Genesis Chapter 40 verse 11 Holy Bible

Ellicott's Commentary

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(11) And pressed them.--Plutarch, Is. et Osir. ? 6, says that before the time of Psammetichus the Egyptians did not drink wine, nor make libations of it to the gods. This statement has been abundantly disproved, and probably arose from the writer supposing that the custom of, possibly, one district was the universal rule. Nevertheless, the king's drink here does not seem to have been fermented wine, but a sort of sherbet made of fresh grape-juice and water. It is a pleasant beverage, still much used in the East, but sometimes the grape juice is left till fermentation has just begun when it acquires a pleasant briskness, and is less cloying.Into Pharaoh's hand.--Heb., I placed the cup upon Pharaoh's palm. The word is used in Genesis 32:25 of the hollow of Jacob's thigh (see Note there). Here it means the hollow produced by bending the fingers inwards. Now the Hebrews always spoke of placing the cup in a person's hand (Ezekiel 23:31, and see Psalm 75:8; Jeremiah 51:7); and even here Joseph, though probably speaking the Egyptian language, nevertheless used the Hebrew idiom, saying, thou wilt give Pharaoh's cup into his hand. It is the Egyptian cup-bearer, who, using the idiom of his own country, speaks of placing the cup upon Pharaoh's palm, the reason being that Egyptian cups had no stems, but were flat bowls or saucers, held in the very way which the cup-bearer describes.Parallel Commentaries ...HebrewPharaoh’sפַּרְעֹ֖ה (par·‘ōh)Noun - proper - masculine singularStrong's 6547: Pharaoh -- a title of Egypt kingscupוְכ֥וֹס (wə·ḵō·ws)Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular constructStrong's 3563: A cup, a lot, some unclean bird, an owlwas in my hand,בְּיָדִ֑י (bə·yā·ḏî)Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singularStrong's 3027: A handand I tookוָאֶקַּ֣ח (wā·’eq·qaḥ)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singularStrong's 3947: To takethe grapes,הָֽעֲנָבִ֗ים (hā·‘ă·nā·ḇîm)Article | Noun - masculine pluralStrong's 6025: A grapesqueezedוָֽאֶשְׂחַ֤ט (wā·’eś·ḥaṭ)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singularStrong's 7818: To tread out, squeezethem intoאֶל־ (’el-)PrepositionStrong's 413: Near, with, among, to[his]פַּרְעֹ֔ה (par·‘ōh)Noun - proper - masculine singularStrong's 6547: Pharaoh -- a title of Egypt kingscup,כּ֣וֹס (kō·ws)Noun - feminine singular constructStrong's 3563: A cup, a lot, some unclean bird, an owland placedוָאֶתֵּ֥ן (wā·’et·tên)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singularStrong's 5414: To give, put, setthe cupהַכּ֖וֹס (hak·kō·ws)Article | Noun - feminine singularStrong's 3563: A cup, a lot, some unclean bird, an owlintoעַל־ (‘al-)PrepositionStrong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against[his]פַּרְעֹֽה׃ (par·‘ōh)Noun - proper - masculine singularStrong's 6547: Pharaoh -- a title of Egypt kingshand.”כַּ֥ף (kap̄)Noun - feminine singular constructStrong's 3709: Hollow or flat of the hand, palm, sole (of the foot), a panJump to PreviousCrushing Cup Grapes Hand Pharaoh Pharaoh's Placed Press Pressed Squeezed