The story of Joseph and Potiphar's wife is told in the first book of the Bible, Genesis, chapter 39. Genesis 3:16, "Your desire will be for your husband.". Nonetheless, Potiphar wasn't angry at Yosef, because he believe the words of Yosef more (than his wife.) Perhaps he preferred to see Joseph suffer longer. "Come and sleep with me," she demanded. Potiphar entrusts Joseph with everything. Interpretation Question: Did Potiphar believe his wife's accusations? Story: Joseph and Potiphar's Wife Passage: Genesis 39 Characters: Joseph, Potiphar, Potiphar's wife Summary: The Lord blessed Joseph in Potiphar's house. 2 And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. She caught him. He was promoted and even his master was blessed by God. If he had . Joseph proved that he feared God by doing what was right and thereby honoring Him. In this we see the protecting hand of God, but we may . At her last attempt to seduce him, Joseph ran off while she was clutching at his cloak. Potiphar might have been a picky eater, leaving everything he had in Joseph's care except the food he ate. He did not go in order to have contact with Potiphar's wife-he went in to do his work. a white prison. Did Joseph grow fond of his new life and job? It seems, even in his anger, that Potiphar did not fully believe his wife. She "grabbed" (CEB) and she "took" (WYC). What happened to Joseph in prison? Pastor Hempel, wonderfully preached on the beginning of Joseph's life. Potiphar puts him in charge of his household and entrusts everything into his care. The typical punishment for rape/attempted rape was the death penalty. When Potiphar's wife accuses Joseph of laughing at or mocking her (39:14, 17), the verb she uses is one that appears ten times in Genesis but only twice elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible. _____ The royal prison was apparently under Potiphar's supervision. Potiphar soon makes Joseph head of his household. Potiphar then went on to believe his wife when she was spurned by Joseph and she angrily accused him of assaulting her. Mrs. Potiphar, covered in all her richness, is a faithless, lying wife who persists on Joseph going to bed with her. She was a wicked woman, and he was a noble young man. After Joseph's brothers sold him to the Ishmaelities ( Gen. 37) he was bought as a slave by an Egyptian named Potiphar who took him to Egypt. The things you have done are beyond the pale! Jewish Bible Quarterly, 41 (3), 171-174. It also appears that Joseph did not attempt to defend himself against the charge (Isaiah 53:7, I Peter 2:19-23). Joseph interpreted dreams for two of Pharaoh's servants. Unfortunately, Potiphar's wife is also enamored with Joseph. Katherine_Farrell6A TEACHER. Genesis 39. Surely if he had, Joseph would have been executed immediately. The story of Joseph and Potiphar begins when Potiphar is introduced at the end of Genesis 37 as the man who purchased Joseph as a household servant: "Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials, the captain of the guard" ( Genesis 37:36 ). Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers and bought by Potiphar, a high ranking official in the Pharaoh's service. "Joseph's intelligence, work ethics and handsome looks eventually attracted the attention of Potiphar's rich and bored wife (who was used to getting her own way), but later she was furious at him for resisting her attempts to seduce him, and then falsely accused him of attempted rape.". Genesis 39. In all of the Bible, only Joseph and his mother Rachel are described as drop-dead gorgeous. "The Lord was with Joseph," and gave him success in everything he did. From the time he puts him in charge, the Lord blesses the household. Did Potiphar believe Joseph or his wife? Joseph was so well-built and handsome that Potiphar's wife wanted to sleep with him, but Joseph said, "No.". So his brothers did what we would all like to do with some of our relatives. The story of Joseph and Potiphar's wife is told in the first book of the Bible, Genesis, chapter 39. In Joseph's mind if he did go and sleep with his master's wife this was sinning against God. It also appears that Joseph did not attempt to defend himself against the charge (Isaiah 53:7, I Peter 2:19-23). Its terrible calamity had transformed him from a petted child to a man, thoughtful, courageous, and self-possessed. The fact that he cast . a yellow prison. a dark prison. If he believed what his wife said, that would surely have been the outcome. Joseph and said, "Sleep with me". What did Potiphar's wife do? It can apply to the laughter of Abraham and Sarah at the thought of having a child at their age, a silent laughter of disbelief (17:17; 18:12-15); to the . Genesis 39:10. Some believe that before Exodus 20; God's people were unaware . 2) He would have breached his own duty as a good servant. Joseph interpreted dreams for two of Pharaoh's servants. The story of Potiphar's wife has 3 parts: 1 We are in the household of a rich Egyptian man, Potiphar. One gets the impression Potiphar was not the sharpest knife in the drawer . But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house. Potiphar's wife had been trying many days to get Joseph to go to bed with her. It is very possible that when . It probably means something like "brilliant beauty or lovely.". There are several indications that at the very least he had his doubts. Maybe it's because dad had a conversion experience later in life. 1544 BC. Potiphar's wife is a minor character in the Hebrew Bible and the Quran.She was the wife of Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh's guard in the time of Jacob and his twelve sons.According to the Book of Genesis, she falsely accused Joseph of attempted rape after he rejected her sexual advances, resulting in his imprisonment.. Yet he doesn't fully trust his wife (see Ibn Ezra and Ramban), a point that may be hinted at in the narrative, which does not explicitly identify the object of Potiphar's anger. Potiphar believed his wife and threw Joseph into prison. Jewish Bible Quarterly, 41 (3), 171-174. This, despite the fact that it would've been easy to be angry and bitter. She caught Joseph by the cloak and directed him to come to bed with her. Joseph is also described as . 3 When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did . But perhapsand I suspect this more likelyPotiphar did . Did Potiphar believe his wife (Genesis 39:19-20)? to be in charge of all poeple . 3 When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, 4 Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Mrs. Potiphar: "That young and handsome slave with a finely chiseled body wanted me like nobody's business." Joseph: "The dickens I did." 4 "Potiphar exploded in anger when his wife said, 'Your slave did this to me!'" (39:19). 7/8/18. And to express it by an arrogant attitude and wickedness. After his brothers sold him for 20 shekels of silver, he became a slave to an Egyptian named Potiphar. Potiphar's wife did not take rejection very well, and she falsely accused him of wanting to abuse her. Joseph was a very handsome and well-built young man, 7and Potiphar's wife soon began to look at him lustfully. . Potiphar's wife became attracted to the handsome Joseph. But even in prison Joseph prospered. Potiphar's wife lied. In Genesis she is given no name, but in later medieval Jewish sources and . Potiphar had a wife who was rich, bored and lonely, and virtually abandoned by her husband. 9No one here has more authority than I do. In Joseph's mind if he did go and sleep with his master's wife this was sinning against God. Did Potiphar believe his wife? to be in charge of all his house. [and on to verse 23] Joseph has been sold . We never read that Potiphar's wife longed for or desired her husband. master's wife looked longingly at. Hence, that Potiphar did not believe his wife 'has been inferred from the circumstance that Joseph was not forthwith remitted to the executioner's block' (Thomas Whitelaw)," continued Butler. It seems quite likely that Potiphar did not believe his wife. Potiphar believed his wife and threw Joseph into prison. Abraham also was fully aware of God's Law before Exodus 20 - "because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws" ( Gen 26:5 ). . Thereforem he placed Yosef in jail to demonstrate that he believed her, and they utilized Yosef while he was in jail, as we see a few verses later. Synopsis: Potiphar's wife tried to seduce Joseph, who was probably in his early to mid-twenties at the time. She used this as evidence to claim to her husband that Joseph tried to seduce her. cupbearer. It is part of His character. . Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh's officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there. He did not go in order to have contact with Potiphar's wife-he went in to do his work. a green prison <p>a white prison</p> . The blessing is on everything Potiphar owns - his fields, his house, his possessions. He is "compassionate and gracious . Did he believe his wife? With that said, there is circumstantial evidence within the text that Potiphar didn't completely believe his wife. . He takes his text from the story of Joseph in Genesis chapter 39. Potiphar's wife has no children and does not seem to love her husband. Genesis 39:1-20. Now Potiphar, whose wrath was kindled (Gen. 39:19), could easily have ordered Joseph's execution. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord" Job 1:21. The wife of a prosperous and influential Egyptian, she was unfaithful and vindictive, ready to lie in order to protect herself and ruin an innocent man. Potiphar's wife accused him of rape None of the above The Bible tells us that after Potiphar's wife failed in her attempts to seduce Joseph, she accused him of rape. One of these is the Hebrew Joseph, who had been placed in control of Potiphar's large estate and household. (2) Also, the consequence for adultery would normally be execution. His conviction is not for a couple of years, it's for life. slow to anger, abounding in love and . Where the king's prisoners were bound Potiphar, it is likely, chose that prison because it was the worst; for there "the irons entered into the soul," 19A518>Psalm 105:18, but God designed it to pave the way to his enlargement.Our Lord Jesus, like Joseph, was bound, and numbered with transgressors. Probably his wife understood this and this must have added to her satisfaction. Now a time came when Potiphar's wife lusted for Joseph. 3) It was immoral. According to the Bible, Joseph was a handsome man. to be in charge of all animal. Genesis 39:1-20. Accessibility Help Some . Genesis 39:1-23 " Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. The slavetraders did what slavetraders do; they sold Joseph as a slave in Egypt, and he ended up as a servant in the household of one of the higher-up Egyptian political officials named Potiphar. that Potiphar did not believe his wife's story, and only incarcerated Joseph for the sake of appearances. The Lust Of The Flesh From Potiphar's Wife. YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE. It seems quite likely that Potiphar did not believe his wife. day after day, he refused. Yet he doesn't fully trust his wife (see Ibn Ezra and Ramban), a point that may be hinted at in the narrative, which does not explicitly identify the object of Potiphar's anger. (2) The consequence for adultery would normally be execution. Surely if he had, Joseph would have been executed immediately. Joseph's decision to remain pure and faithful to the Lord cost him dearly, but he was willing to pay the price. Potiphar's only concern was the food he ate. Potiphar's wife is the single exception that proves the rulethe one false accusation in the midst of thousands of cases of abuse that men drag up to justify their fear that even if they behave in a perfectly gentlemanly way, they risk being falsely accused as a result of associating with women. 2 The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. Throughout the chapter, it was emphasized that the Lord was with Joseph and the Lord made him successful. Did Potiphar believe his wife's story? Had Potiphar really believed her, Joseph would likely have been killed. Are you willing to remain pure and morally clean . She told Potiphar that Joseph (a Hebrew slave . (1) When it says, he became "furious" (v. 19), it does not say that he became furious at Joseph. . They sold him. It was where prisoners were kept. what position did potiphar gave to joseph? Joseph was handsome and Potiphar's wife tried to . Ask Eve, the first woman. (v. 6) Gave Joseph greater authority and freer access (to everything except Potiphar's wife) than anyone else in Potiphar's household. Potiphar apparently did not believe his wife (Had he believed her, Yosef would have been killed on the spot). Joseph was put in charge of all that he owned. Genesis 39:6, 7. [Joseph was bound 5] That is, a prisoner; for already his chains were removed . Again and again, she made advances towards him and again and again Joseph rebuffed her. They sold him. For more on the story of Potiphar's wife, see Bible Women: Potiphar's Wife. This is, of course, Potiphar's household. Putting Joseph in gaol gives Potiphar time to think and eventually, typically, he does nothing.