Free Bible Commentary
“Genesis 39:1-6”
Categories: Genesis“Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an Egyptian officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the bodyguard, bought him from the Ishmaelites, who had taken him down there. The Lord was with Joseph, so he became a successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. Now his master saw that the Lord was with him and how the Lord caused all that he did to prosper in his hand. So Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal servant; and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he owned he put in his charge. It 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; thus the Lord’s blessing was upon all that he owned, in the house and in the field. So he left everything he owned in Joseph’s charge; and with him there he did not concern himself with anything except the food which he ate. Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.”
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“Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt...” (verse 1) After the critical interlude concerning Judah and the perpetuation of the Messianic line, the author picks back up where He left off at the end of chapter 37 with the developing story of how the people of Israel ended up in Egyptian slavery—“Meanwhile, the Midianites sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, Pharaoh’s officer, the captain of the bodyguard”(Genesis 37:36). Here we see both the terms “Ishmaelites” and “Midianites” used to describe the traveling band of traders that purchased Joseph from his brothers and sold him to Potiphar, “an Egyptian officer of Pharaoh.”
“The Lord was with Joseph, so he became a successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian.” (verse 2) “The divine name YHVH, used only here in this chapter of the Joseph story, is confined exclusively to the narrative framework and never used in speech. The presence for this proper name of the God of Israel, as opposed to the generic 'elohim, is determined by an underlying intent to emphasize that the unfolding events in the odyssey of Joseph are key elements in God's plan for the people of Israel. The use of YHVH gives an appropriate nuance to this wider national inflection in the narrative.” (Nahum Sarna)
The repeating phrase that “the Lord was with” Joseph (verses 2, 3, 21 and 23) emphasizes the fact that his successes in the land of his captivity did not happen merely by chance or because of Joseph's superior intellect or work ethic. Certainly those prominent characteristics of the young man played a prominent role, but God opened doors for him that would have otherwise been walls, and He caused prosperity to flourish in whatever environment He placed Joseph within. “The phrase enables the reader to understand how the spoiled lad of seventeen, utterly alone in a foreign land and in dire adversity, suddenly matures and acquires great strength of character. He can rise again and again in situations that would surely have crushed others.” (Nahum Sarna) Joseph was so competent and talented that “he was in the house of his master” and not sent into his fields to labor.
“Now his master saw that the Lord was with him and how the Lord caused all that he did to prosper in his hand.” (verse 3) The Lord prospered everything that Joseph's hand touched to such a great degree that even the heathen Potiphar recognized divine favor reigned prominently over the young man's life. “Though changed in condition, Joseph was not changed in spirit; though stripped of the gaudy coat that had adorned his person, he had not lost the moral graces that distinguished his character; though separated from his father on earth, he still lived in communion with his Father in heaven; though in the house of an idolater, he continued a worshipper of the true God.” (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary)
“So Joseph...became his personal servant; and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he owned he put in his charge.” (verse 4) Joseph's star had definitely risen quickly and burned brightly. He was taken into Potiphar's house, he quickly became his “personal servant” and was eventually placed in charge of his entire household and “all that he owned.” “The Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house on account of Joseph; thus the Lord’s blessing was upon all that he owned, in the house and in the field” (verse 5). You would think that nothing could possibly go wrong with the Lord's blessings raining down all over Joseph and Potiphar's house, but unfortunately such a speedy and spectacular rise is frequently followed with a precipitous and perilous fall. Although “the Lord was with” Joseph and brought great prosperity into his life, He did not completely insulate him from all of the problems and predicaments that tend to plague mankind. The Lord lets His people go through difficult times, but that is no indication that He is no longer “with” them. He is there carrying them through their anguish and ordeals. Things were about to change drastically for Joseph, but for the time being, all was well in his winsome little world.
“So he left everything he owned in Joseph’s charge; and with him there he did not concern himself with anything except the food which he ate.”(verse 6) Joseph did everything for his master but cook his meals. Potiphar trusted him completely and unconditionally, but when the Lord's people prosper the evil one stands poised to make mischief with designs for disaster. “Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.” This detail and description was not included as a further indicator of the Lord's favor, but as an introduction to his downfall in the house of Potiphar. Unfortunately physical beauty can sometimes prove to be a curse instead of a blessing, and this was one of those times.
Please read Genesis 39:7-18 for tomorrow.
Have a great day!
-Louie Taylor
