Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
back to:
Genesis
Book: Genesis
Chapter: 39
Overview:
Joseph preferred
By Potiphar.
(1-6) Joseph resists
Temptation.
(7-12) Joseph is falsely accused
By his mistress.
(13-18) He is
cast into
Prison,
God is with him there.
(19-23)
1-6 Our enemies may strip us of outward distinctions and
ornaments; but
Wisdom and
Grace cannot be taken from us. They
may separate us from friends, relatives, and country; but they
cannot take from us the presence of the
Lord. They may shut us
from outward blessings, rob us of liberty, and confine us in
dungeons; but they cannot shut us out from
Communion with
God,
from the
Throne of
Grace, or take from us the blessings of
Salvation.
Joseph was blessed, wonderfully blessed, even in the
House where he was a
Slave.
God's presence with us, makes all we
do prosperous. Good men are the blessings of the place where
they live; good servants may be
So, though mean and lightly
esteemed. The prosperity of the wicked is, one way or other, for
the sake of the godly. Here was a wicked family blessed for the
sake of one good servant in it.
7-12 Beauty either in men or women, often proves a
Snare both
to themselves and others. This forbids pride in it, and requires
constant watchfulness against the
Temptation that attends it. We
have great need to make a
Covenant with our eyes, lest the eyes
infect the
Heart. When
Lust has got power, decency, and
reputation, and
Conscience, are all sacrificed.
Potiphar's
Wife
showed that her
Heart was fully set to do evil.
Satan, when he
found he could not overcome
Joseph with the troubles and the
frowns of the world, for in them he still held
Fast his
principle, assaulted him with pleasures, which have ruined more
than the former. But
Joseph,
By the
Grace of
God, was enabled to
resist and overcome this
Temptation; and his escape was as great
an instance of the Divine power, as the deliverance of the three
children out of the fiery
Furnace. This
Sin was one which might
most easily beset him. The tempter was his mistress, one whose
favour would help him forward; and it was at his utmost peril if
he slighted her, and made her his enemy. The time and place
favoured the
Temptation. To all this was added frequent,
constant urging. The almighty
Grace of
God enabled
Joseph to
overcome this assault of the enemy. He urges what he owed both
to
God and his master. We are bound in honour, as
Well as
Justice and gratitude, not in any thing to wrong those who place
trust in us, how secretly soever it may be done. He would not
offend his
God. Three arguments
Joseph urges upon himself. 1. He
considers who he was that was tempted. One in
Covenant with
God,
who professed religion and relation to him. 2. What the
Sin was
to which he was tempted. Others might look upon it as a small
matter; but
Joseph did not
So think of it.
Call Sin By its own
name, and never lessen it. Let sins of this nature always be
looked upon as great wickedness, as exceedingly sinful. 3.
Against whom he was tempted to
Sin, against
God.
Sin is against
God, against his nature and his dominion, against his
Love and
his design. Those that
Love God, for this reason hate
Sin. The
Grace of
God enabled
Joseph to overcome the
Temptation,
By
avoiding the temper. He would not stay to parley with the
Temptation, but fled from it, as escaping for his
Life. If we
mean not to do iniquity, let us flee as a
Bird from the
Snare,
and as a
Roe from the hunter.
13-18 Joseph's mistress, having tried in vain to make him a
guilty
Man, endeavoured to be avenged
On him. Those that have
broken the bonds of modesty, will never be held
By the bonds of
Truth. It is
No new thing for the best of men to be falsely
accused of the worst of crimes,
By those who themselves are the
worst of criminals. It is
Well there is a
Day of discovery
coming, in which all shall appear in their true characters.
19-23 Joseph's master believed the accusation.
Potiphar, it is
likely, chose that
Prison, because it was the worst; but
God
designed to open the way to
Joseph's honour.
Joseph was owned
and righted
By his
God. He was away from all his friends and
relations; he had none to help or comfort him; but the
Lord was
with
Joseph, and showed him
Mercy. Those that have a good
Conscience in a
Prison, have a good
God there.
God gave him
favour in the sight of the keeper of the
Prison; he trusted him
to manage the affairs of the
Prison. A good
Man will do good
wherever he is, and will be a blessing even in bonds and
banishment. Let us not forget, through
Joseph, to look unto
Jesus, who suffered being tempted, yet without
Sin; who was
slandered, and persecuted, and imprisoned, but without cause;
who
By the
Cross ascended to the
Throne. May we be enabled to
follow the same path in submitting and in suffering, to the same
place of
Glory.