Genesis 40:1-23, Triennial Chateu, “They offended” Outline

Read Genesis 40:1-23 at Bible Gateway.
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Hebrew paragraph divisions

Gen 40:1-23 {p} Joseph in prison

Strong themes of the parashah

Same

Gen 40:1-23 chiastic structure

1a) Gen 40:1-4, The chief butler + baker offended Pharaoh, so he confined them in the prison house;

1b) Gen 40:5-8, They each dream a dream + Joseph: interpretations belong to God;

1c) Gen 40:9-14, The chief butler’s dream and interpretation;

central axis) Gen 40:14-15, Joseph: Remember me to Pharaoh for I have done nothing deserving of prison;

2c) Gen 40:16-19, The chief baker’s dream and interpretation;

2b) Gen 40:20a, The interpretation came to pass on the third day;

2a) Gen 40:20b-23, Pharaoh lifted butler + baker from prison/ restored one + hanged other, according to the interpretation.

Theme of the parashah

Joseph in prison/ Remember me to Pharaoh

Finding Messiah in Torah

Three is a sign of Messiah in Torah, and in today’s passage threes figure prominently. In the chief butler’s dream, the vine had three branches which budded, and Joseph’s interpretation was that the three branches meant three days. On the third day, Pharaoh will raise him up out of the prison house and restore his former life to him. Besides the sign of three, this is also the sign of resurrection and life. We saw that being cast into slavery or being cast into prison was a Torah metaphor for death, for it ends the life previously led. So the chief butler’s previous life was ended when he was cast into prison, but on the third day (according to the interpretation) he would be raised up and his life would be restored to him.

In the chief baker’s dream, he had three baskets on his head, and Joseph’s interpretation was that the three baskets also meant three days. But on the third day, the chief baker would be lifted out of the prison house and executed for his crime. I think the point is not so much that the chief baker’s outcome was different 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).

Additional readings for this parashah

Psa 33 (my notes) | Amo 1 (my notes) | 2 Cor 9 (my notes)