Genesis 40:13
In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office, and you shall place Pharaoh’s cup in his hand as formerly, when you were his cupbearer.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The phrase "lift up your head" signifies more than just restoration; it implies being recognized and favorably counted among Pharaoh's servants again, a custom often marked by formal pronouncements or lists, hinting at a deeper governmental process than a simple release. This emphasizes that Joseph's interpretation wasn't just a prediction, but an understanding of the king's administrative and ceremonial practices.
Pharaoh’s chief cupbearer and baker, now imprisoned under Joseph’s charge, each have a vivid dream. Joseph, after showing concern for their troubled spirits, interprets the dreams, revealing that the cupbearer will be restored to his position in three days, while the baker will be executed. This prediction comes as the two men have offended Pharaoh and been placed in the same prison where Joseph himself is held.
Joseph's ability to interpret dreams wasn't just a skill; it was a divine gift that God used to steer his life and the lives of others.
In Genesis 40, the dreams of the butler and baker weren't random nightmares. God used them as specific divine appointments, a way to orchestrate events. Joseph, recognizing this, humbly stated, 'Do not interpretations belong to God?' (Genesis 40:8). He didn't claim the gift for himself but pointed to its divine source. This shows us that even in difficult circumstances like a prison, God is actively working, using unique means to reveal His plans and bring about His purposes. These dreams weren't just about predicting the future; they were about God intervening in the present, setting the stage for Joseph's eventual release and promotion.
The phrase 'lift up your head' appears in the butler's prophecy, but its meaning shifts dramatically between the butler and the baker.
Joseph's interpretation of the butler's dream includes the phrase, 'Pharaoh will lift up your head' (Genesis 40:13). This meant restoration, a return to honor and favor. It signifies being raised from a low, sad state to a position of dignity. However, the same phrase applied to the baker, 'Pharaoh shall lift up thy head from thee' (Genesis 40:19), meant execution—literally, having his head severed. This stark contrast shows the precision and gravity of God's prophetic word, even when using familiar language. It highlights that God's pronouncements have real, life-altering consequences, whether for restoration or judgment.
Joseph's path to freedom wasn't a straight line. God used a period of waiting and disappointment to further His ultimate plan.
After accurately interpreting the dreams, Joseph asked the butler, 'But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh' (Genesis 40:14). He had every reason to expect immediate help. Yet, the butler 'did not remember Joseph, but forgot him' (Genesis 40:23). This period of forgottenness, lasting until Pharaoh's birthday (Genesis 40:20), illustrates that God's providence often works through unexpected delays and disappointments. Joseph's waiting wasn't passive idleness; it was a time for God to refine his character, test his faith, and prepare him for the even greater responsibilities he would later face. It teaches us that God's timing is perfect, even when it feels painfully slow to us.
Understand the original words
mashqeh · Hebrew Noun
A royal official responsible for testing and serving wine to a king, ensuring its quality and safety. In this context, it represents a high-ranking position of trust within the royal court.
This verse sits within a dramatic narrative of Joseph's life, moving from enslavement and false accusation to imprisonment, and finally to a crucial interpretation that sets the stage for his rise to power in Egypt.
c. 17 years prior to Genesis 40
Joseph sold into slavery
Joseph is sold into slavery by his brothers and taken to Egypt, eventually serving in Potiphar's household.
c. 10 years prior to Genesis 40
Joseph imprisoned
Joseph is falsely accused by Potiphar's wife and thrown into the prison of the guard house, where he eventually gains favor.
An unspecified period after Joseph's imprisonment
Butler and baker offend Pharaoh
The chief cupbearer and the chief baker of Pharaoh anger their lord, the king of Egypt.
While imprisoned with Joseph— this verse
Butler and baker's dreams
The cupbearer and the baker both have significant dreams, which Joseph interprets during their shared time in prison.
Three days after the dream interpretation
This passage uses the phrase 'lift up your head' in reference to the restoration of King Jehoiachin to his rightful place and dignity, mirroring the butler's restoration to his office and favor with Pharaoh.
Psalm 110:7This psalm speaks of one lifting their head after a period of suffering or lowliness, aligning with the butler's situation of being raised from prison to his former position.
Jeremiah 28:9This verse discusses prophets whose predictions come true, indicating God's true word, which directly relates to Joseph's accurate interpretation of the dreams as a sign of his prophetic gift.
Daniel 2:28Daniel also reveals God's power to make known mysteries, including dreams, paralleling Joseph's God-given ability to interpret the dreams of the butler and baker.
Luke 12:48This verse talks about accountability and stewardship, where more is required of those to whom more is given, reflecting Joseph's responsible use of his God-given gift of interpretation even while in distress.
calvinGenesis 40:1-23: "And 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."
Fuit autem, posthaec peccaverunt pincerna regis AEgypti, et pistor contra dominum suum regem. Aegypti, et pistor conra dominum suum regen. Aegypti.
And Pharaoh was wroth against two of his officers, against the chief of the butlers, and against the chief of the bakers.
Itaque iratus est Pharao contra utrumque satrapam suum, contra pr…
cambridgeGenesis 40:13: "Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thine head, and restore thee unto thy place: and thou shalt deliver Pharaoh's cup into his hand, after the former manner when thou wast his butler."
13 . lift up thine head ] i.e. “will lift it up with favour,” as in 2 Kings 25:27 ; Jeremiah 52:31 . The “countenance,” which is sad, or in trouble, hangs down and needs to be lifted up: see note on Genesis 4:6-7 . As the phrase is also used of “the chief baker” in an unfavourable sense (…
The phrase "lift up your head" signifies more than just restoration; it implies being recognized and favorably counted among Pharaoh's servants again, a custom often marked by formal pronouncements or lists, hinting at a deeper governmental process than a simple release. This emphasizes that Joseph's interpretation wasn't just a prediction, but an understanding of the king's administrative and ceremonial practices.
Pharaoh’s chief cupbearer and baker, now imprisoned under Joseph’s charge, each have a vivid dream. Joseph, after showing concern for their troubled spirits, interprets the dreams, revealing that the cupbearer will be restored to his position in three days, while the baker will be executed. This prediction comes as the two men have offended Pharaoh and been placed in the same prison where Joseph himself is held.
Pharaoh’s chief cupbearer and baker, now imprisoned under Joseph’s charge, each have a vivid dream. Joseph, after showing concern for their troubled spirits, interprets the dreams, revealing that the cupbearer will be restored to his position in three days, while the baker will be executed. This prediction comes as the two men have offended Pharaoh and been placed in the same prison where Joseph himself is held.
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Pharaoh's Birthday Feast
Pharaoh celebrates his birthday with a feast, during which he remembers his officials and acts upon Joseph's interpretations.
c. 2 years after the butler's release
Pharaoh's troubled dreams
Pharaoh himself begins to have disturbing dreams, which the chief cupbearer, now restored to his position, remembers Joseph's ability to interpret.
"In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office, and you shall place Pharaoh’s cup in his hand as formerly, when you were his cupbearer." — The phrase "lift up your head" signifies more than just restoration; it implies being recognized and favorably counted among Pharaoh's servants again, a custom often marked by formal pronouncements o…
