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Genesis 40

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1 And it was, after these words*, that they sinned, the cupbearer* of the king of Egypt and the baker, against their lord, against the king of Egypt.

2 And Pharaoh was·​·enraged over his two chamberlains, over the prince of the cupbearers, and over the prince of the bakers.

3 And he put them under guard in the house of the prince of the guards, into the jail house, the place where Joseph was bound.

4 And the prince of the guards appointed Joseph over them, and he ministered to them; and they were days under guard.

5 And they dreamed a dream, the two of them, a man his dream in one night, each man according·​·to the interpretation of his dream, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were bound in the jail house.

6 And Joseph came to them in the morning, and saw them, and behold, they were gloomy.

7 And he asked the chamberlains of Pharaoh who were with him under guard in the house of his lord, saying, Wherefore are your faces evil today?

8 And they said to him, We have dreamed a dream and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said to them, Do not interpretations belong to God? Recount it to me, I pray.

9 And the prince of the cupbearers recounted his dream to Joseph, and said to him, In my dream behold, a vine was before me.

10 And on the vine were three tendrils, and it was as though it flourished, its blossom went·​·up, and its clusters ripened grapes.

11 And Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and I gave the cup upon the palm of Pharaoh’s hand.

12 And Joseph said to him, This is the interpretation of it. The three tendrils, they are three days.

13 In yet three days shall Pharaoh lift·​·up thy head, and shall return thee to thy position, and thou shalt give the cup of Pharaoh into his hand, according·​·to the former manner* when thou wast his cupbearer.

14 But remember me with thee when it is·​·well for thee, and do mercy, I pray, with·​·me, and make·​·mention of me to Pharaoh, and cause me to come·​·out from this house.

15 For being stolen I was stolen from the land of the Hebrews; and even here I have not done anything that they should set me in the pit.

16 And the prince of the bakers saw that he had interpreted for good, and he said to Joseph, I also was in my dream, and behold, three baskets with·​·holes were on my head.

17 And in the highest basket there was of all the food for Pharaoh, made by the baker; and the fowl ate them from the basket from on my head.

18 And Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation of it. The three baskets, they are three days.

19 In yet three days shall Pharaoh lift thy head from upon thee, and shall hang thee on wood*; and the fowl shall eat thy flesh from on thee.

20 And it was on the third day, the birthday of Pharaoh, and he made a feast for all his servants; and he lifted up the head of the prince of the cupbearers and the head of the prince of the bakers in the midst of his servants.

21 And he returned the prince of the cupbearers to his cupbearing; and he gave the cup on the palm of the hand of Pharaoh.

22 And he hanged the prince of the bakers; as Joseph interpreted to them.

23 And the prince of the cupbearers did not remember Joseph, and he forgot him.

   


Thanks to the Kempton Project for the permission to use this New Church translation of the Word.

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Arcana Coelestia # 5124

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5124. 'Pharaoh will lift up your head' means that which has been provided and therefore decided. This is clear from the meaning of 'lifting up the head' as reaching a decision, and in the highest sense as providing; for a decision taken by the Divine and the carrying of that decision into effect is Providence. 'Lifting up the head' was an expression commonly used by the Ancients when it was decided that those who were bound, that is, those in prison, should either be allowed to live or else be condemned to death. When they were allowed to live the expression 'lifting up the head' was used, as also in the second Book of Kings,

Evil-merodach king of Babel, in the year he became king, lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah from the prison-house; and he spoke to him that which was good, and set his throne above the throne of the kings who were with him in Babel. 2 Kings 25:17, 28.

Similarly in Jeremiah,

Evil-merodach king of Babel, in the [first] year of his reign, lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah and brought him from the prison-house. Jeremiah 52:31.

But when someone was condemned to death the expression 'lifting up the head from upon him' was used, as in verse 19 further on which refers to the baker,

In yet three days Pharaoh will lift up your head from upon you.

[2] This phrase expressing the decision that someone should live or be put to death originated with the Ancients, among whom representatives existed; it originated in their representation of those who were bound in prison or the pit. Because those in prison represented people undergoing vastation beneath the lower earth, 4728, 4744, 5038, 'lifting up the head' therefore meant their release from this condition. For when they are released they are raised or brought up from that vastation to heavenly communities, see 2699, 2701, 2704. Being brought or raised up implies advances made towards interior things, for the expression raised up or high is used to refer to things that are interior, 2148, 4210. And because advances made towards interior things are meant, an advance towards heaven is meant, since heaven exists within interior things. Such is the meaning of 'lifting up the head'. But 'lifting up the head from upon someone' meant his condemnation to death, for in this case those who were above the ones in the pit or undergoing vastation were raised up to heaven, while those in the pit were sent down into the nether regions. These things meant by this phrase expressing the decision whether one should live or be put to death are the reason for its usage in the Word. From this it is evident that 'lifting up the head' means that which has been decided; and as this is meant, that which has been provided is meant in the highest sense, since the Divine makes provision for that on which He has made a decision.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.