Year of the Bible
Genesis 39
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Commentary on the Book of Genesis, Chapter 39:
Although Joseph was his father’s favored son, he is now merely a slave to Potiphar, a member of Pharaoh's court. We hear repeatedly that the LORD is with Joseph, so blessings come to Potiphar’s household through Joseph’s work. As a result, Joseph is rewarded with promotions until he ranks second in only to Potiphar in responsibility. A theme of Genesis is that people grasp for things they should not have, and Joseph becomes the object of desire of Mrs. Potiphar. He refuses her advances, citing it would be a betrayal of Potiphar and a sin against God. She sets him up to be accused of rape, and once again he is stripped of his robes and finds his fortune changed (see 37:23-24). Although Joseph is brought low in material status, the LORD is with him in prison and he becomes second to the guard in responsibility.
The Book of Genesis, Chapter 39:
Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife
1 Now Joseph was taken down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there. 2 The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful 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 caused all that he did to prosper in his hands. 4 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. 5 From the time that he made him overseer in his house and over all that he had the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; the blessing of the Lord was upon all that he had, in house and field. 6 So he left all that he had in Joseph’s charge; and having him he had no concern for anything but the food which he ate.
Now Joseph was handsome and good-looking. 7 And after a time his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph, and said, “Lie with me.” 8 But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, having me my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my hand; 9 he is not greater in this house than I am; nor has he kept back anything from me except yourself, because you are his wife; how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” 10 And although she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her, to lie with her or to be with her. 11 But one day, when he went into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house was there in the house, 12 she caught
him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and got out of the house. 13 And when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and had fled out of the house, 14 she called to the men of her household and said to them, “See, he has brought among us a Hebrew to insult us; he came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice; 15 and when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment with me, and fled and got out of the house.” 16 Then she laid up his garment by her until his master came home, 17 and she told him the same story, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought among us, came in to me to insult me; 18 but as soon as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment with me, and fled out of the house.”
19 When his master heard the words which his wife spoke to him, “This is the way your servant treated me,” his anger was kindled. 20 And 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 prison. 21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22 And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s care all the prisoners who were in the prison; and whatever was done there, he was the doer of it; 23 the keeper of the prison paid no heed to anything that was in Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper.
*Daily Lectio Divina Question:
Even as a slave and a prisoner, Joseph had the Lord with him. And because of this, he was a blessing to those around him. Lord, how can I be a blessing to those around me, regardless of the circumstances? Stay with me my Lord!
Biblical Commentary provided by the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan. Join a Catholic Biblical School of Michigan class this September at Holy Family in Grand Blanc, or online.
Revised Standard Version; Second Catholic Edition. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006).
Permission to use the RSV-2CE given for Bishop's Year of the Bible by Ignatius Press. Many thanks to Ignatius for this.
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José fue bajado a Egipto. Putifar, un
egipcio eunuco del faraón y capitán
de los guardias, lo compró a los ismaelitas
que lo habían bajado allí. 2 El Señor estaba
con José, que llegó a ser un hombre afortunado
viviendo en casa de su amo egipcio.
3 Su amo vio que el Señor estaba con
él, y que le daba éxito en todo lo que emprendía.
4 José halló gracia ante él y entró
a su servicio. Putifar lo puso al frente de sucasa y le encomendó todo lo suyo. 5 Desde
el momento en que lo puso al frente
de su casa y le encomendó todo lo suyo,
el Señor bendijo la casa del egipcio gracias
a José. La bendición del Señor recayó
sobre todo lo que aquel tenía en su
palacio y en el campo. 6 El egipcio confió
todo lo que poseía en manos de José,
y no se preocupaba de otra cosa que del
alimento que tomaba. José era bien parecido
y de bella presencia.
7 Después de todo esto, la mujer de
su amo puso los ojos en José, y le dijo:
–Duerme conmigo.
8 El rehusó, y repuso a la mujer de su
amo:
–Mira, mi amo no me controla nada
de lo que hay en casa, y me ha confiado
todo lo que tiene; 9 no hay nadie más importante
que yo en esta casa, y no se ha
reservado nada excepto tú, porque eres
su mujer. ¿Cómo voy a cometer esa gran
maldad, pecando contra Dios?
10 Ella insistía a José todos los días,
pero él no accedió a unirse y a darse a
ella.
11 Cierto día entró José en la casa a
hacer su trabajo, y no había allí ninguno
de los sirvientes. 12 Ella lo agarró de la
ropa diciéndole:
–Duerme conmigo.
Pero él, abandonando la ropa en sus
manos, huyó y salió afuera. 13 Al ver que
había abandonado la ropa en sus manos
y había huido afuera, 14 ella llamó a sus
sirvientes y les dijo:
–Mirad, nos ha traído un hebreo
para escarnecernos; ha entrado donde
yo estaba para unirse a mí; pero he gritado
con voz fuerte, 15 y, al oír que yo levantaba
la voz y gritaba, ha abandonado
su ropa junto a mí, ha huido y ha salido
afuera.
16 Ella se guardó la ropa de José hasta
que su amo llegó a casa. 17 Y entonces le
contó las mismas cosas, diciendo:
–El siervo hebreo que nos trajiste
ha entrado donde yo estaba para abusar
de mí, 18 y cuando levanté la voz y grité,
abandonó su ropa junto a mí, y huyó
afuera.
19 Cuando el amo de José oyó la versión
de su mujer que le decía: «Esto me
ha hecho tu siervo», montó en cólera;
20 apresó a José y lo metió en la cárcel
donde estaban encerrados los presos
del rey; y quedó preso allí.
21 Pero el Señor estaba con José y
tuvo misericordia de él, haciéndole obtener
gracia ante el jefe de la cárcel. 22 El
jefe de la cárcel confió a José todos los
presos que había en la cárcel; y todo lo
que se hacía allí lo disponía él. 23 El jefe
de la cárcel no vigilaba nada de lo que le
había confiado, pues en todo estaba el
Señor con José, y le daba éxito en lo que
emprendía.
Pregunta de Lectio Divina del día de hoy
La Biblia de Navarra
Permiso para usar esta versión de la primera edición de la Biblia de Navarra
para el Año de la Biblia del Obispo
dado por Ediciones Universidad de Navarra, S.A. (EUNSA).