Genesis 40:21

40:21 He restored the chief cupbearer to his former position ¹  so that he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand,

Genesis 40:23

40:23 But the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph – he forgot him. ² 

Genesis 40:1-2

The Cupbearer and the Baker

40:1 After these things happened, the cupbearer ³  to the king of Egypt and the royal baker ⁴  offended ⁵  their master, the king of Egypt. 40:2 Pharaoh was enraged with his two officials, ⁶  the cupbearer and the baker,

Genesis 40:9

40:9 So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph: ⁷  “In my dream, there was a vine in front of me.

Genesis 41:9

41:9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I recall my failures. ⁸ 

Genesis 13:10

13:10 Lot looked up and saw ⁹  the whole region ¹⁰  of the Jordan. He noticed ¹¹  that all of it was well-watered (before the Lord obliterated ¹²  Sodom and Gomorrah) ¹³  like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, ¹⁴  all the way to Zoar.

Genesis 40:5

40:5 Both of them, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, had a dream ¹⁵  the same night. ¹⁶  Each man’s dream had its own meaning. ¹⁷ 

Genesis 40:13

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.

Genesis 40:20

40:20 On the third day it was Pharaoh’s birthday, so he gave a feast for all his servants. He “lifted up” ²⁰  the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker in the midst of his servants.

[40:21]  ¹ tn Heb “his cupbearing.”

[40:23]  ² tn The wayyiqtol verbal form here has a reiterative or emphasizing function.

[40:1]  ³ 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]  ⁴ sn The baker may be the Egyptian retehti, the head of the bakers, who had privileges in the royal court.

[40:1]  ⁵ 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.

[40:9]  ⁵ tn The Hebrew text adds “and he said to him.” This has not been translated because it is redundant in English.

[41:9]  ⁶ tn Heb “sins, offenses.” He probably refers here to the offenses that landed him in prison (see 40:1).

[13:10]  ⁷ tn Heb “lifted up his eyes and saw.” The expression draws attention to the act of looking, indicating that Lot took a good look. It also calls attention to the importance of what was seen.

[13:10]  ⁸ tn Or “plain”; Heb “circle.”

[13:10]  ⁹ tn The words “he noticed” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[13:10]  ¹⁰ sn Obliterated. The use of the term “destroy” (שַׁחֵת, shakhet) is reminiscent of the Noahic flood (Gen 6:13). Both at the flood and in Sodom the place was obliterated by catastrophe and only one family survived (see C. Westermann, Genesis, 2:178).

[13:10]  ¹¹ tn This short temporal clause (preposition + Piel infinitive construct + subjective genitive + direct object) is strategically placed in the middle of the lavish descriptions to sound an ominous note. The entire clause is parenthetical in nature. Most English translations place the clause at the end of v. 10 for stylistic reasons.

[13:10]  ¹² sn The narrative places emphasis on what Lot saw so that the reader can appreciate how it aroused his desire for the best land. It makes allusion to the garden of the Lord and to the land of Egypt for comparison. Just as the tree in the garden of Eden had awakened Eve’s desire, so the fertile valley attracted Lot. And just as certain memories of Egypt would cause the Israelites to want to turn back and abandon the trek to the promised land, so Lot headed for the good life.

[40:5]  ⁸ tn Heb “dreamed a dream.”

[40:5]  ⁹ tn Heb “a man his dream in one night.”

[40:5]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “a man according to the interpretation of his dream.”

[40:13]  ⁹ 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]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “according to the former custom.”

[40:20]  ¹⁰ 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).