19
WithinבְּעוֹדthreeשְׁלֹשֶׁתdaysיָמִיםPharaohפַרְעֹהwill lift upיִשָּׂאyour headאֶת רֹאשְׁךָfrom upon youמֵעָלֶיךָand hangוְתָלָהyouאוֹתְךָon a pole,עַל עֵץand the birdsוְ הָעוֹףwill eatאָכַלyour fleshאֶת בְּשָׂרְךָfrom upon you.”מֵעָלֶיךָ
Genesis 40:19
Study it in the app“Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head from upon you and hang you on a pole, and the birds will eat your flesh from upon you.””
With the Hebrew beneath
Genesis 40:19, word by word
- threeשְׁלֹשֶׁתsheloshet
three
A quantity of three: three persons or things together.
Where else “sheloshet” appears- daysיָמִיםyamim
day
The day, the hours of light, or a whole day.
Where else “yamim” appears- Pharaohפַרְעֹהfaro
Pharaoh
Pharaoh: the title of the kings of Egypt, not a personal name.
Where else “faro” appears- will lift upיִשָּׂאyisa
lift up
To direct the eyes upward, make the voice loud, or put up the hand.
Where else “yisa” appears- your headרֹאשְׁrosh
head
The upper part of the body, where the face and hair are.
Where else “rosh” appears- and hangתָלָהtala
hang
Hang; often, hang the body of an executed man in view of all.
Where else “tala” appears- on a poleעֵץets
wood
What is taken from a cut tree: firewood, board, rod or timber.
Where else “ets” appears- and the birdsעוֹףof
bird
The animals with wings and feathers that fly through the sky: doves, eagles, ravens.
Where else “of” appears- will eatאָכַלachal
eat
To bring food to the mouth and swallow it, above all at a shared table.
Where else “achal” appears- your fleshבְּשָׂרְbesar
flesh
The body of a person or animal, the soft part covering the bones.
Where else “besar” appears
Translation note
Joseph uses the same expression, “lift up the head,” for both (40:13, 19, 20).
The context
18Joseph answered and said, “This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days.
19 · This verse (above)
20On the third day, Pharaoh’s birthday, he made a feast for all his servants, and he lifted up the head of the chief of the cupbearers and the head of the chief of the bakers among his servants.
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?