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Commentary Critical and Explanatory

Genesis 40:23

Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him.

Yet did not the chief butler ... This was human nature. How prone are men to forget and neglect in prosperity those who have been their companions in adversity! (Amos 6:6.) But, although reflecting no credit on the butler, it was wisely ordered, in the providence of God, that he should forget Joseph. The divine purposes required that the son of Israel should obtain his deliverance in another way, and by other means.

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See also Genesis 40:23 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Genesis 40:23. _YET DID NOT THE CHIEF BUTLER REMEMBER JOSEPH_] Had he mentioned the circumstance to Pharaoh, there is no doubt that Joseph's case would have been examined into, and he would in c...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    - Joseph in Prison An uncomplaining patience and an unhesitating hopefulness keep the breast of Joseph in calm tranquillity. There is a God above, and that God is with him. His soul swerves not from...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 40 JOSEPH THE INTERPRETER OF DREAMS _ 1. The fellow prisoners (Genesis 40:1)_ 2. The dream of the chief butler (Genesis 40:9) 3. The interpretation (Genesis 40:12) 4. Joseph's request ...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    GENESIS 40. JOSEPH INTERPRETS THEIR DREAMS TO PHARAOH'S TWO IMPRISONED OFFICERS. This chapter is from E, with harmonistic additions and touches from J (Genesis 40:3_ b_, Genesis 40:5_ b_, Genesis 40:1...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    The Fulfilment 20. _Pharaoh's birthday_ Cf. Matthew 14:6; Mark 6:21. Proclamations of amnesty on royal birthdays have been universal. They can be illustrated from the royal proclamations preserved in...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _forgat him_ These words are an artistic conclusion to this interesting section. The chief butler's forgetfulness, in the enjoyment of his own good fortune, (1) is sadly natural; (2) increases our sym...

  • Charles Simeon's Horae Homileticae

    DISCOURSE: 52 INGRATITUDE OF PHARAOH’S BUTLER Genesis 40:23. _Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him._ IT was a wise and prudent choice which David made, “Let me fall into the h...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    YET DID NOT, &C.— How easily doth men's own prosperity make them forget either the deservings in miseries of others! The behaviour of the butler represents strongly the conduct of too many in prosperi...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    2. _Joseph as Prisoner in Egypt_ (Genesis 39:1 to Genesis 41:45). 39 And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh'S, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of t...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    JOSEPH INTERPRETS THE DREAMS OF PHARAOH'S OFFICERS 1. Butler] rather, 'cupbearer,' a high court official: cp. Nehemiah 1:11; Nehemiah 2:1. BAKER] rather, 'cook.' It is conjectured that these official...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    GOD’S ANCIENT PEOPLE GENESIS _ALUN OWEN_ CHAPTER 40 THE *CUP-BEARER AND THE BAKER IN PRISON V1 Some time after this, the king of Egypt’s *cup-bearer offended his master the king. And the king’s...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    ‘He forgot him.’ This also was a part of God’s plan. The time had not come when Joseph should go to *Pharaoh. God planned that it would happen 2 years later. Sometimes we think that God works very slo...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וְ לֹֽא ־זָכַ֧ר שַֽׂר ־הַ מַּשְׁקִ֛ים אֶת

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    JOSEPH INTERPRETS TWO DREAMS Genesis 40:9 Joseph as an interpreter was among a thousand. Because his pure heart was open to God, he could unriddle the mysteries of human life. Very often those who wa...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The works of God are ever characterized by simplicity. No study is more fascinating in the Divine Oracles or in human experience than the wonderful mosaic of the divine government. If it may be stated...

  • Gary Hampton Commentaries

    GOD WAS WITH JOSEPH IN PRISON Again, the Lord was with Joseph. He caused the keeper of the prison to look on Joseph with mercy. Eventually, the keeper placed all under Joseph's authority, just as Pot...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Forgot. A thing too common among those who enjoy prosperity! (Haydock) --- God would not have his servants to trust in men. (Du Hamel) --- The butler was a figure of the good thief, as the baker repr...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    Ecclesiastes 9:15 REFLECTIONS Reader! mark this down in the memorandums of your life, that whether in a prison or a palace, the faithful have GOD for their portion. And what a sweet thought is it, th...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    Having already shown the position of Isaac, I resume briefly with the remark that he stands before us clearly as the representative of the Son, and this too as dead, risen, and in heaven. All will und...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    23._Yet did not the chief butler remember_. This was the most severe trial of Joseph’s patience, as we have before intimated. For since he had obtained an advocate who, without trouble, was able to ex...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 37 THROUGH 41. What follows from chapter 37 is the interesting history of Joseph, to which even children ever yield a ready ear, although ignorant of all the...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    YET DID NOT THE CHIEF BUTLER REMEMBER JOSEPH,.... To speak of him to Pharaoh, neither on that day in which he was restored, nor for a long time after, even for the space of two years, as seems from th...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him. Ver. 23. _Yet did not the chief butler._] Too many such butlers, that forget poor Joseph! What cares Nabal though David die at his door,...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _But forgat him_ Being again possessed of the emoluments of his office, and enjoying the pleasures of the court, the kindness which Joseph had shown him in interpreting his dreams, as well as all the...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 The Butler and Baker of Pharaoh in prison. 4 Ioseph hath charge of them. 5 He interpreteth their dreames. 20 They come to passe according to his interpretation. 23 The ingratitude of the Butler....

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    YET DID NOT THE CHIEF BUTLER REMEMBER JOSEPH, BUT FORGAT HIM. In the happiness attending his deliverance from prison he forgot the humble Hebrew of the prison, for such is the way of the world. Also i...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    THE DREAMS COME TRUE...

  • Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures

    FOURTH SECTION _Joseph as interpreter of the dreams of his fellow-prisoners_. GENESIS 40:1-23 1And it came to pass after these things _that_ the butler of the king of Egypt, and _his_ baker, had off...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    JOSEPH, INTERPRETER OF DREAMS Two men are seen now to be committed to Joseph's care in the prison, the cup bearer and the baker of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. It is not told us for what offenses they wer...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    20-23 Joseph's interpretation of the dreams came to pass on the very day fixed. On Pharaoh's birth-day, all his servants attended him, and then the cases of these two came to be looked into. We may a...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    i.e. Neglected him and his desire; as men in Scripture are oft said to _forget God, _ when they do not remember him so as to love and obey him, as PSALMS 106:13,21 HO 2:13....

  • Notes on the Pentateuch by Charles Henry Mackintosh

    In Genesis 1:23 Satan uses Potiphar's wife, and in Genesis 1:23 he uses Pharaoh's chief butler. The former he used to put Joseph into the dungeon; and the latter he used to keep him there, through his...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Genesis 40:23 chief H8269 butler H8248 (H8688) remember H2142 (H8804) Joseph H3130 forgot H7911 (H8799) but

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ‘And it happened on the third day, being Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants and he lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servan...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Joseph in prison in Egypt. Interprets dreams. CHARACTERS: Butler, baker, captain of guard, Joseph, Potiphar. CONCLUSION: Whatever our lot in God's providence, we may ever be a blessing to...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Genesis 40:4. _Captain of the guard;_ that is, Potiphar who had a controul over the gaoler. It would seem, by enlarging Joseph's liberty in prison, that he now believed his asseverations of innocence:...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _The captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them_ LIGHT UPON JOSEPH’S DESTINY This chapter discovers signs that Joseph was destined to fill an important place in the history of...

  • The children's great texts of the Bible by James Hastings

    A MAN WHO FORGOT Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgot him. Genesis 40:23. Some boys and girls very likeable ones too have a habit of forgetting things. I believe that as a boy P...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    GENESIS—NOTE ON GENESIS 40:23 THE CHIEF CUPBEARER DID NOT REMEMBER JOSEPH. The reader knows that God will “remember” Joseph, as he does other people (Genesis 8:1;...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    GENESIS—NOTE ON GENESIS 40:1 Some time after Joseph was imprisoned (ch. Genesis 39:1), two royal attendants are imprisoned for offending Pharaoh. With God’s help, Joseph interprets their dreams. This...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.— The butler.] “The cupbearer and overseer of the WINE—MAKING and storing and serving, an important officer of the king. (2 Kings 18:17.) He was now a state prisoner for an offence agai...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION GENESIS 40:1 AND IT CAME TO PASS (literally, _and it was_) AFTER THESE THINGS (literally, _words_, _i.e._ after the transactions just recorded), THAT THE BUTLER—מָשְׁקֶה, the hiph. part. o...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    For the correlating audio message go to Chapter 39 It came to pass after these things, that the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker had offended their lord the king of Egypt. And Pharaoh was ang...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    but forgat him. Job 19:14 Psalms 31:12 Psalms 105:19 Ecclesiastes 9:15...

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

    JOSEPH IN PRISON Genesis 40:1 INTRODUCTORY WORDS We left Joseph, in chapter 39, in prison under the order of Potiphar, captain of the guard. Chapter forty of Genesis discovers to us several importan...

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