Genesis 41:10 - Printer Friendly

ESV: When Pharaoh was angry with his servants and put me and the chief baker in custody in the house of the captain of the guard,

NIV: Pharaoh was once angry with his servants, and he imprisoned me and the chief baker in the house of the captain of the guard.

NASB: Pharaoh was furious with his servants, and he put me in confinement in the house of the captain of the bodyguard, both me and the chief baker.

CSB: Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and he put me and the chief baker in the custody of the captain of the guards.

NLT: Some time ago, you were angry with the chief baker and me, and you imprisoned us in the palace of the captain of the guard.

KJV: Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in ward in the captain of the guard's house, both me and the chief baker:

NKJV: When Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, both me and the chief baker,

The ruler of Egypt is given the title "Pharaoh." In this passage, that king is trying to interpret a pair of disturbing dreams (Genesis 41:1–8). His cupbearer, a trusted court member, has come forward with some helpful information. That man was once imprisoned (Genesis 40:1–4), then freed. While in prison, he encountered Joseph (Genesis 40:9–13), who correctly predicted the meaning of the cupbearer's dream (Genesis 40:20–22). For reasons not explained, the man has not mentioned this incident until now, some two years later (Genesis 40:23).

It's likely the cupbearer deliberately failed to mention Joseph; he probably did not want to stir up any more trouble. Now, with the king's magicians stumped, there is an opportunity for benefit. Since the chance to be seen as helping Pharaoh outweighs the risk of reminding him of past offenses, he speaks up (Genesis 41:11–13).

Genesis 41:9–36 contains Joseph's explanation of Pharaoh's visions. When Egypt's ruler is bothered by vivid dreams, his formerly jailed cupbearer remembers a young Hebrew. This is Joseph, who explained the cupbearer's dream in prison (Genesis 40:23). Joseph explains that Pharaoh's dreams point to seven years of abundance in Egypt followed by seven years of desperate famine. Joseph boldly proposes a plan to manage the coming crisis.

Joseph's status in Genesis 41 begins as "forgotten Hebrew prison slave" and ends as "the second most powerful man in Egypt." The cupbearer from the previous chapter finally mentions Joseph two years later, when Pharaoh is troubled by dreams which wise men can't interpret. Joseph reveals the meaning of the dreams: seven years of abundance will be followed by seven years of great famine in the land. Pharaoh, recognizing that God's Spirit is with Joseph, makes him second in command over the entire nation and tasks him with preparing for the famine.

Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers (Genesis 37:24–28). He then excelled in his work for an Egyptian official, only to be falsely accused and imprisoned (Genesis 39:20). There, he accurately interpreted dreams for servants of the Egyptian ruler (Genesis 40:20–22). Unfortunately, the restored cupbearer failed to mention Joseph, leaving him in prison for two more years (Genesis 40:23). A series of disturbing dreams leads to Joseph's audience with Pharaoh. This, in turn, leads to Joseph becoming the second most powerful man in the nation. The following chapters emphasize Joseph's reunion with his family. Details about his administration of food during the famine are recorded in Genesis 47:13–26.

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.

Accessed 5/1/2024 10:56:26 PM