Joseph Interprets Two Dreams – Genesis 40

“As Joseph’s story began with two dreams (37:5–11), two dreams now propel the story in this episode: the dreams of two prisoners who have offended the pharaoh. The two Egyptian officials probably landed in the prison with Joseph as a result of an assassination attempt. Poisoning was a common way to eliminate a leader, and poison could easily be administered through a leader’s food or drink, hence the implication of both the baker and the cupbearer.” (NIV Grace and Truth Study Bible)

[1] Some time after this, the cupbearer of the king of Egypt and his baker committed an offense against their lord the king of Egypt. [2] And Pharaoh was angry 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, 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.

[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 came to them in the morning, he saw that they were troubled. [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.” And Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me.”

[9] So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph and said to him, “In my dream there was a vine before me, [10] and on the vine there were three branches. As soon as it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and the clusters ripened into grapes. [11] Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup and placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.” [12] Then Joseph said to him, “This is its interpretation: the three branches are three days. [13] In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office, and you shall place Pharaoh’s cup in his hand as formerly, when you were his cupbearer. [14] Only remember me, when it is well with you, and please do me the kindness to mention me to Pharaoh, and so get me out of this house. [15] For I was indeed stolen out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have done nothing that they should put me into the pit.”

[16] When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said to Joseph, “I also had a dream: there were three cake baskets on my head, [17] and in the uppermost basket there were all sorts of baked food for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating it out of the basket on my head.” [18] And Joseph answered and said, “This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days. [19] In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head—from you!—and hang you on a tree. And the birds will eat the flesh from you.”

[20] On the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he made a feast for all his servants and lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. [21] He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand. [22] But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them. [23] Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him. (Genesis 40, ESV)

The interpretation of dreams was a vital skill in the ancient middle east, often developed through much practice and study.  “In the ancient Near East, dream interpretations were sought from experts who had been trained in techniques and methods of the day. Both the Egyptians and Babylonians compiled what are called “dream books,” which contain sample dreams along with a key to their interpretation…The dream books preserved the empirical data concerning past dreams and interpretations and therefore offered the security of scientific documentation. It was believed that the gods communicated generally through dreams but that they revealed the meanings of dreams by giving wisdom in the expert’s research.  Joseph was not familiar with any of the “scientific” literature and would not have had access to it, so he consulted God” (Walton).

Was Joseph fully trusting God?  He asked the cupbearer to remember him to Pharaoh, which of course, he did not.  Was he trusting in his own efforts or those of another human being rather than God?  Perhaps.  But it might be possible that he was trusting in God to use the cupbearer’s testimony and not trusting in his own efforts to get released.  And when the time was right, and Pharaoh was needing a dream interpretation, the cupbearer did remember Joseph.

Scripture says, “Do not put your trust in princes, nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help. . . . Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in Yahweh his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps truth forever” (Ps. 146:3, 5, 6).