Genesis 40:1

Some time later, the king’s cupbearer and baker offended their master, the king of Egypt.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — The narrator shifts the timeline following Joseph’s dream interpretations, introducing the sudden dismissal of two high-ranking Egyptian court officials.

The words — The Hebrew verb חָֽטְא֛וּ (cha.te.'U) literally means "they sinned" or "they offended," directly stating the cause of the officials' fall. The temporal phrase וַ/יְהִ֗י אַחַר֙ הַ/דְּבָרִ֣ים הָ/אֵ֔לֶּה (va/y.Hi 'a.Char ha./de.va.Rim ha./'E.leh) translates to "and it was after the things these," marking the narrative transition.

The thread — The pattern of royal officials losing and later regaining favor appears in Genesis 40:13, while the broader scriptural theme of God’s attention to faithful servants amid political upheaval runs through Nehemiah 1:11 and Esther 6:1.

Why it lands — The passage records a factual court dismissal that requires the reader to track how human error triggers immediate consequences before any redemptive mechanism is introduced.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וַיְהִ֗יva/y.Hiand/ it was אַחַר֙'a.Charafter הַדְּבָרִ֣יםha./de.va.Rimthe/ things הָאֵ֔לֶּהha./'E.leh<the>/ these חָֽטְא֛וּcha.te.'Uthey sinned מַשְׁקֵ֥הmash.Keh[the] cup bearer of מֶֽלֶךְ־Me.lekh-[the] king of מִצְרַ֖יִםmitz.Ra.yimEgypt וְהָאֹפֶ֑הve./ha./'o.Pehand/ the/ baker לַאֲדֹנֵיהֶ֖םla./'a.do.nei./Hemto/ master<s>/ their לְמֶ֥לֶךְle./Me.lekhto/ [the] king of מִצְרָֽיִם׃mitz.Ra.yimEgypt

King James Version

And it came to pass after these things, that the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker had offended their lord the king of Egypt.

Cross-references

Genesis 40:13 Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore your position. You will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you did when you were his cupbearer.
Nehemiah 1:11 O Lord, may Your ear be attentive to my prayer and to the prayers of Your servants who delight to revere Your name. Give Your servant success this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” (At that time I was the cupbearer to the king.)
Esther 6:1 That night sleep escaped the king; so he ordered the Book of Records, the Chronicles, to be brought in and read to him.
Genesis 39:20 So Joseph’s master took him and had him thrown into the prison where the king’s prisoners were confined. While Joseph was there in the prison,