1 And Joseph hath been brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, a eunuch of Pharaoh, head of the executioners, an Egyptian man, buyeth him out of the hands of the Ishmaelites who have brought him thither. 2 And Jehovah is with Joseph, and he is a prosperous man, and he is in the house of his lord the Egyptian, 3 and his lord seeth that Jehovah is with him, and all that he is doing Jehovah is causing to prosper in his hand, 4 and Joseph findeth grace in his eyes and serveth him, and he appointeth him over his house, and all that he hath he hath given into his hand. 5 And it cometh to pass from the time that he hath appointed him over his house, and over all that he hath, that Jehovah blesseth the house of the Egyptian for Joseph's sake, and the blessing of Jehovah is on all that he hath, in the house, and in the field; 6 and he leaveth all that he hath in the hand of Joseph, and he hath not known anything that he hath, except the bread which he is eating. And Joseph is of a fair form, and of a fair appearance. 7 And it cometh to pass after these things, that his lord's wife lifteth up her eyes unto Joseph, and saith, 'Lie with me;' 8 and he refuseth, and saith unto his lord's wife, 'Lo, my lord hath not known what [is] with me in the house, and all that he hath he hath given into my hand; 9 none is greater in this house than I, and he hath not withheld from me anything, except thee, because thou [art] his wife; and how shall I do this great evil? — then have I sinned against God.' 10 And it cometh to pass at her speaking unto Joseph day [by] day, that he hath not hearkened unto her, to lie near her, to be with her; 11 and it cometh to pass about this day, that he goeth into the house to do his work, and there is none of the men of the house there in the house, 12 and she catcheth him by his garment, saying, 'Lie with me;' and he leaveth his garment in her hand, and fleeth, and goeth without. 13 And it cometh to pass when she seeth that he hath left his garment in her hand, and fleeth without, 14 that she calleth for the men of her house, and speaketh to them, saying, 'See, he hath brought in to us a man, a Hebrew, to play with us; he hath come in unto me, to lie with me, and I call with a loud voice, 15 and it cometh to pass, when he heareth that I have lifted up my voice and call, that he leaveth his garment near me, and fleeth, and goeth without.' 16 And she placeth his garment near her, until the coming in of his lord unto his house. 17 And she speaketh unto him according to these words, saying, 'The Hebrew servant whom thou hast brought unto us, hath come in unto me to play with me; 18 and it cometh to pass, when I lift my voice and call, that he leaveth his garment near me, and fleeth without.' 19 And it cometh to pass when his lord heareth the words of his wife, which she hath spoken unto him, saying, 'According to these things hath thy servant done to me,' that his anger burneth; 20 and Joseph's lord taketh him, and putteth him unto the round-house, a place where the king's prisoners [are] bound; and he is there in the round-house. 21 And Jehovah is with Joseph, and stretcheth out kindness unto him, and putteth his grace in the eyes of the chief of the round-house; 22 and the chief of the round-house giveth into the hand of Joseph all the prisoners who [are] in the round-house, and of all that they are doing there, he hath been doer; 23 the chief of the round-house seeth not anything under his hand, because Jehovah [is] with him, and that which he is doing Jehovah is causing to prosper.
Genesis · Young's Literal Translation
Genesis 39 Young's Literal Translation
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
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)