Genesis 39:14 - Printer Friendly

ESV: she called to the men of her household and said to them, "See, he has brought among us a Hebrew to laugh at us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice.

NIV: she called her household servants. "Look," she said to them, "this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed.

NASB: she called to the men of her household and said to them, 'See, he has brought in a Hebrew to us to make fun of us; he came in to me to sleep with me, and I screamed.

CSB: she called her household servants. "Look," she said to them, "my husband brought a Hebrew man to make fools of us. He came to me so he could sleep with me, and I screamed as loud as I could.

NLT: she called out to her servants. Soon all the men came running. 'Look!' she said. 'My husband has brought this Hebrew slave here to make fools of us! He came into my room to rape me, but I screamed.

KJV: That she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto them, saying, See, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice:

NKJV: that she called to the men of her house and spoke to them, saying, “See, he has brought in to us a Hebrew to mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice.

Potiphar's wife (Genesis 39:1, 7) is livid with Joseph, a slave, for rejecting her repeated sexual advances (Genesis 39:8–10). This time, she has thrown herself at him when there was no one else in the house—a perfect opportunity for adultery (Genesis 39:11). Joseph's response was to literally run away—even twisting out of his own cloak to avoid the situation (Genesis 39:12–13). For a woman likely used to getting whatever—and whomever—she wanted, this was probably a humiliating reaction. This slave has not merely refused her seduction, he literally ran away!

Before Joseph can tell his side of what happened, Potiphar's wife turns from lust to vengeance. A famous English proverb, taken from poet William Congreve, says, "Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, nor hell a fury like a woman scorned." Joseph's moral decision earns him a vicious lie, one which could well result in his immediate death.

She calls to the other male slaves to come to her aid. Potiphar, she says, brought this Hebrew slave to "laugh at" or "make sport with" us. The Hebrew root word tsachaq can imply "toying" with someone, as in a sexual way, and this is the implication she spells out. She claims Joseph came to rape her, so she screamed.

There are layers of strategy in this deception. Potiphar's wife uses the unfortunate circumstances to forge a case against Joseph and gain support from others. Her comment plays on possible resentment towards Potiphar from the other male slaves—criticizing his judgment. She also identifies Joseph by his race. It's possible there was some animosity toward Joseph among the slaves because of his authority over them, and Potiphar's wife is craftily taking advantage of it.

Genesis 39:1–18 describes Joseph's rise and fall as the slave of Potiphar, the captain of the guard in Egypt. He arrives in this situation after being sold by his own brothers (Genesis 37:26–28). The Lord continues to be with Joseph and to bless him. Potiphar promotes Joseph to the head manager of his household, even giving credit to the Joseph's God for all the success that follows. Potiphar's wife is also impressed with Joseph, but in a less honorable way. She persistently tempts him to sleep with her. When Joseph refuses, she unfairly frames the young Hebrew slave for attempted rape.

Joseph's arrival as a slave in Egypt is not the end of his story. The Lord continues to be with him and to bless him. Joseph rises to become the right-hand man of his master, Potiphar, the captain of the guard. Eventually, he is betrayed by a false accusation of rape by his master's scorned wife. Even then, Joseph finds the Lord is still with him, still blessing him, even in prison. Soon Joseph oversees every aspect of the prison, serving once again under God's faithful blessing.

In chapter 37, Joseph narrowly escaped being murdered by his own brothers (Genesis 37:18–20), only to be sold as a slave (Genesis 37:26–28). Chapter 39 picks up his story after taking a detour into the scandalous life of Judah. Though a slave in Egypt, Joseph thrives under the Lord's blessing. He rises to the top position in his master's household, only to be jailed on a false accusation of attempted rape. Still, Joseph continues to be blessed by God, again rising to become the jailer's most trusted servant. Joseph's reputation and ability to interpret dreams will factor into his rise within the government of Egypt.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.