“Then the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, (note how, as the scene changes and new developments are posited, the inspired author reiterates the aforementioned information, lest there be any confusion or false evidence is brought, in any age, against this True account of what has indeed transpired) had a dream, both of them, each man’s dream in one night and each man’s dream with its own interpretation. (As distinctions are made here very thoroughly and with great care, we detect a small prophetic insight into what will transpire next: not only will we soon come to learn that the dreams will indeed be interpreted, but it is almost as if the author is inferring that all dreams, not least of all these two, have an interpretation inherently locked away inside of them. It is also significant that the two dreams were given in the same night, not only in order to juxtapose the two for the sake of comparison, but to affirm that they are indeed of equal importance and also in so doing, to affirm Joseph’s Gift at the hand of “two witnesses” in these two divergent dream accounts.) And Joseph came in to them in the morning and looked at them, and saw that they were sad (or: “dejected”). (Notice Joseph’s acute interest and keen sense of empathy for his subjects. Many a detail found in Scripture can be analysed for inferences concerning the character of its role-players and this statement is no different. Not only are we impressed by Joseph’s prophetic gift for reading people, seeing as he merely looked at them and could instantly deduce that something is amiss, but rather more significant is the fact that he looked at them [with keen interest born of tender care no doubt!] in the first place, or even at all! Reminding me of the words of Dostoevsky: “A society should be judged not by how it treats its outstanding citizens but by how it treats its criminals.”) So he asked Pharaoh’s officers who were with him in the custody of his (earthly) lord’s house, saying, “Why do you look so sad today?” And they said to him, “We each have had a dream, and there is no interpreter of it.” (Already here we must sense that these dreams carry great significance, for undoubtedly the burden of its imagery must have been so pressing upon these men that it rendered them desperate for an interpretation in waking life; for surely as with all people they must have had many dreams never interpreted before this crucial night and many since, but few that could move them to a sadness such as this.) So Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God ? Tell them to me, please.” (What a deeply special phrase! Joseph declares and reassures us of the ultimate sovereignty of God in no uncertain terms by asserting that He alone has the Power to interpret supernatural dreams. And yet in the very next breath he boldly requests that he be awarded the opportunity to interpret them, proving that he understands at least in some measure the glorious Truth of: “Christ in Us; the Hope of Glory”. The Law has not yet been given to the Israelites, [the people of God have only very recently even just received a Name (Israel) to be called by], much less the revelation of a Messiah or the Name Jesus the Christ – God who dwells with(in) us. But Joseph already seems to understand that the righteous can truly truly become One with God through Faith, even representing him in varying degrees of His fullness and capacities here on earth; Jesus Himself in whom the fullness of Him of course dwells bodily, perfectly.)

“⁵Then the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, had a dream, both of them, each man’s dream in one night and each man’s dream with its own interpretation. ⁶And Joseph came in to them in the morning and looked at them, and saw that they were sad. ⁷So he asked Pharaoh’s officers who were with him in the custody of his lord’s house, saying, “Why do you look so sad today?”

⁸And they said to him, “We each have had a dream, and there is no interpreter of it.”

– Genesis 40:5-8 (NKJV)