Genesis 39
Big idea: One refrain governs this chapter: Yahweh was with Joseph. It is said when he is a slave rising to run Potiphar's whole estate, and it is said again in the dungeon after everything is taken away — including, twice, his clothes. Between the two, Potiphar's wife propositions him day after day, and his refusal is not prudence but theology: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? He runs, leaving his garment in her hand, and that garment becomes the evidence against him. Nothing about his integrity improves his circumstances; the chapter's claim is only that God is present in them, and that the warden ends up handing him the keys exactly as Potiphar handed him the house.
Chapter 39 puts Joseph in the prison where the king's officers are kept. Chapter 40 sends two of them in with dreams nobody can interpret.
39:1–6 — Yahweh was with Joseph
Joseph is bought by Potiphar, an Egyptian officer of Pharaoh. Yahweh is with him and he prospers; his master sees that Yahweh is with him and makes all he does succeed, so Joseph finds favour, is made overseer of the house, and everything is put into his hand. From that moment Yahweh blesses the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake, in the house and in the field, and Potiphar concerns himself with nothing except the food he eats.
1 Joseph was brought down to Egypt. Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the hand of the Ishmaelites that had brought him down there. 2 Yahweh was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man. He was in the house of his master the Egyptian. 3 His master saw that Yahweh was with him, and that Yahweh made all that he did prosper in his hand. 4 Joseph found favor in his sight. He ministered to him, and Potiphar made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand. 5 From the time that he made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, Yahweh blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake. Yahweh’s blessing was on all that he had, in the house and in the field. 6 He left all that he had in Joseph’s hand. He didn’t concern himself with anything, except for the food which he ate. Joseph was well-built and handsome.
39:7–20 — How can I sin against God?
Potiphar's wife sets her eyes on Joseph and says, lie with me. He refuses, laying out the trust he has been given — my master has kept back nothing from me but you, because you are his wife — and then names the real issue: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? She speaks to him day after day; he will not listen or even be with her. One day the house is empty, she catches his garment, and he runs out, leaving it in her hand. She uses it as evidence, tells the household and then her husband that the Hebrew servant assaulted her, and Joseph's master is angry and puts him in the king's prison.
7 After these things, his master’s wife set her eyes on Joseph; and she said, “Lie with me.” 8 But he refused, and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, my master doesn’t know what is with me in the house, and he has put all that he has into my hand. 9 No one is greater in this house than I am, and he has not kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” 10 As she spoke to Joseph day by day, he didn’t listen to her, to lie by her, or to be with her. 11 About this time, he went into the house to do his work, and there were none of the men of the house inside. 12 She caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me!” He left his garment in her hand, and ran outside. 13 When she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and had run outside, 14 she called to the men of her house, and spoke to them, saying, “Behold, he has brought a Hebrew in to us to mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice. 15 When he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment by me, and ran outside.” 16 She laid up his garment by her, until his master came home. 17 She spoke to him according to these words, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought to us, came in to me to mock me, 18 and as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment by me, and ran outside.” 19 When his master heard the words of his wife, which she spoke to him, saying, “This is what your servant did to me,” his wrath was kindled. 20 Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were bound, and he was there in custody.
39:21–23 — The keeper handed him the keys
But Yahweh is with Joseph, shows kindness to him, and gives him favour in the sight of the prison keeper — who commits all the prisoners into Joseph's hand, so that everything done there is done by him. The keeper does not look after anything under Joseph's care, because Yahweh is with him and makes whatever he does prosper.
21 But Yahweh was with Joseph, and showed kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22 The keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever they did there, he was responsible for it. 23 The keeper of the prison didn’t look after anything that was under his hand, because Yahweh was with him; and that which he did, Yahweh made it prosper.
Scripture text: World English Bible (public domain).