And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand ,.... And so all hopes of succeeding in her addresses to him were over: and he was fled forth ; into the streets, or into some out house, where business was carried on by servants under him. read more
That she called unto the men of her house ,.... Of that part of the house which belonged to her; her eunuchs that waited upon her, or that were in another part of the home, at some distance: and spake unto them ; when they came to her: saying, see, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock us : she means her husband, whom through contempt, and in her passion, she names not, having lost all affection for him, as her addresses to Joseph showed; and so the Targum of Jonathan supplies... read more
He hath brought in a Hebrew unto us - Potiphar's wife affects to throw great blame on her husband, whom we may reasonably suppose she did not greatly love. He hath brought in - he hath raised this person to all his dignity and eminence, to give him the greater opportunity to mock us. לפחק letsachek , here translated to mock, is the same word used in Genesis 26:8 , relative to Isaac and Rebekah; and is certainly used by Potiphar's wife in Genesis 39:17 , to signify some kind of... read more
Joseph is the house of Potiphar. I. PURCHASED AS A SLAVE . 1. 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... read more
Sunshine and shadow. I. THE BRIGHTENING SKY . The advancement of Joseph in the house of Potiphar. 1. To Joseph's sense it was a lightening in his bondage. 2. To Joseph's faith it was the smiling of Jehovah's face. 3. To Joseph's hope it was the dawning of a better day. II. THE THREATENING CLOUD . The temptation of Joseph by his mistress. Here was— 1. An assault upon his virtue, which, unless it were overcome, would deprive him of Jehovah's favor, and... read more
The righteous man. 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... read more
Joseph and the wife of Potiphar. I. THE GREAT TEMPTATION . 1. 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. 2. The occasion of it. This was the beauty of Joseph''s person. Things innocent and lovely in themselves may... read more
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... read more
- Joseph in Potiphar’s HouseAccording to our reckoning, Perez and Zerah were born when Judah was in his twenty-eighth year, and therefore, Joseph in his twenty-fourth. Here, then, we go back seven years to resume the story of Joseph.Genesis 39:1-6Joseph fares well with his first master. “Potiphar.” This is a racapitulation of the narrative in Genesis 37:0: “The Lord;” the God of covenant is with Joseph. “In the house.” Joseph was a domestic servant. “And his master saw.” The prosperity that... read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 39:13-18
Joseph's mistress, having tried in vain to make him a criminal, now endeavours to represent him as one; so to be revenged on him for his virtue. Now was her love turned into the utmost rage and malice, and she pretends she cannot endure the sight of him whom awhile ago she could not endure out of her sight. Chaste and holy love will continue, though slighted; but sinful love, like Amnon's to Tamar, is easily changed into sinful hatred. 1. She accused him to his fellow servants (Gen. 39:13-15)... read more