Genesis 40 · Verse 3

Genesis 40:3

And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound.

Genesis 40:3, King James Version

Genesis 40:3 in other translations

BSB	and imprisoned them in the house of the captain of the guard, the same prison where Joseph was confined.
WEB	He put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound.
ASV	And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound.
YLT	and giveth them in charge in the house of the chief of the executioners, unto the round-house, the place where Joseph is a prisoner,
DARBY	and he put them in custody into the house of the captain of the life-guard, into the tower-house, into the place where Joseph was imprisoned.
BBE	And he put them in prison under the care of the captain of the army, in the same prison where Joseph himself was shut up.
Webster	And he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound.

What does Genesis 40:3 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

3. Pharaoh put them in ward, &c.--Whatever was their crime, they were committed, until their case could be investigated, to the custody of the captain of the guard, that is, Potiphar, in an outer part of whose house the royal prison was situated.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 3 Where Joseph was bound - The place in which Joseph was now confined; this is what is implied in being bound; for, without doubt, he had his personal liberty. As the butler and. the baker were state criminals they were put in the same prison with Joseph, which we learn from the preceding chapter, Gen 39:20, was the king's prison. All the officers in the employment of the ancient kings of Egypt were, according to Diodorus Siculus, taken from the most illustrious families of the priesthood in the country; no slave or common person being ever permitted to serve in the presence of the king. As these persons, therefore, were of the most noble families, it is natural to expect they would be put, when accused, into the state prison.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 40:1-19

It was not so much the prison that made the butler and baker sad, as their dreams. God has more ways than one to sadden the spirits. Joseph had compassion towards them. Let us be concerned for the sadness of our brethren's countenances. It is often a relief to those that are in trouble to be noticed. Also learn to look into the causes of our own sorrow. Is there a good reason? Is there not comfort sufficient to…

Read the full comment on Genesis 40:1-19 →

Genesis 40:3 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיִּתֵּ֨ןvai.yi.Tenand he putH5414

אֹתָ֜ם'o.Tam<obj.> themH853

בְּמִשְׁמַ֗רbe.mish.Marin [the] custody ofH4929

בֵּ֛יתbeit[the] house ofH1004

שַׂ֥רsar[the] commander ofH8269

הַטַבָּחִ֖יםha.ta.ba.Chimthe bodyguardsH2876

אֶל\־'el-intoH413

בֵּ֣יתbeit[the] house ofH1004

הַסֹּ֑הַרha.So.harthe prisonH5470

מְק֕וֹםme.Kom[the] placeH4725

אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.Sher<of> whereH834

יוֹסֵ֖ףyo.SefJosephH3130

אָס֥וּר'a.Sur[was] imprisonedH631

שָֽׁם\׃ShamthereH8033

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Genesis 40:3

Genesis 39:20
And Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.
Genesis 39:23
The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the Lord was with him, and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

the place.
39:20,23
where Joseph was bound.Or, "where Joseph was confined," for he doubtless had his personal liberty. This place, we learn from the preceding chapter, (ver. 20,) was the king's prison. All the officers in the employment of the ancient kings of Egypt, according to Diodorus Siculus, were taken from the most illustrious families of the priesthood in the country; no slave or common person being ever permitted to serve in the presence of the king. As these persons were of the most noble families, it is natural to expect they would be put, when accused, into the state prison.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Genesis 40:2
And Pharaoh was wroth against two of his officers, against the chief of the butlers, and against the chief of the bakers.
Genesis 40:3
And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound.
Genesis 40:4
And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them: and they continued a season in ward.

Read all of Genesis 40

Genesis 40:3 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y púsolos en prisión en la casa del capitán de los de la guardia, en la casa de la cárcel donde José estaba preso.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	et il les mit sous garde dans la maison du chef des gardes, dans la tour, dans le lieu où Joseph était emprisonné.
German Elberfelder 1871	und er setzte sie in Gewahrsam in das Haus des Obersten der Trabanten, in die Feste, an den Ort, wo Joseph gefangen lag.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	misit eos in carcerem principis militum, in quo erat vinctus et Joseph.