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1 And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hand of the Ishmaelites, that had brought him down there.

2 And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.

3 And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.

4 And Joseph found favor in his sight, and he ministered unto him; and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.

5 And it came to pass from the time that he made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had, in the house and in the field.

6 And he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand; and [a]he knew not aught that was with him, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was comely, and well-favored.

7 And it came to pass after these things, that his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, “Lie with me.”

8 But he refused, and said unto his master’s wife, “Behold, my master [b]knows not what is with me in the house, and he has put all that he has into my hand;

9 he is not greater in this house than I; neither has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife; how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”

10 And as the days went by, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, he did not listen to her conversation, to lie by her, or to be with her.

11 And it came to pass about this time, that he went into the house to do his work; and there was none of the men of the house there within.

12 And she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me;” and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got out.

13 And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and fled away,

14 that she called to the men of her house, and spoke to them, saying, “See, he has brought in a Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice;

15 and it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment by me, and fled, and got out.”

16 And she laid up his garment by her, until his master came home.

17 And she spoke unto him according to these words, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me;

18 and it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment by me, and fled out.”

19 And it came to pass, when his master heard the story that his wife told him, saying, `This is what your servant has done to me,’ that his wrath was kindled.

20 And Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were bound; and he was there in the prison.

21 But the LORD was with Joseph, and showed kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.

22 And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they were to do there, he was in charge of it;

23 And the keeper of the prison looked not to anything that was under his hand, because the LORD was with him; and that which he did, the LORD made it to prosper.

[6] Or, with him he knew not

[8] Or, knoweth not with me what is etc.

Selected commentary.

h.ויוסף הורד AND JOSEPH WAS BROUGHT DOWN — It (Scripture) now reverts to the original subject (and consequently it states ויוסף הורד “Joseph had been brought down to Egypt” before the events last mentioned); it interrupted it only in order to connect the account of the degradation of Judah (Genesis 38:1) with that of the sale of Joseph, thus suggesting that it was on account of him (i.e. Joseph — Judah’s part in the sale of Joseph — ) that they (his brothers) degraded him from his high position. A further reason why this narrative of Judah and Tamar is interpolated here is to place in juxtaposition the story of Potiphar’s wife and the story of Tamar, suggesting that just as this woman (Tamar) acted out of pure motives so also the other (Potiphar’s wife) acted out of pure motives, for she foresaw by her astrological speculations that she was destined to be the ancestress of children by him (Joseph) — but she did not know whether these children were to be hers or her daughter’s (Genesis Rabbah 85:2).

h.כי ה‘ אתו THAT THE LORD WAS WITH HIM — the name of God was a familiar word in his mouth (Midrash Tanchuma, Vayeshev 8).

h.וכל יש לו AND ALL THAT HE HAD — This is an elliptical phrase — the word אשר is omitted after.

h.AND HE KNEW NOT AUGHT HE HAD — he paid no attention to anything.

h.כי אם הלחם SAVE THE BREAD — this means his wife, but Scripture uses here a euphemism (Genesis Rabbah 86:6) (cf. Joseph’s own words in Genesis 39:9).

h.ויהי יוסף יפה תאר AND JOSEPH WAS OF BEAUTIFUL FORM — As soon as he saw that he was ruler (in the house) he began to eat and drink and curl his hair. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Your father is mourning and you curl your hair! I will let a bear loose against you” (Midrash Tanchuma, Vayeshev 8). Immediately.

h.ותשא אשת אדניו HIS LORD’S WIFE LIFTED UP HER EYES etc. — wherever אחר is used and not אחרי it means immediately after (Genesis Rabbah 44:5).

h.וחטאתי לאלהים AND SIN AGAINST GOD — The “Sons of Noah” (בני נח) were subject to the command which forbade immorality (Sanhedrin 56b).

h.לשכב אצלה TO LIE BY HER — even without sinning (Genesis Rabbah 87:6).

h.להיות עמה TO BE WITH HER, in the world to come (Gehinnom) (Genesis Rabbah 87:6).

h.ויהי כהיום הזה AND IT CAME TO PASS ON A CERTAIN DAY — This means as much as “and it came to pass when a certain distinguished day arrived” — a day of merriment, a day of their sacred feast when they all went to the temple of their idols, — she said), “I shall find no day fitting to associate with Joseph as this day”. She therefore told her attendants I am sick and cannot go to the temple (Sotah 36b).

h.לעשות מלאכתו TO DO HIS WORK — Rab and Samuel differ as to what this means. One holds that it means, his actual house-work; the other that it means to associate with her, but a vision of his father’s face appeared to him and he resisted temptation and did not sin as is stated in Treatise Sotah 36b.

h.ראו הביא לנו SEE, HE HATH BROUGHT IN UNTO US — This is an elliptical phrase: “he hath brought in to us” without stating plainly who brought him in She was referring to her husband.

h.עברי A HEBREW — is one who came from the other side (עבר) of the river Euphrates, being at the same time of the sons of Eber (אדניו).

h.אדניו HIS MASTER — Joseph’s master (not the master or owner of the garment).

h.בא אלי —The sentence means: the Hebrew servant whom thou hast brought unto us came to me to have his sport with me.

h.ויהי כשמע אדניו AND IT CAME TO PASS WHEN HIS LORD HEARD etc. — She said this when he was alone with her, caressing her. This is what she meant by כדברים האלה “things like these did thy servant do to me” — caresses such as these.

h.ויט אליו חסד AND CAUSED HIM TO FIND FAVOUR — so that he was liked by all who saw him. We have the expression חסד in a like sense in the Mishna (Baraitha): “a handsome bride liked by all (חסודה)” (Ketubot [17]a).

h.הוא היה עושה HE WAS THE DOER OF IT — understand this as the Targum does: it was done at his command.

h.באשר ה' אתו — means BECAUSE THE LORD WAS WITH HIM (i.e. באשר means because).