Genesis 40:8 - Exposition

And they said unto him, We hays dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it —literally, a dream have we dreamt, and interpreting it there is none . This must be noted as a third peculiarity connected with these dreams, that both of their recipients were similarly affected by them, though there was much in the butler's dream to inspire hope rather than dejection. And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God ?—literally, Are not interpretations to Elohim? i.e. the Supreme Being (cf. Genesis 41:16 ; Daniel 2:11 , Daniel 2:28 , Daniel 2:47 ). The Egyptians believed ὅτι ἀνθρώπων μὲν οὐδενὶ προσκέεται ἡ τέχνη μαντικὴ τῶν δὲ θεῶν μετεξετέροισε (Herod; 2:83). Tell me them, I pray you. Joseph's request implies that the consciousness of his Divine calling to be a prophet had begun to dawn upon him, and that he was now speaking from an inward conviction, doubtless produced within his mind by Elohim, that he could unfold the true significance of the dreams.