Genesis 39
39
Joseph’s Success in Egypt
1Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an Egyptian officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the bodyguard, bought him #39:1 Lit from the hand offrom the Ishmaelites, who had taken him down there. 2And the Lord was with Joseph, so he became a #39:2 Or prosperoussuccessful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. 3Now his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all that he did prosper in his hand. 4So Joseph found favor in his sight and #39:4 Or ministered to himbecame his personal servant; and he made him overseer over his house, and #39:4 Lit handed over to himput him in charge of all that he owned. 5It came about that from the time he made him overseer in his house and over all that he owned, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house on account of Joseph; so the Lord’s blessing was upon all that he owned, in the house and in the field. 6So he left #39:6 Lit in Joseph’s handJoseph in charge of everything that he owned; and with him there he did not #39:6 Lit knowconcern himself with anything except the #39:6 Lit breadfood which he #39:6 Or used to eatate.
Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. 7And it came about after these events that his master’s wife #39:7 Lit lifted up her eyes athad her eyes on Joseph, and she said, “Sleep with me.” 8But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, with me here, my master #39:8 Lit does not know what is in the housedoes not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has #39:8 Lit handed over to meput me in charge of all that he owns. 9#39:9 Or He is not greaterThere is no one greater in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil, and sin against God?” 10Though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he did not listen to her to lie beside her or be with her. 11Now it happened #39:11 Lit about this dayone day that he went into the house to do his work, and none of the people of the household was there inside. 12So she grabbed him by his garment, saying, “Sleep with me!” But he left his garment in her hand and fled, and went outside. 13#39:13 Lit And it came about whenWhen she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled outside, 14she called to the men of her household and said to them, “See, he has brought in a #39:14 Lit Hebrew manHebrew to us to make fun of us; he came in to me to sleep with me, and I #39:14 Lit called with a great voicescreamed. 15When he heard that I raised my voice and #39:15 Lit called outscreamed, he left his garment beside me and fled and went outside.” 16So she #39:16 Lit let...lie besideleft his garment beside her until his master came home. 17Then she spoke to him #39:17 Lit according towith these #39:17 Lit words, sayingwords: “The Hebrew slave, whom you brought to us, came in to me to make fun of me; 18but when I raised my voice and #39:18 Lit called outscreamed, he left his garment beside me and fled outside.”
Joseph Imprisoned
19Now when his master heard the words of his wife which she spoke to him, saying, “#39:19 Lit According to these things your slaveThis is what your slave did to me,” his anger burned. 20So Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined; and he was there in the prison. 21But the Lord was with Joseph and extended kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the warden of the prison. 22And the warden of the prison #39:22 Lit handed over to Joseph allput Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison; so that whatever was done there, he was #39:22 Lit the doerresponsible for it. 23The warden of the prison did not supervise anything #39:23 Lit in his handunder Joseph’s authority, because the Lord was with him; and, the Lord made whatever he did prosper.
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Genesis 39: NASB2020
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Genesis 39
39
Joseph Serves Potiphar
1After the Ishmaelite traders brought Joseph down to Egypt, he was purchased by an Egyptian officer # 39:1 This is actually the Hebrew word for “eunuch.” In Egyptian culture, the key officials surrounding the king were made eunuchs to prevent them from having sons that would compete for the throne. This may help the reader understand why Potiphar’s wife chased after Joseph later in the chapter. of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, whose name was Potiphar. # 39:1 Potiphar means “given by the sun-god Ra” or “one who belongs to the sun-god Ra.” 2Yahweh’s presence was with Joseph and he became successful # 39:2 Or “prosperous.” The implication is that Joseph excelled in everything. God’s presence and favor do more for us than our skill, intelligence, and cleverness could achieve. God had his hand in everything that happened to Joseph, and he has his hand in everything that happens to you (see Rom. 8:28). while living in the house of his Egyptian master. 3When his master realized that Yahweh’s presence was with Joseph # 39:3 The Talmud teaches that the Hebrew text should be translated as “Yahweh was continually on Joseph’s lips”; in other words, Potiphar noted that Joseph did everything as unto God and gave him the glory. There is something trustworthy about a person with no agenda other than to give God glory in everything. and caused everything he did to prosper, 4Joseph found favor with Potiphar. He was quickly promoted to become the overseer of Potiphar’s house and was put in charge of all that he had. 5From the moment Potiphar appointed Joseph over his household, Yahweh blessed the Egyptian’s affairs for Joseph’s sake. The blessing of Yahweh was upon everything Potiphar owned; his finances increased, his crops flourished, and his flocks and herds multiplied. # 39:5 Or “everything Potiphar owned, at home and in the field.” 6So Potiphar placed all that he owned under Joseph’s oversight. And with Joseph in charge, Potiphar had nothing to worry about, except deciding on what to eat! # 39:6 Or possibly a figure of speech for “his private affairs,” or euphemistically for “his wife.”
Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife
Now Joseph was strikingly handsome, very good-looking, and well-built. # 39:6 No other man is described in these terms in the Bible; however the Hebrew phrase is nearly identical to the description of Rachel (see Gen. 29:17). 7It wasn’t long before his master’s wife # 39:7 Although unnamed, Hebrew tradition identifies Potiphar’s wife as Zuleika. As an Egyptian aristocrat, she was no doubt a beautiful woman. noticed Joseph. She demanded: “Come make love to me.”
8“Never!” Joseph replied. “Don’t you realize that my master has nothing to worry about with me in charge, for he has put everything he has under my care? 9There is no one greater in his household than me, # 39:9 Joseph understood the great favor shown to him and could not violate the trust of his master. He valued Potiphar’s trust in him. Joseph knew that he was elevated to a place of honor; nothing was held back from him. Joseph had self-respect and respected Potiphar’s wife. Though she was evil, he was honorable toward her. nor has he kept anything back from me except you, because you’re his wife. Why would I want to do such an immoral thing and sin against God?”
10Yet day after day, she was determined to seduce him. But Joseph continually refused her advances and would not even go near her. 11Then one day, when he had to go into the house to do his work and no one else was there, 12she grabbed him by his robe and said, “Come on, sleep with me!” But he abruptly ran out of the house, leaving his robe in her hands! # 39:12 Interestingly, the triliteral Hebrew root for “robe,” b-g-d, has a homonym meaning “marital fidelity.” There are times when running is the mark of a coward, and there are times when running is the mark of courage. Joseph would rather run in embarrassment than linger, falling into the trap of sexual promiscuity (see 1 Thess. 4:3–8). Self-control is a true sign of integrity. It is better to lose a good coat than a good conscience! He may have lost his coat, but Joseph kept his character. If the Lord has destined you for greatness, if God has a work for you to do, there should be no surprise when this kind of temptation comes to you. 13Realizing he had fled, and she was holding his robe in her hands, 14she called for her household servants and said to them, “See! My husband brings this Hebrew foreigner here to make fools of us! # 39:14 Or “to play with us,” a possible euphemism for having sex with them. He barged into my house and tried to have sex with me, and I screamed; 15and when he heard me scream for help, he ran out of the house and left his robe!”
16She kept the robe beside her until his master came home 17and she told him the same story: “This Hebrew foreigner you brought among us barged into the house and tried to violate me. 18As soon as I screamed out for help, he ran outside and left his robe here beside me.”
Joseph Goes to Prison
19When his master heard his wife’s account about how his servant had treated her, he became furious. # 39:19 The text does not say with whom Potiphar was furious. Perhaps he knew his wife’s promiscuous ways. He had Joseph only thrown into prison when a man with his authority could have had him killed. Perhaps he doubted the truth of her story, but to save face, he had Joseph imprisoned. According to the Yalkut Shimoni, Asenath, the daughter of Potiphar, did her best to convince her father of Joseph’s innocence and what really happened. Later, when Joseph was freed from prison, Asenath became Joseph’s wife. 20So Joseph’s master took him and threw him into prison, the place where the king’s prisoners are confined, and he was left there. # 39:20 In Ps. 105:17–18 we learn that Joseph’s feet were in chains and an iron collar was placed on his neck (or “his soul”). It would be hard to imagine a lower point in Joseph’s life. Betrayed by his brothers, sold as slave, and falsely accused, he suffered for a season until his time of deliverance arrived. As hard as it may seem, God may allow others to take advantage of us in order to carry out his secret will for our life. He will let us look like a fool in order to perfect our character. This is “the place where [our King’s] prisoners are confined” (Gen. 39:20; see Eph. 4:1)! 21But Yahweh was with Joseph and demonstrated to him his faithful love by giving him great favor in the sight of the warden. 22The warden put all the prisoners under Joseph’s care; he was placed in charge of all the prisoners and everything in the prison. 23The warden had no worries about the prison with Joseph in charge, because Yahweh’s presence was with Joseph and caused everything Joseph did to prosper. # 39:23 Joseph had a God-favored life. A study of the life of Joseph is a study of the favor of God. He was faithful as a son, a shepherd, and a servant. He was diligent in all that he did. Wisdom guided him, even in a strange land, and everything he did prospered (see Ps. 1:3)! He not only adjusted to living in Egypt but also flourished and became the personal attendant (administrator) of Potiphar’s affairs and eventually the supervisor of the penal system. Joseph would never have been given such an honor if he had not demonstrated a high degree of integrity and faithfulness. Everyone could see that God was with Joseph. He that was faithful over a few things was now being made a ruler over much. See Matt. 25:21.
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