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Genesis 39 Bible study: The LORD was with Joseph

In Egypt the LORD was with Joseph, and Potiphar's house was blessed for his sake. Joseph refused Potiphar's wife because it would betray his master and "sin against God", and when she grabbed him he left his garment and ran. She used the garment to accuse him, and he went to prison; but the LORD was with him there too and showed him kindness.

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“But the LORD was with Joseph, and showed kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.”
Genesis 39:21 · World English Bible

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“‘The LORD was with Joseph’ in Potiphar's house and in the prison.”

Is that in Genesis 39, or not? Make your call.

What's really going on

"The LORD was with Joseph"

In the text

Joseph is bought by Potiphar, "an officer of Pharaoh’s, the captain of the guard" (39:1). "The LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man" (39:2). Potiphar sees it, puts Joseph over everything, and "the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake" (39:3-5). He "didn’t concern himself with anything, except for the food which he ate" (39:6).

Where it leads to Jesus

"God was with him"

Interpretation

Genesis 39:21leads toActs 10:38

"The LORD was with Joseph" (39:21), and Stephen sums up Joseph's story the same way: "God was with him and delivered him out of all his afflictions" (Acts 7:9-10). Peter uses the same words of Jesus, who "went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him" (Acts 10:38). Setting the two side by side is a reading, not something Acts states: some see Joseph as a picture of Jesus here, and others note that the same is said of Abraham and Isaac (21:22; 26:28) and see no link intended.

Honest questions

Questions people ask about Genesis 39

That was a taste

The rest of Genesis 39 is waiting in Favor

  • "How then can I do this great wickedness?"
  • He left his garment and ran
  • The LORD was with him in prison
  • Eight times "the LORD"
  • "Flee"
  • 10 questions as you read
  • 4 more Hebrew words
  • A short check at the end
  • Your notes, saved as you go
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The Hebrew word behind it

בֶּגֶדbegedsay BE-ged

"Garment, covering" (Brown-Driver-Briggs). Clothes come up again and again in Jacob's family story. Rebekah put Esau's "good clothes" on Jacob (27:15), and Isaac "smelled the smell of his clothing" (27:27). Reuben "tore his clothes" at the empty pit (37:29). Tamar took off "the garments of her widowhood" and put them back on (38:14, 19). Here the word comes six times, for the garment Joseph leaves behind (39:12-18). And in 41:42 Pharaoh arrays Joseph "in robes of fine linen", with the same word.

For your group

Genesis 39 Bible study questions

  1. 1Potiphar's wife pressed Joseph "day by day." What helps you stay firm when temptation keeps coming back?
  2. 2Joseph did right and lost his place. How do you keep trusting God when doing right costs you?
  3. 3"The LORD was with Joseph" in the house and in the prison. What difference does it make to know God is with you in both good places and hard ones?

Leading a group? In Favor, everyone reads Genesis 39 during the week and answers these questions privately. Answers stay sealed until you meet, then appear together, and you can print the week's sheet.

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Questions

What is Favor?

Favor is a Bible study app that explains every chapter as you read: the Hebrew and Greek behind the words, the details most readers miss, and how each part of the Bible leads to Jesus. Read on your own, or start a Bible study with friends, family or your church.

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Yes. Favor starts where you are and explains as it goes. The questions along the way aren't marked right or wrong: you answer, then see what the text shows.

Which Bible does Favor use?

The World English Bible, a modern, readable translation in the public domain. God's name appears as "the LORD", as in most English Bibles.

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No. Favor is non-denominational. Where Christians read a passage differently, it shows the main views side by side and doesn't pick one.

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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Hebrew and Greek words are checked against the original-language texts and public-domain lexicons. What we believe · Favor home