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Genesis 39

KJV · Chapter 39/50

1And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither.

2And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.

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

4And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.

5And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the Lord was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field.

6And he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured.

7And it came to pass after these things, that his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me.

8But 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;

9There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?

10And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her.

11And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within.

12And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.

13And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth,

14That she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto them, saying, See, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice:

15And it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled, and got him out.

16And she laid up his garment by her, until his lord came home.

17And she spake unto him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant, which thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me:

18And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled out.

19And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spake unto him, saying, After this manner did thy servant to me; that his wrath was kindled.

20And Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.

21But the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.

22And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it.

23The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the Lord was with him, and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

In Egypt, Joseph prospers in Potiphar's house because of God's blessing, but is falsely accused of assault by Potiphar's wife after refusing to lie with her, and is unjustly imprisoned.

Explanation

This chapter portrays Joseph in one of the most admirable moments of his life: even enslaved far from home, he works with excellence and integrity, and the text repeatedly points out that 'the Lord was with Joseph,' showing that God's presence does not depend on outward circumstances. His firm refusal to give in to the persistent advances of Potiphar's wife, even under repeated pressure, reveals a solid moral character grounded in the fear of God ('how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?', v. 9) rather than in fear of human consequences. Even though he is unjustly punished on a false accusation, Joseph is never recorded speaking a single bitter word, and God continues to bless him even in prison. The powerful lesson here is that integrity has value even when it does not seem to pay off right away, and that God's presence can turn even situations of injustice into preparation for something greater.

Fun facts

  • Potiphar is described as 'captain of the guard' (v. 1), a high-ranking position in the Egyptian hierarchy, showing that Joseph, though a slave, was placed under the authority of one of the most influential households in Egypt — a setting that would indirectly prepare him to later deal with Pharaoh's own court.
  • This is Joseph's second great moral test in the book (the first being his brothers' betrayal), and both lay the groundwork for the central theme of his story, summed up later in his own words to his brothers: 'ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good' (Genesis 50:20).

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Genesis 39:1“Eunuch” here is a title used for a high-ranking official at the Egyptian court — it didn’t always mean literally a castrated man; it was also a broader term for a king’s trusted officer, similar to minister or official. Potiphar commands Pharaoh’s personal guard, a position of real weight.
  2. Genesis 39:2Even as a slave, Joseph prospers because the LORD is with him — the text makes clear from the start that his success in Egypt doesn’t come from luck, but from that constant presence.
  3. Genesis 39:3Potiphar notices that his own success is tied to God’s presence in Joseph’s life — an Egyptian foreigner recognizing the blessing of the God of Israel.
  4. Genesis 39:4Joseph wins Potiphar’s full trust, who puts him over his entire household and hands everything into his care — a swift rise for someone who arrived as a purchased slave.
  5. Genesis 39:5From the moment Joseph takes charge of the household, the LORD’s blessing spreads over everything Potiphar has, inside and outside the house — the text credits the Egyptian’s prosperity directly to Joseph’s presence.
  6. Genesis 39:6Saying Potiphar knew nothing except “the bread” he ate is an exaggerated way of showing he trusted Joseph blindly, caring only about his own meal and leaving the rest of the household to him. It’s an expression of total confidence, not a rule about food.
  7. Genesis 39:7Potiphar’s wife desires Joseph and openly invites him to lie with her — the start of the moral test that dominates the rest of the chapter.
  8. Genesis 39:8Joseph refuses, reminding her that his master trusts him with everything he owns — betraying that trust would break something far beyond a simple rule.
  9. Genesis 39:9Joseph argues that giving in would be a great evil, and calls it sin against God, not just betrayal of Potiphar — the first time in the book a character names something explicitly as sin against God this directly.
  10. Genesis 39:10She insists day after day, but Joseph keeps refusing and avoids even being near her — resistance that stretches on, not a single moment’s decision.
  11. Genesis 39:11One day Joseph goes into the house to work at the exact moment no one else is around — the opportunity she had been waiting for.
  12. Genesis 39:12Joseph runs off and leaves “his garment” in Potiphar’s wife’s hand — this detail explains why, right after, she manages to use that very piece of clothing as false evidence against him. It’s the object that turns into evidence, even dishonest evidence, for the rest of the scene.
  13. Genesis 39:13Realizing Joseph fled and left his own garment in her hands, she sees the chance to turn the story against him.
  14. Genesis 39:14She calls the household servants and accuses Joseph of trying to assault her, claiming she screamed to defend herself — a version that completely reverses what happened.
  15. Genesis 39:15She repeats the same version to the servants: that Joseph fled, leaving his garment behind, the moment she screamed.
  16. Genesis 39:16She keeps Joseph’s garment as supposed proof, waiting for her husband to come home so she can tell him the same story.
  17. Genesis 39:17She repeats the accusation, almost word for word, directly to Potiphar when he arrives.
  18. Genesis 39:18She reinforces the same version again, about the flight and the garment left behind — the repetition of the same account shows how well-rehearsed the lie was.
  19. Genesis 39:19Potiphar believes his wife and becomes furious — the text doesn’t say whether he had doubts about her account, only that the anger was immediate.
  20. Genesis 39:20The “prison” where Joseph is thrown wasn’t an ordinary jail — based on the context, it was a place tied to the captain of the guard’s own house, used to hold people trusted by the king or connected to the palace, including Pharaoh’s own prisoners. That’s why Joseph ends up crossing paths there with the cupbearer and the baker in the next chapter.
  21. Genesis 39:21Even imprisoned unjustly, Joseph remains under the same protection as before: the LORD is with him and grants him favor even in the eyes of the jailer.
  22. Genesis 39:22The jailer hands Joseph responsibility over all the other prisoners — the same pattern of rising that had already happened in Potiphar’s house now repeats in prison.
  23. Genesis 39:23The jailer doesn’t need to worry about anything under Joseph’s care, because everything he does prospers — the same phrase used at the start of the chapter repeats here, closing the pattern.

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