Genesis 39:11

11 {But one particular day} he came into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house were there in the house,

Genesis 39:11 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 39:11

And it came to pass about this time
About a week, or a month, or rather a year, as Aben Ezra thinks, after she first began her solicitations to him. According to Josephus F18, it was a public festival, at which women used to attend; but she excused herself, pretending illness; and so Jarchi takes it to be some noted day at the idol's temple, to which all used to go; but she pretended she was sick, and could not go, knowing that Joseph would not be there, but at home, and therefore judged this a fit opportunity to attack him once more: and so it was, that [Joseph] went into the house to do his business:
to inspect the accounts, as the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan paraphrase it, and settle them: and [there was] none of the men of the house there within;
being all gone to the public festival, or however there were none in that part of the house where Joseph was.


FOOTNOTES:

F18 Antiqu. l. 2. c. 4. sect. 3.

Genesis 39:11 In-Context

9 He has no greater [authority] in this house than me, and he has not withheld anything from me except you, since you [are] his wife. Now how could I do this great wickedness and sin against God?"
10 And it happened [that] as she spoke to Joseph {day after day}, he did not heed her to lie beside her or to be with her.
11 {But one particular day} he came into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house were there in the house,
12 she seized him by his garment [and] said, "Lie with me!" And he left his garment in her hand and fled, and he went outside.
13 And it happened [that] when she saw that he left his garment in her hand and fled outside,

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Literally "and it happened as this day"
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