Genesis 40:14 Meaning: Asking for Help While Trusting God
But remember me when it is well with you. Please show kindness to me, and make mention of me to Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house.
But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house:
But have me in thy remembrance when it shall be well with thee, and show kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house:
`Surely if thou hast remembered me with thee, when it is well with thee, and hast done (I pray thee) kindness with me, and hast made mention of me unto Pharaoh, then hast thou brought me out from this house,
Only bear a remembrance with thee of me when it goes well with thee, and deal kindly, I pray thee, with me, and make mention of me to Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house;
Meaning in one sentence
In Genesis 40:14, Joseph asks the cupbearer to remember him. Was this a failure of faith or a wise step? Get clarity on this verse and its encouragement.
Context
Joseph sits in Pharaoh’s prison, forgotten by everyone who might have helped him. He has interpreted the dreams of two royal officials, and the cupbearer’s dream means release is three days away. Joseph sees his own chance and speaks up. He does not demand a reward for his gift of interpretation. He simply asks to be remembered when the cupbearer returns to the palace. The plea sounds natural, even small: mention my name to Pharaoh, get me out of this place. But it also raises a question that has stayed with readers for centuries, was Joseph stepping away from trust in God, or was he wisely using the door that God had opened?
Key Words
The Hebrew word Joseph uses for "remember" is zakhar, a verb that means far more than pulling a fact from memory. It carries the force of acting on behalf of someone, turning toward them with care. When the psalmist cries "Remember me, O Lord," he asks for intervention, not just recollection. That is what Joseph wants: not a passing thought, but a deliberate act of kindness.
The word for that kindness is chesed (verse 14 in most English versions). In Hebrew, chesed is loyal love, the kind that keeps a promise even when it costs something. Joseph asks for a favor, but he frames it in the language of covenant loyalty. He wants the cupbearer to treat him as family, not as a debtor.
And then there is the small word na, "please." It is a word of humility, the same word Moses uses when he begs God to let him see the Promised Land. Joseph does not presume. He asks with an open hand, leaving room for refusal. It is the posture of someone who knows his help comes from God, but also knows God often sends help through human hands.
How Christians Read This Verse
Some Christians have wondered whether Joseph’s request reveals a moment of weak faith. The Targum of Jonathan (an ancient Jewish paraphrase) suggests that by asking the cupbearer for help, Joseph lost a measure of divine favor and had to stay in prison two more years. But most commentators across traditions read it differently. Matthew Henry (Presbyterian) notes that Joseph used lawful means while trusting God’s timing. John Calvin (Reformed) says Joseph simply acted on what God had put in front of him, the cupbearer’s gratitude. Adam Clarke (Methodist) focuses on the cupbearer’s ingratitude later, not on Joseph’s error. Across traditions, the majority view is that asking for help is not the same as abandoning faith. God often delivers us through the kindness of others.
A common misunderstanding
Living This Out
This week you may face a situation where you need help, a tough conversation, a financial problem, a season of exhaustion. Your instinct might be to handle it alone, telling yourself that asking for help would show a lack of faith. But Joseph invites a different approach. You can trust God completely and still say to someone, "Please remember me. Show me kindness." Making your needs known is not a failure of faith; it is faith in action, believing that God can work through the people around you. Who in your life could you honestly ask for help today? It might be the door God is opening.
Main takeaway: Trusting God does not mean refusing human help; we can ask for kindness from others while waiting on Him.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Joseph was in prison, but he helped another man understand a dream. Then Joseph asked, "Will you please tell the king about me?" It’s okay to ask for help when you need it. God can use other people to take care of you.
For ages 9, 12
Joseph interpreted a dream for Pharaoh’s cupbearer. Soon the cupbearer would go free, and Joseph asked for a simple favor: "Remember me. Tell Pharaoh about me." Some people think Joseph should have just waited for God. But the Bible doesn’t say he was wrong. In fact, God often answers our prayers through other people. You can trust God completely and still ask a friend or a parent for help. That’s not a lack of faith, it’s faith that knows God works in real, everyday ways.
Questions People Ask
Why did Joseph ask the cupbearer to remember him?
Joseph was stuck in prison for years with no way out. When he saw that the cupbearer would be released, he asked for a simple act of kindness: mention his name to Pharaoh. It was a reasonable, human step toward freedom, not a rejection of God’s plan.
Was Joseph wrong to ask for help from the cupbearer?
Most Christian commentators see no fault in Joseph’s request. He was using the means God had placed before him, a grateful official who could speak to Pharaoh. Asking for help is not the same as distrusting God. Scripture elsewhere commends making needs known (Philippians 4:6).
What does the Hebrew word for 'kindness' in this verse mean?
The word is 'chesed,' a rich term for loyal love, covenant faithfulness, and mercy. It describes the kind of love that stays committed even when it costs something. Joseph was asking for more than a casual favor, he was appealing to a deep sense of loyalty.
How does this verse connect to the thief on the cross in Luke 23:42?
The thief on the cross said, 'Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.' The Greek word there echoes Joseph’s plea. Both ask for remembrance from someone who has power to help. Both trust that the person they ask can act. It is a humble, desperate, and faithful request.
Did the cupbearer forget Joseph?
Yes. Genesis 40:23 says the cupbearer did not remember Joseph but forgot him. He only remembered two years later when Pharaoh needed a dream interpreted. This shows that human help can fail, but God’s timing does not. Joseph’s hope was never ultimately in the cupbearer, but in the Lord.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study