Genesis 39:16

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

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

39:13-18 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.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

"At this day," the day on which the occurrence now to be related took place. "To do his business." He does not come in her way except at the call of duty. He hath brought in. She either does not condescend, or does not need to name her husband. "A Hebrew to mock us." Her disappointment now provokes her to falsehood as the means of concealment and revenge. A Hebrew is still the only national designation proper to Joseph Genesis 14:13. Jacob's descendants had not got beyond the family. The term Israelite was therefore, not yet in use. The national name is designedly used as a term of reproach among the Egyptians Genesis 43:32. "To mock us," - to take improper liberties, not only with me, but with any of the females in the house. "I cried with a loud voice." This is intended to be the proof of her innocence Deuteronomy 22:24, Deuteronomy 22:27. "Left his garments by me;" not in her hand, which would have been suspicious.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

14. Then she called unto the men of her house—Disappointed and affronted, she vowed revenge and accused Joseph, first to the servants of the house, and on his return to her lord.

See, he hath brought in an Hebrew … to mock us—an affected and blind aspersion of her husband for keeping in his house an Hebrew, the very abomination of Egyptians.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

No text from Poole on this verse.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And she laid up his garment by her,.... As a proof of what she laid to his charge, and as a testimony against him:

until her lord came home; or until his lord came home, for the pronoun refers to Joseph, and so Jarchi interprets it; who either was gone a journey, or gone to court that day, being an officer of Pharaoh's, or to the public place where the festival was kept that day, if it was such an one.

Geneva Study Bible

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

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

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

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 16-18. - And she laid up his garment by her (literally, by her side), until his lord came home (literally, until the coming of his lord to his house). And she spake unto him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant, which thou hast brought unto us (here she charges her husband with being indirectly at least the cause of the alleged affront which had been put upon her), came in unto me to mock me: - "she seemed too modest to speak in plain terms of Joseph's crime (Lawson) - and it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me and fled out (i.e. went forth into the street, ut supra). Genesis 39:16

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

When this daring assault upon Joseph's chastity had failed, on account of his faithfulness and fear of God, the adulterous woman reversed the whole affair, and charged him with an attack upon her modesty, in order that she might have her revenge upon him and avert suspicion from herself. She called her house-servants and said, "See, he (her husband, whom she does not think worth naming) has brought us a Hebrew man ("no epitheton ornans to Egyptian ears: Genesis 43:32") to mock us (צחק to show his wantonness; us, the wife and servants, especially the female portion): he came in unto me to lie with me; and I cried with a loud voice...and he left his garment by me." She said אצלי "by my side," not "in my hand," as that would have shown the true state of the case. She then left the garment lying by her side till the return of Joseph's master, to whom she repeated her tale.