Genesis 39:12
New International Version
She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.

New Living Translation
She came and grabbed him by his cloak, demanding, “Come on, sleep with me!” Joseph tore himself away, but he left his cloak in her hand as he ran from the house.

English Standard Version
she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house.

Berean Standard Bible
She grabbed Joseph by his cloak and said, “Sleep with me!” But leaving his cloak in her hand, he escaped and ran outside.

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

New King James Version
that she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside.

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

NASB 1995
She caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me!” And he left his garment in her hand and fled, and went outside.

NASB 1977
And she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me!” And he left his garment in her hand and fled, and went outside.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then she seized him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me!” And he left his garment in her hand and fled and went outside.

Amplified Bible
She caught Joseph by his [outer] robe, saying, “Lie with me!” But he left his robe in her hand and ran, and got outside [the house].

Christian Standard Bible
She grabbed him by his garment and said, “Sleep with me! ” But leaving his garment in her hand, he escaped and ran outside.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
She grabbed him by his garment and said, “Sleep with me!” But leaving his garment in her hand, he escaped and ran outside.

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

Contemporary English Version
Potiphar's wife grabbed hold of his coat and said, "Make love to me!" Joseph ran out of the house, leaving his coat there in her hands.

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

GOD'S WORD® Translation
She grabbed him by his clothes and said, "Come to bed with me!" But he ran outside and left his clothes in her hand.

Good News Translation
She caught him by his robe and said, "Come to bed with me." But he escaped and ran outside, leaving his robe in her hand.

International Standard Version
so she grabbed Joseph by his outer garment and demanded "Let's have some sex!" Instead, Joseph ran outside, leaving his outer garment still in her hand.

Majority Standard Bible
She grabbed Joseph by his cloak and said, ?Sleep with me!? But leaving his cloak in her hand, he escaped and ran outside.

NET Bible
She grabbed him by his outer garment, saying, "Have sex with me!" But he left his outer garment in her hand and ran outside.

New Heart English Bible
She grabbed him by his garment, saying, "Sleep with me. "And he left his garment in her hand and ran outside.

Webster's Bible Translation
And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and went out.

World English Bible
She caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me!” He left his garment in her hand, and ran outside.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and she catches him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me”; and he leaves his garment in her hand, and flees, and goes outside.

Young's Literal Translation
and she catcheth him by his garment, saying, 'Lie with me;' and he leaveth his garment in her hand, and fleeth, and goeth without.

Smith's Literal Translation
And she will seize him by his garment, saying, Lie with me. And he will let go his garment in her hand, and will flee and come forth without.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And she catching the skirt of his garment, said: Lie with me. But he leaving the garment in her hand, fled, and went out.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And she, grasping the hem of his garment, said, “Sleep with me.” But he, leaving behind the cloak in her hand, fled and went outside.

New American Bible
she laid hold of him by his cloak, saying, “Lie with me!” But leaving the cloak in her hand, he escaped and ran outside.

New Revised Standard Version
she caught hold of his garment, saying, “Lie with me!” But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And she caught him by his garment, and said to him, Lie with me; but he left the garment in her hands, and fled, and got out to the street.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And she caught him by his garment, and she said to him, “Lie with me”, and he left his garment in her hands, and escaping, he went out to the street.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
that she caught him by his garment, saying: 'Lie with me.' And he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And she caught hold of him by his clothes, and said, Lie with me; and having left his clothes in her hands, he fled, and went forth.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Joseph and Potiphar's Wife
11One day, however, Joseph went into the house to attend to his work, and not a single household servant was inside. 12She grabbed Joseph by his cloak and said, “Sleep with me!” But leaving his cloak in her hand, he escaped and ran outside.

Cross References
2 Samuel 11:2-4
One evening David got up from his bed and strolled around on the roof of the palace. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing—a very beautiful woman. / So David sent and inquired about the woman, and he was told, “This is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” / Then David sent messengers to get her, and when she came to him, he slept with her. (Now she had just purified herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned home.

Proverbs 7:13-27
She seizes him and kisses him; she brazenly says to him: / “I have made my peace offerings; today I have paid my vows. / So I came out to meet you; I sought you, and I have found you. ...

2 Timothy 2:22
Flee from youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, together with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

1 Corinthians 6:18
Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a man can commit is outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.

Matthew 5:28
But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Proverbs 6:23-29
For this commandment is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way to life, / to keep you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress. / Do not lust in your heart for her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes. ...

1 Thessalonians 4:3-5
For it is God’s will that you should be holy: You must abstain from sexual immorality; / each of you must know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, / not in lustful passion like the Gentiles who do not know God;

James 1:14-15
But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed. / Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

1 Peter 2:11
Beloved, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from the desires of the flesh, which war against your soul.

Proverbs 5:3-8
Though the lips of the forbidden woman drip honey and her speech is smoother than oil, / in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a double-edged sword. / Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to Sheol. ...

1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide an escape, so that you can stand up under it.

Romans 13:13-14
Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. / Instead, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.

Ephesians 5:3
But among you, as is proper among the saints, there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed.

Galatians 5:16-17
So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. / For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you want.

Job 31:1
“I have made a covenant with my eyes. How then could I gaze with desire at a virgin?


Treasury of Scripture

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

caught.

Genesis 39:8,10
But 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; …

Proverbs 7:13-27
So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him, …

Ecclesiastes 7:26
And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.

and he left.

1 Samuel 15:27
And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent.

Proverbs 1:15
My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:

Proverbs 5:8
Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house:

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Bed Catcheth Caught Cloak Coat Fled Fleeth Garment Hand House Lie Outside Pulling Ran Running Slipping
Genesis 39
1. Joseph is bought by Potiphar, and preferred in the family.
7. He resists temptation by Potiphar's Wife.
13. He is falsely accused by her.
20. He is cast into prison.
21. God is with him there, and he is advanced by the keeper of prison.














She caught him by his cloak
The Hebrew word for "caught" is "תִּתְפְּשֵׂהוּ" (tithpesehu), which implies a forceful or determined action. This indicates the aggressive nature of Potiphar's wife's attempt to seduce Joseph. The "cloak" (בִּגְדוֹ, begdo) symbolizes Joseph's status and identity within Potiphar's household. In ancient Egyptian culture, garments often signified one's role and authority. By seizing his cloak, Potiphar's wife is not only attempting to physically restrain Joseph but also to strip him of his dignity and position.

and said, 'Sleep with me!'
The directness of her command highlights the boldness and immorality of her proposition. The Hebrew phrase "שִׁכְבָה עִמִּי" (shikhvah 'immi) is a blunt and unambiguous invitation to sexual sin. This reflects the moral decay and the temptations that Joseph faced in a foreign land, away from his family and the God-fearing environment he was raised in. It serves as a reminder of the constant spiritual battles believers face and the need for steadfastness in the face of temptation.

But leaving his cloak in her hand
Joseph's decision to leave his cloak behind is a powerful testament to his integrity and commitment to righteousness. The act of leaving his cloak, despite the potential consequences, underscores his willingness to sacrifice his personal comfort and reputation to maintain his purity. This echoes the biblical principle found in 1 Corinthians 6:18, "Flee from sexual immorality." Joseph's actions serve as an example of the importance of fleeing from sin, even when it requires personal loss.

he escaped and ran outside
The Hebrew verb "וַיָּנָס" (vayanas) means "to flee" or "to escape," indicating a swift and decisive action. Joseph's immediate response to temptation was to physically remove himself from the situation, demonstrating wisdom and discernment. His flight is not an act of cowardice but of courage and faithfulness to God. Historically, this moment is pivotal, as it sets the stage for Joseph's eventual rise to power in Egypt. Spiritually, it illustrates the principle that God honors those who honor Him, even when the path is fraught with trials and misunderstandings.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
She grabbed [Joseph]
וַתִּתְפְּשֵׂ֧הוּ (wat·tiṯ·pə·śê·hū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 8610: To manipulate, seize, chiefly to capture, wield, to overlay, to use unwarrantably

by his cloak
בְּבִגְד֛וֹ (bə·ḇiḡ·ḏōw)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 899: A covering, clothing, treachery, pillage

and said,
לֵאמֹ֖ר (lê·mōr)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“Sleep
שִׁכְבָ֣ה (šiḵ·ḇāh)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 7901: To lie down

with me!”
עִמִּ֑י (‘im·mî)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's 5973: With, equally with

But leaving
וַיַּעֲזֹ֤ב (way·ya·‘ă·zōḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5800: To loosen, relinquish, permit

his garment
בִּגְדוֹ֙ (biḡ·ḏōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 899: A covering, clothing, treachery, pillage

in her hand,
בְּיָדָ֔הּ (bə·yā·ḏāh)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 3027: A hand

he escaped
וַיָּ֖נָס (way·yā·nās)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5127: To flit, vanish away

and ran
וַיֵּצֵ֥א (way·yê·ṣê)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3318: To go, bring, out, direct and proxim

outside.
הַחֽוּצָה׃ (ha·ḥū·ṣāh)
Article | Noun - masculine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 2351: Separate by a, wall, outside, outdoors


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OT Law: Genesis 39:12 She caught him by his garment saying (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 39:11
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