Genesis 39:6-12
New English Translation
6 So Potiphar[a] left[b] everything he had in Joseph’s care;[c] he gave no thought[d] to anything except the food he ate.[e]
Now Joseph was well built and good-looking.[f] 7 Soon after these things, his master’s wife took notice of[g] Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me.”[h] 8 But he refused, saying[i] to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not give any thought[j] to his household with me here,[k] and everything that he owns he has put into my care.[l] 9 There is no one greater in this household than I am. He has withheld nothing from me except you because you are his wife. So how could I do[m] such a great evil and sin against God?” 10 Even though she continued to speak[n] to Joseph day after day, he did not respond[o] to her invitation to go to bed with her.[p]
11 One day[q] he went into the house to do his work when none of the household servants[r] were there in the house. 12 She grabbed him by his outer garment, saying, “Come to bed[s] with me!” But he left his outer garment in her hand and ran[t] outside.[u]
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Genesis 39:6 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Potiphar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Genesis 39:6 sn The Hebrew verb translated left indicates he relinquished the care of it to Joseph. This is stronger than what was said earlier. Apparently Potiphar had come to trust Joseph so much that he knew it was in better care with Joseph than with anyone else.
- Genesis 39:6 tn Heb “hand.” This is a metonymy for being under the control or care of Joseph.
- Genesis 39:6 tn Heb “did not know.”
- Genesis 39:6 sn The expression except the food he ate probably refers to Potiphar’s private affairs and should not be limited literally to what he ate.
- Genesis 39:6 tn Heb “handsome of form and handsome of appearance.” The same Hebrew expressions were used in Gen 29:17 for Rachel.
- Genesis 39:7 tn Heb “she lifted up her eyes toward,” an expression that emphasizes her deliberate and careful scrutiny of him.
- Genesis 39:7 tn Heb “lie down with.” The verb שָׁכַב (shakhav) “to lie down” can be a euphemism for going to bed for sexual relations.sn The story of Joseph and Potiphar’s wife has long been connected with the wisdom warnings about the strange woman who tries to seduce the young man with her boldness and directness (see Prov 5-7, especially 7:6-27). This is part of the literary background of the story of Joseph that gives it a wisdom flavor. See G. von Rad, God at Work in Israel, 19-35; and G. W. Coats, “The Joseph Story and Ancient Wisdom: A Reappraisal,” CBQ 35 (1973): 285-97.
- Genesis 39:8 tn Heb “and he said.”
- Genesis 39:8 tn Heb “know.”
- Genesis 39:8 tn The word “here” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
- Genesis 39:8 tn Heb “hand.” This is a metonymy for being under the control or care of Joseph.
- Genesis 39:9 tn The nuance of potential imperfect fits this context.
- Genesis 39:10 tn The verse begins with the temporal indicator, followed by the infinitive construct with the preposition כ (kaf). This clause could therefore be taken as temporal.
- Genesis 39:10 tn Heb “listen to.”
- Genesis 39:10 tn Heb “lie down with her to be with her.” See note at v. 7.
- Genesis 39:11 tn Heb “and it was about this day.”
- Genesis 39:11 tn Heb “the men of the house.”
- Genesis 39:12 tn Heb “lie down with.” See note at v. 7.
- Genesis 39:12 tn Heb “he fled and he went out.” The construction emphasizes the point that Joseph got out of there quickly.
- Genesis 39:12 sn For discussion of this episode, see A. M. Honeyman, “The Occasion of Joseph’s Temptation,” VT 2 (1952): 85-87.
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