Genesis 39

1 Therefore Joseph was led into Egypt, and Potiphar, a gelding of Pharaoh, prince of the host, a man of Egypt, bought him of the hand of Ishmaelites, of which he was brought thither. (And so Joseph was taken down to Egypt, and Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's eunuchs, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites, who had brought him there.)

2 And the Lord was with him, and he was a man doing with prosperity in all things (and made him prosperous in all things). And Joseph dwelled in the house of his lord,

3 which knew full well that the Lord was with Joseph, and that all things which he did, were (ad)dressed of the Lord in his hand. (who knew full well that the Lord was with Joseph, and that all the things which he did were directed by the hand of the Lord.)

4 And Joseph found grace before his lord, and he served him, of whom Joseph was made sovereign of all things (who made Joseph the ruler over all his things), and he governed the house betaken to him, and all (the) things that were betaken to him.

5 And the Lord blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph, and multiplied all his chattel, as well in houses, as in fields; (And the Lord blessed the Egyptian's household for Joseph's sake, and multiplied his possessions, yea, all that he had in his house, and all that he had in his fields;)

6 neither he knew any other thing, but [the] bread which he ate. Forsooth Joseph was fair in face, and shapely in sight.

7 And so after many days the lady (of his lord) cast her eyes into Joseph, and said, Sleep thou with me; (And so after many days the lady of his lord cast her eyes upon Joseph, and said, Lie thou with me;)

8 which assented not to the unleaveful work, and said to her, Lo! while all things be betaken to me, my lord wot not what he hath in his house, (who assented not to the unlawful deed, and said to her, Lo! while he hath entrusted all his things to me, my lord knoweth not what he hath in his own house,)

9 neither anything is, which is not in my power, either which he hath not betaken to me, except thee, which art his wife; how therefore may I do this evil, and do sin against my lord? (and there is nothing, which is not in my power, or which he hath not entrusted to me, except thee, who art his wife; and so how can I do this evil thing, and sin against God?/and sin against the Lord?)

10 They spake such words by all days/by long time, and the woman was dis-easeful to the young man, and he forsook the adultery. (They spoke such words for a long time, and the woman distressed the young man, but he forsook the adultery.)

11 Forsooth it befelled in a day, that Joseph entered into the house, and did some work without witnesses.

12 And she took the hem of his cloth, and she said, Sleep thou with me; and he left the mantle in her hand, and he fled, and went out. (And she took hold of the hem of his cloak, and said, Lie thou with me; and he left the cloak in her hands, and he fled away.)

13 And when the woman had seen the cloak in her hands, and that she was despised,

14 she called to her the men of her house, and said to them, Lo! my lord hath brought in an Hebrew man, that he should scorn us; he entered to me to do lechery with me, and when I cried, (she called the men of the household to her, and said to them, Lo! my lord hath brought in a Hebrew man, and he hath scorned us; yea, he entered to do lechery with me, and when I cried out,)

15 and he heard my voice, he left the mantle which I held, and he fled out. (and he heard my voice, he left his cloak which I held onto, and he fled away.)

16 Therefore into proving of the truth, she showed the mantle, that she held, to her husband turning again home. (And so to prove the truth of it all, she showed his cloak, which she had held onto, to her husband when he returned home.)

17 And she said (to him), The Hebrew servant, whom thou broughtest in, entered to me to scorn me (came to me, and mocked me);

18 and when he saw me cry, he left the mantle that I held, and he fled out. (and when I cried out, he left his cloak which I held onto, and he fled away.)

19 And when these things were heard, the lord believed over much to the words of the wife (the lord believed too much in his wife's words), and he was full wroth;

20 and he betook Joseph into prison, where the bound men of the king were kept, and he was closed there. (and he took Joseph, and put him in the prison, where the king's prisoners were kept, and so he was enclosed there.)

21 Forsooth the Lord was with Joseph, and had mercy on him, and gave grace to him, in the sight of the prince of the prison (before the ruler, that is, the warden, of the prison),

22 which betook in the hand of Joseph all the prisoners that were holden in keeping, and whatever thing was done, it was done under Joseph, (who put all the other prisoners, who were held in the prison, under Joseph's hand, or power, and whatever thing was done, it was done under Joseph's direction,)

23 neither the prince knew anything (and the ruler of the prison had no further concerns), for all things were betaken to Joseph; for the Lord was with him, and directed all his works.

Genesis 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.