Genesis 40:5

both of these men—the Egyptian king’s cupbearer and baker, who were being held in the prison—had a dream on the same night, and each dream had its own meaning.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Joseph attends the Egyptian king’s cupbearer and baker while they are detained in the prison under the captain of the guard. The narrative records that both men experienced a dream on the same night while in custody.

The words — The Hebrew verb וַיַּחֲלֹמוּ (va.ya.chal.Mu) translates as "and they dreamed," paired with חֲלֹמוֹ (cha.lo.M/o), meaning "his own dream." The phrasing שְׁנֵיהֶם אִישׁ חֲלֹמוֹ בְּלַיְלָה אֶחָד emphasizes that each man received a distinct dream on a single night.

The thread — This motif of simultaneous dreams with individual meanings recurs in Genesis 41:11 when the cupbearer recounts the event to Pharaoh. The theme of divine communication through dreams also appears in Genesis 20:3, where God warns Abimelech in a night vision.

Why it lands — The text establishes that God provides specific interpretation for each dream, requiring the reader to recognize divine authority over seemingly random events. It calls for attentive listening to the interpreter God raises up, rather than relying on human speculation.

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

וַיַּֽחַלְמוּ֩va/i.ya.chal.Muand/ they dreamed חֲל֨וֹםcha.Loma dream שְׁנֵיהֶ֜םshe.nei./Hemboth of/ them אִ֤ישׁ'isheach חֲלֹמוֹ֙cha.lo.M/oown dream/ his בְּלַ֣יְלָהbe./Lay.lahin/ a night אֶחָ֔ד'e.Chadone אִ֖ישׁ'isheach כְּפִתְר֣וֹןke./fit.Ronaccording to/ [the] interpretation of חֲלֹמ֑וֹcha.lo.M/odream/ his הַמַּשְׁקֶ֣הha./mash.Kehthe/ cup bearer וְהָאֹפֶ֗הve./ha./'o.Pehand/ the/ baker אֲשֶׁר֙'a.Sherwho לְמֶ֣לֶךְle./Me.lekh[belonged] to/ [the] king of מִצְרַ֔יִםmitz.Ra.yimEgypt אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.Sherwho אֲסוּרִ֖ים'a.su.Rim[were] imprisoned בְּבֵ֥יתbe./Veitin/ [the] house of הַסֹּֽהַר׃ha./So.harthe/ prison

King James Version

And they dreamed a dream both of them, each man his dream in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, which were bound in the prison.

Cross-references

Genesis 41:11 One night both the chief baker and I had dreams, and each dream had its own meaning.
Genesis 12:1 Then the LORD said to Abram, “Leave your country, your kindred, and your father’s household, and go to the land I will show you.
Genesis 20:3 One night, however, God came to Abimelech in a dream and told him, “You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken, for she is a married woman.”
Genesis 37:5 Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more.
Genesis 40:8 “We both had dreams,” they replied, “but there is no one to interpret them.” Then Joseph said to them, “Don’t interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.”
Genesis 41:1 After two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing beside the Nile,
Numbers 12:6 He said, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, will reveal Myself to him in a vision; I will speak to him in a dream.
Judges 7:13 And as Gideon arrived, a man was telling his friend about a dream. “Behold, I had a dream,” he said, “and I saw a loaf of barley bread come tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent so hard that the tent overturned and collapsed.”
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.
Job 33:15 In a dream, in a vision in the night, when deep sleep falls upon men as they slumber on their beds,