The Dreams of Two Prisoners: Genesis 40.1-23
When last we left our hero Joseph, he was sitting in jail without a chance of trial, having been accused of trying to sleep with/rape Potiphar’s wife.
Joseph is eventually joined by Pharaoh’s cupbearer and chief baker, who both offended the king. Since Joseph is in such good favor with the captain of the guard, the two men fall under Joseph’s care.
One night the baker and cupbearer have similar-seeming dreams, each of which has its own meaning. Joseph asks them in the morning why they look troubled, and they explain that there is no one to interpret the dreams. Joseph replies, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me” (Gen.40.8).
The chief cupbearer dreamed of a vine with three branches. It budded, blossomed, and its clusters ripened into grapes. The cupbearer pressed the grapes into Pharaoh’s cup, and placed it in Pharaoh’s hand. Joseph interprets the dream thus. Within three days (represented by the branches) the cupbearer will again place the cup in Pharaoh’s hand like he used to. Joseph entreats the man to mention him to Pharaoh so he might be released. After all, he has been stolen from his homeland and did nothing to deserve imprisonment.
Seeing a favorable interpretation of the cupbearer’s dream, the chief baker presents his dream. He has three cake baskets on his head. In the topmost basket are all sorts of baked goods that birds are eating. Joseph presents his interpretation. In three days (represented by the baskets) Pharaoh will lift the disembodied head of the baker and hang it on a pole, where birds will pick at the flesh.
Three days later, Pharaoh has a feast for all his servants in honor of his birthday, “and lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants” (Gen. 40.20).
“He restored the chief cupbearer to his cupbearing, an he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand; but the chief baker he hanged, just as Joseph had interpreted to them” (Gen. 40.21-22).
But the cupbearer forgets about Joseph, the man who saved him.
Check out Genesis 40.20, in which Pharaoh lifts up the heads of his servants. That’s a great image. Excellent use of foreshadowing. The two are released from, which is what lifting their heads up means, but the image of lifting the head also refers back to the interpretation of the chief baker’s dream. Since we do not know if Joseph’s prediction is correct, the phrase offers an arresting moment of ambiguity before the fates of the two men are disclosed.
Tomorrow: Pharaoh dreams too!
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