And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound.
What does Genesis 40:3 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
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Keep this verse inside Genesis 40:1-4 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on Genesis 40:3
And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard,.... Who is generally thought to be Potiphar, since this was the office he was in, Genesis 39:1 ; unless he was dead, and there was another put into his room, or there were more than one in the same office: into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound; that is, where he had been bound, and where he was still a prisoner, though not fettered and in that close confinement he had been in.
Key words
- house
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And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard,.
- captain
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And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard,.
- guard
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And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard,.
Context in Genesis 40
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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
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A collection of passages on hope under pressure, future inheritance, resurrection expectation, and confidence in God’s final faithfulness.