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Genesis 39:9

in Genesis 39

No one in this house is greater than I am. He has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. So how could I do such a great evil and sin against God?”

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

he is not greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back anything from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?

KJV

There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?

This verse in Genesis 39

Commentary

10 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

How then - ואיך veeik, and how? Joseph gives two most powerful reasons for his noncompliance with the wishes of his mistress: 1. Gratitude to his master, to whom he owed all that he had. 2. His fear of God, in whose sight it would be a heinous offense, and who would not fail to punish him for it.

This site's exposition

cast her eyes upon Joseph

on Genesis 39:7-9

Joseph refuses and gives two reasons in order, the trust his master put in him, and then God. He calls it sin against God. Nothing has been withheld from him except her, and the verse gives the reason, that she is his master's wife. Everything given and one thing held back is the shape of Genesis 2:16 and 17.

This site's exposition

how could I do such a great evil

Abimelech spoke of adultery as a great guilt on his kingdom at Genesis 20:9. After his own adultery David confessed at Psalm 51:4 that his sin was against God and was evil in His sight. Joseph names that before the act.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers2 voices

A commentator

John Chrysostom

HOMILIES ON GENESIS 62.18 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

What a grateful man! See how Joseph counts the blessings from his master so as to demonstrate the ingratitude she shows to her partner. "After all, I the servant," he is saying, "the stranger, the captive, enjoyed such security at his hands that everything came under my control, and there is nothing that he has kept from my control except you; whereas I am personally in charge of everything, to you alone am I subordinate, and you in fact are beyond my authority." Then, to deal her an opportune blow by reminding her of her husband's favor and persuade her not to prove ungrateful to her partner, he said, "You in fact are beyond my authority 'for the reason that you are his wife.' So if you are really his wife, 'how then could I do this wicked deed and commit sin in God's eyes?' " You see, since she was looking for privacy and waiting for an opportunity in her anxiety to escape the notice of her husband and all the servants of the household, he said, "How could I manage to do this wicked thing and commit sin in God's eyes?" I mean, what are you thinking of? Even if we succeed in escaping the notice of everyone, we will not be able to escape the notice of the unsleeping eye. That is the only one you need to fear, to be concerned and tremble about so as not to commit anything unlawful under his scrutiny.

A commentator

John Chrysostom

HOMILIES ON GENESIS 62.24 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

Let us therefore make this our concern too, to have the Lord with us always so that what is done by us will be concluded successfully by him. You see, the person accorded this grace, even should he happen to find himself in the midst of troubles, will think nothing of them since the Lord of all, who creates and transforms everything, makes everything prosper for him and renders all difficulties easy. But how will we succeed in having the Lord with us and enjoying his guidance in everything? If we are vigilant and alert and imitate this young man's self-control, his other virtues and noble attitude, and if we see that it is so necessary for us to perform all our duties precisely so as never to be condemned by the Lord. We perform our duties to acknowledge that it is impossible to escape the notice of that unsleeping eye and that instead the sinner cannot but become liable to his punishments. Let us not place greater weight on respect for human beings than on God's anger but rather recall in every circumstance those words of Joseph, "How could I do this wicked deed and commit sin in God's eyes?" So when some temptation disturbs us, let us turn these words over in our mind, and every unholy desire will immediately be put to flight.

The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament (1765)

How can I sin against God - Not only how shall I do it and sin against my master, my mistress, myself, my own body and soul, but against God? - Gracious souls look upon this as the worst thing in sin, that it is against God, against his nature and his dominion, against his love and his design. They that love God, for this reason hate sin.
There is none greater in this house than I,....

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

Note, We are bound in honour, as well as justice and gratitude, not in any thing to injure those that have a good opinion of us and place a trust in us, how secretly soever it may be done.
2 more voices on this verse

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

In general, when at any time we are tempted to sin, we must consider the great wickedness there is in it, let sin appear sin ( Rom. vii. 13 ), call it by its own name, and never go about to lessen it. Particularly let the sin of uncleanness always be looked upon as great wickedness, as an exceedingly sinful sin, that wars against the soul as much as any other.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?--This remonstrance, when all inferior arguments had failed, embodied the true principle of moral purity--a principle always sufficient where it exists, and alone sufficient.

How the passage was read

What the Jewish commentators add

On the verses either side of this one

TO LIE ‘ETZLA’ (BY HER). The meaning of this expression is as Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra interpreted it: “even to lie near her, each in their garment, or to be with her for general conversation.
Ramban: Spain, 1194–1270 · Ramban on Genesis 39:10:1, via Sefaria, Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976

This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.

Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.

The words behind it

22 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • אֵינֶ֨נּוּnot [is] he

    ʾeinenuH369 →789 times

  • גָד֜וֹלgreat

    gadolH1419 →526 times

  • בַּבַּ֣יִתin the household

    babayitH1004 →2046 times

  • הַזֶּה֮<the> this

    hazehH2088 →1180 times

  • מִמֶּנִּי֒more than me

    mimeniH4480 →1188 times

  • וְלֹֽא־and not

    velo'-H3808 →5168 times

  • חָשַׂ֤ךְhe has withheld

    chasakhH2820 →28 times

  • מִמֶּ֙נִּי֙from me

    mimeniH4480 →1188 times

  • מְא֔וּמָהanything

    meumahH3972 →32 times

  • כִּ֥יthat

    kiH3588 →4482 times

  • אִם־except

    ʾim-H518 →1069 times

  • אוֹתָ֖ךְ<obj.> you

    ʾotakhH853 →10935 times

  • בַּאֲשֶׁ֣רin that

    baasherH834 →5497 times

  • אַתְּ־you

    ʾat-H859 →1094 times

  • אִשְׁתּ֑וֹ[are] wife his

    ʾishtoH802 →781 times

  • וְאֵ֨יךְand how?

    veeikhH349 →82 times

  • אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֜הwill I do

    ʾeesehH6213 →2628 times

  • הָרָעָ֤הthe evil

    haraahH7451 →662 times

  • הַגְּדֹלָה֙<the> great

    hagedolahH1419 →526 times

  • הַזֹּ֔את<the> this

    hazotH2063 →603 times

  • וְחָטָ֖אתִיand I will sin

    vechatatiH2398 →238 times

  • לֵֽאלֹהִֽים׃to God

    lelohimH430 →2601 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    1 John 3:9

    Anyone born of God refuses to practice sin, because God’s seed abides in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.

    it leads to

    • 1 John 5:18

      We know that anyone born of God does not keep on sinning; the One who was born of God protects him, and the evil one cannot touch him.

    • 1 Peter 1:23

      For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

    • 1 John 5:1

      Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father also loves those born of Him.

    • John 1:13

      children born not of blood, nor of the desire or will of man, but born of God.

    • 1 John 2:29

      If you know that He is righteous, you also know that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of Him.

  • Through

    Luke 12:48

    But the one who unknowingly does things worthy of punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and from him who has been entrusted…

    it leads to

    • James 3:1

      Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.

    • Leviticus 5:17

      If someone sins and violates any of the LORD’s commandments even though he was unaware, he is guilty and shall bear his punishment.

    • Luke 16:10–12

      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.

Where this verse is studied

On this page

About Genesis

The Tower of Babel, Pieter Brueghel the Elder, 1563. Public domain.
The Tower of Babel, Pieter Brueghel the Elder, 1563. Public domain.

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentary on Genesis; John Chrysostom, HOMILIES ON GENESIS 62.18; John Chrysostom, HOMILIES ON GENESIS 62.24; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.