Genesis 40:14-23

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 40:5-19

Observe, I. The special providence of God, which filled the heads of these two prisoners with unusual dreams, such as made extraordinary impressions upon them, and carried with them evidences of a divine origin, both in one night. Note, God has immediate access to the spirits of men, which he can make serviceable to his own purposes whenever he pleases, quite beyond the intention of those concerned. To him all hearts are open, and anciently he spoke not only to his own people, but to others,... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 40:20-23

Here is, 1. The verifying of Joseph's interpretation of the dreams, on the very day prefixed. The chief butler and baker were both advanced, one to his office, the other to the gallows, and both at the three days? end. Note, Very great changes, both for the better and for the worse, often happen in a very little time, so sudden are the revolutions of the wheel of nature. The occasion of giving judgment severally upon their case was the solemnizing of Pharaoh's birth-day, on which, all his... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 40:14

But think on me, when it shall be well with thee ,.... He desires no reward for the interpretation of his dream, only that he would remember him in adversity, when he should be in prosperity in Pharaoh's court, and speak a good word for him, which was the least he could do; and though Joseph knew by his own dreams that he should be raised from his low estate to a very high and advanced one, yet he thought proper, in a dependence on God, to make use of all lawful means for his deliverance;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 40:15

For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews ,.... Not the whole land of Canaan, so called, either from the Hebrews sojourning: in it, or from its being given unto them by God; neither of which could be a reason why Joseph, when talking with an Egyptian, should give it this name, and which, it must be supposed, was known to him; but that part of the land of Canaan where the Hebrews had sojourned for three generations, where Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had lived, even at or near... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 40:16

When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good ,.... Meaning not that it was right and just, though it was; but that it was agreeable and pleasing, and portended good in the event; and therefore hoped a like interpretation would be given of his dream, and this encouraged him to tell it, which perhaps otherwise he would not have done: he said unto Joseph, I also was in a dream ; or had a dream, and in it things were represented to his mind as follows: and, behold, I had ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 40:17

And in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of bakemeats for Pharaoh ,.... All sorts of pastry, as tarts, pies, &c.; Josephus F2 Antiqu. l. 2. c. 5. sect. 3. says, two of the baskets were full of bread, and the third had various sorts of food, such as is usually, prepared for kings: and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my head ; all the three baskets were upon his head, but this seems to be the uppermost, which the birds could more easily come at; though... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 40:18

And Joseph answered and said ,.... Immediately, directly, without any further thought and meditation, being divinely instructed: this is the interpretation thereof ; of the above dream: the three baskets are three days ; signify three days. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 40:19

Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thine head from off thee ,.... Order thee to be beheaded; so the Targum of Jonathan and Ben Melech interpret it,"Pharaoh shall remove thy head from thy body with a sword:" and shall hang thee on a tree ; his body after his head was severed from it, this should be hung upon a gallows or gibbet, and there continue: and the birds shall eat the flesh from off thee ; as they usually do when bodies are thus hung up, see 2 Samuel 21:9 ; this was... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 40:20

And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday ,.... The third day from the time the dreams were told, and the interpretation of them given, was the birthday of Pharaoh; either the day in which a son of his was born, or in which he himself was born, as Ben Melech observes; but the latter is more probable, since the former could not with propriety be called Pharaoh's birthday; and this might be either the day of his natural birth, or of his political birth, the time of his... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 40:21

And he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again ,.... Put him into the same office he was in before: and he gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand ; ministered to him in his office the same day, according to his dream and the interpretation of it: the Targum of Jonathan adds this as a reason of his being restored,"because he found that he was not in that counsel,'in which it was consulted to poison Pharaoh; see Gill on Genesis 40:1 . read more

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