Genesis 39:22 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it.

NIV: So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there.

NASB: And the warden of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison; so that whatever was done there, he was responsible for it.

CSB: The warden put all the prisoners who were in the prison under Joseph’s authority, and he was responsible for everything that was done there.

NLT: Before long, the warden put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners and over everything that happened in the prison.

KJV: And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it.

NKJV: And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing.

Despite being innocent, Joseph is in the king's prison (Genesis 39:20–21). Seen from an earthly point of view, his prospects are bleak. The Egyptian Pharaoh's prisoners could be executed without warning. Given that he was falsely accused of rape (Genesis 39:7–15), he is lucky to be alive, at all. Joseph's sentence did not include a release date. He faced the very real possibility of living the rest of his life in this prison, and he was still a young man.

Joseph could have responded by withdrawing into himself. He could have refused to interact with anyone, or by cursing the God who had allowed him to be sold into slavery (Genesis 37:26–28) and then unfairly jailed. Instead, Joseph again chose to live and serve others with integrity as a man who was blessed, not cursed, by his Lord. He seems to recognize that he has, at least twice, escaped death at the hands of his enemies, and been given an opportunity to prove himself.

Once more, the blessing of the Lord resulted in Joseph receiving increased responsibility. His success leads to further opportunities, which in turn are also successful. This time, the king's jailer notices Joseph's faithfulness, integrity, and successful work. Eventually, just as Potiphar had done (Genesis 39:1), the jailer put Joseph in charge of all his own responsibilities (Genesis 39:23).

Genesis 39:19–23 describes Joseph's arrival in the Egyptian prison reserved for the king's prisoners. Joseph's once-trusting master has him jailed after the master's wife falsely accuses Joseph of attempted rape. Despite the unfair imprisonment, God has not abandoned Joseph. That Joseph isn't immediately executed speaks well of both his reputation and the Lord's protection. Even in prison, Joseph is blessed: the king's jailer favors Joseph and quickly puts him in charge of nearly all of duties in the jail. Joseph continues to succeed in every circumstance he faces, under God's provision.

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.