And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth,
The verse marks the moment when Joseph fled from Potiphar's wife under fierce assault upon his morals, leaving his garment in her hand rather than compromise his faith and transgress God's law. His flight was firm resistance by one of influence, refusing by any inducement or threat to deviate from righteousness, prove untrue to his master, or allow his virtue and integrity to be corrupted. When she could not subvert his virtue, her hatred turned to revenge, and she used the garment left in her hand to testify falsely and lay a base crime to his charge. Because he preserved his virtue and had done no wrong he was maligned and cast bound into a gloomy prison, yet God did not forget him but guarded his blackened reputation, gave him favor with the keepers, turned the misfortune into blessing, and in time raised him from prison to great responsibility in Egypt. It stands as an example to all generations that amid severest temptation there is defense at hand in God's present help, and Joseph's unjust suffering for righteousness illustrates Christ, who though guilty of no wrong was hated for His righteous life that rebuked corruption and had false witnesses hired against Him.
Setting and Faithful Flight
The moment came during ten years of service to Potiphar, captain of the king's guard. Amid idolatry, royal pomp, wealth, culture, and surrounding vice, Joseph preserved simplicity and fidelity to God and refused to conceal that he was a worshiper of Jehovah. He prospered not by direct miracle but by industry, care, and energy crowned with divine blessing, so that even his idolatrous master recognized him as favored by God. On that ground he was promoted to steward with full control over all possessions.
It was then that Potiphar's wife seized his garment, and he left it in her hand and fled forth rather than compromise his faith. That flight from temptation left the garment behind in her sight. The flight and the abandoned garment became part of the circumstances that brought false accusation and disgrace upon him. Yet the same course shows how God's people, even when taken captive, are to honor Him in adversity and remain faithful among idolaters, and how standing firm to principle marks integrity under trial.
His flight was firm resistance to a fierce assault upon his morals by one of influence. No inducement or threat could move him to deviate from righteousness, to transgress God's law, to prove untrue to his master, or to let his virtue and integrity be corrupted. He preserved his integrity in the fear of God, and his virtue could not be corrupted. For that preserving of virtue and integrity he was maligned and persecuted.
When she could not subvert his virtue, her hatred grew against the virtue and integrity she could not corrupt. In revenge she used the garment left in her hand to testify falsely and to lay a base crime to his charge. By that false testimony and by her influence she brought disgrace upon him. The garment in her hand thus became the instrument of the false charges that followed his flight.
Unjust Suffering and Vindication
Because he would not yield his virtue, integrity and righteousness and had done no wrong, Joseph was maligned and persecuted and treated as a criminal. The garment left in the woman's hand was used in revenge to lay a base crime falsely to his charge, and by her influence he was bound with fetters and cast into a gloomy prison to suffer disgrace. The innocent thus suffered because of his righteousness and was imprisoned because of his virtue.
In consciousness of innocence and right he did not sink in despair but still trusted in God and placed his reputation and interest in God's hands. He bore his suffering meekly without murmuring, with self-control and patience in adversity and unwavering fidelity. His purity of motive and trust sustained him through unjust treatment, and God watched over his conduct through the accusation while he preserved his integrity in the fear of God.
God who had hitherto supported him did not forget or forsake him while he lived among idolaters in danger and trial. He turned even this misfortune into a blessing and made the prison the way to his elevation, overruling the false charges and harm and the enemy's schemes. He safely guarded the reputation blackened by the wicked accuser until in his own good time he caused it to shine, giving Joseph favor with the keepers of the prison and committing to him the charge of all the prisoners. His suffering for doing right did not prevent God from giving him signal victories, and in time God's providential leading raised him from prison to a position of great responsibility in Egypt.
Witness and Gospel Lessons
Even when taken captive, God's people are to represent God among idolaters and carry the blessings of knowing Him to other nations, honoring Him in adversity and remaining faithful where He is not known. In purity and uprightness the believer is to stand in marked contrast to idol worshipers and let heavenly light shine amid heathen darkness. Joseph's flight rather than compromise his faith belongs to that witness in Egypt. His being maligned and persecuted after he fled and left his garment came because he preserved his virtue and integrity.
Close connection with God does not bring prosperity in the things of this life but brings sore trial and affliction. Joseph stands as one of God's appointed witnesses in all ages who for truth's sake expose themselves to reproach and persecution. Followers of Christ will often be sorely tried and afflicted, and God leads His children through trial to perfect trust, since it is through much tribulation that the kingdom of God is entered.
Although exposed to the severest temptations, there is a defense at hand and a source of strength to apply and resist them in God's present help, His Spirit as a shield, and the fear of God covering the heart. The garment left in the hand of the accuser became the instrument of revenge when virtue could not be subverted, used to lay a base crime falsely to his charge and to bring fetters and a gloomy prison upon innocence. Joseph suffered because he would not yield his integrity, yet in consciousness of innocence and right he did not sink in despair but trusted in God and placed his reputation and interest in God's hands. God did not forsake him but turned even this misfortune into a blessing and made the prison the way to his elevation, safely guarding the reputation blackened by the wicked accuser until in His own good time He caused it to shine, giving Joseph favor with the keepers of the prison and committing to him the charge of all the prisoners. The verse therefore stands as an example to all generations, and it will be their own fault if they are not preserved.
In this test Joseph stood firm to principle and was tried and proved, making him a representative man and a pattern of integrity worthy of imitation by youth forming characters that will stand the test of the judgment. Each person is responsible for the character built and decides eternal destiny in this probationary time, with no second probation to stand the test and proving of God. His innocent suffering for righteousness illustrates Christ's innocence and the false accusations made against Him. Christ came to His own and was not received, and was rejected and despised because His righteous, consistent, self-denying life was a continual rebuke to corrupt profession, and was hated because He faithfully reproved sin and corruption. Though guilty of no wrong He had false witnesses hired to testify against Him, and while suffering cruel torture He meekly forgave His murderers, even as Joseph bore unjust imprisonment meekly without murmuring, with self-control and patience in adversity and unwavering fidelity.
The verse marks the moment when Joseph fled from Potiphar's wife under fierce assault upon his morals, leaving his garment in her hand rather than compromise his faith and transgress God's law. His flight was firm resistance by one of influence, refusing by any inducement or threat to deviate from righteousness, prove untrue to his master, or allow his virtue and integrity to be corrupted. When she could not subvert his virtue, her hatred turned to revenge, and she used the garment left in her hand to testify falsely and lay a base crime to his charge. Because he preserved his virtue and had done no wrong he was maligned and cast bound into a gloomy prison, yet God did not forget him but guarded his blackened reputation, gave him favor with the keepers, turned the misfortune into blessing, and in time raised him from prison to great responsibility in Egypt. It stands as an example to all generations that amid severest temptation there is defense at hand in God's present help, and Joseph's unjust suffering for righteousness illustrates Christ, who though guilty of no wrong was hated for His righteous life that rebuked corruption and had false witnesses hired against Him.
Setting and Faithful Flight
The moment came during ten years of service to Potiphar, captain of the king's guard. Amid idolatry, royal pomp, wealth, culture, and surrounding vice, Joseph preserved simplicity and fidelity to God and refused to conceal that he was a worshiper of Jehovah. He prospered not by direct miracle but by industry, care, and energy crowned with divine blessing, so that even his idolatrous master recognized him as favored by God. On that ground he was promoted to steward with full control over all possessions.
It was then that Potiphar's wife seized his garment, and he left it in her hand and fled forth rather than compromise his faith. That flight from temptation left the garment behind in her sight. The flight and the abandoned garment became part of the circumstances that brought false accusation and disgrace upon him. Yet the same course shows how God's people, even when taken captive, are to honor Him in adversity and remain faithful among idolaters, and how standing firm to principle marks integrity under trial.
His flight was firm resistance to a fierce assault upon his morals by one of influence. No inducement or threat could move him to deviate from righteousness, to transgress God's law, to prove untrue to his master, or to let his virtue and integrity be corrupted. He preserved his integrity in the fear of God, and his virtue could not be corrupted. For that preserving of virtue and integrity he was maligned and persecuted.
When she could not subvert his virtue, her hatred grew against the virtue and integrity she could not corrupt. In revenge she used the garment left in her hand to testify falsely and to lay a base crime to his charge. By that false testimony and by her influence she brought disgrace upon him. The garment in her hand thus became the instrument of the false charges that followed his flight.
Unjust Suffering and Vindication
Because he would not yield his virtue, integrity and righteousness and had done no wrong, Joseph was maligned and persecuted and treated as a criminal. The garment left in the woman's hand was used in revenge to lay a base crime falsely to his charge, and by her influence he was bound with fetters and cast into a gloomy prison to suffer disgrace. The innocent thus suffered because of his righteousness and was imprisoned because of his virtue.
In consciousness of innocence and right he did not sink in despair but still trusted in God and placed his reputation and interest in God's hands. He bore his suffering meekly without murmuring, with self-control and patience in adversity and unwavering fidelity. His purity of motive and trust sustained him through unjust treatment, and God watched over his conduct through the accusation while he preserved his integrity in the fear of God.
God who had hitherto supported him did not forget or forsake him while he lived among idolaters in danger and trial. He turned even this misfortune into a blessing and made the prison the way to his elevation, overruling the false charges and harm and the enemy's schemes. He safely guarded the reputation blackened by the wicked accuser until in his own good time he caused it to shine, giving Joseph favor with the keepers of the prison and committing to him the charge of all the prisoners. His suffering for doing right did not prevent God from giving him signal victories, and in time God's providential leading raised him from prison to a position of great responsibility in Egypt.
Witness and Gospel Lessons
Even when taken captive, God's people are to represent God among idolaters and carry the blessings of knowing Him to other nations, honoring Him in adversity and remaining faithful where He is not known. In purity and uprightness the believer is to stand in marked contrast to idol worshipers and let heavenly light shine amid heathen darkness. Joseph's flight rather than compromise his faith belongs to that witness in Egypt. His being maligned and persecuted after he fled and left his garment came because he preserved his virtue and integrity.
Close connection with God does not bring prosperity in the things of this life but brings sore trial and affliction. Joseph stands as one of God's appointed witnesses in all ages who for truth's sake expose themselves to reproach and persecution. Followers of Christ will often be sorely tried and afflicted, and God leads His children through trial to perfect trust, since it is through much tribulation that the kingdom of God is entered.
Although exposed to the severest temptations, there is a defense at hand and a source of strength to apply and resist them in God's present help, His Spirit as a shield, and the fear of God covering the heart. The garment left in the hand of the accuser became the instrument of revenge when virtue could not be subverted, used to lay a base crime falsely to his charge and to bring fetters and a gloomy prison upon innocence. Joseph suffered because he would not yield his integrity, yet in consciousness of innocence and right he did not sink in despair but trusted in God and placed his reputation and interest in God's hands. God did not forsake him but turned even this misfortune into a blessing and made the prison the way to his elevation, safely guarding the reputation blackened by the wicked accuser until in His own good time He caused it to shine, giving Joseph favor with the keepers of the prison and committing to him the charge of all the prisoners. The verse therefore stands as an example to all generations, and it will be their own fault if they are not preserved.
In this test Joseph stood firm to principle and was tried and proved, making him a representative man and a pattern of integrity worthy of imitation by youth forming characters that will stand the test of the judgment. Each person is responsible for the character built and decides eternal destiny in this probationary time, with no second probation to stand the test and proving of God. His innocent suffering for righteousness illustrates Christ's innocence and the false accusations made against Him. Christ came to His own and was not received, and was rejected and despised because His righteous, consistent, self-denying life was a continual rebuke to corrupt profession, and was hated because He faithfully reproved sin and corruption. Though guilty of no wrong He had false witnesses hired to testify against Him, and while suffering cruel torture He meekly forgave His murderers, even as Joseph bore unjust imprisonment meekly without murmuring, with self-control and patience in adversity and unwavering fidelity.