It seems probable that Pot'i-phar realized that Jo'seph was forced to remain in prison for two years as a result of the false charges preferred against him by Pot'i-phar's wife. But his quiet, trustworthy manner, his gentle, friendly behavior, and his patience under unjust punishment won for him the confidence of all the prisoners with whom he was associated. Among these prisoners were two former servants of Pha'roah, a builder and a baker. They were placed under the care of Jo'seph, and in the course of time he was called upon to explain for each of them a dream which greatly worried them.
The interpretations which Jo'seph gave came to pass within three days: the baker was hanged, and the butler was released and given his former position in the king's court. Jo'seph requested the butler to use his good offices for his release, but two years passed before he even mentioned to the king the name of his friend and benefactor. In the meantime Jo'seph did not despair, but clung to the belief that God would save him in his own time and manner.
It was then that things began to happen in his favor. Pha'roah had two strange dreams, both of which were similar, and which seemed to carry the same meaning. When the king awoke in the morning, he was very much disturbed in mind by these dreams. He felt that they were very important, and was eager to know just what they meant. All the magicians and wise men of E'gypt were called in to help the king, but none of them could explain his dreams. Though naturally trying as hard as they could to give the meaning of the dreams, they were puzzled as deeply as Pha'roah by the visions which had come to him in the night.
Pha'roah was unable to hide his troubled feelings from his servants, and his chief butler soon realized that something must be done to solve the problem. Suddenly he remembered how Jo'seph had explained his dream and that of the chief baker when they were in prison two years before, so he said to Pha'roah, "There is in prison a young man, a He'brew, who possesses the wisdom of God by which the most difficult dreams may be made known."
