What Does Genesis 40:5 Mean in the King James?
And they dreamed a dream both of them, each man his dream in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, which were bound in the prison.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
One night holds two dreams, but each belongs to its own interpretation; the shared prison does not make their meanings interchangeable.
THE MEANING
Even when your circumstances hold you in a narrow place, your inner life remains particular. Two people can share one night and one confinement while carrying distinct dreams and meanings; the confinement is real, but it is not the whole story.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
Being confined means there is nothing alive within me to be heard.
THE ROOT
פִּתְרוֹן
pithron
GROWS FROM
פָּתַר
p-t-r
to interpret or solve, especially a dream
The word holds interpretation close to solution: each dream has a particular meaning to be discerned. The repeated “each man” makes that meaning individual, even though both dreams arrive in the same night.
ALSO GROWS
pathar: to interpret, especially a dream
פָּתַר
The verb names the act of discerning what each dream means.
pithron: interpretation, solution
פִּתְרוֹן
This is the word in the verse, linking each dream to its own solution.
אֲסוּרִים
asurim
GROWS FROM
אָסַר
ʾ-s-r
to bind or tie
“bound” in this verse is asurim. The verse ends by naming their confinement through the language of binding. Their bodies are held, yet both still dream; the text lets inner life and physical confinement occupy the same moment without calling the dream an escape.
ALSO GROWS
ʾasar: to bind, tie, or imprison
אָסַר
This verb is the root behind the men being described as bound.
ʾasir: prisoner
אָסִיר
This word names a person held by the same binding expressed in the verse.
חֲלוֹם
ḥalom
GROWS FROM
חָלַם
ḥ-l-m
to dream
Hebrew repeats the dream root in both the verb and noun: they “dreamed a dream.” Then it repeats “each man,” keeping the dream tied to its dreamer rather than making the two visions interchangeable.
ALSO GROWS
ḥalam: to dream
חָלַם
This verb describes what each man does in the verse.
ḥolem: one who dreams, a dreamer
חוֹלֵם
This form names the person whose particular dream the verse describes.
THE PATTERN
Night can hold a distinct message for each person, even before its meaning becomes clear.
And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.THE THREAD
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.The same dream and interpretation words return, and Joseph says the interpretations belong to God. The next verse makes clear that the two dreams’ meanings are distinct, even though both arrive in one night.
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