Dreams and their interpretation are probably an embarrassment for some Biblical scholars, who are more scientifically inclined. For these folks, interpretation of dreams is nothing more than superstitious phenomena. Nevertheless, the Bible unabashedly treats them as vehicles, through which the Lord spoke to men, especially kings, in ages past. In scripture they are connected with prophecy of future events, whether true of false (Deuteronomy 13:1-3). They also come as warnings (Genesis 20:3-6) or encouragement (Genesis 28:12-15) or with instructions (cp. Genesis 31:10-13). It appears that Abimelech during the time of Abraham didn’t need an interpreter. It also seems that Jacob and his sons also knew the meaning of dreams, and needed no one to interpret for them. If this was true, then as time passed, in only a few generations, intimacy with the Lord was lost, and, therefore, interpretation of dreams as common knowledge was also lost and no longer available to men under normal circumstances (cp. Genesis 40:8; 41:7-8).
In the context of our study, during the night, the same night, both the cupbearer and the baker dreamed a dream, and the dream troubled both men (Genesis 40:5). Due to the common content in each of the dreams, the two men realized the dreams were connected in some way, but they were unable to interpret to their own satisfaction. When Joseph looked in on the men in the morning, he found them sad, so he asked them why they seemed so unhappy (Genesis 40:6-7). They told him that they had dreamed dreams during the night, and they were troubled over them, because they hadn’t an interpreter (Genesis 40:8).
Understanding God’s word doesn’t come through natural ability. Rather, communication from God is understood, only if the Lord gives understanding (cp. 1John 5:20). Joseph told the men that the interpretation of dreams belongs to God, but he asked them to reveal their dreams to him.
The chief cupbearer was the first to describe his dream to Joseph. He said that he dreamt of a vine with three branches that grew and bore clusters of ripe grapes, which the cupbearer plucked and pressed into Pharaoh’s cup, and he gave the cup to Pharaoh (Genesis 40:9-11). Joseph interpreted his dream, saying the three branches were three days, and within three days Pharaoh will lift you up out of this place and restore you to your former office, and you will serve wine to Pharaoh, as you had done before (Genesis 40:12-13).
After interpreting his dream, Joseph asked the chief cupbearer to remember him, when he appeared before Pharaoh and ask him to bring him out of this place (Genesis 40:14), because he was kidnapped and sold as a slave into Egypt and had done nothing wrong to deserve to be in this prison (Genesis 40:15).
When the chief baker saw that the cupbearer’s dream was interpreted as a good omen, he also told Joseph his dream, saying he had three white baskets on his head. The uppermost basket contained all sorts of baked treats for Pharaoh, but the birds ate them out of the basket on his head (Genesis 40:16-17). Once more Joseph interpreted the dream, saying the three baskets were three days, and within three days Pharaoh would send for him in prison and have him hanged on a tree, and the birds of the air will eat the flesh off your body! (Genesis 40:18-19).
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