Genesis 39:9

9 und hat nichts so Großes in dem Hause, das er mir verhohlen habe, außer dir, indem du sein Weib bist. Wie sollte ich denn nun ein solch groß Übel tun und wider Gott sündigen?

Genesis 39:9 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 39:9

[There is] none greater in this house than I
Not any of the servants of the house, he was the chief of them, who had all the rest under him; or rather, "he himself is not greater ^F17 in this house than I"; that is, his master was not greater than he: he had a greater propriety in the house and the things of it, and he had the original power and authority in it, but had not a greater use of it; Joseph had authority over all the servants, and everything in the house at his command, and the free use of everything his master had, excepting what follows: neither hath he kept back anything from me but thee, because thou
[art] his wife;
and is a reason not only why his master retained her for his own use, but why he should not touch her, and why she should not solicit him to it: how then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?
the words are emphatic in the original, "this! this wickedness! this great one!" adultery was reckoned a great sin among all nations, and this, had Joseph committed it, would have been greatly aggravated by the favours his master had conferred upon him; and not only a sin against himself, his soul and body, and against his master, but, above all, a sin against God, contrary to his holy nature, revealed will, and righteous law; all which prevailed upon Joseph to refuse the offer made him, which he could not comply with, in honour or with a good conscience.

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FOOTNOTES:

F17 (lwdg wnnya) "non ipse magnus", Montanus; "ne ipse quidem est me major", Junius & Tremellius, Munster, Fagius, Drusius, Mercerus, Cartwright.

Genesis 39:9 In-Context

7 Und es begab sich nach dieser Geschichte, daß seines Herrn Weib ihre Augen auf Joseph warf und sprach: Schlafe bei mir!

8 Er weigerte sich aber und sprach zu ihr: Siehe, mein Herr nimmt sich keines Dinges an vor mir, was im Hause ist, und alles, was er hat, das hat er unter meine Hände getan,

9 und hat nichts so Großes in dem Hause, das er mir verhohlen habe, außer dir, indem du sein Weib bist. Wie sollte ich denn nun ein solch groß Übel tun und wider Gott sündigen?

10 Und sie trieb solche Worte gegen Joseph täglich. Aber er gehorchte ihr nicht, daß er nahe bei ihr schliefe noch um sie wäre.

11 Es begab sich eines Tages, daß Joseph in das Haus ging, sein Geschäft zu tun, und war kein Mensch vom Gesinde des Hauses dabei.