H4945a H4945a
Cupbearer, butler; a royal official entrusted with serving the king's wine and guarding against poison.
Derived from the Hiphil of shaqah ('to give drink'), this noun designates the cupbearer or butler — a high-ranking court official responsible for tasting and serving wine to the king. In the Joseph narrative (Gen 40–41), the cupbearer of Pharaoh plays a pivotal role in Joseph's eventual release from prison. Solomon's cupbearers so impressed the Queen of Sheba that she was left breathless (1 Kgs 10:5). Nehemiah's position as cupbearer to Artaxerxes (Neh 1:11) gave him unique access and influence at the Persian court, enabling his mission to rebuild Jerusalem's walls.
Senses
1. cupbearer, butler — A royal court official whose duty was to serve wine to the king, often also acting as a trusted personal attendant with intimate access to the monarch. The role implied both honor and danger — the cupbearer guarded the king from poisoning. In Genesis 40, Pharaoh's chief cupbearer is imprisoned alongside Joseph; his restored position later becomes the catalyst for Joseph's rise to power. The term also describes Solomon's impressive retinue (1 Kgs 10:5) and Nehemiah's strategic position in the Persian court (Neh 1:11). 13×
AR["الْ-سَاقِي", "الْ-سُقَاةِ", "الْ-سُّقَاةِ", "سَاقِي", "سَاقِيًا", "سَاقِيَهُ", "سِقَايَتِهِ", "وَ-سُقَاتِهِ", "وَساقِيهِ"]·ben["এবং-তাঁর-পানীয়", "ও-তাঁর-পানীয়-পরিবেশনকারীদের", "তার-পান-পরিবেশনের", "তার-পানপাত্রবাহক", "পানপাত্রবাহক", "পানপাত্রবাহকদের"]·DE["[ומשקיו]", "[משקה]", "der-Mundschenk", "der-Mundschenken", "sein-Amt", "sein-Mundschenk", "und-sein-cupbearers"]·EN["and-his-cupbearers", "cupbearer", "cupbearer-his", "cupbearer-of", "cupbearing-his", "the-cupbearer", "the-cupbearers"]·FR["[ומשקיו]", "[משקה]", "cupbearer-de", "cupbearer-son", "cupbearing-son", "et-son-cupbearers", "le-cupbearer", "le-cupbearers"]·heb["ה-משקה", "ה-משקים", "ו-משקיו-ו", "וּ-מַשְׁקָיו", "משקה", "משקהו-ו"]·HI["उसका-पिलानेवाला", "उसके-पिलाने-पर", "और-उसके-साकी", "और-पिलाने-वालों-को-उसके", "पिलानेवाला", "पिलानेवाले-ने", "पिलानेवालों-के"]·ID["dan-juru-minumannya", "dan-minumannya", "jabatannya", "juru-minuman", "juru-minumannya"]·IT["[ומשקיו]", "[משקה]", "cupbearer-di", "cupbearer-suo", "cupbearing-suo", "e-suo-cupbearers", "il-cupbearer", "il-cupbearers"]·jav["juru-juru-unjuk", "juru-ladèn-inuman", "juru-unjuk", "juru-unjuk-punika", "juru-unjukan", "juru-unjukipun", "kalenggahanipun", "lan-juru-unjukè", "lan-unjukan"]·KO["그-술잔의", "그리고-그-의-술-관들", "그리고-그의-술관들과", "그의-술-관리", "그의-술-관리인", "술-관리인과", "술-관리인들의", "술-관리인이", "술-따르는-자"]·PT["copeiro", "copeiro-de", "copeiro-dele", "e-copeiros-seus", "e-seus-copeiros", "o-copeiro", "os-copeiros"]·RU["виночерпиев", "виночерпием", "виночерпием-его", "виночерпий", "виночерпийство-его", "и-виночерпиев-его"]·ES["copero", "copero-de", "copero-suyo", "el-copero", "los-coperos", "y-coperos-de-él", "y-sus-coperos"]·SW["Yosefa", "cheo-chake", "kikombe", "mkunyaji", "mnyweshaji", "na-kichwa", "na-vinywaji-vyake", "na-wanyweshaji-wake", "wa-wakunyaji", "wakunyaji", "wanywaji"]·TR["-saki", "-sakilerin", "saki", "sakiliğine", "sakisi", "ve-içecekleri", "ve-sakilerini-onun"]·urd["اور-اُس-کے-ساقی", "اور-پلانے-والوں-اُس-کے", "ساقی", "ساقی-اس-کا", "ساقی-نے", "ساقی-گری-اس-کی", "ساقیوں-کے"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. מַשְׁקֶה n.m. butler, cup-bearer (proposes Pt. Hiph. = one giving drink);—abs. מ׳ Gn 40:5 (E), Ne 1:11, cstr. מַשְׁקֵה Gn 40:1, sf. מַשְׁקֵ֫הוּ v 13, pl. מַשְׁקִים v 2, 9, 20, 21, 23; 41:9 (all E); sf. מַשְׁקָיו 1 K 10:5 = 2 Ch 9:4 (> ii. מ׳).