Back to Genesis 40

Genesis 40:19-22

Within three more days, Pharaoh will lift up your head from off you, and will hang you on a tree; and the birds will eat your flesh from off you.” On the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he made a feast for all his servants, and he lifted up the head of the chief cup bearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. He restored the chief cup bearer to his position again, and he gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand; but he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them.

World English Bible · Public Domain
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Genesis 40:19-22 sits inside this longer paragraph.

Joseph answered, “This is its interpretation. The three baskets are three days. Within three more days, Pharaoh will lift up your head from off you, and will hang you on a tree; and the birds will eat your flesh from off you.” On the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he made a feast for all his servants, and he lifted up the head of the chief cup bearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. He restored the chief cup bearer to his position again, and he gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand; but he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them. Yet the chief cup bearer didn’t remember Joseph, but forgot him.

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Parallel Translations

  • WEB World English Bible

    Within three more days, Pharaoh will lift up your head from off you, and will hang you on a tree; and the birds will eat your flesh from off you.”

    On the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he made a feast for all his servants, and he lifted up the head of the chief cup bearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants.

    He restored the chief cup bearer to his position again, and he gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand;

    but he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them.

  • KJV King James Version

    Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree; and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee.

    And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a feast unto all his servants: and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants.

    And he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again; and he gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand:

    But he hanged the chief baker: as Joseph had interpreted to them.

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  • JPS JPS Tanakh (1917)

    within yet three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree; and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee.'

    And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast unto all his servants; and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and the head of the chief baker among his servants.

    And he restored the chief butler back unto his butlership; and he gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand.

    But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them.

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Cross-references (37)

  • Genesis 40:13 (vv19–21) Within three more days, Pharaoh will lift up your head, and restore you to your office. You will give Pharaoh’s cup into his hand, the way…
  • Genesis 40:19 (vv20, 22) Within three more days, Pharaoh will lift up your head from off you, and will hang you on a tree; and the birds will eat your flesh from…
  • Matthew 14:6 (v20) But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced among them and pleased Herod.
  • Nehemiah 2:1 (v21) In the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, when wine was before him, I picked up the wine, and gave it to the king.…
  • Mark 6:21 (v20) Then a convenient day came, that Herod on his birthday made a supper for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee.
Show all 34 cross-references
  • Genesis 21:8 (v20) The child grew and was weaned. Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned.
  • Genesis 40:22 (v19) but he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them.
  • 2 Kings 25:27 (v20) In the thirty-seventh year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month,…
  • Esther 1:3 (v20) in the third year of his reign, he made a feast for all his princes and his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes…
  • Job 3:1 (v20) After this Job opened his mouth, and cursed the day of his birth.
  • Matthew 18:23-25 (v20) Therefore the Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king, who wanted to reconcile accounts with his servants. When he had begun to reconcile,…
  • Genesis 40:8 (v22) They said to him, “We have dreamed a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it.” Joseph said to them, “Don’t interpretations belong…
  • Genesis 40:17 (v19) In the uppermost basket there were all kinds of baked food for Pharaoh, and the birds ate them out of the basket on my head.”
  • Genesis 41:11-13 (v22) We dreamed a dream in one night, he and I. Each man dreamed according to the interpretation of his dream. There was with us there a young…
  • Genesis 41:13 (v19) As he interpreted to us, so it was. He restored me to my office, and he hanged him.”
  • Genesis 41:16 (v22) Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “It isn’t in me. God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.”
  • Deuteronomy 21:22-23 (v19) If a man has committed a sin worthy of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain all night on…
  • Joshua 8:29 (v19) He hanged the king of Ai on a tree until the evening. At sundown, Joshua commanded, and they took his body down from the tree and threw it…
  • Joshua 10:26 (v19) Afterward Joshua struck them, put them to death, and hanged them on five trees. They were hanging on the trees until the evening.
  • 1 Samuel 17:44 (v19) The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky, and to the animals of the field.”
  • 1 Samuel 17:46 (v19) Today, Yahweh will deliver you into my hand. I will strike you, and take your head from off you. I will give the dead bodies of the army of…
  • 2 Samuel 21:6 (v19) let seven men of his sons be delivered to us, and we will hang them up to Yahweh in Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of Yahweh.” The king said,…
  • 2 Samuel 21:10 (v19) Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it for herself on the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water poured on them…
  • Proverbs 30:17 (v19) “The eye that mocks at his father, and scorns obedience to his mother: the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, the young eagles shall…
  • Jeremiah 23:28 (v22) The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream; and he who has my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the straw to the…
  • Ezekiel 39:4 (v19) You will fall on the mountains of Israel, you, and all your hordes, and the peoples who are with you. I will give you to the ravenous birds…
  • Daniel 2:19-23 (v22) Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered, “Blessed be the…
  • Daniel 2:30 (v22) But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but to the intent that the interpretation…
  • Daniel 5:12 (v22) because an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, interpreting of dreams, showing of dark sentences, and dissolving of doubts were…
  • Matthew 25:19 (v20) “Now after a long time the lord of those servants came, and reconciled accounts with them.
  • Luke 16:1-2 (v20) He also said to his disciples, “There was a certain rich man who had a manager. An accusation was made to him that this man was wasting his…
  • Acts 5:30 (v22) The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you killed, hanging him on a tree.
  • Acts 20:27 (v19) for I didn’t shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.
  • Galatians 3:13 (v19) Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. For it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree,”

34 distinct cross-references across this passage (37 total citations).

Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)

Explain this passage (19 sources)

Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.

John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain On v19 19. Pharaoh shall lift up thy head from off…

19. Pharaoh shall lift up thy head from off thee. This phrase (in the original) is ambiguous without some addition; and may be taken in a good or a bad sense; just as we say, “With regard to any one,” or “With respect to him;” here the expression is added “from thee.” Yet there seems to be an allusion of this kind, as if Joseph had said, “Pharaoh will lift up thy head, that he may take it off.” Now, when Moses relates, that what Joseph had predicted happened to both of them, he proves by this sign that Joseph was a true prophet of God, as it is written in Jeremiah. (Jeremiah 28:9.) For that the prophets sometimes threatened punishments, which God abstained from inflicting, was done for this reason, because to such prophecies a condition was annexed. But when the Lord speaks positively by his servants, it is necessary that whatever he predicts should be confirmed by the result. Therefore, Moses expressly commends in Joseph, his confidence in the heavenly oracle. With regard to what Moses records, that Pharaoh celebrated his birthday by a great feast, we know that this custom has always been in use, not only among kings, but also among plebeian men. Nor is the custom to be condemned, if only men would keep the right end in view; namely, that of giving thanks unto God by whom they were created and brought up, and whom they have found, in innumerable ways, to be a beneficent Father. But such is the depravity of the world, that it greatly distorts those things which formerly were honestly instituted by their fathers, into contrary corruptions. Thus, by a vicious practice, it has become common for nearly all to abandon themselves to luxury and wantonness on their birthday. In short, they keep up the memory of God, as the Author of their life, in such a manner as if it were their set purpose to forget Him.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On v20 Which was an occasion to appoint his officers, and…
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv19, 20, 22 Gen 40:19 Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift…
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv19–20 From off thee. This clause is industriously added here…
Matthew Henry 1710 · Public Domain On v20 Here is, 1. The verifying of Joseph's interpretation of…
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv19–22 Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thine…
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On v20 He lifted up the head of these two prisoners-That…
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv19–20 Verse 19. Lift up thy head from off thee]…
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv20–21 Gen 40:20. He lifted up the head — Of…
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv19–22 From thee, by decapitation. This was customary, when a…
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On v20 it came to pass the third day, which was…
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On v19 19. Lift up thy head from off thee —…
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv19–20 19. lift up thy head from off thee] Joseph,…
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv19–20 (19) Shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off…
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv20–21 And it came to pass (literally, and it was,…
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain On v20 The third day, which was Pharaohs birthday
Paul E. Kretzmann 1924 · Public Domain On v20 The Dreams come true
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v20 It came about on the third day that
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v20 40:20-22 The interpretations Joseph gave the prisoners proved true.…
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