Genesis 39:4 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him, and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had.

NIV: Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned.

NASB: So Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal servant; and he made him overseer over his house, and put him in charge of all that he owned.

CSB: Joseph found favor with his master and became his personal attendant. Potiphar also put him in charge of his household and placed all that he owned under his authority.

NLT: This pleased Potiphar, so he soon made Joseph his personal attendant. He put him in charge of his entire household and everything he owned.

KJV: And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.

NKJV: So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority.

An Egyptian slave could be put to work in many different roles. Potiphar, a powerful man in Egypt, likely had slaves working in fields and doing other outdoor work. He may have had many indoor slaves responsible for various duties. Only the most trusted of slaves could hope to be given responsibility for decisions that otherwise would have been made by the master himself. It would have been extremely unusual for a captive slave to be allowed to oversee everything his master owned (Genesis 39:5–6).

Joseph's skill and ability are both respected and recognized by Potiphar (Genesis 39:3). Potiphar trusted Joseph, appreciated him, and gave credit to the Lord for Joseph's great success in all he did. As the right-hand man of one of the most powerful leaders in Egypt, Joseph had quickly become a significant man in his own right.

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.

Accessed 5/6/2024 5:19:35 AM