Gen 40:9 the chief of the c told his dream to Joseph
Gen 41:9 chief of the c spoke to Pharaoh, saying
Neh 1:11 I beg you .. because I served as c to the king
Butler (Heb. mashqeh, “who gives drink”). The ancient eastern monarchs lived in constant danger of being poisoned, and therefore employed very trustworthy courtiers as keepers of their drinks (fig 133). The OT mentions Pharaoh’s cupbearer in Joseph’s time (Gen 40:1-41:13), those in King Solomon’s day (1Ki 10:5, BJ; 2Ch 9:4, BJ) and Nehemiah as such to Artaxerxes I of Persia (Neh 1:11). The fact that Nehemiah, a Jew, held such an important position of trust and responsibility speaks volumes for his ability and integrity of character.
Source: Evangelical Bible Dictionary
trusted servant in the ancient courts, in charge of preparing, tasting and serving the wine to the kings. the c. he tasted the wine before the king, in order to prevent the latter from being poisoned. Joseph, when he was imprisoned in Egypt, interpreted the dreams of the pharaoh’s chief cup bearer, fallen into disgrace and imprisoned, Gn 40, 1 and 9-11/13/21. Also mentioned is the chief cupbearer of Sennacherib, king of Assyria, sent by him to talk with Hezekiah, king of Judah, 2 R 18, 17-37; 19, 4 and 8; Isa 36, 2; 37, 4. Ajikar, nephew of Tobias, was c. Sennacherib and Esarhaddon, Tb 1, 22. Nehemiah was c. of Artaxerxes, Ne 1, 11; twenty-one.
Digital Bible Dictionary, Grupo C Service & Design Ltda., Colombia, 2003
Source: Digital Bible Dictionary
see trades
Source: Hispanic World Bible Dictionary
Court official who had the full confidence of the king. Because of the conspiracies and for fear of being poisoned, he, before eating or drinking, waited for his c. of him taste the food and drinks. Joseph asked c. of Pharaoh to intercede for him (Gen 40:13-14). Nehemiah †œserved c. to the king† †¢Artaxerxes in Persia (Neh 1:11).
Source: Christian Bible Dictionary
type, OFFICE FUNC
vet, Official who poured the drink into the cup and gave it to the king (Gen. 40:9-14; Neh. 1:11; 2:1, 2). In the court of an Eastern monarch, this position was one of the highest and demanded the greatest integrity, since there was a danger that the cupbearer would allow himself to be bribed, offering the king poisoned wine (Josephus, Ant. 16:8, 1). The accession to such a position in the royal court by a foreigner like Nehemiah speaks eloquently of Nehemiah’s moral worth.
Source: New Illustrated Bible Dictionary
Official of the royal court who served wine or other drinks to the king. (Ge 40:1, 2, 11; Ne 1:11; 2:1) One of the duties of the chief cupbearer was to taste the wine before giving it to the monarch. This practice was carried out because there was always the possibility of an attempt on the king’s life by poisoning the wine.
An indispensable requirement to occupy this position was to enjoy complete trust, since the king’s life was at stake. His position was one of the most honorable at court. The chief cupbearer used to be present at royal meetings and conversations. As his relationship with the king was close and usually confidential, he often had considerable influence over him. It was Pharaoh’s cupbearer who recommended Joseph. (Ge 41: 9-13) King Artaxerxes of Persia highly regarded his cupbearer Nehemiah. (Ne 2:6-8) When he traveled to Jerusalem, Artaxerxes provided him with a military escort. (Ne 2:9.)
The fact that cupbearers appear frequently in ancient illustrations indicates the importance of their position. The queen of Sheba was greatly impressed by the “drinking servants, and her attire.” (2Ch 9:4.)
Source: Dictionary of the Bible
(heb. masqeh, ‘he who gives drink’). The “spooner (°bj; °vrv2 “official”) of the pharaoh of the time of Joseph (Gen. 40.1ss), both in the Heb. as by reason of his functions. His occupation, as described in Gen. 40 corresponded in part to the (wider) wdpw egp. from early times, and especially to the Middle Kingdom period (broadly ca. 2000–1600 BC; cf. Joseph ca. 1700 BC), and exactly to the later term wb’, ‘cupbearer’, from New Kingdom times (ca. 1600–1100 BC), which includes the time of Moses. See AH Gardiner, Ancient Egyptian Onomastica, 1, 1947, pp. 43*, 44*, on No. 122 (wb’), and J. Vergote, Joseph in Egypt, 1959, pp. 35–40 (eng. pp. 36). Egyptian cupbearers, wb’were often called w˓b-˓wy, ‘clean hands’, and in the ss. XIII BC a cupbearer of this class is rightly called wb’ dp ı̓rp, ‘cupbearer (or cupbearer) who tastes the wine’ (RA Caminos, Late-Egyptian Miscellanies, 1954, pp. 498). These (often foreign) officials became confidants and favorites of the king in many cases, and wielded political influence; this is very evident in the 20th dynasty egp. (12th century BC), and cf. Nehemiah. In tomb paintings, the (lower) cupbearers of high-ranking Egyptian dignitaries are sometimes shown serving wine.
In Solomon’s dazzling court, which so impressed the queen of Sheba, there were cupbearers (1 Kings 10.5; 2 Chron. 9.4); on the far left of the Megiddo ivory in EW Heaton, Everyday Life in Old Testament Times, 1956, pp. 164, fig(s). 80, or in WF Albright, Archeology of Palestine, 1960, pp. 123, fig(s). 31 eds. cast. Biblical Archaeology, 1962), a cupbearer from somewhat earlier times is seen in a Palestinian (Canaanite) court.
Nehemiah (1.11) was cupbearer to Artaxerxes I of Persia (ca. 464–423 BC) and, like his former colleagues in Egypt, enjoyed royal trust and favor, and had access to the ear of the monarch. To see a figure of a cupbearer ace. see H. Frankfort, Art and Architecture of the Ancient Orient, 1954, pl. 89.
Bibliography. GE Wright, Biblical Archaeology, 1975; R. de Vaux, Institutions of the Old Testament, 1935, pp. 184–191.
K.A.K.
Douglas, J. (2000). New Biblical Dictionary: First Edition. Miami: United Bible Societies.
Source: New Bible Dictionary