Genesis 41:12 kjv
And there was there with us a young man, an Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret.
Genesis 41:12 nkjv
Now there was a young Hebrew man with us there, a servant of the captain of the guard. And we told him, and he interpreted our dreams for us; to each man he interpreted according to his own dream.
Genesis 41:12 niv
Now a young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us, giving each man the interpretation of his dream.
Genesis 41:12 esv
A young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. When we told him, he interpreted our dreams to us, giving an interpretation to each man according to his dream.
Genesis 41:12 nlt
There was a young Hebrew man with us in the prison who was a slave of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he told us what each of our dreams meant.
Genesis 41 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 39:20-23 | "...but the Lord was with Joseph, and showed him mercy..." | God's presence with Joseph even in affliction and prison. |
| Gen 40:8 | "...Do not interpretations belong to God?..." | Joseph attributes dream interpretation solely to God. |
| Dan 2:28 | "...But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets..." | God alone grants the ability to reveal mysteries and dreams. |
| Num 12:6 | "...If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream." | God uses dreams as a means of revelation. |
| Job 32:8 | "But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding." | God's Spirit is the source of true understanding. |
| Psa 25:14 | "The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will show them his covenant." | God reveals His plans to those who revere Him. |
| Prov 2:6 | "For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding." | All true wisdom and understanding come from the Lord. |
| Isa 42:9 | "Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them." | God foretells future events, often through divine revelation. |
| Amos 3:7 | "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." | God reveals His will and secrets through His chosen servants. |
| Psa 105:17-19 | "He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant... until the time that his word came..." | God used Joseph's suffering for a greater divine purpose and timing. |
| Jas 1:5 | "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God..." | Believers are encouraged to ask God for wisdom. |
| Lk 16:10 | "He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much..." | Joseph's faithfulness in small roles led to greater responsibility. |
| 1 Sam 2:7 | "The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up." | God's sovereignty over status, bringing down and exalting. |
| Psa 75:6-7 | "For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west... But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another." | Promotion and elevation come from God's hand alone. |
| Jas 4:10 | "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up." | Humility preceding divine exaltation. |
| 1 Pet 5:6 | "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time..." | God exalts the humble in His perfect timing. |
| Phil 2:8-9 | "...he humbled himself... Therefore God also hath highly exalted him..." | A type of Christ's humiliation and subsequent exaltation. |
| Rom 8:28 | "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God..." | Even suffering and delay work together for God's purposes. |
| Lam 3:25-26 | "The Lord is good unto them that wait for him... It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord." | Importance of waiting patiently on God's timing. |
| Acts 7:9-10 | "And the patriarchs... sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him, And delivered him out of all his afflictions..." | Stephen recounts Joseph's story, emphasizing God's deliverance and wisdom given to Joseph. |
Genesis 41 verses
Genesis 41 12 Meaning
Genesis 41:12 recounts the chief butler's recollection to Pharaoh about Joseph in prison, affirming Joseph's unique, God-given ability to accurately interpret dreams. It serves as the pivotal moment, a divinely orchestrated reminder, that brings Joseph's suffering and divine calling into the immediate sight of Pharaoh, preparing the way for Joseph's miraculous elevation and the solving of Pharaoh's perplexing dreams. This verse underscores God's providence, faithfulness to Joseph, and His power to bring His purposes to pass through unlikely means and forgotten instruments.
Genesis 41 12 Context
This verse occurs after two years have passed since the chief butler was restored to his position and the baker was executed, exactly as Joseph had interpreted their dreams (Gen 40). Pharaoh is now deeply troubled by two prophetic dreams, and his wise men and magicians are unable to provide an interpretation. This failure highlights the limits of human wisdom and Egyptian divination systems, creating a crisis that requires divine intervention. The chief butler, spurred by Pharaoh's distress and perhaps guilt over his own forgetfulness (Gen 40:23), finally remembers Joseph and his God-given gift. Genesis 41:12 serves as the butler's delayed yet crucial testimony, linking Pharaoh's immediate need to the one person divinely equipped to solve it—Joseph, still languishing in a dungeon, unseen by all but God. The broader biblical narrative consistently portrays dreams as a means of divine communication, especially in the ancient Near East, where dream interpretation was a respected, though often pagan, profession.
Genesis 41 12 Word analysis
- And there was with us there: The chief butler's specific memory, placing Joseph in their shared suffering in prison. This small detail establishes credibility and personal witness.
- a young man (na'ar): In Hebrew, na'ar indicates Joseph's youth, approximately 30 years old when he stood before Pharaoh (Gen 41:46). His age underlines the unexpected nature of his wisdom and insight, contrasting sharply with the experienced "wise men" of Egypt (Gen 41:8). This highlights God's pattern of working through the seemingly weak or unequipped (1 Cor 1:27).
- an Hebrew ('Ivri): This ethnonym immediately identifies Joseph as distinct from the Egyptians, a foreigner from Canaan. In Egyptian culture, Hebrews might have been viewed with suspicion or as lowly shepherds (Gen 46:34), yet here, one of them possesses unique insight. This implicitly presents a subtle polemic: the God of this 'Hebrew' servant surpasses the gods and wisdom of Egypt. It foreshadows the distinctiveness of Israel as God's chosen people.
- servant to the captain of the guard: Joseph's specific and lowly position confirms his reduced status and previous history, highlighting that his current suffering does not negate his divine gift or calling. It further underscores the profound change in status about to occur, emphasizing God's power to elevate from the lowest place (1 Sam 2:7).
- and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams: This phrase outlines the simple, direct interaction. The "we told him" indicates a human initiative in seeking help, while "he interpreted" clearly attributes the action to Joseph, not the petitioners.
- to each man according to his dream he did interpret: This highlights the precision and individual specificity of Joseph's interpretations. It emphasizes that Joseph didn't just provide vague advice, but accurate, personalized, and divinely revealed answers for each person, setting the precedent for his coming interpretation of Pharaoh's dreams. This precision points to the veracity and source of his power being truly divine.
Genesis 41 12 Bonus section
The meticulous detail of "to each man according to his dream he did interpret" reinforces the consistent accuracy of Joseph's divine gift, building the butler's confidence in Joseph. This contrasts with common charlatanry in ancient divination, emphasizing that Joseph's gift was from God and thus unerring. This precise confirmation, despite the simplicity of the past interactions with the butler and baker, speaks volumes about the divine origin of Joseph's power and serves as a strong recommendation to Pharaoh. It is a testament to God's nature to provide specific, exact revelation, not vague generalities.
Genesis 41 12 Commentary
Genesis 41:12 serves as a pivotal, yet deceptively simple, declaration within the unfolding drama of Joseph's life. After two years of seemingly being forgotten in prison, God, in His perfect timing, uses the chief butler's recollection to unleash Joseph from his confines and into his divine destiny. This verse powerfully illustrates several theological truths: God's sovereign timing, His ability to remember and act on behalf of His faithful servants even when humanly forgotten, and the contrast between human limitation (Pharaoh's frustrated magicians) and divine revelation working through a humble servant.
Joseph's humble background as a 'young man, an Hebrew, servant' ironically becomes the very detail that lends credibility to the butler's testimony and magnifies God's power when Joseph interprets Pharaoh's dreams flawlessly. It is not Joseph's status or education, but God's presence and gift through him that are central. This passage also implicitly challenges the self-sufficiency of pagan systems of wisdom prevalent in Egypt, presenting Yahweh as the sole source of true prophetic insight. It shows that often, God's pathway to exaltation is paved through periods of humility, suffering, and obscurity, building character and faith while awaiting His appointed moment.