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Pentateuch · WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE

Genesis 40

Beginnings, creation, human rebellion, covenant, and the family of Abraham.

Old Testament

Genesis 40

1After these things, the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker offended their lord, the king of Egypt.

2Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cup bearer and the chief baker.

3He put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound.

4The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he took care of them. They stayed in prison many days.

5They both dreamed a dream, each man his dream, in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the cup bearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were bound in the prison.

6Joseph came in to them in the morning, and saw them, and saw that they were sad.

7He asked Pharaoh’s officers who were with him in custody in his master’s house, saying, “Why do you look so sad today?”

8They said to him, “We have dreamed a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it.” Joseph said to them, “Don’t interpretations belong to God? Please tell it to me.”

9The chief cup bearer told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, “In my dream, behold, a vine was in front of me,

10and in the vine were three branches. It was as though it budded, it blossomed, and its clusters produced ripe grapes.

11Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand.”

12Joseph said to him, “This is its interpretation: the three branches are three days.

13Within three more days, Pharaoh will lift up your head, and restore you to your office. You will give Pharaoh’s cup into his hand, the way you did when you were his cup bearer.

14But remember me when it is well with you. Please show kindness to me, and make mention of me to Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house.

15For indeed, I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon.”

16When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said to Joseph, “I also was in my dream, and behold, three baskets of white bread were on my head.

17In the uppermost basket there were all kinds of baked food for Pharaoh, and the birds ate them out of the basket on my head.”

18Joseph answered, “This is its interpretation. The three baskets are three days.

19Within three more days, Pharaoh will lift up your head from off you, and will hang you on a tree; and the birds will eat your flesh from off you.”

20On the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he made a feast for all his servants, and he lifted up the head of the chief cup bearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants.

21He restored the chief cup bearer to his position again, and he gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand;

22but he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them.

23Yet the chief cup bearer didn’t remember Joseph, but forgot him.

READ IN CONTEXT

Before applying this chapter

Beginnings, creation, human rebellion, covenant, and the family of Abraham. Read Genesis 40 within the complete Genesis overview, and use the contextual Bible reading guide before forming a personal application. Chapter divisions aid navigation, but the literary unit may begin earlier or continue into the next chapter.

Observe first

Mark repeated words, changes of speaker, commands, promises, contrasts, questions, and the relationship between paragraphs.

Apply responsibly

Distinguish description from command and immediate audience from later readers before forming a personal application.

TEXT-DERIVED READING NOTES

What to notice in Genesis 40

Genesis 40 contains 23 verses and about 528 words in this translation. These observations come from the chapter itself; they are prompts for close reading, not claims about its only possible meaning.

The opening movement

Verse 1 begins: “After these things, the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker offended their lord, the king of Egypt.” Ask what situation, voice, image, or argument this opening establishes for everything that follows.

The closing movement

Verse 23 closes: “Yet the chief cup bearer didn’t remember Joseph, but forgot him.” Compare the ending with the opening and note what changed, resolved, intensified, or remained open.

Vocabulary worth tracing

Recurring or prominent content words include joseph, chief, three, bearer, dream, pharaoh’s. Follow where each word appears and whether its meaning shifts with the speaker or setting.

COMMON QUESTIONS

About Genesis 40

Which Bible translation is shown here?+

This page reproduces the World English Bible Protestant edition (WEBP), a modern-English translation dedicated to the public domain.

How should I cite a specific verse?+

Use the book, chapter, and verse—for example, Genesis 40:1—and name the World English Bible if the wording matters. Each verse number above is a direct anchor link.

Does the chapter number define the complete literary unit?+

Not always. Chapter and verse numbers were added for navigation. Check the paragraphs, scenes, poetic stanzas, or argument before and after this chapter.

A SMALL NEXT STEP

You do not have to have everything figured out.

Begin with one honest question, one passage read carefully, and one faithful next step.

Start with prayer