Genesis 40:20

_AND IT CAME TO PASS THE THIRD DAY, WHICH WAS PHARAOH'S BIRTHDAY, THAT HE MADE A FEAST UNTO ALL HIS_ _ SERVANTS: AND HE LIFTED UP THE HEAD OF THE CHIEF BUTLER AND OF THE CHIEF BAKER AMONG HIS SERVANTS._ The third day ... Pharaoh's birthday. This was a holiday season, celebrated at court with great magnificence, and honoured by a free pardon to prisoners. Accordingly the issue happened to the butler and baker as Joseph had foretold. Doubtless he felt it painful to communicate such dismal tidings to the baker; but he could not help announcing what God had revealed to him; and it was for the honour of the true God that he should speak plainly....

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 all profitably take notice of our birth-days, with thankfulness for the mercies of our birth, sorrow for the sinfulness of our lives, and expectation of the day of our death, as better than the day of our birth. But it seems strange that worldly people, who are so fond of living here, should rejoice at the end of one year after another of their short span of life. A Christian has cause to rejoice that he was born, also that he comes nearer to the end of his sin and sorrow, and nearer to his everlasting happiness. The chief butler remembered not Joseph, but forgot him. Joseph had deserved well at his hands, yet he forgot him. We must not think it strange, if in this world we have hatred shown...

Verse Genesis 40:20. _PHARAOH'S BIRTHDAY_] The distinguishing a birthday by a feast appears from this place to have been a very ancient custom. It probably had its origin from a correct notion of the immortality of the soul, as the _commencement_ of life must appear of great consequence to that person who believed he was to live for ever. St. Matthew (Matthew 14:6) mentions Herod's keeping his birthday; and examples of this kind are frequent to the present time in most nations. _LIFTED UP THE HEAD OF THE CHIEF BUTLER, C._] By lifting up the head, probably no more is meant than bringing them to trial, tantamount to what was done by Jezebel and the nobles of Israel to Naboth: _Set Naboth on high among the people and set two men, sons_ of Belial, to bear witnes

- 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 this feeling. Meanwhile, new and distinguished prisoners are introduced into his place of confinement. Genesis 40:1 The chief butler and chief baker, high officials in Pharaoh’s court, come under the displeasure of their sovereign. “In the house of the captain of the guards.” It appears that this officer’s establishment contained the keep in which Joseph and these criminals were confined. “Charged Joseph with them.” As Joseph was his slave, and these were state prisoners, he appointed him to wait upon them. It is probable that Joseph’s character had been somewhat re-established with him during

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. of שָׁקָה, to drink, signifies one who causes to drink, hence cupbearer (cf. Genesis 40:11)—OF THE KING OF EGYPT AND HIS BAKER—the אֹפֶה (part. of אָפָה, to cook or bake) was the officer who prepared the king's food. The monuments show that the Egyptians had carried the arts of the confectioner and cook to a high degree of perfection—HAD OFFENDED (or sinned against) THEIR LORD (literally, _against, _the preposition being repeated) the king

AND IT CAME TO PASS THE THIRD DAY, [WHICH WAS] PHARAOH'S BIRTHDAY,.... The third day from the time the dreams were told, and the interpretation of them given, was the birthday of Pharaoh; either the day in which a son of his was born, or in which he himself was born, as Ben Melech observes; but the latter is more probable, since the former could not with propriety be called Pharaoh's birthday; and this might be either the day of his natural birth, or of his political birth, the time of his accession to the throne, which with the Romans was called "natalis imperii", and was observed with feasting and rejoicing c, as well as the former, both among them and other nations: it is most likely this was Pharaoh's natural birthday, which was observed among the Egyptians as birthdays were among the Persians d, and as Herod's was at his court in the days of Christ, Matthew 14:6; and as is usual in...

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 (Genesis 40:14) 5. The dream of the chief baker (Genesis 40:16) 6. The interpretation (Genesis 40:18) 7. The fulfilment (Genes

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 40:15_ b_). The two officers are in custody, till their case is decided, in the captain's house (not in the prison or Round House as Genesis 40:3_ b_ states). Joseph waits on them, not as a prisoner but as the captain's slave. They attach great importance to dreams, and with their fate hanging in the balance, are troubled that they can consult no interpreter. Joseph piously reminds them that interpretations belong to God, and inter

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 Egyptian inscriptions. The title "Pharaoh" (Egypt. _Pr-ô_, "Great House") is constantly used without a personal surname before the 22nd Dynasty (945 745 b.c.)....

PHARAOH'S BIRTH-DAY— The antiquity of celebrating birth-days is hence observable. Some think that the phrase _lifted up the head,_ as applied to the elevation of one officer and the destruction of the other, is ambiguous, like the word _tollo_ in the Latin tongue, under which Cicero is said to have concealed his advice for putting Augustus to death, writing to his friend, _tollendum esse juvenem._...