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Genesis 35-42 (Translated) (view source)
Revision as of 01:32, November 8, 2010
, 01:32, November 8, 2010→Chapter 39
|[[Joseph]] was brought down to [[Egypt]]. [[Potiphar]], a [[eunuch]] in the service of [[Pharaoh]], chief of the executioners, an Egyptian, bought him out of the hands of the Ishmaelites who had brought him there.
|[[Joseph]] was brought down to [[Egypt]]. [[Potiphar]], a [[eunuch]] in the service of [[Pharaoh]], chief of the executioners, an Egyptian, bought him out of the hands of the Ishmaelites who had brought him there.
|Any officer as ranking in Egyptian society as the chief executioner had to submit to castration as a condition of employment. But such offices carried with them such honor and privilege that the loss of one's procreative ability was a small price to pay.
|Any officer as ranking in Egyptian society as the chief executioner had to submit to castration as a condition of employment. But such offices carried with them such honor and privilege that the loss of one's procreative ability was a small price to pay.
The chief executioner was commandant of the royal bodyguard force and head of the ancient Egyptian equivalent of the Bureau of Prisons.
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|And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.
|And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.
|His master could see that the L<small>ORD</small> was with him, and that the L<small>ORD</small> made everything he did, succeed in his hands.
|His master could see that the L<small>ORD</small> was with him, and that the L<small>ORD</small> made everything he did, succeed in his hands.
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|Possibly Potiphar noticed or heard about Joseph's habit of praying, and judged Joseph's religion by its apparent result.
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|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.
|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.
|He trusted Joseph with everything he had, and did not even ask for an accounting for anything but the bread he ate. Joseph was also a handsome man, and pleasant to look at.
|He trusted Joseph with everything he had, and did not even ask for an accounting for anything but the bread he ate.
Joseph was also a handsome and good-looking man.
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|7
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|And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me.
|And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me.
|And so it fell out after these events, that his lord's wife cast her eyes on Joseph, and she said, "Lie down with me."
|And so it fell out after these events, that his lord's wife infatuated herself with Joseph, and she said, "Lie down with me."
|Potiphar probably became a married man before he rose high enough in rank to be required to submit to castration. The wife of any man who might advance to such a level accepted that fact as a risk of the match--or at least, such was expected.
|Potiphar probably became a married man before he rose high enough in rank to be required to submit to castration. The wife of any man who might advance to such a level accepted that fact as a risk of the match—or at least, such was expected.
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|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?
|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?
|"There is no one in this house having more authority than myself, and he has not withheld anything from me, except only yourself, because you are his wife. Now how can I do such great evil, and [[sin]] against [[God]]?"
|"There is no one in this house having more authority than myself, and he has not withheld anything from me, except only yourself, because you are his wife. Now how do you expect me to violate his trust like that, and [[sin]] against [[God]]?"
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|And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within.
|And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within.
|Then one day Joseph was coming into the house to do his work, and there was no man from among the household staff there in the house.
|Then one day Joseph was coming into the house to do his work, and there was no man from among the household staff there in the house.
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|A very dangerous situation, to be in the presence of this amorous woman without a [[chaperon]].
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|And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.
|And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.
|Joseph's master had him seized, and put him into the House of the Curve, the special prison where the king's prisoners were confined. So Joseph found himself an inmate of the House of the Curve.
|Joseph's master had him seized, and put him into the House of the Curve, the special prison where the king's prisoners were confined. So Joseph found himself an inmate of the House of the Curve.
|The literal expression "House of the Curve" appears to be the special name assigned to this prison, similar to "Château d'If" during the [[Napoleon]]ic era, or [[Lubyanka Prison]] in [[Moscow]], [[Russia]] in the days of the old [[Soviet Union]].
|The literal expression "House of the Curve" appears to be the special name assigned to this prison, similar to "Château d'If" during the [[Napoleon]]ic era, or [[Lubyanka Prison]] in [[Moscow]], [[Russia]] in the days of the old [[Soviet Union]]. The "Curve" might have been a bend in the Nile River, and specifically a crocodile-infested stretch of it. If so, the message would be plain: even if a prisoner escaped, he would be crocodile bait.
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|And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it.
|And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it.
|And so the warden of the House of the Curve placed all of the prisoners in the House of the Curve under Joseph's authority. Whatever was done in that prison, Joseph was in charge of it.
|And so the warden of the House of the Curve placed all of the prisoners in the House of the Curve under Joseph's authority. Whatever was done in that prison, Joseph was in charge of it.
|In short, Joseph became the ultimate "trusty" in a prison meant for ''very'' special prisoners--quite a distinction indeed.
|In short, Joseph became the ultimate "trusty" in a prison meant for ''very'' special prisoners—quite a distinction indeed. Thus, far from punishment, Joseph received the next level of administrative and executive training, though he probably did not realize it yet.
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