Genesis 40:7
He asked them, saying: Why is your countenance sadder today than usual?
Open Genesis 40:7 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- sciscitatus est eos, dicens : Cur tristior est hodie solito facies vestra ?
- Septuagint (Swete)
- καὶ ἠρώτα τοὺς εὐνούχους Φαραώ, οἵ ἦσαν μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ φυλακῇ παρὰ τῷ κυρίῳ αὐτοῦ, λέγων Τί ὅτι τὰ πρόσωπα ὑμῶν σκυθρωπὰ σήμερον;
- Hebrew (WLC)
- וַיִּשְׁאַ֞ל אֶת סְרִיסֵ֣י פַרְעֹ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר אִתּ֧וֹ בְמִשְׁמַ֛ר בֵּ֥ית אֲדֹנָ֖יו לֵאמֹ֑ר מַדּ֛וּעַ פְּנֵיכֶ֥ם רָעִ֖ים הַיּֽוֹם
The Fathers on this verse
St John Chrysostom The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Timothy, Titus, and Philemon, Titus 2:2-5
For that he did show this care and concern we learn from the story. He saw, it is said, two eunuchs who had been cast into prison by Pharaoh, his chief butler and chief baker, and he said, “Wherefore look ye so sadly today?” ( Gen. xl. 7 .) And not from this question only, but from the conduct of these men, we may discern his merit. For, though they were the officers of the king, they did not despise him, nor in their despair did they reject his services, but they laid open to him all their secret, as to a brother who could sympathize with them.
St John Cassian The Conferences of John Cassian. Part II. Containing Conferences XI-XVII, Chapter IV. Abbot Joseph's question and our answer on the origin of our anxiety
Then the venerable Joseph saw that we were in rather low spirits, and, guessing that this was not the case without reason, addressed us in these words of the patriarch Joseph: “Why are your faces sad today?” to whom we answered: We are not like those bond slaves of Pharaoh who have seen a dream and there is none to interpret it, but I admit that we have passed a sleepless night and there is no one to lighten the weight of our troubles unless the Lord may remove them by your wisdom. Then he, who recalled the excellence of the patriarch both by his merits and name, said: Does not the cure of man’s perplexities come from the Lord? Let them be brought forward: for the Divine Compassion is able to give a remedy for them by means of our advice according to your faith.