Knowing The Word in Genesis 40:1-8, A Cupbearer and a Baker

1 Some time after this [probably a considerable lapse of time, considering his slavery and imprisonment were 13 years], the cupbearer [often a foreigner and confidant and favorite of the king with political influence; Nehemiah held a similar position in the Persian court] of the king of Egypt and his baker [head of the bakers, “royal table scribe,” planner of state dinners] committed an offense against their lord the king of Egypt. [The offense is not specified but used to contrast with Joseph who has committed no offense.] 2 And Pharaoh was angry [and lost his temper] with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, 3 and he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard [whether this is still Potiphar after this lapse of time is unclear], in the prison where Joseph was confined. 4 The captain of the guard appointed Joseph to be with them, and he attended them. They continued for some time in custody. [Once again, Joseph finds himself in the company of high ranking palace officials.]

5 And one night they both dreamed—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison—each his own dream, and each dream with its own interpretation. 6 When Joseph [their attendant] came to them in the morning, he saw that they were troubled. [These confined men, uncertain about their future, are alarmed about their fate.] 7 So he asked Pharaoh's officers who were with him in custody in his master's house, “Why are your faces downcast today?” 8 They said to him, “We have had dreams, and there is no one to interpret them.” [Because of his empathy, these men open their hearts up to Joseph.] And Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me.” [The Egyptians believed that sleep put one in touch not only with the dead but also with the gods, and that dreams are a gift from the gods. These men needed Egyptian experts to interpret their dreams. Joseph, however, directs them to the one true God who is the inspiration behind the dreams. The future lays in God’s hand, not in human interpreters.]