Genesis 39:17 - Printer Friendly

ESV: and she told him the same story, saying, "The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought among us, came in to me to laugh at me.

NIV: Then she told him this story: "That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me.

NASB: Then she spoke to him with these words: 'The Hebrew slave, whom you brought to us, came in to me to make fun of me;

CSB: Then she told him the same story: "The Hebrew slave you brought to us came to make a fool of me,

NLT: Then she told him her story. 'That Hebrew slave you’ve brought into our house tried to come in and fool around with me,' she said.

KJV: And she spake unto him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant, which thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me:

NKJV: Then she spoke to him with words like these, saying, “The Hebrew servant whom you brought to us came in to me to mock me;

Seeing the incredible success brought on by God's favor, Joseph's master Potiphar put him in charge of the entire household. Other than making an oddly specific reference to his own wife (Genesis 39:9), the entire home is at Joseph's disposal. The master's affairs are blessed by this, and he trusts Joseph without reservation (Genesis 39:2–6).

Potiphar's wife also appreciates Joseph, but her interest is sexual. He has repeatedly refused her seduction, to the point of literally running away and leaving his cloak in her hands as she tries to throw herself at him (Genesis 39:7–12). This turned her lust into rage, and she lies to the other servants, claiming Joseph tried to rape her (Genesis 39:13–15).

Potiphar has returned home, and his wife repeats her story to him (Genesis 39:16). She begins again by holding Potiphar responsible: accusing him of being the one who brought a "Hebrew" to the house. As in her prior statement (Genesis 39:14), the Hebrew root word tsachaq, translated as "laugh at" or "make sport of," can have a sexual connotation. Potiphar would have clearly understood that his wife was accusing Joseph of trying to rape her.

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.