Genesis 39:17, commentary and pictures

Potiphar's wife spoke a revengeful false charge in her husband's house, calling Joseph the Hebrew servant brought into the household and claiming he came in to mock and dishonor her after he had firmly refused to transgress God's law and betray his master's trust. Joseph was wholly innocent and conscious of right, yet he was maligned, treated as a criminal, and persecuted for his righteousness and virtue. He met temptation with simplicity and fidelity to God, refusing to conceal that he worshiped Jehovah, and under false accusation and unjust imprisonment he remained faithful in the fear of God, bearing it without murmuring and placing his reputation in God's hands. The Lord was with him and made his work prosper, and though the lie cast him into gloomy prison and cruel bondage, God did not forsake him but gave him favor, preserved his integrity, turned the misfortune to prepare him for an important position, and in time raised him from humiliation to honor. His steadfastness stands as an example to all generations that the fear of God is a present defense in the severest temptation, that preserving virtue may bring reproach and sore trial rather than earthly prosperity, and that as with Christ, who was likewise hated and condemned by false witnesses for His righteous life, it is through much tribulation that God's children enter the kingdom.

Setting and False Charge

The words were spoken in the house of Potiphar, captain of the king's guard, to whom Joseph was sold on his arrival in Egypt and whom he served for ten years. That house stood amid idolatry, surrounded by all the pomp of royalty and the wealth and culture of the most highly civilized nation then in existence. There, amid sights and sounds of vice, Joseph faced temptations of no ordinary character.

She repeated the charge against him, calling him the Hebrew servant brought unto them and brought into the household. She said he had come in unto her to mock her and to dishonor her.

The charge was revengeful false testimony, a base and foul crime and calumny. It was driven by strong hatred against virtue and integrity she could not subvert or corrupt. It was laid after Joseph promptly and firmly resisted a fierce assault upon his morals from one of influence. He would not by any inducements or threats be persuaded to deviate from righteousness, to transgress God's law, to abuse his master's great confidence in intrusting all things to him, to do wrong, and to sin against God.

Joseph was innocent and conscious of innocence and right. Yet he suffered for his righteousness and virtue, was treated as a criminal, and was maligned and persecuted because he would not yield his integrity. His courage and uprightness under that severe test showed trust in God even while doing no wrong brought false accusation and imprisonment.

Faithfulness and Divine Providence

Temptation was met by preserving simplicity and fidelity to God, acting as one who saw and heard not and refusing to let thoughts linger on forbidden subjects. Principles were not concealed nor the fact of being a worshiper of Jehovah hidden to gain favor, since such concealment would have brought defeat. Integrity tested by false charges remained faithful in the fear of God and would not be persuaded to leave the path of righteousness. Imprisonment was borne meekly without murmuring, without sinking in despair, with reputation and interest placed in God's hands in trust, in self-control, patience in adversity, courage, uprightness, and unwavering fidelity under severe test.

The Lord was with Joseph and made all that he did prosper. Even his idolatrous master saw it and trusted him more daily, promoting him to steward with full control over all possessions. Of his own affairs he knew nothing except the bread he ate, while industry, care, and energy were crowned with divine blessing. By her influence the false charge caused him, surrounded by idolaters, to be bound with fetters and cast into gloomy prison and unjust and cruel bondage, brought low for a time.

God watched over his conduct, did not forsake or forget him, and preserved his integrity. He gave him favor with the keepers and committed to him the charge of all the prisoners, turning the misfortune into blessing to prepare him to fill an important position. The reputation blackened by the wicked accuser was safely guarded and in His own good time caused to shine, with victories given through suffering for doing right, and in time he was raised from humiliation to honor and responsibility. The verse means God remembers and keeps His faithful people in the trying hour when they are cast into unjust bondage, prison, and threatened death. Christ cannot forsake those who are as the apple of His eye and the purchase of His blood, but by angels provides the righteous with food and water even while judgments fall and the wicked die from hunger and thirst.

Pattern for Believers

In Egypt Joseph as a youth was tried and proved, standing firm to principle under test without compromising his faith and honoring God in adversity as well as in prosperity. He thus became a representative man and pattern of integrity and a representative of God among a foreign people. Purity and uprightness in a believer would in this way stand in marked contrast to idol worshipers and let heavenly grace shine amid heathen darkness.

His false accusation parallels Jesus, who came to His own and was rejected and despised because His acts were righteous. Though guilty of no wrong, He was hated for faithfully reproving sin and corruption, condemned by hired false witnesses, and mocked and derided because His righteous life was a constant rebuke to sin. The story is thereby an example to all generations and a benefit to all who live afterward, showing that though exposed to the severest temptations there is defense at hand. That defense is the fear of God covering the heart, a present help and shield of His Spirit and source of strength to apply and resist, so that it will be their own fault if they are not preserved.

Preserving virtue and integrity toward God and closely connecting with God may not bring prosperity in the things of this life but may bring reproach, persecution, unjust reproach, sore trial and affliction. Followers of Christ will often be sorely tried and afflicted, for God leads His children through trial to perfect trust, and it is through much tribulation that they enter the kingdom of God. Forming such a character worthy of imitation is very serious business, for character is tested through choices. Each person is responsible for the kind of character he builds and decides his own eternal destiny, no professor can make character for another, and the present probationary time is the only opportunity to stand the test and proving of God and form the character that will face the judgment, with no second probation to come.

His righteous character came from God and reflected the righteousness and compassionate mind of Jesus Christ. Virtue in time brings its own reward, for Providence will overrule calumny, false accusations, and the enemy's plans for good. His steadfastness in the might of divine power is a witness to the world of the faithfulness of God's promises, His abiding presence and sustaining grace. It calls for faith that calmly reposes in God in the darkest hour and looks beyond the things of time and sense to the worth of eternal riches. Though unknown and unacknowledged by the world, he is enrolled as a citizen in the record books of heaven with promise of an inheritance of greater value than any earthly riches that satisfies the longings of the soul and an enduring eternal weight of glory.