Genesis 39

Joseph was brought down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there.

1And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither.

Note"Brought down" is the usual way Hebrew speaks of travel from the hill country of Canaan to Egypt, which lies lower and to the south; it is geography, not a comment on Joseph's fortunes. The Ishmaelites were a trading people descended from Ishmael, Abraham's son by Hagar; the previous chapters describe them buying Joseph from his brothers and carrying him south with a caravan. "Officer of Pharaoh" translates a word for a court official (elsewhere it can mean a eunuch, though it was also used more loosely of high officers); "captain of the guard" means head of the royal bodyguard or executioners. Pharaoh was the title of Egypt's king, not a personal name.

2The LORD was with Joseph, and he was a man who did well in what he did. He lived in the house of his master, the Egyptian.

2And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.

NoteWhere the King James prints LORD in capital letters, it stands in for the personal name of Israel's God, written in Hebrew with four consonants (YHWH); Jewish tradition avoids pronouncing it and reads "the Lord" instead. "Lord" or "master" in ordinary type translates an entirely different word, meaning an owner or superior.

3His master saw that the LORD was with Joseph, and that the LORD made everything Joseph did turn out well in his hands.

3And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.

4Joseph found favor with his master and served him. His master put him in charge of his house, and handed over to him everything he owned.

4And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.

Note"Found grace in his sight" is an idiom meaning he was looked on with favor; it carries no religious sense here. The "overseer" is a household steward, the manager who ran an estate's staff, stores and accounts on the owner's behalf. Egyptian records describe exactly such a post in large households.

5From the time he put Joseph in charge of his house and everything he owned, the LORD blessed the Egyptian's household because of Joseph. The LORD's blessing was on all he had, in the house and in the field.

5And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field.

6So he left everything he owned in Joseph's hands. He gave no thought to anything he had, except the food he ate. Joseph was fine-looking and handsome.

6And he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured.

Note"Knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat" means he kept track of nothing except the meals put in front of him (Joseph handled the rest. Some readers have also heard an echo of the later remark (Genesis 43:32) that Egyptians would not eat at the same table as Hebrews. "A goodly person, and well favoured" is literally "beautiful of form and beautiful of appearance") the same double phrase used of Joseph's mother Rachel.

7After this, his master's wife looked at Joseph, and she said, "Sleep with me."

7And it came to pass after these things, that his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me.

Note"Cast her eyes upon" is an idiom for looking at someone with desire. "Lie with me" is a plain-spoken demand for sex; the Hebrew is as blunt as the English.

8But he refused. He said to his master's wife, "Look, with me here my master gives no thought to anything in the house, and he has put everything he owns into my hands.

8But he refused, and said unto his master’s wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand;

Note"Wotteth not" is old English for "does not know" or "takes no notice of."

9"No one in this house is greater than I am. He has kept nothing back from me except you, because you are his wife. So how could I do such a great wrong, and sin against God?"

9There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?

Note"Kept back" means withheld or reserved. Joseph's point is a legal and household one: everything in the estate has been handed to him except the one thing that belongs to his master alone.

10She spoke to Joseph day after day, but he did not listen to her. He would not lie beside her, or even be with her.

10And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her.

Note"Hearkened not unto her" means he would not agree or comply, not merely that he did not hear.

11About this time Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was inside.

11And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within.

Note"To do his business" means to carry out his work, the steward's daily duties in the house. "The men of the house" are the household servants.

12She grabbed him by his garment and said, "Sleep with me." But he left his garment in her hand, and ran, and got outside.

12And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.

NoteThe garment is an outer robe, worn over a tunic and easily slipped off or pulled away; Joseph is not left naked. In a world with few documents, a personal garment functioned as identification and could be produced as evidence that its owner had been present, the same use made of Judah's staff and seal two chapters earlier.

13She saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had run outside.

13And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth,

14Then she called to the men of her house and said to them, "Look, he has brought a Hebrew into our house to mock us. This man came in to me to sleep with me, and I screamed as loud as I could.

14That she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto them, saying, See, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice:

Note"Hebrew" is how outsiders label Joseph and his family through these chapters; it marks him as a foreigner and, in her mouth, sets the household servants against him. She does not name her husband, only "he", the accusation is aimed partly at the man who brought the foreigner in. "To mock us" translates a verb meaning to laugh, play or sport with, used elsewhere with a clearly sexual edge; the English "mock" is narrower than the Hebrew.

15"When he heard me lift up my voice and scream, he left his garment beside me, and ran, and got outside."

15And it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled, and got him out.

Note"Lifted up my voice and cried" means screamed for help. In the legal thinking of the ancient Near East, a woman's outcry was the standard proof that she had not consented; by claiming she screamed and can produce the garment, she is assembling a case.

16She kept his garment beside her until his master came home.

16And she laid up his garment by her, until his lord came home.

Note"His lord" here means Joseph's master, her own husband, Potiphar.

17Then she told him the same story: "The Hebrew servant you brought to us came in to me to mock me.

17And she spake unto him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant, which thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me:

Note"Servant" in the King James almost always means a slave, someone owned rather than employed; Joseph was bought and has no freedom to leave.

18"But when I lifted up my voice and screamed, he left his garment beside me and ran outside."

18And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled out.

19When his master heard his wife's words, "This is what your servant did to me," his anger burned.

19And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spake unto him, saying, After this manner did thy servant to me; that his wrath was kindled.

Note"His wrath was kindled" is a Hebrew idiom, literally "his nose burned", for flaring anger. Whom he is angry at is not stated in the text.

20Joseph's master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king's prisoners were held. So Joseph was there in the prison.

20And Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.

NoteThe Hebrew calls this place the "round house" or fortress-house; it is a detention building attached to the royal establishment, holding prisoners of the crown, rather than a public jail. Note that a slave accused of assaulting his master's wife could have been executed; the narrator records the imprisonment without explaining the choice.

21But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him kindness. He gave him favor with the keeper of the prison.

21But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.

Note"Shewed him mercy" translates a word for steady, loyal kindness, the treatment owed within a bond of obligation. The "keeper of the prison" is the warden or governor of the place.

22The keeper of the prison put into Joseph's hands all the prisoners who were in the prison, and whatever was done there, Joseph was the one who did it.

22And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it.

23The keeper of the prison gave no thought to anything under Joseph's charge, because the LORD was with him, and the LORD made whatever he did turn out well.

23The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the LORD was with him, and that which he did, the LORD made it to prosper.

Note"Looked not to any thing that was under his hand" means he did not check up on anything Joseph was responsible for, the same phrase used earlier of Potiphar.