Genesis 40-42 Joseph’s Dreams & Brothers

Thoughts

There is a lot of repetition of words and phrases in chapter 40

Joseph tells the cupbearer and baker that interpretations belong to God- in Egypt they would have had many ‘gods’ that they believed dreams were tied to – this was a bold monotheistic claim. He also mentions God (Elohim) to Potiphar’s wife. People know who he worships.

God speaks to non-believers in dreams more than believers in the Bible

In Genesis 37:24, Joseph is thrown into a pit וַיַּשְׁלִכוּאֹתוֹהַבּוֹרָה and now in Genesis 41:14, when Pharaoh calls for him, the text says he was quickly brought out of the pit וַיְרִיצֻהוּמִן־הַבּוֹר. The same word, בּוֹר (pit), is used in both moments!

I feel like it is strange that none of the magicians/wise men/etc were able to interpret Pharaoh’s dream. Dream interpretations were big in Egypt and they had manuals on dreams. God must have specifically blocked them from knowing – or the dream was so odd. Perhaps they also saw how troubled Pharaoh was and didn’t want to risk guessing.

Again Joseph telling now Pharaoh that the interpretations belong to God which is a bold and powerful claim after being released from prison as Pharaohs tended to see themselves as a god. He doesn’t do this when he had his dreams at 17. He seems to have gained wisdom.

Joseph went from chains in prison to wearing the gold chain of Pharaoh

Joseph’s Egyptian name Zaphenath-paneah (צָפְנַת פַּעְנֵחַ) is a bit of a mystery because it’s Egyptian in origin but transmitted through Hebrew letters, so scholars have debated its meaning for centuries. Most suggest it means “the god speaks and he lives”.

Joseph gives his sons Hebrew names instead of Egyptian showing how he still holds fast to his Hebrew identity.

Again Jacob holds a favorite son back (Benjamin)

Joseph’s brothers walked 250-300 miles (around 10-15 day trip) multiple times.

“We are honest men” are you?

Questions

I wonder what the baker and cupbearer did??

How long did it take Joseph to learn Egyptian?

Why does Joseph phrase it like this to the baker: In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head—from you!—and hang you on a tree. And the birds will eat the flesh from you. (Hebrew is similar). I wonder if he did a dramatic pause?

So was the butler innocent and the baker guilty? Or was did the butler serve his time? Or did Pharaoh just want someone to serve him wine on his birthday?

Could Joseph had asked someone to remind the butler in the 2 years that he was in prison?

I wonder why Joseph didn’t carry Jesus’ bloodline? Interesting redemption arc – he was mistreated and rejected, suffered unjustly, and became the savior of his people. Maybe he is used as a foreshadowing.

Genesis 41:49 “And Joseph stored up grain in great abundance, like the sand of the sea, until he ceased to measure it, for it could not be measured.” What did that look like? What else could they store? Leguuuuumes?

Did Joseph have to give his sons Egyptian names as well?

So did one brother actually leave and the rest are imprisoned? Who was the one brother? Or did Joseph change his mind and imprison all then leave Simeon behind?

Do you think Joseph told them to treat Simeon nicely in jail?

Application

God’s timing sticks out to me. Joseph received his dream when he was 17 but it did not come to fruition until he was around 40. In between that he was sold into slavery, falsely accused, imprisoned, and forgot about. I look back on times of hardship that made no sense to me but can see the overall picture now (or at least a better part of the picture). It’s comforting to read a story in the Bible of someone who actually stays faithful to God through the hard times, because it shows it IS possible to stay grounded in our faith.