Genesis 39NASB
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Genesis39

New American Standard

1Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an Egyptian officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the bodyguard, bought him from the Ishmaelites, who had taken him down there.

2And the Lord was with Joseph, so he became a successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian.

3Now his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all that he did prosper in his hand.

4So Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal servant; and he made him overseer over his house, and put him in charge of all that he owned.

5It came about that from the time he made him overseer in his house and over all that he owned, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house on account of Joseph; so the Lord’s blessing was upon all that he owned, in the house and in the field.

6So he left Joseph in charge of everything that he owned; and with him there he did not concern himself with anything except the food which he ate. Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.

7And it came about after these events that his master’s wife had her eyes on Joseph, and she said, “Sleep with me.”

8But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, with me here, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has put me in charge of all that he owns.

9There is no one greater in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil, and sin against God?”

10Though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he did not listen to her to lie beside her or be with her.

11Now it happened one day that he went into the house to do his work, and none of the people of the household was there inside.

12So she grabbed him by his garment, saying, “Sleep with me!” But he left his garment in her hand and fled, and went outside.

13When she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled outside,

14she called to the men of her household and said to them, “See, he has brought in a Hebrew to us to make fun of us; he came in to me to sleep with me, and I screamed.

15When he heard that I raised my voice and screamed, he left his garment beside me and fled and went outside.”

16So she left his garment beside her until his master came home.

17Then she spoke to him with these words: “The Hebrew slave, whom you brought to us, came in to me to make fun of me;

18but when I raised my voice and screamed, he left his garment beside me and fled outside.”

19Now when his master heard the words of his wife which she spoke to him, saying, “This is what your slave did to me,” his anger burned.

20So Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined; and he was there in the prison.

21But the Lord was with Joseph and extended kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the warden of the prison.

22And the warden of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison; so that whatever was done there, he was responsible for it.

23The warden of the prison did not supervise anything under Joseph’s authority, because the Lord was with him; and, the Lord made whatever he did prosper.

Study Guide

Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Genesis 39.

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Chapter Summary

In this chapter: 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).

vv1-6

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.

vv7-12

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.

vv13-18

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.

Cross References

Genesis 39
v2Acts 7:9thematic

Stephen's speech summarizes Joseph's story: the patriarchs sold Joseph, but God was with him.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v21Acts 7:9allusion

Stephen's speech explicitly summarizes this narrative: God was with him and delivered him.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v1Psalms 105:17thematic

Historical psalm tracking Joseph being sold as a servant into Egypt.

v20Psalms 105:18thematic

Expresses the physical harshness of Joseph's imprisonment, specifically that his feet were hurt with fetters.

Supported by JFB

v21Genesis 39:2thematic

Direct parallel showing God's presence followed Joseph from Potiphar's house into the prison.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v23Genesis 39:3thematic

Parallels the language of the Lord making whatever Joseph did to prosper.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v1Genesis 37:36thematic

Direct narrative link from the prior account of Joseph being sold to Potiphar.

Supported by Calvin

v2Genesis 39:21thematic

Parallel phrase 'the Lord was with Joseph' in his subsequent trial in prison.

Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole

v9Psalms 51:4thematic

David's confession echoing Joseph's conviction that sin is ultimately committed against God.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v9Proverbs 6:32thematic

Describes the moral folly of committing adultery, destroying one's own soul.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v21Daniel 1:9thematic

God brought Daniel into favor with his overseer, mirroring Joseph's favor with the prison keeper.

v21Psalms 106:46thematic

A fulfillment of God making his captive people to be pitied by their captors.

v7Matthew 5:28thematic

Jesus' teaching on adultery starting with the lustful looking of the eyes.

Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole

v7Job 31:1thematic

Job's covenant with his eyes, demonstrating active resistance to the snare of lustful looking.

Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole

v10Proverbs 5:8thematic

Wisdom's instruction to keep one's way far from the door of the adulterous woman.

Supported by Matthew Poole

Apostolic command to 'flee fornication' matches Joseph's physical flight from temptation.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v21Proverbs 16:7thematic

Illustrates how God makes even a man's enemies to be at peace with him.

v22Genesis 39:4thematic

Joseph's promotion in prison mirrors his previous appointment as overseer in Potiphar's house.

Supported by Matthew Poole, Matthew Henry

v5Genesis 30:27thematic

Laban's recognition that the Lord blessed him for Jacob's sake, paralleling Joseph's blessing.

Supported by JFB

v6Genesis 43:32thematic

Explains why Potiphar's bread was excepted, as Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v102 Timothy 2:22thematic

Exhortation to flee youthful lusts, exemplifying Joseph's physical flight.

v20Genesis 40:15thematic

Joseph's own subsequent defense that he did nothing to deserve being put in the dungeon.

Supported by JFB

v23Psalms 1:3thematic

The classic description of the righteous man: whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.