17
In the topוּבַ הָעֶלְיוֹןbasketסַּלthere was every kindמִכֹּלof foodמַאֲכַלfor Pharaoh,פַּרְעֹהthe workמַעֲשֵׂהof a baker,אֹפֶהand the birdsוְהָעוֹףwere eatingאֹכֵלthemאֹתָםout of the basketמִן הַסַּלon my head.”מֵעַל רֹאשִׁי
Genesis 40:17
Study it in the app“In the top basket there was every kind of food for Pharaoh, the work of a baker, and the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.””
With the Hebrew beneath
Genesis 40:17, word by word
- In the topעֶלְיוֹןelyon
Most High, Elyon
"Elyon": the highest, the Most High. It is a title of God: there is no one above him. As an adjective, upper, high.
Where else “elyon” appears- basketסַּלsal
basket
Basket.
Where else “sal” appears- of foodמַאֲכַלmaachal
food
Food.
Where else “maachal” appears- for Pharaohפַּרְעֹהparo
Pharaoh
Pharaoh: the title of the kings of Egypt, not a personal name.
Where else “paro” appears- the workמַעֲשֵׂהmaase
work
What someone does: his works, and especially what God does.
Where else “maase” appears- of a bakerאֹפֶהofe
bake
Bake bread; as a noun, "baker".
Where else “ofe” appears- and the birdsעוֹףof
bird
The animals with wings and feathers that fly through the sky: doves, eagles, ravens.
Where else “of” appears- were eatingאֹכֵלochel
eat
To bring food to the mouth and swallow it, above all at a shared table.
Where else “ochel” appears- on my headרֹאשִׁroshi
head
The upper part of the body, where the face and hair are.
Where else “roshi” appears
The context
16When the chief of the bakers saw that he had interpreted well, he said to Joseph, “In my dream I too saw, and look, three baskets of white bread were on my head.
17 · This verse (above)
18Joseph answered and said, “This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days.
To study Genesis 40 in a group
1. What it says
What did Joseph interpret for the two officials, and what happened to the cupbearer (vv. 12-23)?
2. What it means
What does Joseph say about himself when he says interpretations belong to Elohim (v. 8)?
3. How I live it
How can you serve others even in your own difficult times?