Genesis 39:6
in Genesis 39So Potiphar left all that he owned in Joseph’s care; he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. Now Joseph was well-built and handsome,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand; and he knew not aught that was with him, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was comely, and well-favored.
KJV
And he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured.
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This verse in Genesis 39
Commentary
7 notes on this verseJoseph was a goodly person, and well favored - יפה תאר ויפה מראה yepkeh thoar, vipheh mareh, beautiful in his person, and beautiful in his countenance. The same expressions are used relative to Rachel; see them explained Gen 29:17 (note). The beauty of Joseph is celebrated over all the East, and the Persian poets vie with each other in descriptions of his comeliness. Mohammed spends the twelfth chapter of the Koran entirely on Joseph, and represents him as a perfect beauty, and the most accomplished of mortals.
This site's exposition
the LORD blessed the Egyptian's household
on Genesis 39:5-6
A pagan household is blessed on account of one Hebrew slave inside it, and the blessing promised to Abraham at Genesis 12:3 is working here at the smallest scale, on a man who owns nothing. Potiphar leaves everything in Joseph's care and concerns himself with the food he eats. The verse then calls Joseph well-built and handsome.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
However, let us now come to holy Joseph, so that we may be fed with the example of his chastity and purity as with a sort of heavenly food.
That wicked beast the devil, however, seeing the good man's standing and the fact that he emerged even more conspicuous from those very things thought to be adversities, gnashed his teeth and fell into a rage. He could not bear to see the good man becoming so much more commendable as each day passed. He dug a deep pit for him and prepared what he thought was a mighty precipice that would bring him to his ruin and a terrible storm capable of causing him shipwreck. But the devil discovered before long that he was wasting his time and only heaping coals on his own head. "Joseph cut a fine figure and was good-looking," the text says. Why does it describe to us his physical charm? For us to learn that he was striking not only for charm of soul but also for his person. After all, Joseph was in the bloom of youth, "cut a fine figure and was good-looking." Sacred Scripture tells us this about him in advance so as to teach us that the Egyptian woman was under the spell of the young man's beauty in inviting him to that illicit association.
This holy Joseph, about whom your charity has heard in this reading, was beautiful in his body but even more beautiful in his soul, because he was chaste in his body and had a chaste soul.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And he left all he had in Joseph's hand;....
Note, Where the unclean spirit gets possession and dominion in a soul, it is as with the possessed of the devils ( Luke viii. 27, 29 ), the clothes of modesty are thrown off and the bands and fetters of shame are broken in pieces. When lust has got head, it will stick at nothing, blush at nothing; decency, and reputation, and conscience, are all sacrificed to that Baal-peor.
The words behind it
22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּעֲזֹ֣ב | vaiyaazo | and he left | H5800 → | 215 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לוֹ֮ | lo | [belonged] to <the> him | ||
| בְּיַד־ | beyad- | in [the] hand of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| יוֹסֵף֒ | yosef | Joseph | H3130 → | 213 times |
| וְלֹא־ | velo'- | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יָדַ֤ע | yada' | he knew | H3045 → | 945 times |
| אִתּוֹ֙ | ʾito | with him | H854 → | 929 times |
| מְא֔וּמָה | meumah | anything | H3972 → | 32 times |
| כִּ֥י | ki | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | except | H518 → | 1069 times |
| הַלֶּ֖חֶם | halechem | the food | H3899 → | 298 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| ה֣וּא | hu' | he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| אוֹכֵ֑ל | ʾokhel | [was] eating | H398 → | 810 times |
| וַיְהִ֣י | vayhi | and he was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| יוֹסֵ֔ף | yosef | Joseph | H3130 → | 213 times |
| יְפֵה־ | yefeh- | handsome of | H3303 → | 42 times |
| תֹ֖אַר | toar | form | H8389 → | 15 times |
| וִיפֵ֥ה | vipeh | and handsome of | H3303 → | 42 times |
| מַרְאֶֽה׃ | mareh | appearance | H4758 → | 103 times |
וַיַּעֲזֹ֣בand he left
vaiyaazoH5800 →215 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
אֲשֶׁר־that
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
לוֹ֮[belonged] to <the> him
lo
בְּיַד־in [the] hand of
beyad-H3027 →1618 times
יוֹסֵף֒Joseph
yosefH3130 →213 times
וְלֹא־and not
velo'-H3808 →5168 times
יָדַ֤עhe knew
yada'H3045 →945 times
אִתּוֹ֙with him
ʾitoH854 →929 times
מְא֔וּמָהanything
meumahH3972 →32 times
כִּ֥יthat
kiH3588 →4482 times
אִם־except
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
הַלֶּ֖חֶםthe food
halechemH3899 →298 times
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
ה֣וּאhe
hu'H1931 →1879 times
אוֹכֵ֑ל[was] eating
ʾokhelH398 →810 times
וַיְהִ֣יand he was
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
יוֹסֵ֔ףJoseph
yosefH3130 →213 times
יְפֵה־handsome of
yefeh-H3303 →42 times
תֹ֖אַרform
toarH8389 →15 times
וִיפֵ֥הand handsome of
vipehH3303 →42 times
מַרְאֶֽה׃appearance
marehH4758 →103 times
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
Proverbs 31:11The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he lacks nothing of value.
it leads to
- 1 Peter 3:1–7
Wives, in the same way, submit yourselves to your husbands, so that even if they refuse to believe the word, they will be won over without words by the behavior of their wives
- 1 Peter 3:1–7
Through
Genesis 39:23The warden did not concern himself with anything under Joseph’s care, because the LORD was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.
it leads to
- Isaiah 43:2
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you go through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched;…
- Psalms 1:3
He is like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and who prospers in all he does.
- Genesis 39:2–3
And the LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, serving in the household of his Egyptian master.
- Isaiah 43:2
Through
Luke 19:17His master replied, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very small matter, you shall have authority over ten cities.’
it leads to
- Luke 16:10
Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.
- 1 Samuel 2:30
Therefore, the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I did indeed say that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever. But now the LORD declares: Far be it…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Matthew 25:21
His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master!’
- Revelation 2:26–29
And to the one who overcomes and continues in My work until the end, I will give authority over the nations.
- Luke 16:10
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Genesis
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Caesarius of Arles, SERMON 93.2; Chromatius of Aquileia, SERMON 24.2; John Chrysostom, HOMILIES ON GENESIS 62.16; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.