Some scholars believe Potiphar spared Joseph's life because he had doubts about the accusations leveled by his wife. 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. And you, woman, ask forgiveness for your sin; you are indeed in the wrong. According to the Book of Genesis, she falsely accused Joseph of attempted rape after he rejected her sexual advances, resulting in his imprisonment. And when he saw that his shirt was torn from the back, he said, “This is a woman's scheme. ), 36-5: The appearance of Amalek-Israel's arch enemy, 36-4: The pagan god Baal appears in Esau's genealogy, 36-3: How our culture blinds us to understanding the conflict in the Middle East, 36-2: Esau's sons LEFT the promised land while Jacob's sons ENTERED into it. 39-3: Potiphar did NOT believe his wife's accusation about Joseph 39-2: Joseph teaches us to be faithful regardless of circumstances 39-1: The Pharaoh during Joseph's time was NOT an Egyptian Joseph & Potiphar (Genesis 39:1-6) Say: Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Rashi comments that the wife of Potiphar saw through astrology that she would have children through Joseph. Many men and women have left evidence of indiscretions, but poor Joseph was trying to do his job. The Old Testament is often accused of being outdated and hard to read as a modern Christian. Zuleikha then reminded her friends that she had to see Joseph every day. After all, she did know his schedule. The answer is that Potiphar noticed that his wife had ripped the back of Yosef's garment, which would seem to indicate that Yosef was trying to get away from the wife, not trying to attack her. Upon hearing the charges, Potiphar … Potiphar--even though he usually has a level and shrewd head--chose to protect his wife and thus himself from ridicule. But Potiphar, a man who has granted Joseph unlimited authority over his household, believes his wife and takes Joseph to prison. 40-1: Was Joseph really kept in a "prison"? He has given me a good home. 35-2: Does the church today hold false beliefs about God as Jacob did in his time? She is only referred to as Potiphar’s wife. You can believe God and live, or you can believe Satan, and be caught in his trap. 32-2: As Jacob faced Esau, so too must we reconcile with our past, 32-1: Jacob meets angels on his departure from and to the Promised Land, 31-5: Jacob and Laban enter into a peace treaty with each other, 31-4: Ideas of ritual impurity were prevalent 500 years before Moses, 31-3: God can and does speak to unbelievers, 31-2: The importance of the family gods in Mesopotamian tradition, 31-1: As Jacob separated from Laban, so must we separate from certain people in our lives. He is my Lord. KADOSH Does NOT Really Mean 'Holy'! Yusuf. But 39 Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. He was put in the gaol. By the evidence contained within the story, Joseph was a very forgiving soul. Your scheming is serious indeed. Distracted by his handsomeness, all the ladies accidentally cut themselves with the knives, drawing blood. So Joseph arrived from … Maybe he doesn’t believe that Joseph would have done something like that. Why did God allow Joseph to go to prison after resisting adultery? God wants you to believe Him - to TRUST HIM - and live! - my comment). Had Potiphar really believed her, Joseph would likely have been killed. Sinners never succeed. The astrological calculations however were slightly off. Had Potiphar believedhis wife’s charge against Joseph, the young Hebrew would have lost his life; but themodesty and uprightness that had uniformly characterized his conduct were proof ofhis innocence; and yet, to save the reputation of his master’s house, he … Potiphar's wife is a minor character in the Hebrew Bible and the Quran. Joseph ultimately resisted the temptation that tried him every day. The jail Joseph was placed in was the same prison that Potiphar ran for Pharaoh (Genesis 40:3). Genesis 39:7-23 Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, 7 and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!”. Serbian Unit 2 Chapter 3 53 Terms. jbonadurer. 33. Inviting her friends to her home, Zuleikha gave them all oranges and knives to slice them with. that Potiphar did not believe his wife's story, and only incarcerated Joseph for the sake of appearances. 36-6: Contradictions in Esau's genealogy? Everything Joseph did succeeded because “the Lord was with Joseph” (verse 23). . 40-3: Two similar dreams with two totally different outcomes! 29. 27. No name is given to her. She shut the doors, and said, “I am yours.” He said, “God forbid! The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. At the door, they ran into her husband. Joseph took off running. For this reason (and also because he knew Yosef's character) Potiphar did not believe his wife's story. The story of Potiphar’s wife is about loyalty as much as it is about resisting temptation. Potiphar’s wife . Deep down, maybe he just knows the kind of person Joseph is. Notice Potiphar's position v1. Scholars have wondered if the outcome would have been different if he had less regard for Potiphar. 39-4: Five ways Joseph foreshadows Yeshua's life in Genesis 39, 39-3: Potiphar did NOT believe his wife's accusation about Joseph, 39-2: Joseph teaches us to be faithful regardless of circumstances, 39-1: The Pharaoh during Joseph's time was NOT an Egyptian, 38-5: One Hasidic Jew's take on the Tamar & Judah prostitution incident, 38-4: The difference between "Cultic Harlotry" and "Common Prostitution" in the Scriptures, 38-3: Levirate marriage has nothing to do with the Tribe of Levi, 38-1: The importance of Judah to the Messianic Line, 37-6: God used adversity in Joseph's life to prepare him for the future, 37-5: 15 ways Joseph's Life foreshadows Yeshua in Genesis 37, 37-3: The reasons Joseph was so hated by his brothers, 37-2: Divine Providence plays center stage in Joseph's life. When he tried to flee from her advance, the poor guy lost his garment. 23. The transfer of Joseph from the house to the adjoining prison would be quietly managed, and then no more need be said about an ugly business. But, he can’t embarrass his wife either because that would embarrass himself. Either Potiphar was singularly lenient, or, as is perhaps more probable, he did not quite believe his wife’s story, and thought it best to hush up a scandal. He was one of Our loyal servants. She “grabbed” (CEB) and she “took” (WYC). For other uses, see, Learn how and when to remove these template messages, Learn how and when to remove this template message, ibn Abdullah ibn Abdul-Muttalib ibn Hashim, Current Ummah of Islam (Ummah of Muhammad), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Potiphar%27s_wife&oldid=1009936976, Wikipedia articles with style issues from December 2008, Articles needing additional references from December 2013, All articles needing additional references, Articles with multiple maintenance issues, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Mother Abiona or Amtelai the daughter of Karnebo, Slayers of Saleh's she-camel (Qaddar ibn Salif and Musda' ibn Dahr). However, there are no clues in the text that help us decide this question one way or another. They couldn't bear the idea of Potiphar's wife… In the end, Potiphar was an ordinary man who did his duty in service to Pharaoh and managed his household in the best ways he knew how. We thus reward the righteous. “Potiphar’s Wife” Sura 12. N19-5: Surprise! For Rumi, Zuleikha's obsession with Joseph is a symptom and manifestation of the soul's great deep longing for God. It seems, even in his anger, that Potiphar did not fully believe his wife. 35-1: How ancient Israel's understanding of God's nature differs from modern believers, 34-4: Jacob fails to exercise proper authority in his home, 34-3: Simeon and Levi avenge the rape of Dinah, 34-2: King Hamor meets Jacob to make amends for his son's crime. Now that Joseph is such a powerful man, not to mention, more handsome and fearsome than ever, I think my mistress is petrified he'll expose the truth. And it came to pass, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her. Some ladies in the city said, “The governor's wife is trying to seduce her servant. And he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out. Now keep in mind, although Joseph had been elevated to "overseer" when it came to Potiphar's household, he would still be considered a slave. It was where prisoners were kept. (2 The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. Joseph Resists the Advances of Potiphar’s Wife. But he refused, and said unto his master's wife: 'Behold, my master, having me, knoweth not what is in the house, and he hath put all that he hath into my hand; he is not greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife. 40-4: How was Joseph able to remain so strong in his faith? He said, “It was she who tried to seduce me.” A witness from her household suggested: “If his shirt is torn from the front: then she has told the truth, and he is the liar. Figure from Jewish and Muslim tradition; Potiphar's wife, "Zuleikha" redirects here. They treated him without value, selling him as a slave to slave traders. Muslim scriptural commentators (Mufassirun) have regarded Zuleikha as a sinner and villainess with the exceptions of the great Muslim mystic poets Rumi, Hafiz and Jami. 32-3: Who was the "man" that Jacob wrestled? Unless You turn their scheming away from me, I may yield to them, and become one of the ignorant. Joseph has been set up in Potiphar's house and is trusted with everything the Egyptian official owns. But if his shirt is torn from the back: then she has lied, and he is the truthful. 36-1: Esau and Edom are one and the same! Following this incident, her contemporaries no longer mocked her.[1][2]. He is the Hearer, the Knower. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. 34. Joseph Accused by Potiphar's Wife, by Rembrandt van Rijn, 1655. Potiphar’s wife was disloyal to her husband, but Joseph was loyal both to Potiphar and to God. (Genesis 39:10) Potiphar’s wife, however, was a determined seductress. 28. But in Genesis 37, 39-47 we see a story that could have come right out of our evening news. 40-5: Six ways Joseph's life foreshadows Yeshua in Genesis 40. The story of Potiphar's wife, whose name is never revealed, is only memorable for her lies and deceit and for her disregard of others. 8 But he refused. his master’s wife [Potiphar’s wife] cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, lie with me (Genesis 39:7). They said, “Good God, this is not a human, this must be a precious angel.”32. 34-1: Dinah, a daughter of Israel, is raped by a Canaanite! Reply. When he refused, she falsely accused him of attempted rape. In art the subject is one of the most commonly shown in the Power of Women topos. L6-1: How the ritual procedures for PRIESTS were different than for COMMON WORSHIPPERS. She picked a moment when the servants were all out of the house. Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife. In Genesis she is given no name, but in later medieval Jewish sources and Islamic tradition, she is identified as Zuleikha (/zuːleɪkɑː/ zoo-LAY-kah; Hebrew: זוליכה‎, romanized: zú-li'-koh; Arabic: زُلَيْخَا‎, romanized: zulayḵā). 21. What happened to Joseph? 03 May 2016. . I believe he did the right thing in God’s eyes. Heal said he believed this story was the earliest thread of the fate of Potiphar's wife. The Qur’an narrates the wife of Aziz’s treatment of Yusuf as follows: When he reached his maturity, We gave him wisdom and knowledge. E35-1: Why did the Lord prevent the kindling of a fire on the Sabbath? That Joseph was not immediately punished with death is not improbably ..., but exceedingly natural, since Joseph was Potiphar's favorite." I did try to seduce him, but he resisted. Rembrandt Van Ryn chose this particular story as the subject of his narrative painting completed in 1655, under the title of “Joseph Accused By Potiphar’s Wife”. 10-1: Who are the descendants of Japheth. It appears that Potiphar may not have fully believed his wife’s story because it appears that Joseph received a very light punishment, considering the charge. Thus, he hired Yosef for the purpose of having sexual relations with his wife. I don't believe that Potiphar is unaware of his wife's true nature, nor is he unaware of Yoseph's truthfulness and integrity. 30. As they raced towards the door, she tore his shirt from behind. 20 - Master ... put him in prison He was angry but maybe at his wife v19. 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. “Joseph, turn away from this. It also appears that Joseph did not attempt to defend himself against the charge (Isaiah 53:7, I Peter 2:19-23). What was the gaol? 25. [...] And she laid up his garment by her, until his master came home. When he did, she sprung her trap. And given what we’ve read the last few weeks of Rachael and Leah and Rebecca how is the similar and how is it different? 40-2: The importance of dreams in ancient Egypt. And the Egyptian who bought him said to his wife: Give him an honorable abode, maybe he will be useful to us, or we may adopt him as a son. Potiphar’s wife, however, “speaks to Joseph every day” hoping to convince him otherwise. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?' But Potiphar doesn’t do any of that; he puts Joseph in the prison. Did Potiphar Believe His Wife? He said, “My Lord, prison is more desirable to me than what they call me to. 24. So therefore, Potiphar could have had him immediately put to death, without having to think twice about it. Manoah’s wife And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name 33-4: Jacob settles in the very same spot where Yeshua encountered the Samaritan woman, 33-3: Jacob tells Esau he will join him in Edom, but doesn't, 33-2: One advantage Asians have when reading the Bible, 32-5: The power in letting go and letting God, 32-4: Jacob's name is changed to Israel-One who trusts God. And she spoke unto him according to these words, saying: 'The Hebrew servant, whom thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me. And Joseph was of beautiful form, and fair to look upon. (For the sharpest Bible students only! Joseph was verbally and physically attacked by his brothers. Jewish commentators also see some good motives in her actions. The Bible (Genesis 39:5-20) narrates her treatment of Joseph, slave to her husband Potiphar: And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand; and, having him, he knew not aught save the bread which he did eat. The slave traders sold him to Potiphar, the captain of the Egyptian Palace Guard. A story about Zuleikha is told in medieval Hebrew midrash, Sefer haYashar, also known as the Toledot Adam and Divrei haYamim heArukh, where she was mocked by other aristocratic Egyptian ladies, her circle of friends, for being infatuated with a Hebrew slave boy. Potiphar’s wife took notice of Joseph, desiring a sexual encounter with him. The content of the painting all reveals Rembrandt’s interpretation of the story This is the account from the Bible of the accusation of Joseph by Potiphar’s Wife. It is part of His character. But he saw the person Joseph had been and the hand of G-d on his life. Except one thing. Potiphar didn’t seem to believe his wife’s story – that a handsome and intelligent young man decided it would be a good idea to rape his slave-master’s wife. We see she has gone astray.”31. But if he does not do what I tell him to do, he will be imprisoned, and will be one of the despised. She was the wife of Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh's guard in the time of Jacob and his twelve sons. A Mosque in the area of Medina, possibly: This page was last edited on 3 March 2021, at 01:23. The more lenient punishment of Joseph has suggested to other scholars that Potiphar may have had reason to doubt his wife’s story. So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate” (Genesis 39:3–6). God shows us amazing loyalty and faithfulness. 35-6: What the ancients believed happened after death, 35-5: Reuben sleeps with his father's concubine in a sly move to gain family power, 35-4: Unearthing God's prophetic statements to Jacob that can ONLY be understood in Hebrew, 35-3: Deborah's death symbolizes Israel's complete severance from Mesopotamia. Katherine_Farrell6A TEACHER. "Other writers just couldn't stand this idea," Heal said, "particularly as we see the rise of monasticism and (the idea that) women are the root of all evil. The last idea would … This biographical article about a person notable in connection with Islam is a stub. Did Potiphar believe Joseph or his wife? So he merely put Joseph in prison, a token punishment that would protect his wife’s reputation. Log in. She said, “Come out before them.” And when they saw him, they marveled at him, and cut their hands. Thereupon his Lord answered him, and diverted their scheming away from him. We’ve always believed that Joseph was innocent. Potiphar's wife is a minor character in the Hebrew Bible and the Quran. I am not familiar with the Quran version of the story, but I see that another answer says that it is similiar to the Jewish one. She is deeply in love with him. An Egyptian named Potiphar had bought him from the Ishmaelite traders who had taken him there. And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said: 'Lie with me.' This biographical article about a person notable in connection with Judaism is a stub. However, the account of Joseph and Potiphar changes when Potiphar’s wife asked Joseph to sleep with her. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. She in whose house he was living tried to seduce him. She desired him, and he (would have) desired her had he not seen the proof of his Lord. She knew that Joseph would have to come inside in order to do his work. There is a Persian poem called Yusuf and Zulaikha in Jami 's Haft Awrang ("Seven thrones") In The Divine Comedy, Dante sees the shade of Potiphar's wife in the eighth circle of Hell. 8-3: The Significance Of The Raven And Dove That Noah Sent Out, L25-22: The three Hebrew words all used to refer to ‘KINSMAN’ in the Scriptures.