Verse Lens · Expanded explanation
Genesis 40:14 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 14. 14But 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:
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
Joseph asks the cupbearer to remember him when restored, show him steadfast kindness, mention him to Pharaoh, and help bring him out of confinement. This is a direct appeal for advocacy, not manipulation or lack of faith.
Read It With
- Genesis 40:1–23
Read verses 13–15 and 21–23. Restoration will give the cupbearer access, Joseph explains his wrongful confinement, but the restored official fails to remember him.
Why This Verse Appears Here
Joseph uses the cupbearer's future access to request concrete advocacy rather than silently accepting wrongful confinement.
Read Genesis 40:14–15 together
Why these verses belong together: Joseph asks for remembrance and kindness, then grounds the appeal in kidnapping and wrongful confinement.
Verse 14. 14 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:
Verse 15. 15 For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews: and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon.
Follow the Context
- Pharaoh becomes angry with the chief cupbearer and chief baker, confines them where Joseph is held, and the captain assigns Joseph to attend them for an unspecified period (40:1–4).
- The officials dream distinct dreams on the same night, appear downcast, and tell Joseph that no interpreter is available; Joseph says interpretations belong to God and invites them to tell him (40:5–8).
- The cupbearer describes the vine and cup; Joseph interprets three branches as three days until restoration and asks to be remembered because he was kidnapped and has done nothing warranting confinement (40:9–15).
- The baker describes three baskets and birds eating Pharaoh's food; Joseph interprets three baskets as three days until execution and exposure (40:16–19).
- On Pharaoh's birthday both officials are brought before the court: the cupbearer is restored and the baker executed as Joseph said, but the cupbearer does not remember Joseph (40:20–23).
Phrase-by-Phrase Explanation
“think on me”
In plain language: Remember me in a way that leads to action.
Joseph asks the restored official not to leave him invisible.
Why it matters: Biblical remembrance often includes practical response.
How certain? very strong“shew kindness”
In plain language: Act toward me with steadfast kindness or loyal care.
The requested kindness is concrete advocacy.
Why it matters: Spiritual concern should become responsible action.
How certain? very strong“make mention of me”
In plain language: Tell Pharaoh about Joseph's case.
The cupbearer's access could create a path for review.
Why it matters: Advocacy depends on truthful use of influence.
How certain? very strongWhat This Verse Is Not Saying
Joseph's request does not show that he has abandoned trust in God.
The request does not promise that advocacy will bring immediate release.
Asking for remembrance is not the same as buying influence, inventing evidence, or demanding favoritism.
The verse does not make the cupbearer personally able to guarantee Joseph's release.
What Remains True
Trust in God and responsible human advocacy are compatible; people with restored access should remember those whose suffering they can truthfully address.
How It Can Shape Life
- Ask for help clearly when wrongfully confined or harmed, and use your influence to advocate truthfully for people who would otherwise remain unseen.
Teach It Back
Explain Genesis 40:14's contribution to Genesis 40:1–23. Include why the nearby verses are required, what the verse clearly says, and one conclusion it does not justify.
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Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read Genesis 40:1–23 — Joseph Interprets Two Prisoners' Dreams—and Is ForgottenSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Displayed text, prison context, paired dreams, fulfillment, forgetting, and later remembrance.
Exact location: Genesis 40:1–23; 39:20–23; 41:1–16 in the pinned standardized 1769 KJV
Open source ↗hebrew text morphology and lemma data
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible — Genesis
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible Project
Open Scriptures, Version 2.2 released 2021; repository inspected 2026
Supports: Dream and interpretation terms, downcast faces, head idiom, hesed, emphatic kidnapping, basket wording, dungeon, fulfillment, and forgetting.
Exact location: WLC Genesis 40:1–23, especially vv. 5–8, 12–15, 16–20, 23
Open source ↗Translation and textual notes
NET Bible — Genesis with translators' notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, Digital edition accessed 2026
Supports: Court-office limits, service, unspecified custody, downcast faces, interpretation, head idiom and wordplay, hesed, kidnapping, basket proposals, execution wording, birthday, and emphatic forgetting.
Exact location: NET Genesis 40 notes for vv. 1–23, especially court titles, vv. 4–8, 13–16, 19–20, 23
Open NET Genesis 40 ↗