NIV 1984 Edition

39:1 Now Joseph [Joseph not mentioned in Gen. 38; at this point he is separated from everything once familiar] had been taken [Joseph is not directing his own life, instead others are making decisions that impact his life] down [geographically because Egypt lies south and at a lower elevation than Canaan; symbolically because it continues the story of his gradual descent (down into the pit, down into slavery, down into Egypt, later down into prison)] to Egypt [Joseph entered Egypt as a slave but would eventually become the second most powerful man in the nation]. Potiphar [a wealthy Egyptian official; name may mean “given by Ra” (Egyptian sun god)], an Egyptian [people who did not worship the God of Abraham; Joseph had to live out his faith in a different culture] who was one of Pharaoh’s officials [God placed Joseph exactly where He needed him to be to prepare him for what he could not yet see], the captain of the guard [an influential position, likely serving as commander of Pharaoh’s personal bodyguard; position may have included overseeing royal prisoners], bought him [Joseph was no longer free but had become personal property; while his circumstances had changed, God’s calling on his life remained the same] from the Ishmaelites [see Gen. 37:28] who had taken him there [from Canaan to Egypt].

39:2 The LORD [Yahweh, the covenant name of God; first mention of God in this chapter; Egypt was ruled by Pharaoh but Joseph’s life was ruled by God] was with [God was not limited or confined to the borders of Canaan; God was with Joseph in the midst of his suffering] Joseph [although Joseph was separated from his family, he was not alone because the Lord was with him] and he prospered [to succeed, advance, accomplish, or thrive despite hardship], and he lived in the house [he did not begin by working in the fields but instead in the house; learning to manage a household helped prepare him to manage a nation] of his Egyptian master [Potiphar; Joseph remained faithful among those who did not know God].

39:3 When his master [Potiphar owned Joseph’s body but God controlled Joseph’s destiny] saw [means to observe, perceive, or recognize] that the LORD [Yahweh; since Potiphar would have been familiar with hundreds of gods/goddesses, he probably had asked Joseph the name of his God; the blessing Potiphar observed came from Israel’s God—not from Egypt’s gods] was with him [Joseph’s success is explained by only one reason] and that the LORD [and not Joseph’s own strength or talents] gave him success [means to prosper, succeed, accomplish, or advance] in everything [God’s favor marked every responsibility entrusted to Joseph] he did [Joseph glorified God by being an exceptional servant; he demonstrated excellence in daily responsibilities; see Col. 3:23-24],

39:4 Joseph found favor [favor is often presented as a gift that God grants rather than something a person secures by personal ambition] in his eyes [trust is rarely built through one dramatic event, rather it is earned through consistent faithfulness over time; Potiphar had observed Jospeh’s honesty, competence, dependability, wisdom] and became his attendant [personal assistant or trusted aide]. Potiphar put him in charge [appointed, established, or commissioned; see Prov. 22:29] of his household [Potiphar’s estate became Joseph classroom; this is where he learned leadership], and he entrusted [because Potiphar had observed that Jospeh was trustworthy] to his care [stewardship; Joseph owned nothing but managed everything] everything [emphasizes the completeness of Potiphar’s confidence] he owned [stewards manage what belongs to another].

39:5 From the time [there was a noticeable difference from the moment Joseph assumed his new responsibility] he put him in charge [Potiphar entrusted Jospeh with increasing responsibility] of his household [which functioned as an economic enterprise] and of all [nothing was excluded from Joseph’s responsibility] that he owned [Joseph became a steward or manager of Potiphar’s household and property; cf. 1 Cor. 4:2], the LORD blessed [means to bestow favor, abundance, fruitfulness, and well-being] the household of the Egyptian [Joseph became an instrument of blessing to a pagan household] because of Joseph [Joseph became the channel through which God’s blessing flowed]. The blessing of the LORD [the ultimate source of blessing] was on everything Potiphar had [God blessed every part of Potiphar’s estate], both in the house [domestic affairs] and in the field [agricultural affairs; house and field together refer to every aspect of life].

39:6 So he left [he entrusted] in Joseph’s care [into Joseph’s hand] everything he had [emphasizes the completeness of Potiphar’s confidence]; with Joseph in charge [functioned as chief administrator over Potiphar’s estate], he did not concern himself [Joseph’s integrity freed Potiphar from constant oversight] with anything [Potiphar had complete confidence in Joseph] except the food he ate [Potiphar handled only his personal meals]. Now [marks a transition from Joseph’s success to coming temptation] Joseph was well-built [physically strong and well-proportioned] and handsome [until now, the emphasis has been on Joseph’s character but now turns to his appearance to explain why Potiphar’s wife took an interest in him; Joseph’s mother Rachel is described as “lovely in form, and beautiful” (Gen. 29:17)],

39:7 and after a while [after the passage of time; temptation often comes when everything seems to be going well] his master’s wife [Moses does not give her name; she was a powerful woman who was capable of destroying Joseph’s life] took notice [literally means “lifted her eyes toward” Joseph; continually did so; deliberate attention and growing desire; Joseph’s physical appearance became the occasion for temptation] of Joseph and said [see James 1:14], “Come to bed with me! [a direct command to have sexual relations]”

39:8 But [points out contrast; no hesitation, negotiation, or debate on Joseph’s part] he refused [to reject or absolutely decline; Joseph’s refusal reveals that his convictions had already been established long before temptation arrived]. “With me in charge [reminded her of the trust her husband had placed in him],” he told her [he respectfully explained the moral boundaries he refused to cross], “my master [note the extent of Potiphar’s trust] does not concern himself with anything [emphasized the completeness of Potiphar’s trust] in the house; everything he owns [Joseph understood the difference between ownership and stewardship; he refused to violate trust for personal gratification] he has entrusted [Potiphar’s wife focused on her husband’s absence while Joseph reminded her of Potiphar’s trust] to my care [literally into my hand].

39:9 No one is greater [not a boast but an acknowledgment of the trust Potiphar had placed in him] in this house than I am. My master [Joseph spoke respectfully about Potiphar; he refused to betray trust with betrayal] has withheld nothing from me [Joseph had unrestricted authority] except you [this is the one boundary he would not cross], because you are his wife [he saw her as Potiphar’s wife rather than an object of desire]. How then [Joseph had moral convictions prior to being tempted; instead of asking “Can I get away with this?” he asked “How could I possibly do this?”] could I do such a wicked [refers to something morally evil, harmful, or grievously wrong; Joseph recognized the character of such an immoral deed] thing [adultery undermines marriage] and sin [first mention of sin in this narrative; a violation of God’s holy standard] against God [Joseph understood that sin is always against God; cf. Ps. 51:4]?”

39:10 And though she spoke [she did not give up after being rejected] to Joseph day after day [one of Satan’s strategies is persistence; Joseph stood firm though she was persistent], he refused [faithfulness requires daily obedience; his response remained consistent] to go to bed with her or even [he did not negotiate or try to see how close he could get to the line without crossing it] be with her [Joseph wisely kept his distance; many people fall into sin because they overestimate their spiritual strength and underestimate the power of temptation].

39:11 One day [signals a decisive moment; a day that would change the course of his life] he went into the house [required to fulfill his responsibilities] to attend to his duties [he did not neglect his responsibilities because of the advances of Potiphar’s wife], and none [the absence of witnesses created the ideal opportunity for sin; temptation often appears strongest when accountability is removed] of the household servants was inside [seems suspicious; we are not told if they had been intentionally dismissed by Potiphar’s wife or were simply elsewhere; Joseph knew he was not truly alone and that God was watching (see Prov. 15:3)].

39:12 She caught him [means to seize, grasp, or take hold of by force; she moved from persuasion to aggression] by his cloak [outer garment; ironically, this is the second time a garment plays a significant role in Joseph’s life] and said, “Come to bed with me! [she repeated the same demand]” But [this conjunction marks a moment of remarkable moral courage] he left [chose to lose his garment rather than lose his integrity] his cloak [the urgency of the situation demanded that Jospeh lose his cloak in order to keep his integrity] in her hand [she possessed his garment but did not posses him] and ran [fled rapidly; he did not linger, argue, or negotiate] out of the house [he completely removed himself from the situation; some battles are won by standing your ground and others by leaving the battlefield].

39:13 When she saw [her wounded pride would become calculated revenge] that he had left his cloak [the abandoned cloak became an opportunity; she would use the cloak as the central piece of evidence to support her lies] in her hand and had run [he rejected her advances and put distance between himself and Potiphar’s wife] out of the house [the context in which the temptation presented itself],

39:14 she called [she did not wait for her husband to return; she wanted to establish her version of events before Jospeh could speak] her household servants [they had witnessed Joseph’s integrity; Potiphar’s wife used her position to lend credibility to her story]. “Look [means “See!” or “Pay attention!”],” she said to them, “this Hebrew [she did not call him by his name; she wanted the servants to see him as an outsider rather than as the trustworthy man they had come to know.] has been brought [note the passive wording; she does not say that her husband had brought Joseph into their home; sin seeks to blame others] to us [she does not say “to me”] to make sport of [means to mock, ridicule, laugh at, or humiliate] us [she tried to frame the story to make Joseph a threat to the entire household]! He came in here [Joseph had entered the house to do his work; she distorted this truth] to sleep with me [see Prov. 12:22], but I screamed [the text never records her screaming during Joseph’s escape].



39:15 When he heard me [she made Jospeh the aggressor in her account] scream for help [the second time she claims to have screamed (see v. 14)], he left [Joseph did leave but for an entirely different reason] his cloak [the central piece of evidence] beside me [another lie to explain why she had the cloak and convince her listeners to believe her story] and ran [her version: because he was caught; Joseph’s version: because he refused to sin] out of the house [Joseph’s action demonstrated his purity; she twisted it to lead to his condemnation].”

39:16 She kept [means to leave, place, or keep] his cloak [become a prop in her deception] beside her [positioned the cloak where Potiphar would immediately notice it] until [reveals that time passed; she had time to polish and refine her story] his master [a reminder of Joseph’s relationship to Potiphar] came home [she would now repeat her false accusation to her husband].

39:17 Then she told him [repeated her false story to the one person whose decision will determine Joseph’s future] this story [the word “story” (a fabricated narrative) is used and not “testimony” (a truthful account of what happened)]: “That Hebrew slave [she did not call Joseph by name; used two labels intended to provoke contempt: Hebrew (ethnic prejudice) and slave (reduced Joseph to mere property; stripped him of dignity)] you brought us [suggests that Potiphar’s own decision created the problem; sin consistently seeks to blame someone else] came to me [Joseph never pursued her; portrayed herself as the victim] to make sport of me [means to laugh at, mock, ridicule, or abuse].

39:18 But as soon as [this phrase emphasizes her false claim that she reacted instantly to what she alleged happened; she wove in realistic details to make her fabricated story sound more believable] I screamed for help [the third time she claims to have screamed (see verses 14 and 15)], he left [this is truthful but she misrepresented why he left; one of Satan’s strategies is to use true facts to support false conclusions] his cloak [the key piece of evidence; she used it to support her fabricated story] beside me and ran [according to her version this was an act of guilt; according to the truth this was an act of moral courage] out of the house [Joseph distanced himself from her; see 1 Cor. 6:18; his obedience led directly to imprisonment but God was would use it all to accomplish His greater purpose].”

39:19 When his master heard [Potiphar would act upon what he heard; since he had only heard only one side of the story he had incomplete information] the story [literally means “these words”] his wife told him [his wife alone was the source of the story], saying, “This is how your slave [she refers to him here as “your slave” rather than “this Hebrew slave” (v. 17)] treated me [she continued to portray herself as the victim],” he burned with anger [the text does not explicitly say at whom his anger was directed; perhaps (1) he was angry at Joseph or (2) he was angry at both Joseph and his wife and the situation he found himself in; if Potiphar believed Jospeh had truly assaulted his wife then execution would have been the expected punishment rather than the resulting imprisonment].

39:20 Joseph’s master [Potiphar still had legal authority over Joseph; no record that he questioned Joseph or conducted an investigation] took him [means to seize, take, or arrest] and put him in prison [the fact that he did not have Joseph executed may indicate he really did not believe that Joseph was guilty; cf. Ps. 105:17-18; once again, Joseph’s world seems to collapse; sometimes God leads His servants downward before leading them upward], the [the use of the definite article suggests Joseph was placed in “the” prison God had chosen, the place where he would later meet Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker whom God would use to eventually bring Joseph before Pharaoh (Gen. 40)] place [being confined in this place would prove providential] where the king’s prisoners [not just any prison but one for political prisoners; Joseph may have felt he was moving farther from his dreams while from God’s perspective he was moving closer to their fulfillment] were confined [continual imprisonment]. But [this conjunction signals that God was still at work] while Joseph was there [Joseph was exactly where God intended him to be] in the prison [while Joseph’s circumstances seem to deteriorate, God is still with him],

39:21 the LORD [God’s covenant name, Yahweh] was with him [the Lord is with us even in our dark hours and in unpleasant places; God never abandoned Joseph; throughout this narrative there is no record that Joseph was bitter or resentful or filled with self-pity]; he showed him kindness [Hebrew word is “ḥesed” translated loyal or steadfast love] and granted him [graciously gave him; Joseph did not earn it] favor [Hebrew word refers to grace, acceptance, goodwill, approval] in the eyes [means that God influenced the way the prison warden viewed Joseph] of the prison warden [the chief administrator of the royal prison; recognized Joseph’s ability and trustworthiness].

39:22 So [conjunction points back to verse 21; because God was with Joseph] the warden [trusted Joseph’s integrity] put Joseph in charge [literally means “gave into Joseph’s hand”] of all those held in the prison [Joseph now supervised his fellow prisoners], and he was made responsible [Joseph did not seek this promotion; he was entrusted with this responsibility] for all [the scope of Joseph’s oversight] that was done there [the daily operations of the prison].

39:23 The warden [responded exactly as Potiphar had at the start of the chapter] paid no attention [literally means “did not look after,” “did not supervise,” or “did not concern himself” (compare to Gen. 39:6)] to anything [the scope of Joseph’s oversight] under Joseph’s care [literally, “that was in Joseph’s hand”], because [this word provides the explanation for Joseph’s success] the LORD [looking back, all of the dots connect and point to God] was with [God did not prevent his suffering but instead was with him in his suffering] Joseph [the chapter ends as it began, with the mention that the Lord was with Joseph (see verse 2); although his circumstances changed dramatically, God’s presence remained constant] and gave him success [means to prosper, succeed, advance] in whatever he did [a comprehensive statement; see Gen. 39:3].