The history of this chapter is, the imprisonment of two of Pharaoh’s officers, his chief butler and chief baker, who by the captain of the guard were made the charge of Joseph, Gen.

And it came to pass after these things After Joseph had been accused and cast into prison, where he had been for some time: that the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker had offended their lord the king of Egypt; committed some fault, at least were accused of one, which raised his displeasure…

And Pharaoh was wroth against two of his officers The same above mentioned: against the chief of the butlers, and against the chief of the bakers; for as there were several butlers and bakers that belonged unto him, who were employed in providing wine and food for him, there was one of each who was…

And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard Who is generally thought to be Potiphar, since this was the office he was in, ; unless he was dead, and there was another put into his room, or there were more than one in the same office: into the prison, the place where Joseph was…

And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them Committed them to his care and custody, he being very probably recommended to him by the keeper of the prison for his prudence and fidelity; and if it was Potiphar, he knew his character full well, and might be now reconciled unto him, as having…

And they dreamed a dream both of them Not one and the same dream: each man his dream in one night; which made it the more remarkable, and the more impressed their minds, concluding from hence there must be something of importance in their dreams: each man according to the interpretation of his…

And Joseph came in unto them in the morning For though Joseph and they were in the same prison, yet not in the same ward. Aben Ezra thinks that Joseph lodged in the dungeon in the night, ; and was let out in the morning to wait on these prisoners; but the great interest he had in the keeper of the…

And he asked Pharaoh’s officers that were with him The chief butler and baker that were committed to his care, and with whom he now was, in the ward of the lord’s house; this seems to confirm what is before observed, that the captain of the guard that charged Joseph with them was Potiphar his…

And they said unto him, we have dreamed a dream Each of them: and there is no interpreter of it; in that place in which they were, the prison; otherwise there were persons enough in the land that pretended to the interpretation of dreams, ; but they could not come at them, being in prison: and…

And the chief butler told his dream to Joseph He listened to what Joseph said, and paid a regard to it, and began to think he might be able to interpret his dream, and therefore was forward, and the first to tell him it at once; whereas the chief baker did not seem disposed to do it, until he…

And in the vine were three branches Which shot out from the root or body of it: and it was as though it budded; the branches seemed to sprout out: and her blossoms shot forth; it knotted, and the flowers of the vine appeared, which blowing off, the tender grapes were seen: and the clusters thereof…

And Pharaoh’s cup was in his hand So it seemed to him in his dream, as it often had been when in his office: and I took the grapes; from off the vine that was before him: and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup; which some think was the custom of those times, to take a bunch of grapes and squeeze them…

And Joseph said unto him, this is the interpretation of it, &c.] Of the dream: the three branches are three days; signify three days, or, as Jarchi expresses it, are a sign of three days; which Joseph could know only by divine revelation; for there is no more likeness between branches and days,…

Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thine head The Targum of Jonathan adds, with glory; and the sense is, either that Pharaoh would raise him up from the low estate in which he now was, to the same exalted station in which he had been before; or that he would reckon and number him among his…

But think on me, when it shall be well with thee He desires no reward for the interpretation of his dream, only that he would remember him in adversity, when he should be in prosperity in Pharaoh’s court, and speak a good word for him, which was the least he could do; and though Joseph knew by his…

For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews, &c.] Not the whole land of Canaan, so called, either from the Hebrews sojourning: in it, or from its being given unto them by God; neither of which could be a reason why Joseph, when talking with an Egyptian, should give it this name, and…

When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, &c.] Meaning not that it was right and just, though it was; but that it was agreeable and pleasing, and portended good in the event; and therefore hoped a like interpretation would be given of his dream, and this encouraged him to tell it,…

And in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of bakemeats for Pharaoh All sorts of pastry, as tarts, pies, &c. Josephus [[1]] says, two of the baskets were full of bread, and the third had various sorts of food, such as is usually, prepared for kings: and the birds did eat them out of the…

And Joseph answered and said Immediately, directly, without any further thought and meditation, being divinely instructed: this is the interpretation thereof; of the above dream: the three baskets are three days; signify three days.

Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thine head from off thee Order thee to be beheaded; so the Targum of Jonathan and Ben Melech interpret it, “Pharaoh shall remove thy head from thy body with a sword:” and shall hang thee on a tree; his body after his head was severed from it, this should…

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…

And he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again, &c.] Put him into the same office he was in before: and he gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand; ministered to him in his office the same day, according to his dream and the interpretation of it: the Targum of Jonathan adds this as a reason of…

But he hanged the chief baker The is, he ordered him to be hanged; because, as the same Targum says, he consulted to kill him (Pharaoh): as Joseph had interpreted to them; the events as to both answered to the interpretation Joseph had given of their several dreams.

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 the following chapter: but forgot him; never more thought of him, of the favour he had done him in…