he said to him.” This has not been translated because it is redundant in English.
[40:11] 15 tn Heb “the cup of Pharaoh.” The pronoun “his” has been used here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[40:11] 16 sn The cupbearer’s dream is dominated by sets of three: three branches, three stages of growth, and three actions of the cupbearer.
[40:12] 17 tn Heb “the three branches [are].”
[40:13] 18 tn Heb “Pharaoh will lift up your head.” This Hebrew idiom usually refers to restoring dignity, office, or power. It is comparable to the modern saying “someone can hold his head up high.”
[40:13] 19 tn Heb “according to the former custom.”
[40:14] 20 tn Heb “but you have remembered me with you.” The perfect verbal form may be used rhetorically here to emphasize Joseph’s desire to be remembered. He speaks of the action as already being accomplished in order to make it clear that he expects it to be done. The form can be translated as volitional, expressing a plea or a request.
[40:14] 21 tn This perfect verbal form with the prefixed conjunction (and the two that immediately follow) carry the same force as the preceding perfect.
[40:14] 22 tn Heb “deal with me [in] kindness.”
[40:14] 23 tn The verb זָכַר (zakhar) in the Hiphil stem means “to cause to remember, to make mention, to boast.” The implication is that Joseph would be pleased for them to tell his story and give him the credit due him so that Pharaoh would release him. Since Pharaoh had never met Joseph, the simple translation of “cause him to remember me” would mean little.
[40:14] 24 tn Heb “house.” The word “prison” has been substituted in the translation for clarity.
[40:15] 25 tn The verb גָּנַב (ganav) means “to steal,” but in the Piel/Pual stem “to steal away.” The idea of “kidnap” would be closer to the sense, meaning he was stolen and carried off. The preceding infinitive absolute underscores the point Joseph is making.
[40:16] 26 tn Heb “that [the] interpretation [was] good.” The words “the first dream” are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[40:16] 27 tn Or “three wicker baskets.” The meaning of the Hebrew noun חֹרִי (khori, “white bread, cake”) is uncertain; some have suggested the meaning “wicker” instead. Comparison with texts from Ebla suggests the meaning “pastries made with white flour” (M. Dahood, “Eblaite h¬a-rí and Genesis 40,16 h£o„rî,” BN 13 [1980]: 14-16).
[40:18] 28 tn Heb “the three baskets [are].”
[40:19] 29 tn Heb “Pharaoh will lift up your head from upon you.” Joseph repeats the same expression from the first interpretation (see v. 13), but with the added words “from upon you,” which allow the statement to have a more literal and ominous meaning – the baker will be decapitated.
[40:20] 30 tn The translation puts the verb in quotation marks because it is used rhetorically here and has a double meaning. With respect to the cup bearer it means “reinstate” (see v. 13), but with respect to the baker it means “decapitate” (see v. 19).
[40:21] 31 tn Heb “his cupbearing.”
[40:22] 32 tn Heb “had interpreted for them.”
[40:23] 33 tn The wayyiqtol verbal form here has a reiterative or emphasizing function.
[16:1] 34 tn The disjunctive clause signals the beginning of a new episode in the story.
[16:1] 35 sn On the cultural background of the story of Sarai’s childlessness see J. Van Seters, “The Problem of Childlessness in Near Eastern Law and the Patriarchs of Israel,” JBL 87 (1968): 401-8.
[16:1] 36 tn The Hebrew term שִׁפְחָה (shifkhah, translated “servant” here and in vv. 2, 3, 5, 6, and 8) refers to a menial female servant.
[16:1] 37 sn The passage records the birth of Ishmael to Abram through an Egyptian woman. The story illustrates the limits of Abram’s faith as he tries to obtain a son through social custom. The barrenness of Sarai poses a challenge to Abram’s faith, just as the famine did in chap. 12. As in chap. 12, an Egyptian figures prominently. (Perhaps Hagar was obtained as a slave during Abram’s stay in Egypt.)
[23:55] 38 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[23:55] 39 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[23:56] 40 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[23:56] 41 tn On this term see BDAG 140-41 s.v. ἄρωμα. The Jews did not practice embalming, so these preparations were used to cover the stench of decay and slow decomposition. The women planned to return and anoint the body. But that would have to wait until after the Sabbath.
[23:56] 42 tn Or “ointments.” This was another type of perfumed oil.
[23:56] 43 sn According to the commandment. These women are portrayed as pious, faithful to the law in observing the Sabbath.
[24:1] 44 sn The first day of the week is the day after the Sabbath.
[24:1] 45 tn Grk “they”; the referent (the women mentioned in 23:55) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:1] 46 tn On this term see BDAG 140-41 s.v. ἄρωμα. See also the note on “aromatic spices” in 23:56.
[24:2] 47 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[24:2] 48 sn Luke tells the story of the empty tomb with little drama. He simply notes that when they arrived the stone had been rolled away in a position where the tomb could be entered. This large stone was often placed in a channel so that it could be easily moved by rolling it aside. The other possibility is that it was merely placed over the opening in a position from which it had now been moved.
