Dreamer, Schemer, Slave and Prince

Dreams in the Joseph story—both those he dreamed himself and those he interpreted for others—have long mesmerized us. His arrogant boasting of his dreams to his brothers almost cost him his life. His gifts as a dream interpreter won his release from prison and slavery and allowed him to become a prince in Egypt.

Joseph languished in Pharaoh’s dungeon for more than two years after Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce him. When she failed, the spurned woman falsely claimed that Joseph, overseer of her husband’s household, had “come to dally with” her (Genesis 39:17). Potiphar, Joseph’s master and one of Pharaoh’s chief officials, threw Joseph into prison. There Joseph met Pharaoh’s chief cupbearer and chief baker, each of whom dreamed baffling dreams, which Joseph interpreted. Joseph correctly understood their dreams as portents of their fates (see the sidebar to this article).