Read Genesis 40 at Bible Gateway.
The Hebrew paragraph for this chapter …
40:1-23 {p} Joseph in prison
… makes its own Chiastic Structure.
Three is a Sign of Messiah, and threes figure prominently here. For the chief butler, three branches which budded meant three days according to Joseph’s interpretation. Besides the sign of three, Resurrection Life is also a Messianic Sign. Being cast into slavery or prison is a metaphor for death in prophetic contexts, because it ends the life previously known. The chief butler’s life “ended” when he was cast into prison, but on the third day he was raised up and his life was restored to him.
The chief baker had three baskets on his head, which also meant three days. But the chief baker would be lifted out of the prison house and executed for his crime on the third day, and so it was.
Why This Matters: The point is not so much that the chief baker’s outcome differed from the chief butler’s, but that two prisoners, two dreams, and two interpretations are a witness from God that the dreams and interpretations are from Him, for every fact is established on the testimony of two witnesses (Gen 41:32, Deu 19:15, Mat 18:16).
If there are questions, these are good resources:
Gen 40:1-23, Offense, anger, and vexation – Christine Miller
Genesis in Chiastic Structure – Christine Miller
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