Genesis 40:18

THE MESSAGE

Joseph said, "This is the interpretation: The three baskets are three days; within three days Pharaoh will take off your head, impale you on a post, and the birds will pick your bones clean."

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Yosef answered, "This is the interpretation of it. The three baskets are three days.

King James Version
And Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation thereof: The three baskets are three days:

Lexham English Bible
Then Joseph answered and said, "This is its interpretation: The three baskets, they are three days.

New Century Version
Joseph answered, "I will tell you what the dream means. The three baskets stand for three days.

New English Translation
Joseph replied, "This is its meaning: The three baskets represent three days.

Amplified Bible
Joseph answered, "This is the interpretation of it: the three baskets represent three days;

New American Standard Bible
Then Joseph answered and said, "This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days;

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then Ioseph answered, and saide, This is the interpretation thereof: The three baskets are three dayes:

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Joseph answered and said, "This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days;

Contemporary English Version
Joseph said: This is the meaning of your dream. The three baskets are three days,

Complete Jewish Bible
Yosef answered, "Here is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days.

Darby Translation
And Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation of it: the three baskets are three days.

Easy-to-Read Version
Joseph answered, "I will tell you what the dream means. The three baskets mean three days.

English Standard Version
And Joseph answered and said, "This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days.

George Lamsa Translation
And Joseph answered and said to him, This is the interpretation of your dream: The three baskets are three days;

Good News Translation
Joseph answered, "This is what it means: the three baskets are three days.

Christian Standard Bible®
“This is its interpretation,” Joseph replied. “The three baskets are three days.

Literal Translation
And Joseph answered and said, This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Ioseph answered, and sayde: This is the interpretacion: The thre baßkettes are thre dayes,

American Standard Version
And Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation thereof: the three baskets are three days;

Bible in Basic English
Then Joseph said, This is the sense of your dream: the three baskets are three days;

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Ioseph aunswered and saide: this is the interpretation thereof. The three baskettes, are three dayes:

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Joseph answered and said: 'This is the interpretation thereof: the three baskets are three days;

King James Version (1611)
And Ioseph answered, and said, This is the interpretation thereof: the three baskets are three dayes:

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Joseph answered and said to him, This is the interpretation of it; The three baskets are three days.

English Revised Version
And Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation thereof: the three baskets are three days;

Berean Standard Bible
Joseph replied, "This is the interpretation: The three baskets are three days.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Joseph answerde, This is the expownyng of the dreem; thre panyeris ben yit thre daies,

Young's Literal Translation
And Joseph answereth and saith, `This [is] its interpretation: the three baskets are three days;

Update Bible Version
And Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation thereof: the three baskets are three days;

Webster's Bible Translation
And Joseph answered, and said, This [is] the interpretation of it: The three baskets [are] three days:

World English Bible
Joseph answered, "This is the interpretation of it. The three baskets are three days.

New King James Version
So Joseph answered and said, "This is the interpretation of it: The three baskets are three days.

New Living Translation
"This is what the dream means," Joseph told him. "The three baskets also represent three days.

New Life Bible
Then Joseph answered, "This is the meaning of it: The three baskets are three days.

New Revised Standard
And Joseph answered, "This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days;

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Joseph responded and said, This, is the interpretation thereof, The three baskets, are, three days:

Douay-Rheims Bible
Joseph answered: This is the interpretation of the dream: The three baskets, are yet three days:

Revised Standard Version
And Joseph answered, "This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days;

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then Joseph answered and said, "This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days;

Contextual Overview

⁵ As time went on, it happened that the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt crossed their master, the king of Egypt. Pharaoh was furious with his two officials, the head cupbearer and the head baker, and put them in custody under the captain of the guard; it was the same jail where Joseph was held. The captain of the guard assigned Joseph to see to their needs. After they had been in custody for a while, the king's cupbearer and baker, while being held in the jail, both had a dream on the same night, each dream having its own meaning. When Joseph arrived in the morning, he noticed that they were feeling low. So he asked them, the two officials of Pharaoh who had been thrown into jail with him, "What's wrong? Why the long faces?" They said, "We dreamed dreams and there's no one to interpret them." Joseph said, "Don't interpretations come from God? Tell me the dreams." First the head cupbearer told his dream to Joseph: "In my dream there was a vine in front of me with three branches on it: It budded, blossomed, and the clusters ripened into grapes. I was holding Pharaoh's cup; I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh's cup, and gave the cup to Pharaoh." Joseph said, "Here's the meaning. The three branches are three days. Within three days, Pharaoh will get you out of here and put you back to your old work—you'll be giving Pharaoh his cup just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer. Only remember me when things are going well with you again—tell Pharaoh about me and get me out of this place. I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews. And since I've been here, I've done nothing to deserve being put in this hole." When the head baker saw how well Joseph's interpretation turned out, he spoke up: "My dream went like this: I saw three wicker baskets on my head; the top basket had assorted pastries from the bakery and birds were picking at them from the basket on my head." Joseph said, "This is the interpretation: The three baskets are three days; within three days Pharaoh will take off your head, impale you on a post, and the birds will pick your bones clean." And sure enough, on the third day it was Pharaoh's birthday and he threw a feast for all his servants. He set the head cupbearer and the head baker in places of honor in the presence of all the guests. Then he restored the head cupbearer to his cupbearing post; he handed Pharaoh his cup just as before. And then he impaled the head baker on a post, following Joseph's interpretations exactly. But the head cupbearer never gave Joseph another thought; he forgot all about him. ⁶ As time went on, it happened that the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt crossed their master, the king of Egypt. Pharaoh was furious with his two officials, the head cupbearer and the head baker, and put them in custody under the captain of the guard; it was the same jail where Joseph was held. The captain of the guard assigned Joseph to see to their needs. After they had been in custody for a while, the king's cupbearer and baker, while being held in the jail, both had a dream on the same night, each dream having its own meaning. When Joseph arrived in the morning, he noticed that they were feeling low. So he asked them, the two officials of Pharaoh who had been thrown into jail with him, "What's wrong? Why the long faces?" They said, "We dreamed dreams and there's no one to interpret them." Joseph said, "Don't interpretations come from God? Tell me the dreams." First the head cupbearer told his dream to Joseph: "In my dream there was a vine in front of me with three branches on it: It budded, blossomed, and the clusters ripened into grapes. I was holding Pharaoh's cup; I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh's cup, and gave the cup to Pharaoh." Joseph said, "Here's the meaning. The three branches are three days. Within three days, Pharaoh will get you out of here and put you back to your old work—you'll be giving Pharaoh his cup just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer. Only remember me when things are going well with you again—tell Pharaoh about me and get me out of this place. I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews. And since I've been here, I've done nothing to deserve being put in this hole." When the head baker saw how well Joseph's interpretation turned out, he spoke up: "My dream went like this: I saw three wicker baskets on my head; the top basket had assorted pastries from the bakery and birds were picking at them from the basket on my head." Joseph said, "This is the interpretation: The three baskets are three days; within three days Pharaoh will take off your head, impale you on a post, and the birds will pick your bones clean." And sure enough, on the third day it was Pharaoh's birthday and he threw a feast for all his servants. He set the head cupbearer and the head baker in places of honor in the presence of all the guests. Then he restored the head cupbearer to his cupbearing post; he handed Pharaoh his cup just as before. And then he impaled the head baker on a post, following Joseph's interpretations exactly. But the head cupbearer never gave Joseph another thought; he forgot all about him. ⁷ As time went on, it happened that the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt crossed their master, the king of Egypt. Pharaoh was furious with his two officials, the head cupbearer and the head baker, and put them in custody under the captain of the guard; it was the same jail where Joseph was held. The captain of the guard assigned Joseph to see to their needs. After they had been in custody for a while, the king's cupbearer and baker, while being held in the jail, both had a dream on the same night, each dream having its own meaning. When Joseph arrived in the morning, he noticed that they were feeling low. So he asked them, the two officials of Pharaoh who had been thrown into jail with him, "What's wrong? Why the long faces?" ⁸ They said, "We dreamed dreams and there's no one to interpret them." Joseph said, "Don't interpretations come from God? Tell me the dreams." ⁹First the head cupbearer told his dream to Joseph: "In my dream there was a vine in front of me with three branches on it: It budded, blossomed, and the clusters ripened into grapes. I was holding Pharaoh's cup; I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh's cup, and gave the cup to Pharaoh." ¹²Joseph said, "Here's the meaning. The three branches are three days. Within three days, Pharaoh will get you out of here and put you back to your old work—you'll be giving Pharaoh his cup just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer. Only remember me when things are going well with you again—tell Pharaoh about me and get me out of this place. I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews. And since I've been here, I've done nothing to deserve being put in this hole." ¹⁶When the head baker saw how well Joseph's interpretation turned out, he spoke up: "My dream went like this: I saw three wicker baskets on my head; the top basket had assorted pastries from the bakery and birds were picking at them from the basket on my head." ¹⁸Joseph said, "This is the interpretation: The three baskets are three days; within three days Pharaoh will take off your head, impale you on a post, and the birds will pick your bones clean."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Genesis 40:12, Genesis 41:26, 1 Corinthians 10:4, 1 Corinthians 11:24

Cross-References

Genesis 40:12
Joseph said, "Here's the meaning. The three branches are three days. Within three days, Pharaoh will get you out of here and put you back to your old work—you'll be giving Pharaoh his cup just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer. Only remember me when things are going well with you again—tell Pharaoh about me and get me out of this place. I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews. And since I've been here, I've done nothing to deserve being put in this hole."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Joseph answered and said,.... Immediately, directly, without any further thought and meditation, being divinely instructed:

this [is] the interpretation thereof; of the above dream:

the three baskets [are] three days; signify three days.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

- Joseph in Prison

An uncomplaining patience and an unhesitating hopefulness keep the breast of Joseph in calm tranquillity. There is a God above, and that God is with him. His soul swerves not from this feeling. Meanwhile, new and distinguished prisoners are introduced into his place of confinement.

Genesis 40:1-4

The chief butler and chief baker, high officials in Pharaoh’s court, come under the displeasure of their sovereign. “In the house of the captain of the guards.” It appears that this officer’s establishment contained the keep in which Joseph and these criminals were confined. “Charged Joseph with them.” As Joseph was his slave, and these were state prisoners, he appointed him to wait upon them. It is probable that Joseph’s character had been somewhat re-established with him during his residence in the prison.

Genesis 40:5-8

These prisoners dream, “each according to the interpretation of his dream,” the imagery of which was suited to indicate his future state. They were sad - anxious to know the meaning of these impressive dreams. “Why are your forces bad today?” Joseph keeps up his character of frank composure. “Do not interpretations belong to God?” In his past history he had learned that dreams themselves come from God. And when he adds, “Tell them now to me,” he intimates that God would enable him to interpret their dreams. Here again he uses the general name of God, which was common to him with the pagan.

Genesis 40:9-15

The chief butler now recites his dream. “Pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup.” The imagery of the dream is not intended to intimate that Pharaoh drank only the fresh juice of the grape. It only expresses by a natural figure the source of wine, and possibly the duty of the chief butler to understand and superintend the whole process of its formation. Egypt was not only a corn, but a vine country. The interpretation of this dream was very obvious and natural; yet not without a divine intimation could it be known that the “three branches were three days.” Joseph, in the quiet confidence that his interpretation would prove correct, begs the chief butler to remember him and endeavor to procure his release. “Stolen, stolen was I.” He assures him that he was not a criminal, and that his enslavement was an act of wrongful violence - a robbery by the strong hand. “From the land of the Hebrews;” a very remarkable expression, as it strongly favors the presumption that the Hebrews inhabited the country before Kenaan took possession of it. “I have not done aught.” Joseph pleads innocence, and claims liberation, not as an unmerited favor, but as a right. “The pit.” The pit without water seems to have been the primitive place of confinement for culprits.

Genesis 40:16-19

The chief baker is encouraged by this interpretation to tell his dream. “I also.” He anticipates a favorable answer, from the remarkable likeness of the dreams. “On my head.” It appears from the monuments of Egypt that it was the custom for men to carry articles on their heads. “All manner of baked meats” were also characteristic of a corn country. “Lift up thy head from upon thee.” This part of the interpretation proves its divine origin. And hang thee - thy body, after being beheaded. This was a constant warning to all beholders.

Genesis 40:20-23

The interpretations prove correct. “The birthday of Pharaoh.” It is natural and proper for men to celebrate with thanksgiving the day of their birth, as life is a pure and positive blessing. The benign Creator gives only a happy and precious form of existence to those whom he endows with the capacity of estimating its value. A birthday feast cannot be without a chief butler and a chief baker, and hence, the fate of these criminals must be promptly decided. “Lifted up the head;” a phrase of double meaning. The chief butler remembers not Joseph. This is a case of frequent occurrence in this nether world. But there is One above who does not forget him. He will deliver him at the proper time.