Genesis 39:4

39:4 So Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal attendant. ¹  Potiphar appointed Joseph ²  overseer of his household and put him in charge ³  of everything he owned.

Genesis 39:6-7

39:6 So Potiphar ⁴  left ⁵  everything he had in Joseph’s care; ⁶  he gave no thought ⁷  to anything except the food he ate. ⁸ 

Now Joseph was well built and good-looking. ⁹  39:7 Soon after these things, his master’s wife took notice of ¹⁰  Joseph and said, “Have sex with me.” ¹¹ 

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 ¹²  such a great evil and sin against God?”

Genesis 40:3-4

40:3 so he imprisoned them in the house of the captain of the guard in the same facility where Joseph was confined. 40:4 The captain of the guard appointed Joseph to be their attendant, and he served them. ¹³ 

They spent some time in custody. ¹⁴ 

Genesis 40:1

The Cupbearer and the Baker

40:1 After these things happened, the cupbearer ¹⁵  to the king of Egypt and the royal baker ¹⁶  offended ¹⁷  their master, the king of Egypt.

Genesis 2:1

2:1 The heavens and the earth ¹⁸  were completed with everything that was in them. ¹⁹ 

Psalms 37:3

37:3 Trust in the Lord and do what is right!

Settle in the land and maintain your integrity! ²⁰ 

Psalms 37:11

37:11 But the oppressed will possess the land

and enjoy great prosperity. ²¹ 

[39:4]  ¹ 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.

[39:4]  ² tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[39:4]  ³ tn Heb “put into his hand.”

[39:6]  ⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Potiphar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[39:6]  ⁵ sn The Hebrew verb translated left indicates he relinquished the care of it to Joseph. This is stronger than what was said earlier. Apparently Potiphar had come to trust Joseph so much that he knew it was in better care with Joseph than with anyone else.

[39:6]  ⁶ tn Heb “hand.” This is a metonymy for being under the control or care of Joseph.

[39:6]  ⁷ tn Heb “did not know.”

[39:6]  ⁸ sn The expression except the food he ate probably refers to Potiphar’s private affairs and should not be limited literally to what he ate.

[39:6]  ⁹ tn Heb “handsome of form and handsome of appearance.” The same Hebrew expressions were used in Gen 29:17 for Rachel.

[39:7]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “she lifted up her eyes toward,” an expression that emphasizes her deliberate and careful scrutiny of him.

[39:7]  ¹¹ tn Heb “lie with me.” Here the expression “lie with” is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[39:9]  ¹² tn The nuance of potential imperfect fits this context.

[40:4]  ¹³ sn He served them. This is the same Hebrew verb, meaning “to serve as a personal attendant,” that was translated “became [his] servant” in 39:4.

[40:4]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “they were days in custody.”

[40:1]  ¹⁵ sn The Hebrew term cupbearer corresponds to the Egyptian wb’, an official (frequently a foreigner) who often became a confidant of the king and wielded political power (see K. A. Kitchen, NBD³ 248). Nehemiah held this post in Persia.

[40:1]  ¹⁶ sn The baker may be the Egyptian retehti, the head of the bakers, who had privileges in the royal court.

[40:1]  ¹⁷ sn The Hebrew verb translated offended here is the same one translated “sin” in 39:9. Perhaps there is an intended contrast between these officials, who deserve to be imprisoned, and Joseph, who refused to sin against God, but was thrown into prison in spite of his innocence.

[2:1]  ¹⁸ tn See the note on the phrase “the heavens and the earth” in 1:1.

[2:1]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “and all the host of them.” Here the “host” refers to all the entities and creatures that God created to populate the world.

[37:3]  ²⁰ tn Heb “tend integrity.” The verb רָעָה (ra’ah, “tend, shepherd”) is probably used here in the sense of “watch over, guard.” The noun אֱמוּנָה (’emunah, “faithfulness, honesty, integrity”) is understood as the direct object of the verb, though it could be taken as an adverbial accusative, “[feed] securely,” if the audience is likened to a flock of sheep.

[37:11]  ²¹ tn Heb “and they will take delight in (see v. 4) abundance of peace.”