Genesis 39
1 “And 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.” And Joseph was brought down to Egypt.
The narrative now preparing to recite the fortunes of Joseph in Egypt, which
eventually led, through his elevation to be Pharaoh's prime minister, first to the
salvation of the patriarchal
family, and finally to their settlement in
the historian reverts, in accordance with his usual practice, to a point of time
antecedent to the incidents contained in the preceding chapter, and makes a
new departure in his story from the
moment of Joseph's crossing into
And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard (see ch. 37:36),
an Egyptian, - literally, a man of Mitzraim. This implies that foreigners were
sometimes employed to fill responsible offices about the Court of Pharaoh.
The phrase "is not a superfluous addition, as the population of Heliopolis,
from remote times, included a considerable admixture of Arabians" (Kalisch) –
bought him of the hands of the Ishmaelites
(ibid.), which had brought him
down thither.
2 “And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a
prosperous man; and he
was in the house of his master the Egyptian.” And the Lord - Jehovah, as
usual, because the entire chapter is the work of the Jehovist (Tuch, Colenso),
with the exception of a few alterations by the redactor (Davidson), or because,
though the work of the Elohist, it has been modified by the Jehovistic editor
(Bleek, Vaihinger);
but more likely because the advancement of Joseph in
Egypt
was a special fruit of the theocratic promise which belonged to the
patriarchal family (Hengstenberg, Quarry) - was with Joseph (compare v. 21;
ch.
21:20; 26:24; 28:15), and he was a prosperous man
(literally, a man
prospering); and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian - i.e. as
a domestic servant.
3 “And his master saw that the LORD was
with him, and that the LORD
made all that he did to prosper in his hand.’ And his master saw that the
Lord
(Jehovah) was with him - this does not imply that Potiphar was acquainted with
Jehovah, but simply that he concluded Joseph to be under the Divine protection –
and that the Lord (Jehovah) made all that he did to prosper in his hand. That
which led to the conviction of Potiphar concerning Joseph was the remarkable
success which he saw attending all his efforts and undertakings.
4 “And 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.”
And Joseph found grace in his sight, - see ch. 6:8; 18:3; 19:19; v.21, here. Most
men are pleased with a good servant. Even Laban had no objections to Jacob so long
as he divined that Jehovah was multiplying his flocks for Jacob's sake (ch. 30:27) –
and he served him (i.e. he waited on Potiphar, or acted as his personal attendant
and comptroller of his household): and
he (i.e. Potiphar)
made him overseer over
his house, - a position corresponding to that occupied by Eliezer in the household
of Abraham (ch. 24:2). Egyptian monuments attest the existence of such an officer
in wealthy houses at an early period; a tomb at Kum-el-Ahmar exhibiting the
account books, writing materials, and clerks that pertain to the office of s steward,
and another at Beni-hassan, besides displaying his accustomed implements, styling
him the Overseer (Wilkinson's 'Ancient Egyptians, vol. 1. p. 372, ed. 1878;
Hengstenberg s 'Egypt and the Books of Moses,' p. 24). A sepulchral inscription
belonging to the period of the eleventh dynasty also mentions among the officers
comprising the household of Ameni the chancellor Athorsi, the barber Khentikhrati,
the slave Gefahapi, the lady's maid Khui, the steward Ameni, the steward Santit
(see 'Records of the Past,' vol. 6. p. 3). Joseph had also, after his exaltation, a ruler
or steward of his house (compare ch.
43:16, 19; 44:1) - and
all that he had he put
into his hand = literally, and all which was to him he gave into his hand, i.e. he
5 “And 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.” And it same to pass from the time that he had made
(literally, from that time he made)
him overseer in his house, and over all that
he had, that (literally, and) the Lord (Jehovah) blessed the Egyptian's house for
Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the Lord (Jehovah) was upon all that he had
in the house, and in the field. It is observable that throughout this chapter, when
the historian is speaking in his own name the term Jehovah is used to designate
the Supreme Being (compare vs. 21, 23), whereas when Joseph replies to his
mistress it is the word Elohim which he
employs, the reason of which
6 “And he left
all that he had in Joseph’s hand and he knew not anything with him,
save the bread
which he did eat. And Joseph was a
goodly person and well
favored.”And (accordingly, encouraged by the admirable success attending Joseph's
management) he left all that he had in Joseph's hand (i.e. gave him unrestricted
control over all his temporal
affairs); and he knew not ought he had
(literally, he
knew not anything with him, i.e. he shared not the care of anything along with him),
save the bread which he did eat. This was necessitated by the laws of caste which
then prevailed among the Egyptians,
and in particular' by the fact that "
the
Egyptians might not
eat with the Hebrews” (Genesis 43:32).
And Joseph was a
goodly person, and well favored - literally, beautiful is form and beautiful in
appearance,
like his mother Rachel (ch. 29:17).
7 “And it came to pass after these things, that his
master's wife cast her eyes
upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me.” And it came to pass after
these things, -
Joseph had by this time been nearly
ten years in Potiphar's house (see ch. 41:46)
–
that his master s wife cast her eyes
(lasciviously) upon Joseph; and she said, Lie
with me. According to monumental
evidence (Wilkinson's ' Ancient Egyptians,'
vol. 1. p. 392, ed. 1878; Hengstenbergs '
Kalisch, p. 631) and historical testimony (Herod.,
2:111), Egyptian females,
even though married, were distinguished for licentiousness and
immorality, and
were not condemned to live in seclusion (Bohlen),
but were allowed freely to
mix in promiscuous society, which facts perfectly account for
Joseph s temptation
by his mistress.
8 “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; 9 There 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? But he refused, - "it may be that the
absence of personal charms facilitated Joseph s resistance (Kalisch); but Joseph
assigns a different reason for his noncompliance with her utterly immoral proposition –
and said unto his master's wife,
- "for her unclean solicitation he returneth
pure and
wholesome words" (Hughes) - Behold,
my master wotteth not what is with me in the
house (literally, knoweth not, along with me, what is in
the house), and
he hath
committed all that he hath to my hand,
(literally, and all that is to him he hath
given to or placed in my hand); there is none greater in this house than I; neither
hath he kept back anything from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how
then
can I do this great wickedness, and sin (compare ch. 20:6; II Samuel 12:13; Psalm
51:4 for the
estimate of this act taken by God and good men) against
God? - Elohim,
since Jehovah would have been unintelligible to a heathen woman.
10 “And 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.” 11 And
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. 12 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.”
And it came to pass about this time (literally, at this day, i.e. it one day happened),
that Joseph went into the house to do his business (i.e. to attend to his accustomed
duties); and there was none of the men of
the house there within (or, in the
house).
And she caught him by his garment (this was probably the long loose robe or mantle,
with short sleeves, used in Oriental full dress), saying, Lie with me: and he left his
garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out - literally, and went forth into
the
place without, i.e. out of the house and into the street.
13“And it came to pass, when she saw that he had
left his garment in her hand,
and was fled forth, 14 That 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: 15 And 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.” And
it came to pass, when she saw that he had
left his garment in her hand (a very
indiscreet act on the part of Joseph, considering
the possible use that might be made of it), and was fled forth, that she called unto
the men of her house, and spake unto them,
saying, See, he hath brought in
(literally,
one has brought in,
the subject of the verb being indefinite) an
Hebrew
(literally,
a man, an Hebrew) unto us to mock us (the verb עָחַק, from which comes
Isaac, is here used in a bad sense; not the same as in ch. 26:8);
he came in unto me
to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice: and it came to pass, when
he heard
that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me (literally, by
my side), and fled, and got him out (or,
went forth into the street) .
16 “And she laid
up his garment by her, until his lord came home. 17 And 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: 18 And
it came to pass,
as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled out.”
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).
19 “And 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.” And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his
wife, which she spake unto him, saying, After this
manner (literally, according to
these words) did thy servant to me; that his wrath was kindled. A papyrus consisting
of nineteen pages of ten lines of hieratic writing (purchased
from Madame D'Orbiney,
and presently in the
contains a tale of two brothers, in which incidents occur very
similar to those here
narrated. While the two are ploughing in
the field, the elder sends the younger brother,
who appears to have acted in the capacity of general
superintendent, to fetch seed
from the house. "And the younger brother found the wife of
the elder sitting at her
toilet.".... "And she spoke to him, saying, What strength there is in thee! Indeed I
observe thy vigor every day. Her heart knew him She
seized upon him, and said
to him, Come, let us lie down for an instant. Better for thee... beautiful clothes."
"The youth became like a
panther with fury on account of the shameful discourse
which she had addressed to him. And she was alarmed
exceedingly."... "Her husband
returned home at evening, according to his daily wont. He came to the
house, and he
found his wife lying as if murdered by a ruffian." Inquiring the
reason of her distress,
he is answered as Potiphar was
answered by his deceitful spouse. "And the elder
brother became like a panther; he made his dagger sharp, and took it
in his hand"
(see ' Records of the
Past,' vol. 2. p. 139).
20 “And 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.”
And Joseph's master took him, and put him
into the prison, - literally house of
enclosure; sohar, from sahar, to encircle, meaning probably a turreted, arched,
or rounded building for the confinement of prisoners - a place where the king's
prisoners (i.e. State offenders) were
bound: and he was there in the prison.
This,
which some regard as having been a mild punishment (Delitzsch, Keil), since,
according to Diodorus Siculus,
the laws of the Egyptians were specially severe
in their penalties for offences against women, is represented
by a Hebrew
psalmist (Psalm 105:18)
as having been accompanied with bodily tortures,
at least for a time; for his speedy elevation to a place of
trust within the prison
almost gives countenance to the idea (Kurtz, Lange, &c.) that Potiphar did not
believe his wife's story, and only incarcerated Joseph for the sake
of appearances.
That Joseph was not immediately
punished with death is not improbable (Bohlen),
but exceedingly natural, since Joseph was Potiphar's favorite (Havernick).
21 “But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him
favor in the sight of the keeper of the
prison.” But
(even if Joseph was harshly
treated in the
(see v. 2), and showed him mercy (literally,
extended kindness unto him), and gave
him favor in the eyes of the keeper
(or captain) of the prison (or round house).
Joseph in Slavery
(v. 21)
“But the Lord was with Joseph,” Men would have thought, as they
looked on the Hebrew
slave, that he was God-forsaken. Not so. God
blessed him. This was evidenced in the character he developed.
The Lord was with him.
PRESENCE. He
did not betray trust, or presume on the confidence placed
in him, or the kind
treatment he received; nor did he unwisely run into
PRESENCE. Toil
kept off much temptation. (an idle mind is the
devil’s workshop) If a slave by circumstances, he will yet do what
he can to benefit his master. He worked under apparently hopeless
conditions.
OF THE DIVINE PRESENCE. Joseph lived as
under the eye of God.
Hence when special temptations came he repelled them in the Divine
strength. “How
can I do this great wickedness?” Joseph was neither to
be persecuted out of
his religion nor enticed from it. This is the brightest
chapter in Joseph’s life. He would
not sin against himself, nor
against God,
who was with him.
God’s Presence
with His Servants (v. 21)
Joseph was in
slavery, yet the Lord was with him (compare Revelation 1:9).
It is twice stated
in this chapter. Outward prosperity is no test of God’s
presence (compare Romans
5:3; II Corinthians 12:9). Often in times of
trial God’s presence is
most clearly felt. When all dark below, the eye is
drawn upwards. The
world’s good seen to be unprofitable (James 4:4).
There is a sense
in which God is always with all. He guides men’s actions
and course of life, whether
they will or not. But while unbelief derives no
comfort from this (Zephaniah
1:12), the knowledge of His presence
gives peace to His
people (Isaiah 26:3-12).
A Godward mind — habitually
living-as in the sight of God, though left
alone (compare Galatians
4:28). Fulfilled what his hand found to do. God’s
will was his rule of
life. He resisted temptation (James 1:12); was
faithful in the charge
committed to him, though not of his own choice. Did
not look upon the wrong
he had suffered as excusing him from fidelity.
This faithful spirit can
spring only from thorough belief in God s love and
PART
OF HIS LIFE. Not merely in the fact of his being carried to Egypt
(compare Acts 23:11), but in
every incident God’s hand is seen. His
management of Potiphar’s affairs was a training for rule over Egypt. His
unjust accusation was a
step towards his standing before Pharaoh. His
experience in prison prepared him to be the deliverer of a nation (compare
Hebrews
2:18; 4:15). Thus God’s presence is something better and
higher thou merely a
prosperous course. It is the certainty that everything
that happens is ordered by infinite wisdom and love — is a step towards
the fullness of joy (Deuteronomy
8:2; Psalm 16:11). This holds good in
spiritual experience not less than in
temporal. A Christian is often led
through times of darkness. Communion
with God seems to be interrupted
(Psalm 65:3; Romans
7;24).
Temptation, opposition, difficulty in prayer
make the soul sad. Yet the Lord is not absent; and these are all parts
of the
training by which He is
preparing His servant for the fullness of blessing.
Revelation 3:20) IS A BLESSING TO OTHERS. So
it was with
Joseph. Potiphar, the
jailer, Pharaoh, the Egyptian nation, were blessed
through him. There is no such
thing as keeping a blessing to ourselves; the
very attempt destroys it as a blessing. Temporal
possessions and powers,
used selfishly, become vanity.
They pass away, and leave no good, no
joy
behind. And so with spiritual good. He who has experienced the grace of
God must care for
others, or his own state will suffer (Proverbs 11:24).
The more we partake of the mind of Christ, the more
we learn that
wherever He leads us, it is that we may be channels of blessing
to others.
22 “And 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.
23 The 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.” And the keeper of the
prison (captain of the round house, or
chief
officer of the tower) committed
to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in
the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it - literally, and
all that they (the prisoners) were doing there, he was the person doing it, or
attending to it; i.e. the keeper gave him charge
to see that the prisoners obeyed
whatever orders were issued for their regulation; and, having
implicit confidence
in Joseph's probity (the quality of having strong moral principles; honesty and
decency), the
keeper of the prison looked not to anything that was under (or in)
his hand (i.e. he did not trouble himself
about anything entrusted to Joseph);
because the Lord (Jehovah) was with him, and that which he did, the Lord
(Jehovah) made it to prosper.
Joseph as Prison
Warden (v. 22)
“And the keeper of
the prison committed to Joseph s hands all the
prisoners that were in the prison,” Joseph is unjustly treated and
thrown into prison. Here
he makes the best of circumstances. He gains the
confidence of the keeper.
The keeper of the State prison is glad to find one
like Joseph, to whom
he can delegate much toil and responsibility.
many to prison, and
feels for all. He sees that it is but a step from the
presence-chamber of Pharaoh to a vile prison. To
those who found higher
places slippery, and those who
found the temptations of poverty too
strong, he shows his
pity. His own bitter separation from friends makes him
smile for the prisoners. They looked for it, and responded to
it. The
heart
can give to the sad that which is better than gold — a cheerful helpfulness.
Our gloom can lay
extra burdens on others.
trample on those already
fallen. He inquires even into the cause of the
sadness of the prisoners,
and interprets for them dreams which had
perplexed them. His own
dreams had made him at one time elate, but they
seem as yet far from
being fulfilled. Still this only leads him to be more
courteous to those who may also be doomed to
disappointment. The
sympathy, cheerfulness,
and courtesy of Joseph made him eventually prime
minister of
Joseph in the
House of Potiphar (vs. 1-23)
Ø A sad lot. Worse even than being kidnapped by
strangers, Joseph had
been first sold by his
brethren; carried into Egypt, he had there been
exposed for sale in a
slave-market; and now, as if he had been a beast of
burden or a captive
taken in war, he had been a second time purchased for
money. Few fortunes are
more touchingly sorrowful or more deeply
humiliating than this which
was now measured out to Jacob’s youthful son.
Ø A common lot. Happily in our
land, and indeed wherever the gospel
prevails, it is not a
spectacle that can now be beheld — that of men
trafficking in each other’s
flesh. But in those days the horrors of the
auction block were not
infrequent sights, and Joseph, in being sold and
bought like goods and
chattels, Was only experiencing a fate which had
been undergone by
many previous to his times, and has by myriads been
Ø An appointed lot. As
everything on earth is, so was Joseph’s sad and
sorrowful estate assigned
him by Heaven; and the recognition of this
doubtless it was by Joseph
that prevented him from murmuring, and
apparently inspired him with
a cheerful confidence, even in the darkest
o
The extent of this prosperity. All that he did prospered. Everything
he
put his hand to
appeared to thrive. Success seemed to wait upon him like
his shadow. It is seldom
such a measure of good fortune is meted out to
any of God’s people
on the earth, or even of the devil’s children. For the
first they would
probably be spoiled by such indulgence, while for the
second they mostly fail
in the conditions that are needful for such
o
The means of this prosperity. That Joseph was attentive. diligent,
and conscientious in the performance of his
household duties, as
well as
faithful and devoted to the interests of his master,
may be
reasonably inferred, since success seldom waits upon:
§
the
negligent,
§ the idle, or
§
the unprincipled.
o
The source of this prosperity. The
historian is careful to note that the
true
mainspring of Joseph’s as of every other person’s, prosperity was
the Divine blessing on his labors. The Lord made all that he did to
prosper
in his hand.
Ø
Greatly rewarded. Joseph was:
o
Noticed by his master. It is a pleasure to true and faithful
servants
when those they serve
regard their work with favorable observation.
o
Accepted by his master. It says a great deal for Potiphar that he
treated Joseph kindly, even though it was largely
on account of his
excellent qualities as a
servant.
o
Promoted by his master. From
being humble valet to the great man’s
person, he was exalted
to the high position of steward or comptroller of
o
Trusted by his master. Everything
connected with the management of
Potiphar’s
establishment, in his mansion and on his farm, was
unreservedly committed to the care of Joseph. Potiphar troubled
himself
about nothing “save the bread
which he did eat.”
Ø
He enjoyed Divine companionship in his sad captivity. “The
Lord was
with him;” a compensation
rich enough to be set against the miseries of
bondage and exile, as God s people, when similarly situated, have
not
unfrequently experienced
(compare Acts 16:25; II Timothy 4:17).
Ø
He obtained Divine
assistance in his arduous
duties. When the
circumstances of Joseph’s lot
might have induced despondency,
indifference, inaction, carelessness, and inattention, Divine grace so
upheld and cheered him that he was able
to go about his duties with
alacrity and cheerfulness, so that everything he turned his hand to
succeeded.
Ø
He
received Divine favor in the eyes of his master. For Joseph
himself
to have secretly known that
God approved of his person and behavior
would have been an ample
consolation to his sad heart; but to obtain
the goodwill of Heaven so conspicuously
that even his heathen master
could not avoid observing it was surely a signal honor.
Ø
He attracted Divine blessing towards
his fellow-men. “The Lord
blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake.” Here was a clear
experience by Joseph of the
truth of the Abrahamic blessing (ch.
12:2-3).
In this also Joseph was an eminent type of Christ.
2. Contentment with one’s lot.
5. The obligations of masters towards
servants.
6. The value of religion to a workman.
7. The profit of a pious servant.
Sunshine and Shadow (vs. 1-23)
Ø
To Joseph’s sense it
was a lightening in his bondage.
Ø
To Joseph’s faith
it was
the smiling of Jehovah’s face.
Ø
To Joseph’s hope
it was the dawning of a better day.
mistress. Here was:
Ø
An assault upon his virtue,
which, unless it were overcome, would
deprive him of Jehovah’s
favor, and consequently put an end to any
prospect he might have of
deliverance; and,
Ø
An attack upon his safety,
which, however it resulted, whether in his
defeat or his victory, would likely terminate his enjoyment of
his
master’s favor, if not altogether cost him his life.
Ø
Though untrue, it was almost
certain to be believed.
Ø
If believed, it would
certainly involve him in punishment.
Ø
If deemed
deserving of punishment, he would almost certainly be
put to death.
Ø
He had not been executed, but only imprisoned.
Ø
God was with him in the
dungeon, as He had been in the palace.
Ø
If the favor of
his master had been lost, the confidence of his keeper
had been gained.
Ø
Misfortune might seem to be
always lying in wait for him, but, on the
other hand, prosperity appeared to be ever following close upon
his
heels.
Joseph and
the wife of Potiphar (vs. 7-23)
Ø The time of it. Never perhaps had Joseph s prospects
been brighter since
he left his father’s
house than towards the close of that decade of years
which he spent in the
Egyptian officer’s employ; and yet then it was that,
like a thunderbolt
shot from a clear sky, a fierce temptation burst upon him.
Ø The occasion of it. This was the beauty of Joseph’ s person. Things
innocent and lovely in
themselves may sometimes be a source of danger,
and, if not guarded
against, a cause of sin, to their possessors. In particular
the good looks of men
and women are often snares to others as well as
fraught with peril to
themselves, as the cases Of Sarah (ch. 12:14),
Rebekah (ch. 26:10), and Dinah (ch. 34:2)
testify. Hence beauty of the
person should
neither be too eagerly coveted nor too proudly worn
by
either
sex, as-by each its charms in the other should be moderately
admired, and its
allurements earnestly resisted.
Ø The form
of it. The
special trial to which the young man Joseph was
now subjected partook
of the character of an assault upon his chastity. It
is, however, a
mistake to suppose that a good man is always assaulted at
the point where he is
weakest. On the contrary, it is one of the devil’s
blunders that, in
directing his attacks against saints, he for the most part
mistakenly selects the point
where they are strongest. Joseph was
permitted to be assailed by
his lascivious mistress not because his own
personal virtue was
doubtful, but because in that direction he was best
prepared to repel the
fiercest onset of temptation.
Ø
The strength of it. There were
elements in this assault upon Joseph’s
virtue which were calculated
to impart to it a vehemence that in ordinary
circumstances, i.e. with
persons of less robustness of moral principle than
Joseph,
must have proved overwhelming. These were:
o
The
person by whom it was directed, viz., Joseph’s mistress, the wife
of a high officer of
state, whose smile might have turned the head and
intoxicated the heart of a
young man who was only her slave.
o
The
vehement importunity with which it was urged, his mistress
speaking
to him day by day, and even by act as well as word
endeavoring to prevail.
o
The
convenient opportunity which was almost always presented,
seeing that Joseph’s master was mostly absent, and the domestics
often out
of the way.
o
The
danger he might incur by offending one so high in rank as his
o
The
advantages he might expect to reap from complying with her
Ø
The manner of Joseph’s
refusal.
o
Promptly, without the
slightest hesitation or appearance of dallying
with the
tempting bait. Had Joseph hesitated, he might have been lost;
had he trifled with
the forbidden fruit, he might have plucked and ate.
o
Firmly. There was no sound
of wavering or indecision about the reply
of
Joseph. It was not the answer of a man who was only half-hearted
in putting away from him a thing which he
secretly desired. In
Joseph’s “no” there was the clear, full-toned ring of a man who had
made up
his mind intelligently and
finally. (The New Testament
teaches
to “flee
fornication” - I Corinthians
6:18
– the best way
to deal with it is to have your mind made up on what to
do before-
hand and to avoid this type of situation. CY – 2018)
o
Kindly. Joseph
behaved towards his mistress with as much tenderness
as his moral
indignation and disgust at her behavior would allow; his
considerateness shining out
conspicuously in this, that he studiously
endeavored
to be as much as possible out of the unhappy woman’s
sight, in the hope,
doubtless, that her unholy passion might abate.
o
Bravely. Joseph
was prepared to run any risk rather than accede to the
base
proposal of his mistress, as was proved by his fleeing from the
house without his doublet, when the impudent
woman sought by
catching
hold of him to secure
compliance with her request.
Ø
The reason
of Joseph’s refusal.
o
The
greatness of the trust reposed in him by his master. Potiphar
had
committed everything to his (Joseph’s) care; and how then could
he
repay with treachery so abominable a
confidence so great?
o
The extent of the power delegated to him. Potiphar had kept back
nothing from him except his wife: how then, having privileges
so
extensive, should he covet the one thing
forbidden?
o
The sacredness of the relationship existing between
his mistress and
Potiphar. “Thou art his wife;” and by the
covenant of marriage thou
belongest to him only,
and not to me.
o
The heinousness
of the sin of which he would be guilty. “How can
I do this great
wickedness, and sin against God?”
Ø
The
slander of his mistress. The
disappointed strumpet, thirsting for
revenge, resolves upon
accomplishing the ruin of the fair youth of whom
the moment before she affected to be enamored. But indeed all illicit
passion, whether
gratified or balked, has a tendency sooner or
later to
become transformed into hate. Laying up the garment which
Joseph had
indiscreetly dropped in his
haste, she makes use of it to trump up a charge
against Joseph of having
attempted a violation of her chastity. There is no
length to which the fierce resentment of a wicked woman will not
proceed against those who have incurred
her hate. It will commonly go
hard with her if out of a straw
her infernal ingenuity cannot manufacture
a rope wherewith to strangle her victim.
Ø
The wrath of his master Potiphar, as was natural, at first
felt inclined to
believe his wife and to
suppose that Joseph had foully betrayed the trust
reposed in his honor. In
this, of course, he acted hastily, and therefore
sinfully. Even from the nearest and the dearest reports affecting
injuriously the characters of others should
not be accepted without
investigation. But that
second thoughts prevailed with Potiphar,
who, remembering the bad reputation
of Egyptian ladies generally,
and knowing something possibly of the
slenderness of his own
wife’s virtue, as well as recalling the previous high character of
Joseph, began to doubt the truth
of what was alleged against his
favorite, and to think it more likely that his wife lied than that
Joseph sinned, has been inferred
from the circumstance that Joseph
was not forthwith remitted to
the executioner’s block, but only
committed to the tower.
Ø
The mercy of his God. As before, Jehovah went with Joseph to the
prison, and comforted him with gracious thoughts concerning his
affliction, with speedy favor in
the sight of his keeper, so that the
severity of his confinement was
considerably mitigated, and with
ultimate promotion to a position
of trust within the prison, the
charge of all the criminals being committed
to his care. And finally,
the Lord made him prosperous and successful
as before in all his
undertakings.
The Righteous
Man (vs. 1-30)
Again the word of
the Lord tries Joseph, but not so much now as the word
of prophecy, but as
the word of command, the doctrine of righteousness.
“The Egyptian’s house is blessed for Joseph’s sake.”
“The Lord was with
Joseph, and he was a
prosperous man.” A lesson on the true
method of
prosperity. A prosperous man is one
who has the Lord with him:
1. To
give him favor with fellow-men.
2. To
teach him wisdom, and put things into his hand.
3. To
give him the faculty of rule, and dispose others to trust him entirely.
4. To
keep him pure from the vicious besetments of the world, both by his
own personal chastity
and by his courage and self-command in hours of
5. By delivering him when he is entangled in the meshes of
the evil-minded.
The bad woman’s
determination is thwarted. Mercy is shown him in the prison.
6. By
making him a messenger of peace and truth, even in the very prison
Notice again the elevation of Joseph’s character.
1. His love of God. “How can I do this great wickedness and sin against
2. His love of man.
“My
master hath committed all to me — how can I
3. His confidence in the blessing of God on the upright and
holy life. He
knew that God would
vindicate him.
4. His self-control. His circumstances were fearful
temptation. Had he not
been a virtuous man in his heart of hearts, he
would have succumbed, and
then pleaded, as so many do, the power of the
flesh and of the tempting
Notice also how
these characteristics do help one another when they are
in
the character, and how, when a man casts himself upon God, God makes
makes the way of
escape. “There hath
no temptation taken you but such
as is common to
man; but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be
tempted above that
ye are able, but will with the temptation also make
a way to
escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
(I
Corinthians 10:13)
Joseph was safer in prison than he was in his master’s
house.
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