Genesis 40:5
in Genesis 40both of these men—the Egyptian king’s cupbearer and baker, who were being held in the prison—had a dream on the same night, and each dream had its own meaning.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And they dreamed a dream both of them, each man his dream, in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were bound in the prison.
KJV
And they dreamed a dream both of them, each man his dream in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, which were bound in the prison.
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This verse in Genesis 40
Commentary
4 notes on this verseEach man according to the interpretation - Not like dreams in general, the disordered workings of the mind, the consequence of disease or repletion; these were dreams that had an interpretation, that is, that were prophetic.
This site's exposition
had a dream on the same night
on Genesis 40:5-7
Two men dream on the same night, and each carries a meaning of its own. Clarke reads both as dreams with an interpretation waiting in them. Joseph comes in the morning, sees that they are distraught, and asks why their faces are downcast. He is the one man in Genesis whose own dreams nobody ever interprets for him.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And they dreamed a dream both of them,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
they dreamed a dream--Joseph, influenced by the spirit of true religion, could feel for others (Ec 4:1; Observing them one day extremely depressed, he inquired the cause of their melancholy; and being informed it was owing to a dream they had respectively dreamed during the previous night, after piously directing them to God (Da 2:30;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-parens
The words behind it
19 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּֽחַלְמוּ֩ | vaiyachalmu | and they dreamed | H2492 → | 29 times |
| חֲל֨וֹם | chalom | a dream | H2472 → | 65 times |
| שְׁנֵיהֶ֜ם | sheneihem | both of them | H8147 → | 768 times |
| אִ֤ישׁ | ʾish | each | H376 → | 1663 times |
| חֲלֹמוֹ֙ | chalomo | own dream his | H2472 → | 65 times |
| בְּלַ֣יְלָה | belaylah | in a night | H3915 → | 233 times |
| אֶחָ֔ד | ʾechad | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| אִ֖ישׁ | ʾish | each | H376 → | 1663 times |
| כְּפִתְר֣וֹן | kefitron | according to [the] interpretation of | H6623 → | 5 times |
| חֲלֹמ֑וֹ | chalomo | dream his | H2472 → | 65 times |
| הַמַּשְׁקֶ֣ה | hamashkeh | the cup bearer | H4945 → | 19 times |
| וְהָאֹפֶ֗ה | vehaopeh | and the baker | H644 → | 25 times |
| אֲשֶׁר֙ | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לְמֶ֣לֶךְ | lemelekh | [belonged] to [the] king of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| מִצְרַ֔יִם | mitzrayim | Egypt | H4714 → | 641 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אֲסוּרִ֖ים | ʾasurim | [were] imprisoned | H631 → | 72 times |
| בְּבֵ֥ית | beveit | in [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| הַסֹּֽהַר׃ | hasohar | the prison | H5470 → | 8 times |
וַיַּֽחַלְמוּ֩and they dreamed
vaiyachalmuH2492 →29 times
חֲל֨וֹםa dream
chalomH2472 →65 times
שְׁנֵיהֶ֜םboth of them
sheneihemH8147 →768 times
אִ֤ישׁeach
ʾishH376 →1663 times
חֲלֹמוֹ֙own dream his
chalomoH2472 →65 times
בְּלַ֣יְלָהin a night
belaylahH3915 →233 times
אֶחָ֔דone
ʾechadH259 →971 times
אִ֖ישׁeach
ʾishH376 →1663 times
כְּפִתְר֣וֹןaccording to [the] interpretation of
kefitronH6623 →5 times
חֲלֹמ֑וֹdream his
chalomoH2472 →65 times
הַמַּשְׁקֶ֣הthe cup bearer
hamashkehH4945 →19 times
וְהָאֹפֶ֗הand the baker
vehaopehH644 →25 times
אֲשֶׁר֙who
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
לְמֶ֣לֶךְ[belonged] to [the] king of
lemelekhH4428 →2525 times
מִצְרַ֔יִםEgypt
mitzrayimH4714 →641 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
אֲסוּרִ֖ים[were] imprisoned
ʾasurimH631 →72 times
בְּבֵ֥יתin [the] house of
beveitH1004 →2046 times
הַסֹּֽהַר׃the prison
hasoharH5470 →8 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
6 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Daniel 4:19For a time, Daniel, who was also known as Belteshazzar, was perplexed, and his thoughts alarmed him. So the king said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation alarm you.” “My lord,”…
it leads to
- Daniel 8:27
I, Daniel, was exhausted and lay ill for days. Then I got up and went about the king’s business. I was confounded by the vision; it was beyond understanding.
- Daniel 7:28
Thus ends the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts troubled me greatly, and my face turned pale. But I kept the matter to myself.”
- Daniel 4:24
This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree that the Most High has issued against my lord the king:
- 2 Samuel 18:31–32
Just then the Cushite came and said, “May my lord the king hear the good news: Today the LORD has avenged you of all who rose up against you!”
- 1 Samuel 3:17
“What was the message He gave you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide it from me. May God punish you, and ever so severely, if you hide from me anything He said to you.”
- Daniel 8:27
Through
Genesis 41:11One night both the chief baker and I had dreams, and each dream had its own meaning.
it leads to
- Genesis 40:5–8
both of these men—the Egyptian king’s cupbearer and baker, who were being held in the prison—had a dream on the same night, and each dream had its own meaning.
- Genesis 40:5–8
About Genesis
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Chuck Missler, The Book of Genesis; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763).