The Cupbearer and the Baker
Some time later, the king’s cupbearer and baker offended their master, the king of Egypt. Gen 40:13Est 6:1Neh 1:11Gen 39:20-23 Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, Pro 16:141Ch 27:27Act 12:20Pro 19:12Pro 19:19Pro 27:4Psa 76:10 and imprisoned them in the house of the captain of the guard, the same prison where Joseph was confined. Gen 39:20Gen 39:23 The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he became their personal attendant. Gen 37:36Gen 39:1Gen 39:21-23Psa 37:5
After they had been in custody for some time, both of these men—the Egyptian king’s cupbearer and baker, who were being held in the prison—had a dream on the same night, and each dream had its own meaning. Gen 41:11Dan 2:1-3Dan 4:19Dan 4:5Dan 4:9Dan 7:1-8Est 6:1Gen 12:1-7
When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were distraught. Dan 2:1-3Dan 4:5Dan 5:6Dan 7:28Dan 8:27Gen 40:8Gen 41:8 So he asked the officials of Pharaoh who were in custody with him in his master’s house, “Why are your faces so downcast today?” Neh 2:21Sa 1:82Sa 13:4Jdg 18:24Luk 24:17
“We both had dreams,” they replied, “but there is no one to interpret them.” Dan 2:47Gen 41:15-16Dan 2:281Co 12:10-11Amo 3:7Isa 8:19Dan 2:11Dan 4:8
Then Joseph said to them, “Don’t interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.”
So the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream: “In my dream there was a vine before me, Dan 2:31Dan 4:10-18Dan 4:8Gen 37:5-10Jdg 7:13-15 and on the vine were three branches. As it budded, its blossoms opened and its clusters ripened into grapes. Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, squeezed them into his cup, and placed the cup in his hand.” Neh 1:111Ki 10:52Ch 9:4Gen 40:21Gen 49:11Lev 10:9Pro 3:10
Joseph replied, “This is the interpretation: The three branches are three days. Gen 41:12Jdg 7:14Gen 40:18Gen 41:25-26Dan 2:36-45Dan 4:19-331Co 10:4Gal 4:25 Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore your position. You will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you did when you were his cupbearer. 2Ki 25:27Jer 52:31Psa 3:3Gen 40:19-22Gen 7:4 But when it goes well for you, please remember me and show me kindness by mentioning me to Pharaoh, that he might bring me out of this prison. Jos 2:121Sa 20:14-15Luk 23:421Ki 2:71Sa 25:312Sa 9:11Co 7:21 For I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing for which they should have put me in this dungeon.” 1Pe 3:17-18Gen 39:201Sa 24:111Ti 1:10Act 24:12-21Act 25:10-11Dan 6:22Deu 24:7
When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said to Joseph, “I too had a dream: There were three baskets of white bread on my head. Gen 40:1-2 In the top basket were all sorts of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.” Gen 49:201Ch 12:20
Joseph replied, “This is the interpretation: The three baskets are three days. Gen 40:121Co 10:41Co 11:24Gen 41:26 Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head and hang you on a tree. 1 Then the birds will eat the flesh of your body.” Gen 40:13Gen 40:221Sa 17:441Sa 17:462Sa 21:102Sa 21:6Act 20:27Deu 21:22-23
On the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he held a feast for all his officials, and in their presence he lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker. Gen 40:13Gen 40:19Mat 14:6Mrk 6:212Ki 25:27Est 1:3Gen 21:8Job 3:1 Pharaoh restored the chief cupbearer to his position, so that he once again placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand. Gen 40:13Neh 2:1 But Pharaoh hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had described to them in his interpretation. 2 Gen 40:19Act 5:30Dan 2:19-23Dan 2:30Dan 5:12Gen 40:8Gen 41:11-13Gen 41:16
The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot all about him. Job 19:14Psa 31:12Psa 105:19Amo 6:6Ecc 9:15-16