Genesis chapter 39
Joseph is a slave in the house of Potiphar. Joseph is thrown in prison.
JOSEPH IS A SLAVE IN THE HOUSE OF POTIPHAR
VERSE 1. Joseph was brought down to Egypt. Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the hand of the Ishmaelites that had brought him down there.
VERSE 2. The LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man. He was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
In the Old Testament era, prospering was not seen as a result of our own vigor, but rather upon the blessing of the LORD God. Read more »
VERSE 3. His master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did prosper in his hand.
VERSE 4. Joseph found favor in his sight. He ministered to him, and Potiphar made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.
VERSE 5. From the time that he made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake. The LORD’s blessing was on all that he had, in the house and in the field.
the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake. Even when Joseph was a slave in Egypt, the LORD God’s blessings upon him did not lessen.
And God’s blessings overflowed from Joseph to the people in his owner’s household.
Some Christians call that the “overflow” blessing. We pray that God’s blessings upon you overflow to all the people in your life!
VERSE 6. He left all that he had in Joseph’s hand. He didn’t concern himself with anything, except for the food which he ate. Joseph was well-built and handsome.
VERSE 7. After these things, his master’s wife set her eyes on Joseph; and she said, “Lie with me.”
VERSE 8. But he refused, and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, my master doesn’t know what is with me in the house, and he has put all that he has into my hand.
VERSE 9. No one is greater in this house than I am, and he has not kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”
VERSE 10. As she spoke to Joseph day by day, he didn’t listen to her, to lie by her, or to be with her.
she spoke to Joseph day by day. Potiphar’s wife tries to wear down the resistance of Joseph. She kept at him, day after day.
VERSE 11. About this time, he went into the house to do his work, and there were none of the men of the house inside.
VERSE 12. She caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me!” He left his garment in her hand, and ran outside.
VERSE 13. When she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and had run outside,
VERSE 14. she called to the men of her house, and spoke to them, saying, “Behold, he has brought a Hebrew in to us to mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice.
He came in to me to lie with me. Joseph is falsely accused of a sexual impropriety.
VERSE 15. When he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment by me, and ran outside.”
VERSE 16. She laid up his garment by her, until his master came home.
VERSE 17. She spoke to him according to these words, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought to us, came in to me to mock me,
VERSE 18. and as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment by me, and ran outside.”
VERSE 19. When his master heard the words of his wife, which she spoke to him, saying, “This is what your servant did to me,” his wrath was kindled.
JOSEPH IS THROWN IN PRISON
VERSE 20. Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were bound, and he was there in custody.
VERSE 21. But the LORD was with Joseph, and showed kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
the LORD was with Joseph. The favor of the LORD God can be with us in any circumstance. All circumstances.
gave him favor. Up to this point in the biblical narrative, the notion of blessedness has always been associated with worldly wealth.
Now the life of Joseph has added a completely new dimension to blessedness.
Joseph is not wealthy. He has the worst of life circumstances. He is a slave, and he is in prison. And yet he is blessed.
In our day, many Christians have forgotten this. They have fallen into the naive worldly trap of correlating blessedness with worldly wealth.
In other words, many Christians believe if you are wealthy, it is because you are favored by God. And if you are poor, it is because you have sinned.
VERSE 22. The keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever they did there, he was responsible for it.
VERSE 23. The keeper of the prison didn’t look after anything that was under his hand, because the LORD was with him; and that which he did, the LORD made it prosper.
the LORD was with him. The LORD God promises to be with us always, even to the ends of the world. Read more »
Despite the terrible life situation Of Joseph, the LORD God was with Joseph. That is true for us as well!
GENESIS
CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50
RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize
Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.