Génesis 39

1 José en la casa de Potifar
Cuando los mercaderes ismaelitas llevaron a José a Egipto, lo vendieron a Potifar, un oficial egipcio. Potifar era capitán de la guardia del faraón, rey de Egipto.

2 El Señor
estaba con José, por eso tenía éxito en todo mientras servía en la casa de su amo egipcio.

3 Potifar lo notó y se dio cuenta de que el Señor
estaba con José, y le daba éxito en todo lo que hacía.

4 Eso agradó a Potifar, quien pronto nombró a José su asistente personal. Lo puso a cargo de toda su casa y de todas sus posesiones.

5 Desde el día en que José quedó encargado de la casa y de las propiedades de su amo, el Señor
comenzó a bendecir la casa de Potifar por causa de José. Todos los asuntos de la casa marchaban bien, y las cosechas y los animales prosperaron.

6 Pues Potifar le dio a José total y completa responsabilidad administrativa sobre todas sus posesiones. Con José a cargo, Potifar no se preocupaba por nada, ¡excepto qué iba a comer!
José era un joven muy apuesto y bien fornido,

7 y la esposa de Potifar pronto comenzó a mirarlo con deseos sexuales.
—Ven y acuéstate conmigo —le ordenó ella.

8 Pero José se negó:
—Mire —le contestó—, mi amo confía en mí y me puso a cargo de todo lo que hay en su casa.

9 Nadie aquí tiene más autoridad que yo. Él no me ha negado nada, con excepción de usted, porque es su esposa. ¿Cómo podría yo cometer semejante maldad? Sería un gran pecado contra Dios.

10 Día tras día, ella seguía presionando a José, pero él se negaba a acostarse con ella y la evitaba tanto como podía.

11 Cierto día, sin embargo, José entró a hacer su trabajo y no había nadie más allí.

12 Ella llegó, lo agarró del manto y le ordenó: «¡Vamos, acuéstate conmigo!». José se zafó de un tirón, pero dejó su manto en manos de ella al salir corriendo de la casa.

13 Cuando ella vio que tenía el manto en las manos y que él había huido,

14 llamó a sus siervos. Enseguida todos los hombres llegaron corriendo. «¡Miren! —dijo ella—. ¡Mi esposo ha traído aquí a este esclavo hebreo para que nos deje en ridículo! Él entró en mi cuarto para violarme, pero yo grité.

15 Cuando me oyó gritar, salió corriendo y se escapó, pero dejó su manto en mis manos».

16 Ella se quedó con el manto hasta que su esposo regresó a la casa.

17 Luego le contó su versión de lo sucedido: «Ese esclavo hebreo que trajiste a nuestra casa intentó entrar y aprovecharse de mí;

18 pero, cuando grité, ¡salió corriendo y dejó su manto en mis manos!».

19 José es encarcelado
Potifar se enfureció cuando oyó el relato de su esposa acerca de cómo José la había tratado.

20 Entonces agarró a José y lo metió en la cárcel donde estaban los presos del rey. José quedó allí,

21 pero el Señor
estaba con José en la cárcel y le mostró su fiel amor. El Señor
hizo que José fuera el preferido del encargado de la cárcel.

22 Poco después el director puso a José a cargo de los demás presos y de todo lo que ocurría en la cárcel.

23 El encargado no tenía de qué preocuparse, porque José se ocupaba de todo. El Señor
estaba con él y lo prosperaba en todo lo que hacía.

Génesis 39 Commentary

Chapter 39

Joseph preferred by Potiphar. (1-6) Joseph resists temptation. (7-12) Joseph is falsely accused by his mistress. (13-18) He is cast into prison, God is with him there. (19-23)

Verses 1-6 Our enemies may strip us of outward distinctions and ornaments; but wisdom and grace cannot be taken from us. They may separate us from friends, relatives, and country; but they cannot take from us the presence of the Lord. They may shut us from outward blessings, rob us of liberty, and confine us in dungeons; but they cannot shut us out from communion with God, from the throne of grace, or take from us the blessings of salvation. Joseph was blessed, wonderfully blessed, even in the house where he was a slave. God's presence with us, makes all we do prosperous. Good men are the blessings of the place where they live; good servants may be so, though mean and lightly esteemed. The prosperity of the wicked is, one way or other, for the sake of the godly. Here was a wicked family blessed for the sake of one good servant in it.

Verses 7-12 Beauty either in men or women, often proves a snare both to themselves and others. This forbids pride in it, and requires constant watchfulness against the temptation that attends it. We have great need to make a covenant with our eyes, lest the eyes infect the heart. When lust has got power, decency, and reputation, and conscience, are all sacrificed. Potiphar's wife showed that her heart was fully set to do evil. Satan, when he found he could not overcome Joseph with the troubles and the frowns of the world, for in them he still held fast his principle, assaulted him with pleasures, which have ruined more than the former. But Joseph, by the grace of God, was enabled to resist and overcome this temptation; and his escape was as great an instance of the Divine power, as the deliverance of the three children out of the fiery furnace. This sin was one which might most easily beset him. The tempter was his mistress, one whose favour would help him forward; and it was at his utmost peril if he slighted her, and made her his enemy. The time and place favoured the temptation. To all this was added frequent, constant urging. The almighty grace of God enabled Joseph to overcome this assault of the enemy. He urges what he owed both to God and his master. We are bound in honour, as well as justice and gratitude, not in any thing to wrong those who place trust in us, how secretly soever it may be done. He would not offend his God. Three arguments Joseph urges upon himself. 1. He considers who he was that was tempted. One in covenant with God, who professed religion and relation to him. 2. What the sin was to which he was tempted. Others might look upon it as a small matter; but Joseph did not so think of it. Call sin by its own name, and never lessen it. Let sins of this nature always be looked upon as great wickedness, as exceedingly sinful. 3. Against whom he was tempted to sin, against God. Sin is against God, against his nature and his dominion, against his love and his design. Those that love God, for this reason hate sin. The grace of God enabled Joseph to overcome the temptation, by avoiding the temper. He would not stay to parley with the temptation, but fled from it, as escaping for his life. If we mean not to do iniquity, let us flee as a bird from the snare, and as a roe from the hunter.

Verses 13-18 Joseph's mistress, having tried in vain to make him a guilty man, endeavoured to be avenged on him. Those that have broken the bonds of modesty, will never be held by the bonds of truth. It is no new thing for the best of men to be falsely accused of the worst of crimes, by those who themselves are the worst of criminals. It is well there is a day of discovery coming, in which all shall appear in their true characters.

Verses 19-23 Joseph's master believed the accusation. Potiphar, it is likely, chose that prison, because it was the worst; but God designed to open the way to Joseph's honour. Joseph was owned and righted by his God. He was away from all his friends and relations; he had none to help or comfort him; but the Lord was with Joseph, and showed him mercy. Those that have a good conscience in a prison, have a good God there. God gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison; he trusted him to manage the affairs of the prison. A good man will do good wherever he is, and will be a blessing even in bonds and banishment. Let us not forget, through Joseph, to look unto Jesus, who suffered being tempted, yet without sin; who was slandered, and persecuted, and imprisoned, but without cause; who by the cross ascended to the throne. May we be enabled to follow the same path in submitting and in suffering, to the same place of glory.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 39

In this chapter the history returns to Joseph again, who being brought down to Egypt was sold to Potiphar, with whom he found favour, and who set him over his house, the Lord prospering everything in his hands, Ge 39:1-6; and being a young man of a comely aspect, his mistress lusted after him, and tempted him to lie with her from time to time, but he as constantly refused it, as being both ingratitude to his master, and a sin against God, Ge 39:7-10; at a certain time they being alone in the house, she renewed her solicitations, and laid hold on his garment, which he left in her hand and fled, Ge 39:11,12; upon which she called to her servants without, and accused Joseph of an ill design upon her, and reported the same to her husband when he came home, Ge 39:13-19; upon which his master put him into prison, but he found favour also with the keeper of it, who committed the prisoners and all things relative to them into his hands, Ge 39:20-23.