God’s Word Translation
Genesis 40:8
8“We both had dreams,” they answered him, “but there’s no one to tell us what they mean.” “Isn’t God the only one who can tell what they mean?” Joseph asked them. “Why don’t you tell me all about them.”
Genesis 40:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God? tell me them, I pray you.
- New International Version (NIV)“We both had dreams,” they answered, “but there is no one to interpret them.” Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)They said to him, "We have had dreams, and there is no one to interpret them." And Joseph said to them, "Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me."
- New King James Version (NKJV)And they said to him, “We each have had a dream, and there is no interpreter of it.” So Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell them to me, please.”
Context of Genesis 40:8
6When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were upset. 7So he asked these officials of Pharaoh who were with him in his master’s prison, “Why do you look so unhappy today?” “We both had dreams,” they answered him, “but there’s no one to tell us what they mean.” “Isn’t God the only one who can tell what they mean?” Joseph asked them. “Why don’t you tell me all about them.” 9So the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream. He said “In my dream a grapevine with three branches appeared in front of me. 10Soon after it sprouted it blossomed. Then its clusters ripened into grapes.
Read all of Genesis 40Genesis 40:8 word by word
וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֵלָ֔יו חֲל֣וֹם חָלַ֔מְנוּ וּפֹתֵ֖ר אֵ֣ין אֹת֑וֹ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֜ם יוֹסֵ֗ף הֲל֤וֹא לֵֽאלֹהִים֙ פִּתְרֹנִ֔ים סַפְּרוּ־נָ֖א לִֽי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And they saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto him, We have dreamedחָלַםchâlam · to dreamH2492
- a dreamחֲלוֹםchălôm chălôm · dreamH2472
- no interpreterפָּתַרpâthar · to interpretH6622
- of it. And Josephיוֹסֵףyôsêph · JosephH3130
- not interpretationsפִּתְרוֹןpithrôn pithrôn · interpretationH6623
- to Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- tell meסָפַרsâphar · to recountH5608
Cross-references for Genesis 40:8
- Genesis 41:15Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can tell me what it means. I heard that when you are told a dream, you can say what it means.”
- Job 33:15In a dream, a prophetic vision at night, when people fall into a deep sleep, when they sleep on their beds,
- Psalms 25:14The Lord advises those who fear him. He reveals to them the intent of his promise.
- Isaiah 8:19People will say to you, “Ask for help from the mediums and the fortunetellers, who whisper and mutter.” Shouldn’t people ask their God for help instead? Why should they ask the dead to help the living?
- Daniel 2:11What you ask is difficult, Your Majesty. No one can tell what you dreamed except the gods, and they don’t live with humans.”
- Daniel 4:8Finally, Daniel came to me. (He had been renamed Belteshazzar after my god ⌞Bel⌟.) The spirit of the holy gods is in him. I told him the dream:
- Daniel 5:11There’s a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your grandfather, he was found to have insight, good judgment, and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods. Your grandfather, King Nebuchadnezzar, made him head of the magicians, psychics, astrologers, and fortunetellers.
- 1 Corinthians 12:10Another can work miracles. Another can speak what God has revealed. Another can tell the difference between spirits. Another can speak in different kinds of languages. Another can interpret languages.
- Amos 3:7Certainly, the Almighty Lord doesn’t do anything unless he ⌞first⌟ reveals his secret to his servants the prophets.
Commentaries on Genesis 40:8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8There is no interpreter - They either had access to none, or those to whom they applied could give them no consistent, satisfactory meaning. Do not interpretations belong to God? - God alone, the Supreme Being, knows what is in futurity; and if he have sent a significant dream, he alone can give the solution.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-23Verses 1-23 - Joseph in Prison An uncomplaining patience and an unhesitating hopefulness keep the breast of Joseph in calm tranquillity. There is a God above, and that God is with him. His soul swerves not from this feeling. Meanwhile, new and distinguished prisoners are introduced into his place of confinement. Genesis 40:1-4 The chief butler and chief baker, high officials in Pharaoh‘s court, come under the displeasure of their sovereign. “In the house…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5-8Pharaoh’s cup-bearer and baker appeared worried because they sensed their futures were connected to these threatening and troubling dreams they could not understand. Joseph still trusted that interpreting dreams was God's work. He knew he could understand them with God's help. He knew he had not misunderstood his own dreams.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 5-85-8. they dreamed a dream--Joseph, influenced by the spirit of true religion, could feel for others (Ec 4:1; Ro 12:15; Php 2:4). Observing them one day extremely depressed, he inquired the cause of their melancholy; and being informed it was owing to a dream they had respectively dreamed during the previous night, after piously directing them to God (Da 2:30; Is 26:10), he volunteered to aid them, through the divine help, in discovering the import of…Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 40:8
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Genesis 40
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries