Study notes

Genesis 40

Introducing GenesisWho wrote it, when, why, and what to look for as you read

39:1–41:57 Section

Even when Joseph wasn't in Canaan, God protected and blessed him. God had done the same thing with Jacob many years before.

Joseph had success as a manager in Potiphar’s house. Potiphar was the Egyptian official who bought Joseph as his slave.

Joseph had success as a manager in prison. He had success understanding what people’s dreams meant.

He also faced many problems. He had to work as a slave. He was put in prison even though he hadn’t done anything wrong. An official who could have helped him be set free from prison forgot about him.

Then God helped Joseph understand what Pharaoh’s dreams meant. After that, Pharaoh made Joseph the ruler of all of Egypt. Joseph made sure that there would be enough food during the years of terrible hunger.

40:1–4

Joseph was so faithful and reliable that the captain of the guard trusted him with the care of two of Pharaoh’s officers.

40:1–23

Joseph did not lose faith in God’s promises, as evidenced by his readiness to interpret the dreams of two prisoners. He was still convinced that God’s revelation in his own two dreams (37:5–11) was true, and he had not abandoned hope that they would be fulfilled. When the fellow prisoners’ dreams were fulfilled exactly as Joseph said, this confirmed that his previous dreams were from God.

40:5–8

  • Pharaoh’s cup-bearer and baker appeared worried because they sensed their futures were connected to these threatening and troubling dreams they could not understand.

  • Joseph still trusted that interpreting dreams was God's work. He knew he could understand them with God's help. He knew he had not misunderstood his own dreams.

40:9–19

Joseph listened to the dreams and gave their interpretations. These dreams were not trivial. They were serious warnings from God about what everyone would soon face. These two dreams also prepare for Pharaoh’s two dreams, which reveal the coming seasons of life and death that the nation would soon experience.

40:14–15

Because he knew that the chief cup-bearer was going back into Pharaoh’s personal service, Joseph saw an opportunity to seek his own release from prison.

40:20–22

The interpretations Joseph gave the prisoners proved true. The death of the chief baker speaks of the harsh realities of life in ancient Egypt, with a king whose word was his land’s highest law.

40:23

The chief cupbearer … did not remember Joseph: But God remembered him. Joseph's faith was about to be rewarded (chapter 41).

Verse notes: Adapted by Mission Mutual (Aquifer Open Study Notes) from Tyndale Open Study Notes © 2023 Tyndale House Publishers. CC BY-SA 4.0. Section notes: Biblica Study Notes © 2023 Biblica, Inc. CC BY-SA 4.0, via BibleAquifer. About the sources