Genesis 40:20 · Bible study
Genesis 40:20 Commentary: What 'Lift Up the Head' Means
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Study the idiom 'lift up the head' in Pharaoh's birthday feast: two prisoners, one restored, one executed. God's word stands through human forgetfulness.
Research Summary
- Meaning: 'Lift up the head' is an idiom for summoning prisoners to trial/reckoning, with outcomes determined by the king's verdict.
- Key words: nasa' rosh (lift up head), yom huledet (birthday), mishteh (feast).
- Main debate: Whether the phrase itself implies a trial or simply means 'pay attention to', but both readings agree the outcomes reflect guilt/innocence.
- Theological theme: God's word fulfills exactly, even through pagan kings; human forgetfulness does not hinder divine providence.
- Best use: Preaching on God's sovereignty, the certainty of prophecy, and trusting God during delays and silence.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
On the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he held a feast for all his officials, and in their presence he lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker.
WEB World English Bible 2000
On the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he made a feast for all his servants, and he lifted up the head of the chief cup bearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants.
KJV King James Version 1769
And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a feast unto all his servants: and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a feast unto all his servants: and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and the head of the chief baker among his servants.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And it cometh to pass, on the third day, Pharaoh's birthday, that he maketh a banquet to all his servants, and lifteth up the head of the chief of the butlers, and the head of the chief of the bakers among his servants,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And it came to pass the third day — Pharaoh's birthday — that he made a feast to all his bondmen. And he lifted up the head of the chief of the cup-bearers, and the head of the chief of the bakers among his bondmen.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
The third day after this was the birthday of Pharao: and he made a great feast for his servants, and at the banquet remembered the chief butler, and the chief baker.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y fué el tercero día el día del nacimiento de Faraón, é hizo banquete á todos sus sirvientes: y alzó la cabeza del principal de los coperos, y la cabeza del principal de los panaderos, entre sus servidores.
E foi o terceiro dia o dia do aniversário de Faraó, e fez banquete a todos os seus servos: e levantou a cabeça do chefe dos copeiros, e a cabeça do chefe dos padeiros, entre seus servos.
Le troisième jour, jour de la naissance de Pharaon, il fit un festin à tous ses serviteurs; et il éleva la tête du chef des échansons et la tête du chef des panetiers, au milieu de ses serviteurs:
Und es geschah des dritten Tages, da beging Pharao seinen Jahrestag; und er machte eine Mahlzeit allen seinen Knechten und erhob das Haupt des obersten Schenken und das Haupt des obersten Bäckers unter den Knechten,
En het geschiedde op den derden dag, den dag van Farao's geboorte, dat hij voor al zijn knechten een maaltijd maakte; en hij verhief het hoofd van den overste der schenkers, en het hoofd van den overste der bakkers, in het midden zijner knechten.
E avvenne, il terzo giorno, ch’era il natalizio di Faraone, che questi dette un convito a tutti i suoi servitori, e fece alzare il capo al gran coppiere, e alzare il capo al gran panettiere in mezzo ai suoi servitori:
I stało się dnia trzeciego, dnia narodzenia Faraonowego, że uczynił ucztę na wszystkie sługi swe, i policzył głowę przełożonego nad podczaszymi, i głowę przełożonego na piekarzami w poczet sług swoich.
На третий день, день рождения фараонова, сделал он пир для всех слуг своих и вспомнил о главном виночерпии и главном хлебодаре среди слуг своих;
到了 第三 天，是 法老 的生日，他為眾 臣僕 設擺 筵席，把 酒 政 和 膳 長 提出監來，
Now the third day was Pharaoh's birthday, and he gave a feast for all his servants; and he gave honour to the chief wine-servant and the chief bread-maker among the others.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Genesis 40:20
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that the phrase 'lifted up the head' in this verse is an idiom for bringing prisoners before the king for judgment. Adam Clarke takes it to mean bringing them to trial, noting the parallel practice in Naboth's story (1 Kings 21:9). Matthew Henry and John Wesley concur: 'lifted up the head' means arraigned and tried. Gill adds that Pharaoh lifted them out of prison, the cupbearer to his office, the baker to the gallows. Thus the same action yields opposite verdicts: one receives mercy, the other condemnation. As Jamieson-Fausset-Brown explain, Pharaoh's birthday was a holiday season honored by reviewing cases and granting pardons. The phrase does not predetermine the outcome; it sets the stage for the king's judgment, which aligns exactly with Joseph's interpretations. For the baker, the lifting meant death; for the cupbearer, restoration. Both outcomes glorify the true God whose word the interpreter spoke faithfully.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Judicial reckoning view: Clarke, Henry, Wesley: 'lift up the head' means to bring to trial (based on 1 Kings 21:9); the two prisoners are arraigned and sentenced accordingly.
- Amnesty review view: Cambridge Bible, Gill: Pharaoh reviews cases on his birthday as a custom of granting amnesty; the phrase describes the act of summoning them for review, not the verdict itself.
What is clear: Both the cupbearer and the baker are brought before Pharaoh on the third day, and the outcomes precisely match Joseph's interpretations: the cupbearer is restored, the baker is executed.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of 'lift up the head' | The idiom refers to Pharaoh giving official attention to the two prisoners and pronouncing a verdict. | Some commentators emphasize this as a formal trial (Clarke, Henry), while others see it simply as reviewing their cases on a day of amnesty (Gill, Cambridge Bible). Both views agree the outcome is determined by their guilt or innocence. |
| Significance of Pharaoh's birthday | This was a celebration observed by ancient rulers, often accompanied by feasting and acts of clemency. | Whether the birthday refers to natural birth or accession to the throne ('political birth') is uncertain. Gill mentions both possibilities but leans toward natural birth. The text does not specify, but the theological point of divine timing is unaffected. |
| Why the same phrase yields opposite outcomes | The phrase describes the same action by Pharaoh, but the results reflect the king's judgment based on the men's cases. | Some see the idiom as inherently ambiguous, requiring context to know whether restoration or death follows (Poole). Others argue 'lift up the head' always means 'reckon/call to account' and the outcome is separate from the idiom (Clarke, Wesley). Both traditions affirm the exact fulfillment of Joseph's interpretations. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Birthday feasts for rulers were ancient and widespread. Gill notes the Persians observed birthdays with feasting, and the Cambridge Bible points to Egyptian inscriptions showing royal proclamations of amnesty on such occasions. The text does not give Pharaoh a personal name, common before Egypt's 22nd Dynasty. This Pharaoh may be Sesostris III or a predecessor; the silence keeps focus on the narrative's theology rather than its chronology.
The phrase 'lift up the head' (Hebrew nasa' rosh) appears twice earlier: for the cupbearer in verse 13 (restoration) and for the baker in verse 19 (execution). Here in verse 20, the same verb describes both men together. The context clarifies the outcome, not the idiom. As Poole observes, 'lift up thine head' can mean 'advance thee to thy former dignity' (2 Kings 25:27, Psalm 110:7). But in the baker's case, the lifting means being lifted off, hung on a tree.
The third day ties to Joseph's interpretation. Ancient readers would catch the significance: a pattern of resurrection and judgment within three days. Lange notes how the kings of antiquity celebrated birthdays; Herod's birthday in Matthew 14 offers a darker parallel, where a feast leads to John the Baptist's death. The Egyptian court, with its crimes and intrigues, operates under God's unseen hand. Nothing in this verse is accidental, not the day, the feast, or the two officials brought forward.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts. The phrase 'lift up the head' (וַיִּשָּׂא אֶת־רֹאשׁ) appears consistently in the major witnesses.
Reception History
This verse has been read historically as a demonstration of God's sovereignty over pagan institutions. Matthew Henry applies it to the moral use of birthdays: gratitude for birth, sorrow for sin, and expectation of death. In the Reformation tradition, the passage illustrated the certainty of prophecy, that even a heathen king serves God's word. Some Christian interpreters saw a typological link to Christ's third-day resurrection, noting that one prisoner was lifted to life and the other to death, echoing the two thieves crucified with Jesus. The cupbearer's forgetfulness became a caution against ingratitude and a lesson in waiting on God's timing. Jewish commentators focus on the providence that works through ordinary court events to advance Joseph's destiny. The verse continues to be used in discussions of divine sovereignty and human faithfulness amidst delay.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God's timing is precise. The third day, the birthday, not a random moment. Joseph's dreams are fulfilled on schedule, teaching us that divine appointments do not arrive late.
- The same word brings salvation and judgment. The cupbearer lives; the baker dies. Both heard the same truth from Joseph's mouth. The gospel works the same way: it either softens or hardens.
- Human forgetfulness does not derail God's plan. The cupbearer forgets Joseph (v.23), yet two years later God brings Joseph to Pharaoh. Our memory fails; God's covenant does not.
Four-point outline
- The King reviews his prisoners on his birthday (a feast of accountability).
- 'Lift up the head', the same action, two outcomes, determined by the king's verdict.
- Joseph's interpretations stand confirmed: the word of God does not return empty.
- The silence after verse 22: Joseph waits, forgotten, for two full years, a test of faith.
Illustration hooks
- A judge reads the same sentence to two defendants: 'The court finds you guilty as charged.' One receives probation, the other prison. The process is identical; the verdicts reflect their records and the law.
- A doctor looks at two X-rays and says 'I see something.' For one it is good news; for the other, chemotherapy begins. The same doctor, same scan, opposite outcomes based on what is inside.
- A teacher grades two essays with the same rubric. One student passes, the other fails. The evaluation is fair because the work differs, not the standard.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why does God sometimes restore and sometimes judge, and how can I know which I will receive?
- What do I do when God's word seems silent and people have forgotten me (like Joseph)?
- Does God use pagan rulers and their celebrations to accomplish His purposes? Yes, he worked through Pharaoh's birthday to fulfill a dream-interpretation.
Leading a Discussion
This passage shows that God's word comes true even in the midst of a pagan court's celebration. Two prisoners are brought before Pharaoh; one goes free, the other dies. The same three-day timeline Joseph predicted is executed. Yet the verse ends with the cupbearer forgetting Joseph, a painful gap that lasts two years. This study helps us trust God's timing when we feel overlooked.
Discussion questions
- What do we learn about Pharaoh from the way he celebrates his birthday? How does this compare with celebrations of power today?
- The phrase 'lift up the head' appears three times in this chapter (vv.13, 19, 20). How does the context change its meaning each time?
- Why does the baker receive a death sentence while the cupbearer gets restored? Does the text give any reason for the difference?
- Joseph accurately predicted both outcomes. What does this tell us about God's ability to reveal hidden things? How should that shape our confidence in Scripture today?
- Joseph is forgotten by the cupbearer (v.23). Have you ever done the right thing and then been ignored? How does this passage speak to that experience?
- Why does the Genesis writer include the detail 'Pharaoh's birthday'? What does this tell us about God's sovereignty over secular events?
- How does this chapter prepare us for Joseph's eventual rise in chapter 41? What do we learn about waiting on God?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 21:8 | The child grew and was weaned. Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. |
| Genesis 40:13 | Within three more days, Pharaoh will lift up your head, and restore you to your office. You will give Pharaoh’s cup into his hand, the way you did when you were his cup bearer. |
| Genesis 40:19 | Within three more days, Pharaoh will lift up your head from off you, and will hang you on a tree; and the birds will eat your flesh from off you.” |
| II Kings 25:27 | In the thirty-seventh year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, Evilmerodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, released Jehoiachin king of Judah out of prison, |
| Esther 1:3 | in the third year of his reign, he made a feast for all his princes and his servants; the army of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces being before him. |
| Job 3:1 | After this Job opened his mouth, and cursed the day of his birth. |
| Matthew 14:6 | But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced among them and pleased Herod. |
| Matthew 18:23 | Therefore the Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke suggests that birthday feasts may have originated from an ancient belief in the soul's immortality, making the start of life significant. He also interprets "lifting up the head" as bringing the butler and baker to trial, similar to Naboth's case, rather than simply honoring them. The trial ended with the baker executed and the butler restored.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible commentary highlights that granting amnesty on a ruler's birthday was a widespread ancient custom, not just an Israelite one. It notes that Egyptian inscriptions record such royal proclamations. The title "Pharaoh" itself means "Great House" and was used without a personal name before the 22nd Dynasty.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Bible highlights the stark contrast between Joseph’s imprisonment and the butler’s sudden restoration on Pharaoh’s birthday. It notes that lifting up the head signifies reinstatement to favor, while the simultaneous mention of the baker’s fate foreshadows the divergent outcomes for both men. This detail underscores how divine timing governs human affairs even within royal courts.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill distinguishes between the two ways Pharaoh "lifted up the head" of his servants: the butler was restored to his post, the baker was lifted up to execution. He also identifies Pharaoh's birthday as the day of his natural birth rather than his accession to the throne, noting cultural parallels.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
Jamieson, Fausset and Brown note that the events occurred on Pharaoh's birthday, a festive occasion when prisoners received free pardons. Joseph felt genuine pain in delivering the baker's grim fate, but he could not withhold what God had revealed, and speaking plainly served the honor of the true God.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch notes that Pharaoh’s phrase “lifted up the head” meant opposite things for the two prisoners: the cupbearer was restored to office, the baker was executed. The same birthday feast brought pardon to one and death to the other, exactly as Joseph had interpreted.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange emphasizes divine providence working through what appears to be chance. The seemingly small events—Pharaoh’s birthday feast, the officers’ dreams, Joseph’s encounter—were all part of God’s plan for Joseph’s exaltation. The butler’s forgetfulness highlights human frailty, yet God’s memory and timing
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights how sudden and complete life's reversals can be: in a single day, one prisoner is restored to honor and another executed, exactly as Joseph foretold. He sees this as a display of divine justice, with Providence clearing the innocent and bringing the guilty to account.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley interprets the phrase lifted up the head not as an act of favor but as a formal arraignment and trial. Pharaoh brought both prisoners before him for judgment, which resulted in one being restored and the other executed.