Ch. 39 (J.) Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife

The story of Joseph is in this chapter resumed, in the J version, from Genesis 37:35. In this version Joseph in Egypt is a slave who has been sold by his brethren to the Ishmaelites, and then by the Ishmaelites to an Egyptian of rank, whose name is not given. This Egyptian makes him the chief servant in his household. The Egyptian’s wife brings an accusation against Joseph for which the Egyptian commits him to prison.

In the present chapter the two versions of the Joseph narrative are harmonized by the Compiler giving to the Egyptian, who bought Joseph from “the Ishmaelites,” the name of Potiphar, to whom, according to E, “the Midianites” sold him in Genesis 37:36.

1–6.  Joseph’s prosperity.

7–20.  The false accusation.

21–23.  Joseph in prison.

1. was brought down] This follows upon Genesis 37:28.

Potiphar, &c.] See note on Genesis 37:36. These words the Compiler seems to have added from E to harmonize the two accounts. J merely read “And an Egyptian bought him”; cf. Genesis 39:2, “in the house of his master the Egyptian.” The words “an Egyptian,” “the Egyptian” would have been needless in Genesis 39:1-2, after the full description of Potiphar as “an officer of Pharaoh’s, the captain of the guard.”

2. the Lord was with Joseph] This is the motif of the whole section. Jehovah stands by Joseph whether in trouble or in prosperity, in good report or in evil; cf. Genesis 39:3; Genesis 39:5; Genesis 39:21; Genesis 39:23. Joseph was one of those rare characters in which great personal attractiveness in manner and appearance was combined with high principle and good intellectual powers.

in the house] i.e. not sent out to labour in the field.

4. ministered unto him] Joseph’s character and capacities were first tested by personal service, and afterwards by the responsibility of general supervision.

overseer] Joseph was made steward of the whole household, a position of which we find mention in early Egyptian records. Cf. Genesis 43:16, Genesis 44:1.

5. for Joseph’s sake] Cf. Genesis 30:27 (J).

6. he knew not … him] The R.V. marg., with him he knew not, gives the correct meaning. Joseph’s master trusted everything to him. Everything went on smoothly; and with Joseph as manager he had no need to think of a thing, except as regards food. It is also just possible that “save the bread, &c.,” implies that food, owing to the strictness of Egyptian scruples (cf. Genesis 43:32), could not be committed to the care of a foreigner. Joseph was controller, or steward, of the household.

7–20. The False Accusation

8. knoweth not, &c.] Here, as in Genesis 39:6, the marg., knoweth not with me what is, gives the meaning of the passage.

9. there is none greater] The margin, he is not, is correct. The rendering of the text is not only less accurate, but far less vigorous. The LXX and Vulg. have similarly missed the meaning.

how then … against God] Observe how, in J, Elohim, not Jehovah, is used of God in a passage where Joseph is speaking to a non-Israelite. Joseph repels the immoral overtures of his master’s wife on the ground, (1) of honour towards the master who trusted him in everything; and (2) of goodness and virtue, the duty of a man living in the presence of God. “This great wickedness”; Joseph takes the simplest line of resisting temptation. The thing is wrong in God’s sight; and that is enough for him. Egyptologists have illustrated this part of Joseph’s story from the ancient Egyptian “Tale of the two brothers” (contained in the d’Orbiney Papyrus, 19th Dynasty), in which the wife of the elder seeks to seduce the honour of the younger. The tale belongs to the Egyptian literature of the 14th cent. b.c.1[56]

[56] See Appendix E.

“Against God”: the consciousness of the personal presence of Jehovah “made all sins to be actions directly done against Him” (Davidson). So the Psalmist, although confessing wrong against his fellow-men, says, “Against thee, thee only, have I sinned” (Psalm 51:4).

13. his garment] This accident provided the only circumstantial piece of evidence for the charge brought against him.

14. an Hebrew] The designation used by foreigners for “an Israelite” (cf. Genesis 41:12, Genesis 43:32), and probably for any one who belonged to the group of peoples, Israelite, Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, who invaded and settled down in Palestine and the adjacent territories. The word is an appeal to the racial prejudice against Asiatic strangers.

to mock] Cf. Proverbs 1:26. The idea is of wanton insult.

us] As if none of the women in the house would be secure from insult, when the master’s wife had been subjected to such an affront from this young upstart foreigner. She implies that her husband’s confidence in his Hebrew slave meant disregard for the family’s honour.

16. laid up] i.e. laid on one side, and kept ready to be produced as evidence.

20. into the prison] Lit. “into the house of roundness,” or “the round house.” Possibly the Heb. expression, “the house of sohar,” may be an attempt to transliterate an Egyptian word, with a similar sound, by means of a familiar Heb. word sohar. LXX ὀχύρωμα, Lat. carcer. It only occurs here, and Genesis 39:23, and Genesis 40:3; Genesis 40:5. On the whole, if Joseph’s master believed the tale that had been told him, the punishment inflicted was less violent than we should have expected in such an age.

the place … were bound] These words are considered by many scholars to be introduced by the Compiler, in order to lead up to the description of the prison scene in the E narrative of ch. 40.

21. But the Lord, &c.] See note on Genesis 39:2. The favour of Jehovah towards Joseph is the cause of Joseph’s acceptability with the keeper of the prison. He receives the same degree of confidence in prison, as he had received from the master whom he had served as steward.