Genesis 39:17
in Genesis 39Then she told him the same story: “The Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And she spake unto him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant, whom thou hast brought unto us, came in unto 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:
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This verse in Genesis 39
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
kept Joseph's cloak beside her
on Genesis 39:16-18
She keeps the cloak beside her and waits for Potiphar to come home. Told the second time the story shifts, and the man becomes the Hebrew slave you brought us, so part of the blame lands on the master. Gill asks the question the account leaves standing, why a man running from an assault would strip off his cloak and leave it. No one in that house asks it.
This site's exposition
The Hebrew slave you brought us
Before the servants she said he came to make sport of the whole household, and before her husband she makes it an insult to herself. She adds the word slave, which puts him at the bottom of the house. His brothers later call themselves his slaves at Genesis 44:16.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And she spake unto him according to these words,.... When her husband came home she related to him the above affair, according to the purport of the above words, and in much the same manner, and to the same import as she had to the men of her house: saying, the Hebrew servant which thou hast brought unto us came in unto me to mock me; in an obscene manner, using filthy words and actions, contrary to the rules of chastity as well as good manners; or, in other words, to lie with her, which she pretended he solicited.
And yet, (2.) She manages it so as to incense her husband against him, reflecting upon him for bringing this Hebrew servant among them, perhaps at first against her mind, because he was a Hebrew. Note, It is no new thing for the best of men to be falsely accused of the worst of crimes by those who themselves are the worst of criminals.
The words behind it
14 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַתְּדַבֵּ֣ר | vatedaber | and she spoke | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| אֵלָ֔יו | ʾelav | to him | H413 → | 5510 times |
| כַּדְּבָרִ֥ים | kadevarim | according to the words | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| הָאֵ֖לֶּה | haeleh | <the> these | H428 → | 746 times |
| לֵאמֹ֑ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| בָּֽא־ | ba'- | he came | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֵלַ֞י | ʾelai | to me | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הָעֶ֧בֶד | haeved | the servant | H5650 → | 799 times |
| הָֽעִבְרִ֛י | haivri | the Hebrew | H5680 → | 34 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הֵבֵ֥אתָ | heveta | you brought | H935 → | 2568 times |
| לָּ֖נוּ | lanu | to <the> us | ||
| לְצַ֥חֶק | letzachek | to mock | H6711 → | 13 times |
| בִּֽי׃ | bi | <in> <the> me |
וַתְּדַבֵּ֣רand she spoke
vatedaberH1696 →1141 times
אֵלָ֔יוto him
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
כַּדְּבָרִ֥יםaccording to the words
kadevarimH1697 →1440 times
הָאֵ֖לֶּה<the> these
haelehH428 →746 times
לֵאמֹ֑ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
בָּֽא־he came
ba'-H935 →2568 times
אֵלַ֞יto me
ʾelaiH413 →5510 times
הָעֶ֧בֶדthe servant
haevedH5650 →799 times
הָֽעִבְרִ֛יthe Hebrew
haivriH5680 →34 times
אֲשֶׁר־whom
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
הֵבֵ֥אתָyou brought
hevetaH935 →2568 times
לָּ֖נוּto <the> us
lanu
לְצַ֥חֶקto mock
letzachekH6711 →13 times
בִּֽי׃<in> <the> me
bi
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Exodus 20:16You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
it leads to
- Proverbs 19:5
A false witness will not go unpunished, and one who utters lies will not escape.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Matthew 19:18
“Which ones?” the man asked. Jesus answered, “‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness,
- Psalms 15:3
who has no slander on his tongue, who does no harm to his neighbor, who casts no scorn on his friend,
- Exodus 23:1
“You shall not spread a false report. Do not join the wicked by being a malicious witness.
- Deuteronomy 19:15–21
A lone witness is not sufficient to establish any wrongdoing or sin against a man, regardless of what offense he may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or…
- Proverbs 19:5
Through
Exodus 23:1“You shall not spread a false report. Do not join the wicked by being a malicious witness.
it leads to
- Psalms 101:5
Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret, I will put to silence; the one with haughty eyes and a proud heart, I will not endure.
- Deuteronomy 19:16–21
If a false witness testifies against someone, accusing him of a crime,
- Psalms 101:5
Through
Psalms 55:3at the voice of the enemy, at the pressure of the wicked. For they release disaster upon me and revile me in their anger.
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 16:7–8
And as he yelled curses, Shimei said, “Get out, get out, you worthless man of bloodshed!
- 2 Samuel 16:7–8
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Genesis
This page draws on Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.