Genesis 39 Clementine Vulgate
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 Igitur Joseph ductus est in Ægyptum, emitque eum Putiphar eunuchus Pharaonis, princeps exercitus, vir ægyptius, de manu Ismaëlitarum, a quibus perductus erat.
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.
2 Fuitque Dominus cum eo, et erat vir in cunctis prospere agens: habitavitque in domo domini sui,
2 Yahweh was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man. He was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
3 qui optime noverat Dominum esse cum eo, et omnia, quæ gerebat, ab eo dirigi in manu illius.
3 His master saw that Yahweh was with him, and that Yahweh made all that he did prosper in his hand.
4 Invenitque Joseph gratiam coram domino suo, et ministrabat ei: a quo præpositus omnibus gubernabat creditam sibi domum, et universa quæ ei tradita fuerant:
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.
5 benedixitque Dominus domui Ægyptii propter Joseph, et multiplicavit tam in ædibus quam in agris cunctam ejus substantiam:
5 From the time that he made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, Yahweh blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake. Yahweh’s blessing was on all that he had, in the house and in the field.
6 nec quidquam aliud noverat, nisi panem quo vescebatur. Erat autem Joseph pulchra facie, et decorus aspectu.
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.
7 Post multos itaque dies injecit domina sua oculos suos in Joseph, et ait: Dormi mecum.
7 After these things, his master’s wife set her eyes on Joseph; and she said, “Lie with me.”
8 Qui nequaquam acquiescens operi nefario, dixit ad eam: Ecce dominus meus, omnibus mihi traditis, ignorat quid habeat in domo sua:
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.
9 nec quidquam est quod non in mea sit potestate, vel non tradiderit mihi, præter te, quæ uxor ejus es: quomodo ergo possum hoc malum facere, et peccare in Deum meum?
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?”
10 Hujuscemodi verbis per singulos dies, et mulier molesta erat adolescenti: et ille recusabat stuprum.
10 As she spoke to Joseph day by day, he didn’t listen to her, to lie by her, or to be with her.
11 Accidit autem quadam die ut intraret Joseph domum, et operis quippiam absque arbitris faceret:
11 About this time, he went into the house to do his work, and there were none of the men of the house inside.
12 et illa, apprehensa lacinia vestimenti ejus, diceret: Dormi mecum. Qui relicto in manu ejus pallio fugit, et egressus est foras.
12 She caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me!” He left his garment in her hand, and ran outside.
13 Cumque vidisset mulier vestem in manibus suis, et se esse contemptam,
13 When she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and had run outside,
14 vocavit ad se homines domus suæ, et ait ad eos: En introduxit virum hebræum, ut illuderet nobis: ingressus est ad me, ut coiret mecum: cumque ego succlamassem,
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.
15 et audisset vocem meam, reliquit pallium quod tenebam, et fugit foras.
15 When he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment by me, and ran outside.”
16 In argumentum ergo fidei retentum pallium ostendit marito revertenti domum,
16 She laid up his garment by her, until his master came home.
17 et ait: Ingressus est ad me servus hebræus quem adduxisti, ut illuderet mihi:
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,
18 cumque audisset me clamare, reliquit pallium quod tenebam, et fugit foras.
18 and as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment by me, and ran outside.”
19 His auditis dominus, et nimium credulus verbis conjugis, iratus est valde:
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.
20 tradiditque Joseph in carcerem, ubi vincti regis custodiebantur, et erat ibi clausus.
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.
21 Fuit autem Dominus cum Joseph, et misertus illius dedit ei gratiam in conspectu principis carceris.
21 But Yahweh was with Joseph, and showed kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
22 Qui tradidit in manu illius universos vinctos qui in custodia tenebantur: et quidquid fiebat, sub ipso erat.
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.
23 Nec noverat aliquid, cunctis ei creditis: Dominus enim erat cum illo, et omnia opera ejus dirigebat.
23 The keeper of the prison didn’t look after anything that was under his hand, because Yahweh was with him; and that which he did, Yahweh made it prosper.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Joseph
Betrayed and enslaved, he rose to rule Egypt and saved his family from famine.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 37; 39–50
Potiphar
An Egyptian officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard who bought Joseph from the Ishmaelites, put him in charge of his household, and had him thrown into prison after his wife's…
Cited in the guide: Genesis 37:36; Genesis 39:1; Genesis 39:4
Cross references (20)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Genesis 37:28; Psalm 105:17; Genesis 37:36; Genesis 37:25; Acts 7:9
- 2 1 Samuel 18:14; Psalm 91:15; Jeremiah 15:20; Genesis 26:28; Acts 7:9–10
- 3 Psalm 1:3; 2 Chronicles 26:5; 1 Samuel 18:14; Genesis 30:27; Matthew 5:16
- 4 Genesis 39:21–22; Genesis 19:19; Proverbs 27:18; Genesis 39:8; Genesis 24:2
- 5 Genesis 30:27; 2 Samuel 6:11–12; Acts 27:24; Psalm 72:17; Genesis 12:2
- 6 1 Samuel 16:12; Luke 19:17; Proverbs 31:11; Genesis 29:17; Genesis 39:23
- 7 Ezekiel 16:34; 2 Samuel 13:11; 2 Peter 2:14; Ezekiel 16:32; Ezekiel 23:12–16
- 8 Proverbs 22:14; Proverbs 23:26–28; Proverbs 9:13–18; Proverbs 1:10; Proverbs 7:5
- 9 2 Samuel 12:13; Genesis 20:6; Genesis 42:18; 1 John 3:9; Luke 12:48
- 10 1 Peter 2:11; 1 Corinthians 15:33; 2 Timothy 2:22; 1 Corinthians 6:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:22
- 11 Ephesians 5:3; Ephesians 5:12; Malachi 3:5; Proverbs 9:17; Jeremiah 23:24
- 12 2 Timothy 2:22; Proverbs 7:13–27; Ecclesiastes 7:26; 1 Peter 2:11; Proverbs 5:8
- 14 Matthew 26:59; Genesis 40:15; Psalm 120:3; Genesis 39:17; Proverbs 10:18
- 16 Psalm 37:32; Psalm 37:12; Titus 3:3; Jeremiah 9:3–5; Jeremiah 4:22
- 17 Exodus 23:1; Psalm 55:3; 1 Kings 18:17; Proverbs 12:19; 1 Kings 21:9–13
- 19 2 Thessalonians 2:11; Proverbs 18:17; Job 29:16; Proverbs 29:12; Acts 25:16
- 20 Genesis 40:15; 1 Peter 2:19; Genesis 41:9–14; 2 Timothy 2:9; Genesis 40:1–3
- 21 Isaiah 41:10; Exodus 3:21; 1 Peter 3:17; Acts 7:9–10; Isaiah 43:2
- 22 Genesis 40:3–4; Genesis 39:4; Genesis 39:9; 1 Samuel 2:30; Genesis 39:6–7
- 23 Isaiah 43:2; Psalm 1:3; Genesis 39:2–3; Daniel 6:22; Genesis 49:23–24
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
"Thou broughtest in unto us here an Hebrew servant to mock us." It was not this man that mocked thee, O wretched and unhappy woman, but the devil that told thee that thou couldest break down the adamant.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)