And Joseph was brought down to Egypt,.... By the Ishmaelites,
Genesis 37:28; as in a following clause:
and Potiphar an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian; as his name also shows, which signifies the fruit of Pot or Phut, that is, the son or grandson of one of that name m; which might be common in Egypt, since it was the name of a son of Ham, Genesis 10:6, from whom the land of Egypt is called the land of Ham, Psalms 105:23; of this man and his offices, Genesis 37:36;
he bought him: that is, "Joseph",
of the hands of the Ishmaelites, who had brought him down thither; what they gave for him we know, but what they sold him for to Potiphar is not said; no doubt they got a good price for him, and his master had a good bargain too, as appears by what follows.
m Onomastic. Sacr. p. 671, 672.