Bible Strands
Genesis 40:2
Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker,
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Pharaoh acts against his two high officials, the chief cupbearer and chief baker, some time after they offended him. This action precedes their confinement in the captain of the guard’s prison.
The words — וַ/יִּקְצֹף (va/yik-tzof) translates to “and he was angry,” and עַל ('al) denotes direction, meaning “toward.” These terms frame the king’s reaction as specifically directed at his two subordinates.
The thread — The motif of royal wrath appears in Proverbs 16:14, which contrasts a king’s anger with the wisdom to pacify it. The broader theme of human anger serving a larger purpose aligns with the observation in Psalm 76:10 that even the wrath of man ultimately acknowledges divine sovereignty.
Why it lands — The text records a historical shift in status for two court officials without moral commentary. Readers must note how sudden divine favor or judgment operates through earthly authority before Joseph’s own confinement becomes the setting for subsequent revelations.
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
King James Version
And Pharaoh was wroth against two of his officers, against the chief of the butlers, and against the chief of the bakers.
Cross-references
- Proverbs 16:14 The wrath of a king is a messenger of death, but a wise man will pacify it.
- 1 Chronicles 27:27 Shimei the Ramathite was in charge of the vineyards. Zabdi the Shiphmite was in charge of the produce of the vineyards for the wine vats.
- Psalms 76:10 Even the wrath of man shall praise You; with the survivors of wrath You will clothe Yourself.
- Proverbs 19:12 A king’s rage is like the roar of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.
- Proverbs 19:19 A man of great anger must pay the penalty; if you rescue him, you will have to do so again.
- Proverbs 27:4 Wrath is cruel and anger is like a flood, but who can withstand jealousy?
- Acts 12:20 Now Herod was in a furious dispute with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they convened before him. Having secured the support of Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their region depended on the king’s country for food.