Book List
Prev Genesis Chapter 40 Next
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50

Click *H for Haydock Commentary.
Click * Footnote to expand footnote
Click any word in Latin to activate the parser. Then click on the display to expand the parser.

40:1 His ita gestis, accidit ut peccarent duo eunuchi, pincerna regis Aegypti, et pistor, domino suo.
*H After this, it came to pass, that two eunuchs, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, offended their lord.


Ver. 1. Two eunuchs; chief officers, and high in dignity, as the Heb. expresses it, v. 2. H. — Offended, perhaps, by stealing, or by some treasonable conspiracy. M.

A.M. 2287, A.C. 1717.
40:2 Iratusque contra eos Pharao (nam alter pincernis praeerat, alter pistoribus),
*H And Pharao being angry with them, (now the one was chief butler, the other chief baker,)


Ver. 2. And, &c. Heb. "Pharao was enraged against two of his officers; against the chief of the butlers," &c. Mashkim. S. Jerom translates this word procurator domus, "steward of the house." C. xv. 2. No slave was entrusted with these high offices in the courts of Egypt and of Persia.

40:3 misit eos in carcerem principis militum, in quo erat vinctus et Joseph.
*H He sent them to the prison of the commander of the soldiers, in which Joseph also was prisoner.


Ver. 3. Commander. Putiphar. C. — Prisoner, though his chains were struck off. M.

40:4 At custos carceris tradidit eos Joseph, qui et ministrabat eis : aliquantulum temporis fluxerat, et illi in custodia tenebantur.
But the keeper of the prison delivered them to Joseph, and he served them. Some little time passed, and they were kept in custody.
40:5 Videruntque ambo somnium nocte una, juxta interpretationem congruam sibi :
*H And they both dreamed a dream the same night, according to the interpretation agreeing to themselves:


Ver. 5. According to, &c. foreshewing what would happen to them, as Joseph afterwards interpreted the dreams. T.

40:6 ad quos cum introisset Joseph mane, et vidisset eos tristes,
And when Joseph was come into them in the morning, and saw them sad,
40:7 sciscitatus est eos, dicens : Cur tristior est hodie solito facies vestra ?
He asked them, saying: Why is your countenance sadder today than usual?
40:8 Qui responderunt : Somnium vidimus, et non est qui interpretetur nobis. Dixitque ad eos Joseph : Numquid non Dei est interpretatio ? referte mihi quid videritis.
*H They answered: We have dreamed a dream, and there is nobody to interpret it to us. And Joseph said to them: Doth not interpretation belong to God? Tell me what you have dreamed:


Ver. 8. Doth not interpretation belong to God? When dreams are from God, as these were, the interpretation of them is a gift of God. But the generality of dreams are not of this sort; but either proceed from the natural complexions and dispositions of persons, or the roving of their imaginations in the day on such objects as they are much affected with, or from their mind being disturbed with cares and troubles, and oppressed with bodily infirmities: or they are suggested by evil spirits, to flatter, or to terrify weak minds; in order to gain belief, and so draw them into error or superstition; or at least to trouble them in their sleep, whom they cannot move while they are awake: so that the general rule, with regard to dreams, is not to observe them, nor to give any credit to them. Ch. — Physicians indeed, sometimes from some judgment of the nature of a distemper from dreams; on which subject, Hippocrates and Galen have written. But to pretend to discover by them the future actions of free agents, would be superstitious. Deut. xviii. 10. T. — Justin (xxxvi. 2,) says, "Joseph was the first interpreter of dreams, and often gave proofs of his knowledge," &c.

40:9 Narravit prior, praepositus pincernarum, somnium suum : Videbam coram me vitem,
The chief butler first told his dream: I saw before me a vine,
40:10 in qua erant tres propagines, crescere paulatim in gemmas, et post flores uvas maturescere :
On which were three branches, which by little and little sent out buds, and after the blossoms brought forth ripe grapes:
40:11 calicemque Pharaonis in manu mea : tuli ergo uvas, et expressi in calicem quem tenebam, et tradidi poculum Pharaoni.
And the cup of Pharao was in my hand: and I took the grapes, and pressed them into the cup which I held, and I gave the cup to Pharao.
40:12 Respondit Joseph : Haec est interpretatio somnii : tres propagines, tres adhuc dies sunt :
Joseph answered: This is the interpretation of the dream: The three branches, are yet three days:
40:13 post quos recordabitur Pharao ministerii tui, et restituet te in gradum pristinum : dabisque ei calicem juxta officium tuum, sicut ante facere consueveras.
After which Pharao will remember thy service, and will restore thee to thy former place: and thou shalt present him the cup according to thy office, as before thou was wont to do.
40:14 Tantum memento mei, cum bene tibi fuerit, et facias mecum misericordiam : ut suggeras Pharaoni ut educat me de isto carcere :
*H Only remember me when it shall be well with thee, and do me this kindness: to put Pharao in mind to take me out of this prison:


Ver. 14. Prison, after examining into the justice of my cause.

40:15 quia furto sublatus sum de terra Hebraeorum, et hic innocens in lacum missus sum.
*H For I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews, and here without any fault was cast into the dungeon.


Ver. 15. Hebrews. Chanaan, a foreign land with respect to Egypt, as was also Mesopotamia, where he was born. H. — Joseph only maintains his own innocence, without accusing any one. M.

40:16 Videns pistorum magister quod prudenter somnium dissolvisset, ait : Et ego vidi somnium : quod tria canistra farinae haberem super caput meum :
*H The chief baker seeing that he had wisely interpreted the dream, said: I also dreamed a dream, That I had three baskets of meal upon my head:


Ver. 16. Of meal. Heb. may also mean "white, full of holes," &c.

40:17 et in uno canistro quod erat excelsius, portare me omnes cibos qui fiunt arte pistoria, avesque comedere ex eo.
And that in one basket which was uppermost, I carried all meats that are made by the art of baking, and that the birds ate out of it.
40:18 Respondit Joseph : Haec est interpretatio somnii : tria canistra, tres adhuc dies sunt :
Joseph answered: This is the interpretation of the dream: The three baskets, are yet three days:
40:19 post quos auferet Pharao caput tuum, ac suspendet te in cruce, et lacerabunt volucres carnes tuas.
*H After which Pharao will take thy head from thee, and hang thee on a cross, and the birds shall tear thy flesh.


Ver. 19. From thee, by decapitation. This was customary, when a person's body was to be hung on the cross or gibbet. Deut. xxi. 22. Jos. x. 26. Lament. v. 12. 1 K. xxxi. 10. — Birds. So Horace says, pasces in cruce corvos.

40:20 Exinde dies tertius natalitius Pharaonis erat : qui faciens grande convivium pueris suis, recordatus est inter epulas magistri pincernarum, et pistorum principis.
*H The third day after this was the birthday of Pharao: and he made a great feast for his servants, and at the banquet remembered the chief butler, and the chief baker.


Ver. 20. Birth-day. This was a common practice among the pagans. S. Matt. xiv. 6. 2 Mac. vi. 7. C.

40:21 Restituitque alterum in locum suum, ut porrigeret ei poculum :
And he restored the one to his place, to present him the cup:
40:22 alterum suspendit in patibulo, ut conjectoris veritas probaretur.
*H The other he hanged on a gibbet, that the truth of the interpreter might be shewn.


Ver. 22. That, &c. Thus was verified the prediction of Joseph. M.

40:23 Et tamen succedentibus prosperis, praepositus pincernarum oblitus est interpretis sui.
*H But the chief butler, when things prospered with him, forgot his interpreter.


Ver. 23. Forgot. A thing too common among those who enjoy prosperity! H. — God would not have his servants to trust in men. D. — The butler was a figure of the good thief, as the baker represented the impenitent one, between whom our Saviour hung on the cross. C.

Prev Next