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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadPaul Kretzmann Commentary - Genesis 39:7 - 39:12
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Joseph Flees from Temptation
v. 6. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favored. He was a handsome young man, and well proportioned, well built.
v. 7. And it came to pass after these things that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me. With lustful persuasions, continued for some time, she tried to lead him to commit fornication.
v. 8. But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth (knoweth)not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand;
v. 9. there is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back anything from me but thee, because thou art his wife; how, then, can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? Joseph gave three reasons why he was obliged to be disobedient to his master's wife: It would have been a disgraceful abuse of the confidence placed in him by his master; it would have been an outrage upon Potiphar's rights as a husband; it-would have been adultery, a great crime in the sight of God. It is the thought of God, the fear of the Lord, the consciousness that nothing is hidden from His knowledge, that aids in fighting temptations of every kind.
v. 10. And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her to lie by her or to be with her. He resolutely turned his face from the temptation, he arranged his work so that he was never alone with her, all of which meant a continual battle with his own flesh and blood.
v. 11. And it came to pass about this time that Joseph went in to the house to do his business, a day came when he came to the house to attend to his work; and there was none of the men of the house there within. It was probably by her arrangement that all the servants were absent at that time.
v. 12. And she caught him by his garment, she took a firm hold of his outer garment, saying, Lie with me; she wanted to take by force what she could not obtain by her lustful suggestions. And he left the garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out. He preferred flight with the loss of his dress and of his good name to the loss of his chastity. So far as youthful lusts are concerned, there is only one way of dealing with them properly, namely, by fleeing from them, by fleeing fornication and every form of uncleanness. For it is here that no person dare to put too much confidence in himself.