Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian man, purchased him from the hand of the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there.
KJV And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither.
Notes & Key Terms
3 terms
Key Terms
הוּרַדhurad
"had been brought down"—to be taken down, to be brought down; Hophal passive of yarad
The passive form emphasizes Joseph's lack of agency — he is acted upon by others, yet the LORD's sovereign purpose operates through his descent.
סְרִיסseris
"officer"—eunuch, court official, officer of the king
The term had broadened from its original meaning of 'eunuch' to denote any high-ranking court official by the time of this narrative.
שַׂר הַטַּבָּחִיםsar hattabbachim
"captain of the guard"—chief of the slaughterers, captain of the bodyguard, chief executioner
Literally 'chief of the slaughterers.' The title evolved from its original connection to butchery/execution to denote the commander of the royal guard.
Translator Notes
'Had been brought down' (hurad) — the Hophal passive of yarad ('to descend'). Joseph does not go down to Egypt willingly; he is taken down. The verb echoes Judah's voluntary descent in 38:1 (vayyered), creating an ironic contrast: Judah descends by choice into moral compromise, while Joseph descends by force into a place of testing and eventual exaltation.
'Officer' (seris) — this term can mean 'eunuch' or more broadly 'court official.' In many ancient Near Eastern contexts, high-ranking courtiers were eunuchs, but the word had generalized to mean any royal officer. Since Potiphar has a wife, the broader sense of 'officer' is appropriate here, though the ambiguity is part of the Hebrew text.
'Captain of the guard' (sar hattabbachim) — literally 'chief of the slaughterers' or 'chief of the executioners.' The term tabbachim derives from tabach ('to slaughter'), suggesting this was originally a title connected to the royal butchery or execution detail, though by this period it denoted the captain of the royal bodyguard.
The LORD was with Joseph, and he became a man who prospered, and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
KJV And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
Notes & Key Terms
2 terms
Key Terms
וַיְהִי יְהוָה אֶת־יוֹסֵףvayehi YHWH et-Yosef
"The LORD was with Joseph"—the LORD was with, the LORD accompanied, the LORD was present alongside
The refrain of divine presence — repeated in vv. 2, 3, 21, 23 — is the theological backbone of the chapter. It asserts that covenant faithfulness does not guarantee exemption from suffering, but it guarantees the presence and purpose of God within it.
מַצְלִיחַmatsliach
"prospered"—to prosper, to succeed, to cause to advance, to make effective
Hiphil participle of tsalach. The form suggests ongoing, habitual prospering — not a one-time event but a sustained pattern of divine blessing.
Translator Notes
'The LORD was with Joseph' (vayehi YHWH et-Yosef) — this is the theological thesis statement of the entire chapter. The phrase appears at both the beginning (v. 2) and end (v. 21, 23) of the chapter, forming a literary inclusio. Despite Joseph's enslavement, the narrator insists that the LORD's presence is the decisive factor in his circumstances.
'A man who prospered' (ish matsliach) — from the Hiphil of tsalach, meaning to cause to prosper, to succeed, to advance. The term implies not merely personal success but divine causation — Joseph prospers because the LORD makes him prosper. The same root appears in v. 3 and v. 23, binding the chapter together.
His master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD caused everything he did to prosper in his hand.
KJV And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
'His master saw' (vayyar adonav) — remarkably, Potiphar, a pagan Egyptian, perceives the presence of Israel's God with Joseph. The text does not explain how he reached this conclusion — whether through Joseph's testimony, through the observable pattern of blessing, or through some other means. The narrator presents it as simple fact: the LORD's favor on Joseph was visible even to an outsider.
'The LORD caused everything he did to prosper in his hand' — the repeated use of YHWH (the covenant name of God) in an Egyptian context is theologically significant. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is not confined to the land of Canaan; His sovereignty extends over Egypt as well.
Joseph found favor in his sight and served him. He appointed him overseer over his house, and all that he had he placed in his hand.
KJV And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.
Notes & Key Terms
2 terms
Key Terms
חֵןchen
"favor"—grace, favor, charm, attractiveness
The same word used of Noah before God (6:8). Joseph's favor with Potiphar is ultimately grounded in divine favor, as the narrator has already established.
וַיַּפְקִדֵהוּvayyafqidehu
"he appointed him overseer"—to appoint, to entrust, to set over, to place in charge
From the root paqad. Joseph's role as overseer (mafqid) in Potiphar's house foreshadows his later appointment over all Egypt (41:34).
Translator Notes
'Found favor' (matsa chen) — the phrase echoes Noah (6:8), who 'found favor in the eyes of the LORD.' Joseph finds favor in the eyes of a human master, foreshadowing the greater favor he will find with Pharaoh himself. The word chen ('grace, favor') implies an undeserved, gracious disposition toward the recipient.
'Appointed him overseer' (vayyafqidehu) — from paqad, 'to appoint, to set over, to entrust.' The Hiphil form emphasizes Potiphar's active decision to place Joseph in authority. This is the first of Joseph's three elevations (Potiphar's house, prison, Pharaoh's court), each following the same pattern: faithful service leading to entrusted authority.
From the time he appointed him over his house and over all that he had, the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house on account of Joseph. The blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had, in the house and in the field.
KJV And it came to pass from the time that he had 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.
Notes & Key Terms
2 terms
Key Terms
וַיְבָרֶךְvayevarekh
"blessed"—to bless, to bestow prosperity, to confer well-being
The verb of blessing (barakh) here recalls the Abrahamic covenant: 'in you all families of the earth shall be blessed' (12:3). The blessing flows through Joseph to a pagan household.
בִּגְלַלbiglal
"on account of"—for the sake of, on account of, because of
This preposition makes the theological causation explicit — Potiphar's blessing is not coincidental but directly caused by Joseph's presence as bearer of the covenant promise.
Translator Notes
'The LORD blessed the Egyptian's house on account of Joseph' (vayevarekh YHWH et-beit hamMitsri biglal Yosef) — this fulfills the Abrahamic promise that through Abraham's seed the nations would be blessed (12:3). Even in slavery, Joseph serves as a conduit of covenant blessing to a Gentile household. The phrase biglal ('on account of, for the sake of') makes the causal connection explicit.
'In the house and in the field' (babayit uvasadeh) — the totality of the blessing is emphasized through this merism. Every domain of Potiphar's life — domestic and agricultural — comes under divine blessing through Joseph.
He left all that he had in Joseph's hand, and he did not concern himself with anything except the food that he ate. Now Joseph was handsome in form and handsome in appearance.
KJV And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured.
"handsome in form and handsome in appearance"—beautiful of form, attractive of appearance, fair of figure and face
The same double description used of Rachel in 29:17. Joseph inherits his mother's beauty — and with it, the complications that beauty brings in a fallen world.
הַלֶּחֶםhallechem
"the food"—bread, food, sustenance
While lechem literally means 'bread,' it frequently serves as a general term for food. The rendering 'food' captures the broader sense while acknowledging that bread was the staple of the ancient diet.
Translator Notes
'He did not concern himself with anything except the food that he ate' — the phrase ki im-hallechem asher-hu okhel is often explained as a reference to Egyptian dietary restrictions that prohibited them from eating with foreigners (cf. 43:32). Potiphar retained control only over his personal food consumption, either for reasons of ritual purity or personal custom.
'Handsome in form and handsome in appearance' (yefeh-to'ar viyfeh mar'eh) — this exact phrase is used of only one other person in Genesis: Rachel, Joseph's mother (29:17). The literary echo is deliberate, connecting mother and son. Tragically, Joseph's beauty — like Rachel's — becomes a source of both attraction and complication. This description is placed here as a narrative hinge: it explains what follows in v. 7.
The verse functions as a transition. The first half concludes the account of Joseph's rise in Potiphar's house; the second half, with its notice of Joseph's beauty, introduces the crisis that follows.
It happened after these things that his master's wife lifted up her eyes toward Joseph and said, "Lie with me."
KJV And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me.
Notes & Key Terms
1 term
Key Terms
שִׁכְבָה עִמִּיshikhvah immi
"Lie with me"—to lie with, to sleep with; a direct sexual proposition
The terse, two-word command is startlingly direct in Hebrew. No embellishment — the narrator lets the rawness of the demand speak for itself.
Translator Notes
'Lifted up her eyes' (vattissa et-eineiha) — the Hebrew idiom describes a deliberate, purposeful gaze. It is the same expression used when Abraham 'lifts his eyes' to see Mount Moriah (22:4) or Lot 'lifts his eyes' to see the well-watered Jordan plain (13:10). Here, the gaze is one of desire and intent.
'Lie with me' (shikhvah immi) — the bluntness of the command in Hebrew is striking. There is no prelude, no flattery, no negotiation — only a two-word imperative. The narrator's economy conveys the brazenness of the demand. Potiphar's wife is unnamed throughout, identified only by her relation to Joseph's master, keeping the focus on the moral dynamics.
But he refused, and said to his master's wife, "Look, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house alongside me, and all that he has he has placed in my hand.
KJV But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand;
Notes & Key Terms
1 term
Key Terms
וַיְמָאֵןvayema'en
"he refused"—to refuse, to decline, to reject
The verb's emphatic initial position in the clause conveys the immediacy and firmness of Joseph's refusal. He does not waver.
Translator Notes
'He refused' (vayema'en) — the verb stands emphatically at the head of the sentence, before any explanation. Joseph's refusal is immediate and decisive, not the product of deliberation. The same verb (ma'en) describes Pharaoh's later refusal to release Israel (Exodus 7:14), but here it is used of righteous resistance rather than stubborn rebellion.
Joseph's defense is structured in three layers: (1) the trust his master has placed in him (v. 8), (2) the unique position of the wife as the one thing withheld from him (v. 9a), and (3) the theological dimension — sin against God (v. 9b). The argument moves from the relational to the covenantal.
No one in this house is greater than I am, 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?"
KJV There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?
Notes & Key Terms
2 terms
Key Terms
הָרָעָה הַגְּדֹלָהhara'ah hagedolah
"this great evil"—great wickedness, great evil, grave wrong
Joseph uses the strongest available language. The superlative construction (the great evil) reflects his understanding of adultery as a grievous offense — not a minor indiscretion.
וְחָטָאתִי לֵאלֹהִיםvechatati l'Elohim
"sin against God"—to sin, to miss the mark, to offend; against God
The ultimate ground of Joseph's refusal. He sees sexual sin not as merely a social transgression but as an offense against the Creator's moral order.
Translator Notes
'This great evil' (hara'ah hagedolah hazzot) — Joseph does not minimize the act as a minor transgression. He calls it what it is: a great evil. The word ra'ah encompasses wickedness, harm, and moral evil. Joseph perceives adultery not merely as a violation of social convention but as a fundamental moral offense.
'Sin against God' (vechatati l'Elohim) — the climax of Joseph's refusal. Remarkably, Joseph frames the sin not primarily in terms of betraying Potiphar's trust (though that is acknowledged) but in terms of offending God. The use of Elohim (rather than YHWH) may reflect Joseph's awareness that he is speaking to an Egyptian; alternatively, it may simply express the universal moral dimension of the act. Either way, Joseph recognizes a divine moral order that transcends human relationships.
Joseph's reasoning follows the logic of covenant faithfulness: because God is sovereign over all human affairs, every moral choice is ultimately a choice before God. This theological awareness distinguishes Joseph from his brothers, who sold him without apparent regard for divine judgment.
Though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her, to lie beside her or to be with her.
KJV And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
'Day after day' (yom yom) — the repetition conveys persistent, unrelenting pressure. This was not a single moment of temptation but a sustained campaign of seduction. Joseph's resistance was not a one-time act of will but a daily, disciplined refusal.
'To lie beside her or to be with her' (lishkav etslah lihyot immah) — the Hebrew distinguishes two things Joseph refused: (1) sexual contact ('to lie beside her') and (2) even being in her presence ('to be with her'). Joseph recognized the danger of proximity and avoided situations that could lead to compromise. This detail reflects practical wisdom, not mere moral abstraction.
On a certain day he went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the household were there in the house.
KJV And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
'On a certain day' (kehayom hazzeh) — literally 'about this day' or 'on such a day as this.' The phrase marks a turning point in the narrative, shifting from the general pattern (day after day) to a specific, decisive moment.
'To do his work' (la'asot melakhto) — Joseph enters the house for legitimate purposes, faithfully attending to his duties. The narrator makes clear that Joseph was not seeking out Potiphar's wife. Some rabbinic interpreters debated the meaning of 'his work,' but the plain sense is simply his household responsibilities.
'None of the men of the household were there' — the narrator sets the scene with ominous precision. The absence of witnesses creates the conditions for the wife's assault and her subsequent fabrication.
She seized him by his garment, saying, "Lie with me!" But he left his garment in her hand and fled and went outside.
KJV And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.
Notes & Key Terms
2 terms
Key Terms
בְּבִגְדוֹbevigdo
"by his garment"—garment, clothing; also from a root meaning treachery, betrayal
The Hebrew root b-g-d can mean both 'garment' and 'treachery.' Joseph's garment becomes an instrument of treachery — used as false evidence, just as his ornamented robe was in chapter 37.
וַיָּנָסvayyanas
"fled"—to flee, to escape, to run away
Joseph's flight is an act of moral resolve. He escapes the sin even at the cost of leaving behind evidence that will be used against him.
Translator Notes
'She seized him by his garment' (vattitpesehu bevigdo) — the verb taphas means to seize, grab, or catch. This is a physical assault. The garment (beged) becomes a pivotal object in the narrative — left behind as false evidence. The word beged is noteworthy because the same root means 'treachery' or 'betrayal' (cf. the verb bagad). The garment that should attest to Joseph's innocence is twisted into evidence of his guilt, a garment of treachery.
'He fled and went outside' (vayyanas vayyetse hachutsah) — Joseph's flight is not cowardice but moral courage. He chooses integrity over comfort, freedom over compromise. The rapid succession of verbs (fled, went out) conveys urgency and decisiveness.
The parallel to Joseph's coat in chapter 37 is striking: there, Joseph's garment was stripped from him by his brothers and used as false evidence before Jacob; here, his garment is stripped by Potiphar's wife and used as false evidence before Potiphar. In both cases, the garment testifies falsely against him.
When she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled outside,
KJV And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth,
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
This transitional verse shows the wife calculating her next move. The moment she realizes she holds physical evidence — the garment — she recognizes its potential as a weapon. What was meant to trap Joseph into sin now becomes a tool to frame him for a crime he refused to commit.
she called to the men of her household and said to them, "See, he has brought a Hebrew man to us to mock us! He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice.
KJV That she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto them, saying, See, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice:
Notes & Key Terms
2 terms
Key Terms
אִישׁ עִבְרִיish ivri
"a Hebrew man"—a Hebrew, an Israelite; possibly from eber ('the other side'), one from beyond the river
Used here with contempt. The ethnic marker is wielded as a weapon, leveraging Egyptian prejudice against foreigners to make the accusation more credible.
לְצַחֶקletsacheq
"to mock"—to laugh, to play, to mock, to sport with; often with sexual connotation in Genesis
The root ts-ch-q carries sexual overtones throughout Genesis (21:9; 26:8). The wife uses it ambiguously to suggest both sexual assault and degradation.
Translator Notes
'A Hebrew man' (ish ivri) — she identifies Joseph by his ethnicity, deploying it as a slur to inflame the household servants' prejudice. The term ivri ('Hebrew') emphasizes Joseph's foreignness in an Egyptian context. By saying 'he brought' (hevi), she blames Potiphar himself for introducing this 'outsider,' attempting to align the servants' resentment against both Joseph and, subtly, her husband.
'To mock us' (letsacheq banu) — the verb tsachaq ('to laugh, to play, to mock') is loaded with sexual overtones in Genesis. It is the same root as Isaac's name (Yitschaq) and was used of Ishmael's behavior toward Isaac (21:9). In 26:8, it describes Isaac 'caressing' (metsacheq) Rebekah. The wife uses this verb ambiguously — it can mean 'to sport with' or 'to make a fool of' — to suggest both sexual assault and public humiliation.
Note her manipulation: she shifts from 'he came to me' (singular) to 'to mock us' (plural), enlisting the household servants as fellow victims to gain their solidarity.
When he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried out, he left his garment beside me and fled and went outside."
KJV And it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled, and got him out.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
She constructs a narrative in which Joseph's flight — actually evidence of his innocence — becomes evidence of guilt. The garment left 'beside me' (etsli) is presented as proof that he was in intimate proximity. Her account reverses the causation: in her telling, Joseph fled because she screamed; in reality, she screamed because he fled. The truth is exactly inverted.
She kept his garment beside her until his master came home.
KJV And she laid up his garment by her, until his lord came home.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
'She kept his garment beside her' (vattannach bigdo etslah) — the verb nuach in the Hiphil means 'to place, to set down, to lay aside.' She preserves the garment as evidence, holding it like a prosecutor waiting for the judge. The deliberateness of her action — keeping it 'until his master came home' — reveals calculated planning, not the distress of a victim.
She spoke to him according to these words, saying, "The Hebrew servant whom you brought to us came in to me to mock me.
KJV And she spake unto him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant, which thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me:
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
'The Hebrew servant' (ha'eved ha'ivri) — note the escalation from 'a Hebrew man' (v. 14, speaking to servants) to 'the Hebrew servant' (speaking to Potiphar). When addressing the servants, she used 'man' (ish), appealing to their sense of shared vulnerability; when addressing Potiphar, she uses 'servant' (eved), emphasizing Joseph's inferior status and implying that Potiphar should be outraged that someone so low would dare approach his wife.
'Whom you brought to us' (asher heveta lanu) — she explicitly blames Potiphar for Joseph's presence, making her husband complicit in the alleged offense. This is a manipulative rhetorical strategy: by implicating Potiphar, she pressures him to act decisively to absolve himself of responsibility.
When I lifted up my voice and cried out, he left his garment beside me and fled outside."
KJV And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled out.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The repetition of her account — nearly verbatim from v. 15 — is a deliberate narrative technique. The rehearsed quality of the testimony reveals its fabricated nature. A genuine victim might vary in retelling; a liar repeats a prepared script. The narrator lets the reader perceive the deception through the very precision of her words.
When his master heard the words of his wife, which she spoke to him, saying, "These are the things your servant did to me," his anger burned.
KJV And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spake unto him, saying, After this manner did thy servant to me; that his wrath was kindled.
Notes & Key Terms
1 term
Key Terms
וַיִּחַר אַפּוֹvayichar appo
"his anger burned"—his anger was kindled, his wrath burned, his nose flared
Literally 'his nostril burned hot.' The Hebrew idiom captures the physiological dimension of anger. The text leaves ambiguous whether Potiphar's anger is directed at Joseph, his wife, or the situation itself.
Translator Notes
'His anger burned' (vayichar appo) — literally 'his nostril burned.' The Hebrew idiom for anger uses the image of a flaring nostril — the physical sign of fury. The expression is used frequently of God's anger (cf. Exodus 4:14; Numbers 11:1) and of human rage. Potiphar's reaction is immediate and visceral.
Some interpreters note that Potiphar's response — imprisonment rather than execution — may suggest he harbored doubts about his wife's story. Under Egyptian law, the penalty for sexual assault on a married woman was death. That Joseph was only imprisoned may indicate that Potiphar suspected the truth but could not publicly side with a slave against his wife. This is textually ambiguous, however, and the narrator does not comment on Potiphar's inner reasoning.
Joseph's master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king's prisoners were held. And he remained there in the prison.
KJV And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.
Notes & Key Terms
1 term
Key Terms
בֵּית הַסֹּהַרbet hassohar
"the prison"—prison, round house, place of confinement
Literally 'the house of roundness.' The royal prison where state prisoners were held — a providential placement that will connect Joseph to Pharaoh's court.
Translator Notes
'The prison' (bet hassohar) — literally 'the house of roundness' or 'the round house,' perhaps reflecting the architectural shape of the facility. This was not an ordinary jail but a royal prison where the king's own prisoners were confined. Providentially, this placement will bring Joseph into contact with Pharaoh's cupbearer and baker (chapter 40), advancing the divine plan.
'The king's prisoners' (asirei hammelekh) — Joseph is placed among political detainees, not common criminals. This is significant: it places him in the orbit of Pharaoh's court, positioning him for the encounters that will ultimately lead to his exaltation. What appears as a further descent is actually a step toward fulfillment of the dreams.
But the LORD was with Joseph and extended steadfast love to him, and gave him favor in the eyes of the keeper of the prison.
KJV But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
Notes & Key Terms
2 terms
Key Terms
חָסֶדchesed
"steadfast love"—steadfast love, lovingkindness, mercy, covenant loyalty, faithful love
One of the most theologically significant words in the Hebrew Bible. Chesed is God's faithful, enduring, covenantal commitment to His people — love that persists through suffering, injustice, and imprisonment.
חִנּוֹchinno
"favor"—his grace, his favor, his charm
From the same root as chen (v. 4). God gives Joseph a quality that draws others to trust and promote him — a manifestation of divine grace working through human relationships.
Translator Notes
'The LORD was with Joseph' (vayehi YHWH et-Yosef) — the refrain returns, now in the context of imprisonment. The narrator's insistence on divine presence in the darkest circumstances is the theological heartbeat of the Joseph narrative. The LORD was with him in Potiphar's house (v. 2); the LORD is with him in prison (v. 21). The location changes; the presence does not.
'Extended steadfast love to him' (vayyet elav chesed) — the verb natah ('to stretch out, extend, incline') combined with chesed creates a powerful image: God actively reaches toward Joseph with covenant love. Chesed is one of the richest words in the Hebrew Bible — it encompasses loyalty, faithfulness, kindness, and covenantal commitment. It is not mere pity but purposeful, enduring love rooted in relationship.
'Gave him favor' (vayyitten chinno) — literally 'gave his grace.' The same pattern as v. 4 (Joseph found favor with Potiphar), now repeated with the prison keeper. The cycle of divine favor leading to human trust begins again.
The keeper of the prison placed in Joseph's hand all the prisoners who were in the prison, and whatever was done there, he was the one who did it.
KJV And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The pattern from Potiphar's house repeats exactly in the prison: Joseph is given total authority and responsibility. The narrator draws this parallel deliberately to show that Joseph's character and God's blessing operate consistently regardless of circumstance. Whether in a wealthy household or a royal prison, Joseph rises to leadership because the LORD is with him.
'Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it' (ve'et kol-asher osim sham hu hayah oseh) — this emphatic construction underscores Joseph's complete administrative authority. The prison keeper, like Potiphar before him, delegates everything to Joseph.
The keeper of the prison did not concern himself with anything that was in Joseph's hand, because the LORD was with him, and whatever he did, the LORD made it prosper.
KJV The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the LORD was with him, and that which he did, the LORD made it to prosper.
Notes & Key Terms
1 term
Key Terms
מַצְלִיחַmatsliach
"made it prosper"—to cause to prosper, to make successful, to bring to completion
The chapter's final word echoes its beginning (v. 2), forming a perfect literary frame. The verb of divine prospering bookends a chapter of human injustice, declaring that God's purposes cannot be thwarted.
Translator Notes
The chapter ends exactly as it began — with the declaration that 'the LORD was with him' (YHWH itto) and 'the LORD made it prosper' (YHWH matsliach). This inclusio (literary bookend) frames the entire chapter within the theology of divine presence. Between the opening and closing statements, Joseph has been tempted, falsely accused, and imprisoned — yet the narrator's verdict remains unchanged. The LORD's presence and Joseph's prosperity are not dependent on favorable circumstances but on the covenant faithfulness of God.
'The LORD made it prosper' (YHWH matsliach) — the final word of the chapter is matsliach ('causing to prosper'), the same word used in v. 2. Despite everything — betrayal by brothers, enslavement, false accusation, imprisonment — the chapter's last word is prosperity. Not Joseph's prosperity in human terms, but God's sovereign capacity to bring fruitfulness out of suffering.