Genesis 40:4 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The captain of the guard appointed Joseph to be with them, and he attended them. They continued for some time in custody.

NIV: The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he attended them. After they had been in custody for some time,

NASB: And the captain of the bodyguard put Joseph in charge of them, and he took care of them; and they were in confinement for some time.

CSB: The captain of the guards assigned Joseph to them as their personal attendant, and they were in custody for some time.

NLT: They remained in prison for quite some time, and the captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, who looked after them.

KJV: And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them: and they continued a season in ward.

NKJV: And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them; so they were in custody for a while.

Though he is still confined to the king's prison after several years, Joseph's reputation as a faithful and trustworthy servant continues to grow (Genesis 39:21–23). Joseph is here because of a false charge, brought by the wife of his former master, Potiphar (Genesis 39:11–20). When he was first introduced, Potiphar was named as the captain of the guard (Genesis 37:36; 39:1). Since Joseph was cast into prison, however, Scripture has only referred to the title, rather than a specific name. It's not clear if Potiphar is still in his position.

Whomever the captain is, he recognizes Joseph's value (Genesis 39:21–23) and appoints him to supervise two new prisoners. These are the former cupbearer and baker of Egypt's ruler, Pharaoh (Genesis 40:1–3). It's not known if the captain of the guard who appoints Joseph to care for these high-ranking servants is still Potiphar or another. We're not told how long Joseph has been here, but it has likely been several years, at least. Just as he's been there for "some time" prior to the cupbearer and baker arriving, it will be "some time" before anything else changes.

Genesis 40:1–23 takes place during Joseph's years in a prison, or dungeon, within the house of the captain of the guard. Two men join him there for a time and experience troubling, prophetic dreams. Joseph's interpretation reveals that the former cupbearer to Pharaoh will be restored to his old job. The former baker for Pharaoh will be executed. Both interpretations are fulfilled exactly, but Joseph is soon forgotten again.

Genesis 40 describes Joseph's interpretation of dreams for two of his fellow prisoners. Pharaoh's chief cupbearer and baker are imprisoned and experience troubling, prophetic visions. Joseph reveals the meaning of those dreams and, just as he predicts, the cupbearer is restored to his position while the baker is executed. The redeemed cupbearer, despite Joseph's plea, says nothing to Pharaoh about Joseph's situation.

Joseph remains in prison after being accused of attempted rape by Potiphar's wife (Genesis 39:11–15). The Lord blesses Joseph even in jail (Genesis 39:21–23), but he longs to get out. His chance for release comes through an opportunity to interpret the dreams of two fellow prisoners. The dreams reveal that one will be restored to his old position, while the other will be killed. Joseph pleads with the servant to be restored, asking him to to plead with Pharaoh to get Joseph released, but the man fails to do so. Two years later (Genesis 41:1), another dream requires explanation, and Joseph will finally be freed (Genesis 41:12–14).

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.