Genesis 40:23 kjv
Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him.
Genesis 40:23 nkjv
Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.
Genesis 40:23 niv
The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.
Genesis 40:23 esv
Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.
Genesis 40:23 nlt
Pharaoh's chief cup-bearer, however, forgot all about Joseph, never giving him another thought.
Genesis 40 23 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 106:13 | They soon forgot His works; They did not wait for His counsel. | Human tendency to forget God's faithfulness. |
| Ps 103:2 | Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits. | Contrast: Exhortation to not forget divine goodness. |
| Ecc 9:15 | but a poor wise man saved the city...Yet no one remembered that poor man. | Parallel of ingratitude and forgotten savior. |
| Job 28:7 | That path no bird of prey knows, Nor has the falcon's eye seen it. | Hidden or forgotten paths, like Joseph's fate. |
| Prov 13:12 | Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life. | Joseph's prolonged suffering due to forgotten hope. |
| Ps 27:14 | Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD. | Patience needed during times of waiting. |
| Lam 3:25-26 | The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the person who seeks Him... | God's goodness to those who wait, like Joseph. |
| Isa 49:23 | ...then you will know that I am the LORD; Those who wait for Me will not be ashamed. | Assurance for those who trust in God's timing. |
| Rom 8:25 | But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it. | Perseverance in hope for future divine action. |
| Gal 6:9 | Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. | Perseverance in doing good despite delay. |
| Gen 8:1 | But God remembered Noah... | Contrast: God's unfailing remembrance. |
| Gen 19:29 | ...God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow... | God remembers covenant promises and intervenes. |
| Ex 2:24 | So God heard their groaning; and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. | God remembers His people in affliction. |
| 1 Sam 1:19 | ...the LORD remembered her. | God's remembrance brings about blessing (Hannah). |
| Ps 105:8 | He has remembered His covenant forever, The word which He commanded to a thousand generations. | God's covenantal faithfulness, eternal. |
| Ps 106:45 | So He remembered His covenant for their sake, And relented according to the greatness of His steadfast love. | God's merciful remembrance in Israel's history. |
| Ps 115:12 | The LORD has been mindful of us; He will bless us; He will bless the house of Israel... | God remembers His people and blesses them. |
| Lk 23:42 | And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!" | A plea for remembrance, answered by divine grace. |
| Prov 16:9 | The mind of a person plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps. | God's sovereignty over human plans and actions. |
| Prov 19:21 | Many plans are in a person’s heart, But the counsel of the LORD will stand. | Human intentions, even forgetfulness, serve God's ultimate purpose. |
| Gen 45:7-8 | God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant...so it was not you who sent me here, but God... | Joseph's later recognition of divine providence in his trials. |
| Acts 3:18 | But the things which God announced by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. | Divine purpose unfolding through foreseen events. |
| Rom 8:28 | And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. | God works through all circumstances, even neglect, for good. |
| Heb 12:3 | For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. | Endurance in suffering, a theme paralleling Joseph's experience. |
| Gen 41:1 | Now at the end of two full years Pharaoh had a dream... | God's precise timing for Joseph's release and exaltation. |
Genesis 40 verses
Genesis 40 23 Meaning
Genesis 40:23 reveals a moment of human failure and broken promise, directly after Joseph's accurate interpretation of the chief cupbearer's dream and the latter's subsequent restoration. The verse states that despite Joseph's plea and the verifiable truth of his prophecy, the chief cupbearer utterly disregarded Joseph's request for remembrance, actively forgetting him in the midst of his regained favor and proximity to Pharaoh. This emphasizes the cupbearer's ingratitude and neglect, leaving Joseph to languish forgotten in prison for a further two years, highlighting the fragility of human promises and the seemingly inexplicable delay in God's plan.
Genesis 40 23 Context
Genesis chapter 40 takes place during Joseph's imprisonment in Egypt. He has been falsely accused by Potiphar's wife and unjustly thrown into Pharaoh's prison, which also houses Pharaoh's political prisoners. In this setting, Joseph distinguishes himself by serving the warden and demonstrating his interpretive wisdom. Two of Pharaoh's officials, the chief cupbearer (שַׂר הַמַּשְׁקִים, śar hammašqîm) and the chief baker (שַׂר הָאֹפִים, śar hā'ōp̄îm), are brought into the prison. They both have perplexing dreams on the same night. Joseph, acknowledging that interpretations belong to God, accurately interprets their dreams: the cupbearer would be restored to his position in three days, and the baker would be executed. Joseph's sole request of the cupbearer, following the favorable interpretation, was "remember me when it is well with you and show kindness to me and mention me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this house." The cupbearer's restoration happens exactly as foretold, setting the stage for the disappointment in verse 23. This verse concludes the chapter, leaving Joseph in prison and highlighting the two-year gap before his eventual release.
Genesis 40 23 Word analysis
- Yet (וְלֹא, wəlō): This conjunction carries the weight of a strong contrast. It signals a shift from the expectation established in the previous verses (Joseph's request, the cupbearer's restoration) to the surprising and disappointing reality. It highlights a sharp turn.
- the chief cupbearer (שַׂר הַמַּשְׁקִים, śar hammašqîm): The Hebrew literally means "prince of the cupbearers" or "officer of the drink-bearers." This was a position of great trust and influence in Pharaoh's court. He had direct, intimate access to Pharaoh and controlled what he drank, making his forgetfulness particularly potent due to his proximity to power.
- did not remember (לֹא זָכַר, lō’ zāḵar): The Hebrew verb zāḵar (to remember) implies more than mere cognitive recall. It often denotes active attention, an intentional consideration, or taking action based on a past event or person. Here, coupled with the negation lō’, it means he intentionally neglected or failed to act on Joseph's request, or failed to even bring Joseph to mind in any actionable way.
- Joseph (יוֹסֵף, yôsēp̄): The Hebrew name "Joseph" means "He (God) adds" or "May he add." He is the central figure, whose unjust suffering and long wait are amplified by this act of human forgetfulness.
- but (וְ, wə): A simple conjunction "and," here serves to connect and emphasize the ensuing act, forming a parallel and intensifying the neglect.
- forgot him (וַיִּשְׁכָּחֵהוּ, wayyišḵāḥēhû): The Hebrew verb šāḵaḥ (to forget, forsake, neglect). This is a strong, definitive act of forgetting, going beyond simply "not remembering" to actively dismissing Joseph from his thoughts or concerns. It speaks to a profound lack of gratitude or concern, signifying a complete neglect of the obligation implied by Joseph's kindness. It emphasizes active, not passive, oblivion.
Words-group analysis:
- "Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him": This entire phrase conveys the core message of the verse: human ingratitude and neglect. The use of two verbs ("did not remember" and "forgot") is a literary device called a "hendiadys" or simply intensification. It forcefully communicates not just an oversight, but a deliberate or total disregard. It's an emphatic statement of abandonment, underscoring the completeness of the cupbearer's neglect. The expectation built up by Joseph's successful interpretation and earnest plea is sharply shattered, leaving Joseph isolated. This forgotten status becomes a test of Joseph's patience and faith in divine timing.
Genesis 40 23 Bonus section
The deliberate repetition or doubling of "did not remember" (lō’ zāḵar) and "forgot him" (wayyišḵāḥēhû) in the Hebrew emphasizes the profoundness and totality of the cupbearer's forgetfulness. It is not a subtle oversight, but a thorough disregard for Joseph, indicating a selfish absorption in his restored fortunes. This highlights a biblical theme: while humans forget, God remembers. The immediate and complete nature of the cupbearer's ingratitude contrasts starkly with God's steadfast remembrance of His covenant and His people throughout Scripture. Joseph's further waiting becomes an object lesson in divine providence, illustrating that God's plan is not thwarted by human failures, but rather unfolds through them, often in ways that are painful and protracted from a human perspective but ultimately precise and purposeful from God's vantage.
Genesis 40 23 Commentary
Genesis 40:23 delivers a harsh truth about human nature and its common failing: ingratitude. After a powerful demonstration of God-given wisdom and an explicit plea for assistance, the cupbearer's prompt restoration to Pharaoh's side leads not to active gratitude or fulfillment of his implied promise, but to complete oblivion regarding Joseph. This lapse in memory is not merely a cognitive error but a profound ethical failure—a failure to "show kindness" as Joseph had requested. The immediate effect is to prolong Joseph's unjust imprisonment by two years, a significant period of testing. Yet, paradoxically, this human failing is deeply integrated into God's sovereign plan. The cupbearer's forgetfulness ensured that Joseph would not be released as a favor from a subordinate, but rather called upon by Pharaoh himself at a crucial, divinely appointed moment (Gen 41:1), elevating him to a position of unparalleled authority directly under Pharaoh. This strategic delay highlights God's perfect timing and His ability to orchestrate circumstances through human actions and inactions, turning human frailty into a pathway for His greater purposes.