Genesis 39:11

11 But one day, when he went into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house was 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 is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except yourself, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?"
10 And as she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her, to lie beside her or to be with her.
11 But one day, when he went into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house was there in the house,
12 she caught him by his garment, saying, "Lie with me." But he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house.
13 And as soon as she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled out of the house,
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.