Potiphar (dedicated to Ra, an Egyptian god) was commander of the bodyguard of Pharaoh. Pharaoh was the general name given to the monarch of Egypt, so that no one knows for sure which of them this king was. Many historians estimate it may have been Sesostris III, who reigned from 1878 to 1843 BC (1 Kings 6:1 and Exodus 12:40, which indicate the entrance of Joseph in Egypt took place around 1877 BC).
The population of ancient Egypt consisted of three classes: warriors, priests and people in general. Pharaoh was the supreme commander of the army, and his officers enjoyed great wealth and privilege. The priests raised families and lived well, those who were in the top position being quite wealthy. The rest of the population was mostly poor or very poor, living in extreme subservience to the more privileged.
Potiphar, due to his high position, would have a large fortune that had to be managed with skill. Wealthy families like his inhabited mansions of two or three floors, with beautiful gardens and courtyards, and he would surround himself with beautiful objects like alabaster vases, paintings, tapestries, and hand-crafted furniture. Meals were served in bowls and plates of gold, and the rooms would be lit with golden lamps.
The servants or slaves, like Joseph, worked on the lower floor and the family occupied the rooms above. But the LORD was with Joseph and he was a successful man: everything he did the LORD made to prosper in his hand. This was noticed by his master, who quickly promoted him to overseer of his house with authority over all that he had. Then the LORD for Joseph´s sake blessed his master´s house, including all there was in the house and in the field, to the point that his master had no further concern for his fortune except for the bread he ate.
But as Joseph was handsome in form and appearance, his master's wife lusted after Joseph and repeatedly tried to seduce him, but he would not be ensnared. He explained to her that if he did what she wanted, He would be betraying the great trust that his master had placed on him. His master had given him full authority over all in his house, except for his wife, and to do what she wanted was a great evil and a sin against God.
We see that in all this Joseph was serving the true God. The land of Egypt was as idolatrous as Canaan or Chaldea but the testimony of Joseph remained true to the living God, and he kept a high moral level. When this woman incited him to immorality, he said: my master gave everything into my hands except for you.
The high concept that Joseph had of marriage, an institution given by God to all mankind, is noteworthy. When a person begins to despise his marriage vows, he is despising God. A person who breaks his marriage vows will generally not hesitate to be unfaithful to others when it suits him. People who are divorced because of their own unfaithfulness tend also to move away from God. Joseph had a high purpose in life, because his wish was to be faithful to God.
His master's wife tried to seduce Joseph one last time, when none of the men of the house was inside, and grabbed him by his garment. Desperate, he broke away and fled, leaving his garment in her hands. Having been again refused, what she regarded as rejection led her to hate him, so calling the men of the house she falsely accused him of molesting her and of having fled when she screamed, leaving his garment with her, which she used as evidence.
When his master heard what the woman said, he believed her, and was filled with indignation against Joseph. A big mistake, because Joseph had brought him great prosperity, and no doubt he knew his integrity.
Joseph was put into prison (this is the first time that prison as punishment is mentioned in the Bible), into a place where the king´s prisoners were confined. As captain of the guard (chapter 37:36) i.e., chief, probably, of the state police, who, while they formed part of the Egyptian army, were also largely employed in civil duties, Potiphar would still have him under his control. The prison would hold those who did forced labour, or those who displeased or offended their influential masters to the point of being punished in this way. They stayed there indefinitely, without trial, at the mercy of their masters. The Pharaoh was the supreme authority and could decide the fate of any he wished to.
Joseph had now lost everything he had gained since he was sold into slavery, just because he had been faithful to his master. But the LORD was with him nevertheless. Joseph's experience reminds us of the passage in Hebrews,“no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:11). Later we shall see the fruit of righteousness revealed in the life of this young man.
This episode shows us that not everyone has a price at which they can be purchased: Satan likes to say there is, but there have been many who could not be bought: Joseph was one of them.
The LORD therefore showed him mercy: He caused the keeper of the prison to look favourably upon Joseph, and to commit to his authority all the prisoners who were in the prison. So Joseph also became responsible for all of them.
Was it the wish of God for Joseph to go to prison? We'll see the answer in the following chapters.
1 Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there.
2 The LORD was with Joseph, and he was 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 made all he did to prosper in his hand.
4 So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority.
5 So it was, from the time that he had made him overseer of his house and all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the LORD was on all that he had in the house and in the field.
6 Thus he left all that he had in Joseph's hand, and he did not know what he had except for the bread which he ate. Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.
7 And it came to pass after these things that his master's wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, "Lie with me."
8 But he refused and said to his master's wife, "Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand.
9 There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?"
10 So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her.
11 But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was inside,
12 that she caught him by his garment, saying, "Lie with me." But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside.
13 And so it was, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and fled outside,
14 that she called to the men of her house and spoke to them, saying, "See, he has brought in to us a Hebrew to mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice.
15 And it happened, when he heard that I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me, and fled and went outside."
16 So she kept his garment with her until his master came home.
17 Then she spoke to him with words like these, saying, "The Hebrew servant whom you brought to us came in to me to mock me;
18 so it happened, as I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me and fled outside."
19 So it was, when his master heard the words which his wife spoke to him, saying, "Your servant did to me after this manner," that his anger was aroused.
20 Then Joseph's master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were confined. And he was there in the prison.
21 But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
22 And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing.
23 The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph's authority, because the LORD was with him; and whatever he did, the LORD made it prosper.
Genesis chapter 39