CRITICAL NOTES.—
Genesis 39:14. An Hebrew.] “A Hebrew is still the only national designation proper to Joseph. (Genesis 14:13.) Jacob’s descendants had not got beyond the family. The term Israelite was therefore not yet in use. The national name is designedly used as a term of reproach among the Egyptians.” (Genesis 43:32.) (Murphy.)—
Genesis 39:15. Left his garment with me.] “Not in her hand, which would have been suspicious.” (Murphy.)—
Genesis 39:20. The prison.] Heb. House of roundness, or round-house. Called a “dungeon.” (Genesis 41:14) A place where the king’s prisoners were bound. An added explanation.—
MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.— Genesis 39:13-18
THE FALSE CHARGE AGAINST JOSEPH
I. The boldness of it. With her consciousness of guilt, thus to set herself up as a model of immovable virtue, was a most daring boldness.
II. The malignity of it. The charge was preferred out of pure malignity. It was the vengeance of disappointed passion. She plots the destruction of a good man for no other reason but his incomparable virtues. No worse wickedness can be ascribed to the devil.
III. The art and cunning of it. She calls the servants and tells them her unblushing lie, so that they might be witnesses of the insult offered to her by this Hebrew. As the appearances were altogether against Joseph, they might consider themselves all but eye-witnesses of his guilt. She speaks to them in a contemptuous manner of her husband, throwing all the blame upon him; and she does not scruple even to impute the same to his face. “See, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock us.” “The Hebrew servant which thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me.” (Genesis 39:14; Genesis 39:17). She says nothing concerning the injury done to her husband, but charges him with being the cause of this attack upon her virtue. This would excite his wrath and put him upon the vindication of his honour. He would be ready to excuse her words spoken under the inspiration of the noble rage of offended virtue. Yet a discerning mind might perceive here that her cunning really overshot its mark. The fact that she speaks so disrespectfully of her husband reveals the estrangement of her heart from him, and also a design to annoy him by holding him up to the contempt of his servants.
IV. The lessons of this history.
1. That impurity and falsehood are closely allied. The devil, as he is an unclean spirit, so he is also a liar. This is the first example of gross calumniation recorded in Scripture, and it comes from an adulterous woman.
2. That God’s saints should be patient under false accusations. All things concerning the righteous, even their persecutions, are under the control of God; and in the long run, He will vindicate their honour. He will bring forth their righteousness as the light, and their judgment as the noonday, though it may have been long hidden under the clouds of calumny. God may seem to bring His people down to the very grave, and yet He will surely bring them up. The 37th Psalm teaches us how we are to consider this affliction of Joseph.
3. That we should do the thing that is right in utter disregard of all evil consequences to ourselves. By maintaining his integrity and purity, Joseph exposed himself to the imputation of being regarded as a monster of iniquity. In the cause of righteousness he had literally to bear sin. But he heeded not consequences. He only thought of obligation. He bore the reputation of a sinner, but his record was on high, his judgment with his God. What we have to avoid is the sin itself; against the lie there may be found a remedy.
SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS ON THE VERSES
Genesis 39:13. The danger incurred by this was very obvious. Her resentment might improve it as the instrument of his destruction; or, if she endeavoured, for her own sake, to conceal it, an accident might probably discover it, and raise very dark suspicions against him. But convinced that sin was an infinitely worse evil than disgrace or death, he is determined to fly at all hazards.—(Bush.)
Genesis 39:14-18. The disappointed passion of Potiphar’s wife had settled down into malice. There are two kinds of love: that love which ever increases, and that which, usurping the name of love, contains within itself the germ of its own destruction.—(Robertson).
The demon of lust is soon converted into that of rage and revenge. (2 Samuel 13:15.)
Doubtless he denied the fact, but he dare not accuse the offender. There is not only the praise of patience, but of times of wisdom, even in unjust sufferings. He knew that God would find time to clear his innocence, and to regard his chaste faithfulness.—(Bp. Hall).