Commentaria in Genesim
Chapter Thirty-nine. Synopsis of the Chapter
The chastity of Joseph is tempted by his master’s wife: he flees, leaving his cloak with her, and for that reason is imprisoned through the mistress’s calumny.
1. And Joseph was brought into Egypt, and Putiphar an eunuch of Pharao, chief captain of the army, an Egyptian, bought him of the Ismaelites, by whom he was brought. 2. And the Lord was with him, and he was a prosperous man in all things: and he dwelt in his master’s house, 3. Who knew very well that the Lord was with him, and that all things which he did were directed by him in his hand. 4. And Joseph found favour in the sight of his master, and ministered to him: and being set over all by him, governed the house committed to him, and all things that were delivered to him: 5. And the Lord blessed the house of the Egyptian for Joseph’s sake, and multiplied all his substance, both at home and in the fields: 6. Neither knew he any other thing, but the bread which he ate. And Joseph was of a beautiful countenance, and comely to behold. 7. After many days, his mistress cast her eyes on Joseph, and said: Lie with me. 8. But he in no wise consenting to that wicked act, said to her: Behold, my master hath delivered all things to me, and knoweth not what he hath in his own house: 9. Neither is there any thing which is not in my power, or that he hath not delivered to me, but thee, who art his wife: how then can I do this wicked thing, and sin against my God? 10. With such words as these day by day, both the woman was importunate on the young man, and he refused the adultery. 11. Now it happened on a certain day, that Joseph went into the house, and was doing some business without any witnesses: 12. And she catching hold of the skirt of his garment, said: Lie with me. But he, leaving the garment in her hand, fled, and went out. 13. And when the woman saw the garment in her hands, and herself disregarded, 14. She called to her the men of her house, and said to them: Behold, he hath brought in a Hebrew, to abuse us: he came in to me, to lie with me: and when I cried out, 15. And he heard my voice, he left the garment which I held, and got him out. 16. For a proof therefore of her fidelity, she kept the garment, and shewed it to her husband when he returned home: 17. And said: The Hebrew servant, whom thou hast brought, came to me to abuse me: 18. And when he heard me cry, he left the garment which I held, and fled out. 19. His master hearing these things, and giving too much credit to his wife’s words, was very angry, 20. And cast Joseph into the prison, where the king’s prisoners were kept, and he was there shut up. 21. But the Lord was with Joseph, and having mercy upon him gave him favour in the sight of the chief keeper of the prison: 22. Who delivered into his hand all the prisoners that were kept in the jail: and whatsoever was done, was under him. 23. Neither did he know any thing, having committed all things to him: for the Lord was with him, and made all that he did to prosper.
1. AND JOSEPH WAS BROUGHT.—Moses here returns to the history of Joseph, interrupted in the preceding chapter by the history of the genealogy of Juda; for Moses here follows the deeds of Joseph and Juda above the other brothers, because Juda and Joseph divided the birthright of Ruben, from which he fell on account of his incest, as will appear chap. xlix, verses 3 and 4.
AND PUTIPHAR BOUGHT HIM.—The Hebrews relate, says St. Jerome, that Putiphar bought Joseph on account of his excessive beauty, for a shameful service, and that therefore, God avenging, his virility withered, so that he became a eunuch, and that for this reason he was chosen priest of Heliopolis: and that his daughter is Aseneth, whom Joseph afterwards took to wife. St. Jerome seems to approve this tradition, and Rupert follows it. But others commonly, and not undeservedly, hold it a fable, devised by the Jews after their manner.
2. AND THE LORD WAS WITH HIM,—directing him and his actions in all things and prospering them, and making him lovable and gracious to all. So St. Chrysostom. Whence it follows: “And he was a man (not in age, for he was a youth of seventeen years, but in prudence and gravity) prospering in all things.” How happy and fortunate is he whose actions are all directed by God!
Note that Joseph found God even in Egypt: for the pious and holy man, wherever he be, finds God, according to that of Psalm cxxxviii: “If I ascend into heaven, thou art there.” See the faithfulness of God, who nowhere in adversity forsakes his own, as the world does.
See again how every soil is a native land to the brave man. Stilpo, taken at Megara by Demetrius, and asked whether he had lost anything, answered: “War carries off no spoils from virtue.” And Bias, his country taken, an exile: “All that is mine,” he said, “I carry with me.” The same Joseph here felt and did. St. Chrysostom adds, hom. 62, that Joseph in so many and so great calamities did not lose heart, nor distrust his dream and the promise of God concerning his exaltation, much less think himself forsaken by God; but “he bore all things,” he says, “bravely and meekly, hoping for a better lot from God, and not doubting that he would be exalted by this way.” “For this is God’s custom,” he says, “not to deliver from temptations and dangers men illustrious for virtue, but in the very midst of them to show forth his own virtue, so that the temptations themselves become to them an occasion of great joy. Therefore also blessed David: ‘In tribulation thou hast enlarged me’; he does not say, ‘Thou hast delivered,’ but ‘enlarged me,’ that is, me.” Hear St. Ambrose, book On Joseph, chap. 4: “Every sin,” he says, “is servile, innocence is free. How is he not a slave who is subject to lust? He takes upon himself all fears, he lies in wait for the dreams of each: that he may gain possession of one desire, he becomes the slave of all.” And soon after: “Does he not seem to you to be lord in servitude, and the other to serve in freedom? Joseph served, Pharao reigned: more blessed is the servitude of the one than the kingdom of the other. Finally, all Egypt would have collapsed with hunger, had he not subjected his kingdom to the counsel of a slave. Home-born slaves, then, have whereof to glory: Joseph too was a slave; they have what to imitate, that they may learn that they can change their condition, not their character; that there is freedom even in the home-born and constancy in servitude (1).”
6. NEITHER KNEW HE ANY OTHER THING, BUT THE BREAD WHICH HE ATE,—not Putiphar, but Joseph, says Jerome Prado on Ezech., chap. xix, verse 39, as if to say: Joseph appropriated or claimed for himself nothing at all of so rich a substance committed to him by his master, beyond the necessary provision of life: so that to know here is the same as to claim for himself, to acknowledge as his own, to ascribe to himself, as if Joseph were here praised for a certain rare continence or abstinence.
But because in verse 23 the same is said, not of Joseph but of the keeper of the prison, namely that he knew nothing of his own things, but had entrusted all to Joseph: hence we shall better take the same phrase here also in the same way, as if to say: Putiphar so entrusted all his affairs to Joseph that he inquired nothing about them, knew nothing, took care of nothing, save only to sit down at table and enjoy those things which Joseph cared for and provided.
7. AFTER MANY DAYS,—about the eleventh year of his captivity and servitude in Egypt, when he was already 27 years old. For in the 17th year of his age Joseph was led into Egypt, and in the 30th he was freed from the prison, in which he had been three years on account of this calumny of his mistress, as I shall show chap. xl, verse 4; he was therefore cast into prison in the 27th year of his age.
HIS MISTRESS CAST HER EYES ON JOSEPH.—Truly, the eyes are the leaders in love. He who would be chaste, therefore, let him imitate Job, saying, chap. xxxi: “I made a covenant with my eyes, that I would not so much as think upon a virgin.” Again let young men learn here, says St. Ambrose, to beware the eyes of women: for even those who do not wish to be loved are loved.
9. HOW THEN CAN I DO THIS WICKED THING?—that I should be so ungrateful, unfaithful and unjust to my master, who is so well disposed toward me?