Bible Strands
Genesis 40:20
On the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he held a feast for all his officials, and in their presence he lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The narrative moves to Pharaoh’s palace on the third day following Joseph’s interpretations. Pharaoh hosts a banquet for his officials and publicly reverses the fates of the chief cupbearer and chief baker before them.
The words — The phrase בְּיוֹם הֻלֶּדֶת (be/yom.hu.le.det) literally means “on the day of being born,” marking a royal birthday. The verb וַ/יַּ֥עַשׂ (va/i.Ya.'as) translates “and he made,” denoting Pharaoh’s preparation of the feast.
The thread — This banquet fulfills the dual predictions of Genesis 40:13 and Genesis 40:19, while the birthday celebration structurally mirrors the feast recorded in Matthew 14:6.
Why it lands — The text records the literal fulfillment of a prophetic timeline and the public execution of the baker. Readers must acknowledge that royal authority and human celebration operate within a predetermined divine schedule.
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 it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a feast unto all his servants: and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants.
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.
- Genesis 40:19 Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head and hang you on a tree. Then the birds will eat the flesh of your body.”
- Matthew 14:6 On Herod’s birthday, however, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod
- Mark 6:21 On Herod’s birthday, her opportunity arose. Herod held a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee.
- Genesis 21:8 So the child grew and was weaned, and Abraham held a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned.
- 2 Kings 25:27 On the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month of the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Judah’s King Jehoiachin, in the year Evil-merodach became king of Babylon, he released King Jehoiachin of Judah from prison.
- Esther 1:3 In the third year of his reign, Xerxes held a feast for all his officials and servants. The military leaders of Persia and Media were there, along with the nobles and princes of the provinces.
- Job 3:1 After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.
- Matthew 18:23 Because of this, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.
- Matthew 25:19 After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.