Genesi 39:9

9 egli stesso non è più grande di me in questa casa; e nulla mi ha divietato, tranne che te, perché sei sua moglie. Come dunque potrei io fare questo gran male e peccare contro Dio?"

Genesi 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.

Genesi 39:9 In-Context

7 Dopo queste cose avvenne che la moglie del signore di Giuseppe gli mise gli occhi addosso, e gli disse: "Giaciti meco".

8 Ma egli rifiutò e disse alla moglie del suo signore: "Ecco, il mio signore non s’informa da me di nulla ch’è nella casa, e ha messo nelle mie mani tutto quello che ha;

9 egli stesso non è più grande di me in questa casa; e nulla mi ha divietato, tranne che te, perché sei sua moglie. Come dunque potrei io fare questo gran male e peccare contro Dio?"

10 E bench’ella gliene parlasse ogni giorno, Giuseppe non acconsentì, né a giacersi né a stare con lei.

11 Or avvenne che un giorno egli entrò in casa per fare il suo lavoro; e non c’era quivi alcuno della gente di casa;