7
Afterוַיְהִי אַחַרtheseהָאֵלֶּהthings,הַדְּבָרִיםhis lord’sאֲדֹנָיוwifeאֵשֶׁתcastוַתִּשָּׂאher eyesאֶת עֵינֶיהָon Josephאֶל יוֹסֵףand said,וַתֹּאמֶר“Lieשִׁכְבָהwith me.”עִמִּי
Genesis 39:7
Study it in the app“After these things, his lord’s wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, “Lie with me.””
Joseph refuses his master's wife: it would be a sin against GodPurityJoseph refuses to betray his master's trust, and runs outsideTemptation
With the Hebrew beneath
Genesis 39:7, word by word
- Afterיְהִיyehi
happen
For something to occur or take place; many stories open with this word.
Where else “yehi” appears- thingsדְּבָרִיםdevarim
thing
A matter, a thing; with "not", nothing.
Where else “devarim” appears- his lord’sאֲדֹנָיadonay
lord
The one with authority over another; or a respectful title.
Where else “adonay” appears- wifeאֵשֶׁתeshet
wife
Literally "his woman": the one married to him.
Where else “eshet” appears- castתִּשָּׂאtisa
lift up
To direct the eyes upward, make the voice loud, or put up the hand.
Where else “tisa” appears- her eyesעֵינֶיene
eye
The organ with which one sees; so "lift the eyes" means to look.
Where else “ene” appears- on Josephיוֹסֵףyosef
Joseph
Joseph, a name borne by several Israelites, above all the son of Jacob and Rachel, sold into Egypt, who became ruler there and saved his family; his sons Ephraim and Manasseh became tribes. The name means "may he add".
Where else “yosef” appears- and saidתֹּאמֶרtomer
say
To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.
Where else “tomer” appears- “Lieשִׁכְבָshichva
lie with
To lie with someone, have relations.
Where else “shichva” appears
The context
6He left all that he had in the hand of Joseph, and with him there he did not concern himself with anything except the bread that he ate. Now Joseph was well-built and handsome.
7 · This verse (above)
8But he refused and said to his lord’s wife, “Look, with me here my lord does not concern himself with what is in the house, and all that he has he has put in my hand.
To study Genesis 39 in a group
1. What it says
What happened to Joseph in Potiphar’s house, and why did he end up in prison (vv. 2-20)?
2. What it means
What does it mean that YHWH was with Joseph even in prison (vv. 21-23)?
3. How I live it
How can you keep your integrity when doing the right thing costs you?