The Meaning of Genesis 40:5 Explained

Genesis 40:5

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.

YLT: And they dream a dream both of them, each his dream in one night, each according to the interpretation of his dream, the butler and the baker whom the king of Egypt hath, who are prisoners in the round-house.

Darby: And they dreamed a dream, both of them in one night, each his dream, each according to the interpretation of his dream, the cup-bearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were imprisoned in the tower-house.

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 Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Genesis 40:5 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 40:1-8 - Joseph Fares Well In Prison
These two men remind us of the two thieves crucified beside our Lord; to the one He was a savor of life, to the other of death. Jeremy Taylor says that he must be in love with peevishness who chooses to sit down on his little handful of thorns, when there are so many causes that call for him. Wherever in the world we are, there is a fellowship of sad and lonely hearts for us to cultivate. Like Joseph, let us set about helping others, and so find solace and help for ourselves. We must move in and out among our fellows with "a glorious morning face." Keep your sorrows for your Lord and yourself, but learn from your own experiences how to comfort those who are in any sorrow by the comfort with which you yourself have been comforted of God. How quick Joseph was to detect the added anxiety on the two faces! It was because he had known similar alternations of experience. See 2 Corinthians 1:4. [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 40

1  The chief butler and baker of Pharaoh are also imprisoned
5  Joseph interprets their dreams
20  They are accomplished according to his interpretation
23  The ingratitude of the butler, in forgetting Joseph

What do the individual words in Genesis 40:5 mean?

And had a dream the two of them each man's dream in night one [and] each man with its [own] interpretation the dream the cupbearer and the baker who of the king of Egypt who [were] confined in the prison
וַיַּֽחַלְמוּ֩ חֲל֨וֹם שְׁנֵיהֶ֜ם אִ֤ישׁ חֲלֹמוֹ֙ בְּלַ֣יְלָה אֶחָ֔ד אִ֖ישׁ כְּפִתְר֣וֹן חֲלֹמ֑וֹ הַמַּשְׁקֶ֣ה וְהָאֹפֶ֗ה אֲשֶׁר֙ לְמֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲסוּרִ֖ים בְּבֵ֥ית הַסֹּֽהַר

וַיַּֽחַלְמוּ֩  And  had 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: חָלַם 
Sense: to dream.
חֲל֨וֹם  a  dream 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֲלֹום  
Sense: dream.
שְׁנֵיהֶ֜ם  the  two  of  them 
Parse: Number, mdc, third person masculine plural
Root: שְׁנַיִם  
Sense: two.
אִ֤ישׁ  each  man's 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֱנׄושׁ 
Sense: man, mortal man, person, mankind.
חֲלֹמוֹ֙  dream 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: חֲלֹום  
Sense: dream.
בְּלַ֣יְלָה  in  night 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: לַיִל 
Sense: night.
אֶחָ֔ד  one 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: אֶחָד  
Sense: one (number).
אִ֖ישׁ  [and]  each  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֱנׄושׁ 
Sense: man, mortal man, person, mankind.
כְּפִתְר֣וֹן  with  its  [own]  interpretation 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: פִּתָּרֹון  
Sense: interpretation.
חֲלֹמ֑וֹ  the  dream 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: חֲלֹום  
Sense: dream.
הַמַּשְׁקֶ֣ה  the  cupbearer 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַשְׁקֶה 
Sense: irrigation, drink.
וְהָאֹפֶ֗ה  and  the  baker 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: אָפָה 
Sense: to bake.
לְמֶ֣לֶךְ  of  the  king 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
מִצְרַ֔יִם  of  Egypt 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְרַיִם  
Sense: a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows adj Egyptians = “double straits”.
אֲסוּרִ֖ים  [were]  confined 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine plural
Root: אָסַר  
Sense: to tie, bind, imprison.
הַסֹּֽהַר  the  prison 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: סׄהַר  
Sense: house of roundness, roundhouse, prison.