GENESIS 39

There is a similar ancient Egyptian folk tale. Does that destroy our faith in the historicity of the Joseph story? No, since the borrowing may have been in the opposite direction, and the similarities may be a coincidence (They involve a seducing sister-in-law in the Egyptian case).

Verses 1-6a Key words: hand, house, all, blessing, and succeed.

Verse 1 “Go down” is both geographical and moral.

The exact title and duties of Potiphar are unknown. Other translations? Proposed are chamberlain, chief steward, chief executioner, etc.

The unusual term “Egyptian man” may be a sort of rebuttal to the dismissive “Hebrew man” in verse 14.

Verse 2 Can we extrapolate from this statement that (a) you will not succeed if God isn't blessing you, or (b) if you are succeeding, it is because God is blessing you?

Potiphar is henceforth called “Master” emphasizing the relative roles he and Joseph had. Just as Joseph served as a slave in Egypt but would eventually prosper, so the people of Israel would do the same.

Verse 3 It is interesting that Joseph managed to witness to Gentiles, perhaps without a word. Romans 2:24 shows the opposite effect: “You that boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? For, as it is written, 'The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.'” There was an elder at a church I attended years ago who almost bragged to me that the people at his work where he was a manager considered him a hard-hearted taskmaster.

Verse 4 This is like Howard Hughes surrounding himself with Mormons because he felt he could trust them to be honest.

Verse 5 The nation benefits from the residue of moral values of believers even after the majority ceases to believe in God. Perhaps there is the truth here that a nation will be blessed by God because of the Christians in it.

Verse 6a Three possibilities: (a) he could lay back and relax, (b) he still needed to worry about food because of fear of poison or (c) because Egyptians did not mix with Jews when eating.

Verses 6b-10

Verse 6b The physical description of Joseph is exactly the same as that used for his mother in Genesis 29:17.

Verse 7 Her request is as blunt as Judah's words in the previous chapter. Her two words are contrasted by Joseph's verbose reply (35 words).

Verse 8 Joseph's reasons for resisting = he did not want to betray his master (like David's comment in Psalms). Both tablets of the law are involved. Temptation is harder to resist when you are away from home; there is a lack of accountability. Proverb 7:6-27 describes the same situation.

Verse 9 Second reason: he did not want to sin against God. Like David's Psalm, “Only You have I sinned against.”

Verses 11-18

Verse 12 How does one escape temptation? It can be compared to the three methods of getting out of check in a game of chess: remove yourself from harm's way (Joseph's method), destroy the attacker, or place someone or something between yourself and the attacker.

Verse 14 The Hebrew word for “play” may mean sexual actions or mockery. It could be translated as “toy with.” (See the story of Isaac and Ishmael in Chapter 21)

Verses 15-16 This is the second time he has been stripped of his clothes, which are used as evidence.

Verses 19-23

Verse 19 Note that it does not say who Potiphar was mad at.

Verse 20 There is the suspicion that Potiphar knew the accusation was false. Otherwise he probably would have had Joseph executed.

Verses 20-23 are practically a replay of verses 1-6.

Verse 23 See Jesus' promise to his believers in Matthew 28:20.

I have always wondered why God left him in servitude and then in prison for so long. Any ideas? The New International Dictionary of OT Theology and Exegesis suggests: “The physical imprisonment fettered Joseph's aspirations, testing and transforming his character until the time that the divine word should come true. God in His own timing brought good out of bad."

Read Psalm 105:16-19 which refers to Joseph's time in prison.

Psalm 105:19 translations and commentaries:

NRSV: “until what he had said came to pass, the word of the LORD kept testing him”

Read NIV.

There are two ambiguous phrases:

(a) “until what he had said came to pass”

Joseph's interpretation of prisoners' dreams (NIV, NBC, NICOT, Good News Bible)

Joseph's interpretation of Pharaoh's dream (Tyndale)

Joseph's telling of his dreams to his family (NBC, Tyndale)

God's foretelling of Joseph's future greatness (NCBC, IBC)

(b) “the word of the LORD kept testing him”

Testing is of Joseph himself, refined as through fire (NICOT, IBC, )

Word of the LORD is God's will that Joseph be tested (Tyndale)

Word of the LORD is God's prophecy of Joseph's future greatness (Tyndale)

“till the word of the LORD proved him true” (NIV, Good News Bible, Jerusalem Bible) Fulfillment of prisoners' dream interpretation.

Word of the LORD = God himself (NCBC)

 "He was tested by the Lord's command" (NEB)