Genesis 39 (NASB2020)
Joseph’s Success in Egypt
1Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an Egyptian officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the bodyguard, bought him 39:1 Lit from the hand offrom the Ishmaelites, who had taken him down there. 2And the Lord was with Joseph, so he became a 39:2 Or prosperoussuccessful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. 3Now his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all that he did prosper in his hand. 4So Joseph found favor in his sight and 39:4 Or ministered to himbecame his personal servant; and he made him overseer over his house, and 39:4 Lit handed over to himput him in charge of all that he owned. 5It came about that from the time he made him overseer in his house and over all that he owned, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house on account of Joseph; so the Lord’s blessing was upon all that he owned, in the house and in the field. 6So he left 39:6 Lit in Joseph’s handJoseph in charge of everything that he owned; and with him there he did not 39:6 Lit knowconcern himself with anything except the 39:6 Lit breadfood which he 39:6 Or used to eatate.
Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. 7And it came about after these events that his master’s wife 39:7 Lit lifted up her eyes athad her eyes on Joseph, and she said, “Sleep with me.” 8But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, with me here, my master 39:8 Lit does not know what is in the housedoes not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has 39:8 Lit handed over to meput me in charge of all that he owns. 939:9 Or He is not greaterThere is no one greater in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil, and sin against God?” 10Though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he did not listen to her to lie beside her or be with her. 11Now it happened 39:11 Lit about this dayone day that he went into the house to do his work, and none of the people of the household was there inside. 12So she grabbed him by his garment, saying, “Sleep with me!” But he left his garment in her hand and fled, and went outside. 1339:13 Lit And it came about whenWhen she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled outside, 14she called to the men of her household and said to them, “See, he has brought in a 39:14 Lit Hebrew manHebrew to us to make fun of us; he came in to me to sleep with me, and I 39:14 Lit called with a great voicescreamed. 15When he heard that I raised my voice and 39:15 Lit called outscreamed, he left his garment beside me and fled and went outside.” 16So she 39:16 Lit let...lie besideleft his garment beside her until his master came home. 17Then she spoke to him 39:17 Lit according towith these 39:17 Lit words, sayingwords: “The Hebrew slave, whom you brought to us, came in to me to make fun of me; 18but when I raised my voice and 39:18 Lit called outscreamed, he left his garment beside me and fled outside.”
Joseph Imprisoned
19Now when his master heard the words of his wife which she spoke to him, saying, “39:19 Lit According to these things your slaveThis is what your slave did to me,” his anger burned. 20So Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined; and he was there in the prison. 21But the Lord was with Joseph and extended kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the warden of the prison. 22And the warden of the prison 39:22 Lit handed over to Joseph allput Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison; so that whatever was done there, he was 39:22 Lit the doerresponsible for it. 23The warden of the prison did not supervise anything 39:23 Lit in his handunder Joseph’s authority, because the Lord was with him; and, the Lord made whatever he did prosper.
Understand Genesis 39
A verse-by-verse study of Genesis 39: what the chapter is doing, and what three commentaries say about it. Written to be readable if this is new to you.
Read the Genesis 39 commentary