Genesis 24:2

24:2 Abraham said to his servant, the senior one ¹  in his household who was in charge of everything he had, “Put your hand under my thigh ² 

Genesis 24:10

24:10 Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed with all kinds of gifts from his master at his disposal. ³  He journeyed ⁴  to the region of Aram Naharaim ⁵  and the city of Nahor.

Genesis 39:4-5

39:4 So Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal attendant. ⁶  Potiphar appointed Joseph ⁷  overseer of his household and put him in charge ⁸  of everything he owned. 39:5 From the time ⁹  Potiphar ¹⁰  appointed him over his household and over all that he owned, the Lord blessed ¹¹  the Egyptian’s household for Joseph’s sake. The blessing of the Lord was on everything that he had, both ¹²  in his house and in his fields. ¹³ 

Genesis 39:9

39:9 There is no one greater in this household than I am. He has withheld nothing from me except you because you are his wife. So how could I do ¹⁴  such a great evil and sin against God?”

Genesis 41:40

41:40 You will oversee my household, and all my people will submit to your commands. ¹⁵  Only I, the king, will be greater than you. ¹⁶ 

¹ tn The Hebrew term זָקֵן (zaqen) may refer to the servant who is oldest in age or senior in authority (or both).

² sn Put your hand under my thigh. The taking of this oath had to do with the sanctity of the family and the continuation of the family line. See D. R. Freedman, “Put Your Hand Under My Thigh – the Patriarchal Oath,” BAR 2 (1976): 2-4, 42.

³ tn Heb “and every good thing of his master was in his hand.” The disjunctive clause is circumstantial, explaining that he took all kinds of gifts to be used at his discretion.

⁴ tn Heb “and he arose and went.”

⁵ tn The words “the region of” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.

⁶ sn The Hebrew verb translated became his personal attendant refers to higher domestic service, usually along the lines of a personal attendant. Here Joseph is made the household steward, a position well-attested in Egyptian literature.

⁷ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁸ tn Heb “put into his hand.”

⁹ tn Heb “and it was from then.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Potiphar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹¹ sn The Hebrew word translated blessed carries the idea of enrichment, prosperity, success. It is the way believers describe success at the hand of God. The text illustrates the promise made to Abraham that whoever blesses his descendants will be blessed (Gen 12:1-3).

¹² tn Heb “in the house and in the field.” The word “both” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

¹³ sn The passage gives us a good picture of Joseph as a young man who was responsible and faithful, both to his master and to his God. This happened within a very short time of his being sold into Egypt. It undermines the view that Joseph was a liar, a tattletale, and an arrogant adolescent.

¹⁴ tn The nuance of potential imperfect fits this context.

¹⁵ tn Heb “and at your mouth (i.e., instructions) all my people will kiss.” G. J. Wenham translates this “shall kowtow to your instruction” (Genesis [WBC], 2:395). Although there is some textual support for reading “will be judged, ruled by you,” this is probably an attempt to capture the significance of this word. Wenham lists a number of references where individuals have tried to make connections with other words or expressions – such as a root meaning “order themselves” lying behind “kiss,” or an idiomatic idea of “kiss” meaning “seal the mouth,” and so “be silent and submit to.” See K. A. Kitchen, “The Term Nsq in Genesis 41:40,” ExpTim 69 (1957): 30; D. S. Sperling, “Genesis 41:40: A New Interpretation,” JANESCU 10 (1978): 113-19.

¹⁶ tn Heb “only the throne, I will be greater than you.”