FRAMEWORKS:
Genesis 39: Joseph and Potiphar
v.1-7
Joseph Prospers in Potiphar's House
v.7-10
Potiphar's wife tries to seduce Joseph
v.11-19
Potiphar's Wife Falsely Accuses Joseph
v.20-23
Joseph Imprisoned but Prospers
v.1-7
Joseph Prospers in Potiphar's House
v.1
Now
Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who
was one of Pharaoh's officials, the captain of the guard, bought
him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.
v.2
The
Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered,
and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master.
v.3
When
his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the
Lord gave him success in everything he did,
v.4
Joseph
found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put
him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything
he owned.
v.5
From
the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that
he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because
of Joseph. The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar
had, both in the house and in the field.
v.6,7
So
Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph's care; with Joseph
in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the
food he ate.
[Notes:
Joseph
is bought by an Egyptian official and the Lord prospers Joseph
in his house.]
v.7-10
Potiphar's wife tries to seduce Joseph
Now
Joseph was well-built and handsome, and after a while his master's
wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!”
v.8
But
he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does
not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he
owns he has entrusted to my care.
v.9
No
one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld
nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then
could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?”
v.10
And
though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to
bed with her or even be with her.
[Notes:
Potiphar's
wife is attracted by Joseph and tries to get
him into bed but Joseph refuses.]
v.11-19
Potiphar's Wife Falsely Accuses Joseph
v.11
One
day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of
the household servants was inside.
v.12
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.
v.13,14
When
she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out
of the house, she called her household servants. “Look,” she said
to them, “this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of
us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed.
v.15
When
he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran
out of the house.”
v.16
She
kept his cloak beside her until his master came home.
v.17
Then
she told him this story: “That Hebrew slave you brought us came
to me to make sport of me.
v.18
But
as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and
ran out of the house.”
v.19
When
his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, “This is
how your slave treated me,” he burned with anger.
[Notes:
Again
Potiphar's wife tries to seduce Joseph and again
he refuses and so she accuses him of attempted rape to Potiphar.]
v.20-23
Joseph Imprisoned but Prospers
v.20,21
Joseph's
master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king's
prisoners were confined. But while Joseph was there in the prison,
the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness
and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.
v.22
So
the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison,
and he was made responsible for all that was done there.
v.23
The
warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph's care, because
the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success
in whatever he did.
[Notes:
Joseph
is imprisoned by Potiphar but again the Lord prospered him there.]