And in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of bakemeats for Pharaoh; and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my head.
What does Genesis 40:17 mean?
It was not so much the prison that made the butler and baker sad, as their dreams. God has more ways than one to sadden the spirits.
Key themes
Read with
Keep this verse inside Genesis 40:15-19 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on Genesis 40:17
And in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of bakemeats for Pharaoh,.... All sorts of pastry, as tarts, pies, &c. Josephus (b) says, two of the baskets were full of bread, and the third had various sorts of food, such as is usually, prepared for kings: and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my head; all the three baskets were upon his head, but this seems to be the uppermost, which the birds could more easily come at; though if the baskets were full of holes, they might through them peck the bread with their bills. (b) Antiqu. l. 2. c. 5. sect. 3.
Key words
- uppermost
-
And in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of bakemeats for Pharaoh,.
- basket
-
And in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of bakemeats for Pharaoh,.
- manner
-
And in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of bakemeats for Pharaoh,.
Context in Genesis 40
Show chapter context
Genesis 40 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as the Joseph narrative and Israel’s descent into Egypt. Genesis opens the whole Bible with creation, fall, flood, Babel, and the long patriarchal story that carries the reader from Eden to Egypt. Read this chapter with the wider themes of creation, fall, and covenant in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
Related topics
Explore by topic
A collection of passages on hope under pressure, future inheritance, resurrection expectation, and confidence in God’s final faithfulness.