Potiphar's Wife

The Temptress in Egypt

Patriarkat

Potiphar's wife was an Egyptian woman married to Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh's guard. She is known for repeatedly attempting to seduce Joseph, and when he rejected her, she falsely accused him of attempted rape, which led to Joseph being thrown into prison.

Perhe

Avaintapahtumat

Attempted Seduction

Potiphar's wife noticed Joseph's beauty and tried day after day to seduce him, but Joseph consistently refused to sin against God and his master.

7After some time, his master's wife took notice of Joseph and said, "Come to bed with me."
וַיְהִ֗י אַחַר֙ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה וַתִּשָּׂ֧א אֵֽשֶׁת־אֲדֹנָ֛יו אֶת־עֵינֶ֖יהָ אֶל־יוֹסֵ֑ף וַתֹּ֖אמֶר שִׁכְבָ֥ה עִמִּֽי׃ ‬
8But he refused. "Look," he said to her, "my master gives no thought to anything in this house; he has put everything he owns into my hands.
וַיְמָאֵ֓ן ׀ וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֶל־אֵ֣שֶׁת אֲדֹנָ֔יו הֵ֣ן אֲדֹנִ֔י לֹא־יָדַ֥ע אִתִּ֖י מַה־בַּבָּ֑יִת וְכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־יֶשׁ־ל֖וֹ נָתַ֥ן בְּיָדִֽי׃ ‬
9No one in this house stands above me, and he has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a great evil and sin against God?"
אֵינֶ֨נּוּ גָד֜וֹל בַּבַּ֣יִת הַזֶּה֮ מִמֶּנִּי֒ וְלֹֽא־חָשַׂ֤ךְ מִמֶּ֙נִּי֙ מְא֔וּמָה כִּ֥י אִם־אוֹתָ֖ךְ בַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר אַתְּ־אִשְׁתּ֑וֹ וְאֵ֨יךְ אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֜ה הָרָעָ֤ה הַגְּדֹלָה֙ הַזֹּ֔את וְחָטָ֖אתִי לֵֽאלֹהִֽים׃ ‬
10Day after day she kept at him, but he would not listen to her or lie with her or be with her.
וַיְהִ֕י כְּדַבְּרָ֥הּ אֶל־יוֹסֵ֖ף י֣וֹם ׀ י֑וֹם וְלֹא־שָׁמַ֥ע אֵלֶ֛יהָ לִשְׁכַּ֥ב אֶצְלָ֖הּ לִהְי֥וֹת עִמָּֽהּ׃ ‬

The Decisive Confrontation

When she was alone with Joseph in the house, she grabbed his cloak and demanded that he lie with her, but Joseph fled, leaving the cloak in her hands.

11One such day he came into the house to do his work, and none of the household servants was there.
וַיְהִי֙ כְּהַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה וַיָּבֹ֥א הַבַּ֖יְתָה לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת מְלַאכְתּ֑וֹ וְאֵ֨ין אִ֜ישׁ מֵאַנְשֵׁ֥י הַבַּ֛יִת שָׁ֖ם בַּבָּֽיִת׃ ‬
12She caught hold of his cloak and said, "Come to bed with me!" But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.
וַתִּתְפְּשֵׂ֧הוּ בְּבִגְד֛וֹ לֵאמֹ֖ר שִׁכְבָ֣ה עִמִּ֑י וַיַּעֲזֹ֤ב בִּגְדוֹ֙ בְּיָדָ֔הּ וַיָּ֖נָס וַיֵּצֵ֥א הַחֽוּצָה׃ ‬

False Accusation Against a Servant

She called out to the servants of the house, showed them Joseph's cloak as evidence, and accused him of attempting to assault her.

13When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had fled outside,
וַיְהִי֙ כִּרְאוֹתָ֔הּ כִּֽי־עָזַ֥ב בִּגְד֖וֹ בְּיָדָ֑הּ וַיָּ֖נָס הַחֽוּצָה׃ ‬
14she called the men of her household and said to them, "Look, he has brought us a Hebrew to make sport of us! He came to me to lie with me, but I screamed at the top of my voice." [Footnote: "He" here refers to her husband, the master of the house — an accusation she repeats in verse 17.]
וַתִּקְרָ֞א לְאַנְשֵׁ֣י בֵיתָ֗הּ וַתֹּ֤אמֶר לָהֶם֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר רְא֗וּ הֵ֥בִיא לָ֛נוּ אִ֥ישׁ עִבְרִ֖י לְצַ֣חֶק בָּ֑נוּ בָּ֤א אֵלַי֙ לִשְׁכַּ֣ב עִמִּ֔י וָאֶקְרָ֖א בְּק֥וֹל גָּדֽוֹל׃ ‬
15When he heard me raise my voice and scream, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house."
וַיְהִ֣י כְשָׁמְע֔וֹ כִּֽי־הֲרִימֹ֥תִי קוֹלִ֖י וָאֶקְרָ֑א וַיַּעֲזֹ֤ב בִּגְדוֹ֙ אֶצְלִ֔י וַיָּ֖נָס וַיֵּצֵ֥א הַחֽוּצָה׃ ‬
16She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home,
וַתַּנַּ֥ח בִּגְד֖וֹ אֶצְלָ֑הּ עַד־בּ֥וֹא אֲדֹנָ֖יו אֶל־בֵּיתֽוֹ׃ ‬
17and then she told him the same story: "That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me.
וַתְּדַבֵּ֣ר אֵלָ֔יו כַּדְּבָרִ֥ים הָאֵ֖לֶּה לֵאמֹ֑ר בָּֽא־אֵלַ֞י הָעֶ֧בֶד הָֽעִבְרִ֛י אֲשֶׁר־הֵבֵ֥אתָ לָּ֖נוּ לְצַ֥חֶק בִּֽי׃ ‬
18But when I raised my voice and screamed, he left his cloak beside me and fled outside."
וַיְהִ֕י כַּהֲרִימִ֥י קוֹלִ֖י וָאֶקְרָ֑א וַיַּעֲזֹ֥ב בִּגְד֛וֹ אֶצְלִ֖י וַיָּ֥נָס הַחֽוּצָה׃ ‬

Accusation to Potiphar

When her husband came home, she repeated the false accusation and showed him the cloak, which led Potiphar in anger to have Joseph thrown into prison.

17and then she told him the same story: "That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me.
וַתְּדַבֵּ֣ר אֵלָ֔יו כַּדְּבָרִ֥ים הָאֵ֖לֶּה לֵאמֹ֑ר בָּֽא־אֵלַ֞י הָעֶ֧בֶד הָֽעִבְרִ֛י אֲשֶׁר־הֵבֵ֥אתָ לָּ֖נוּ לְצַ֥חֶק בִּֽי׃ ‬
18But when I raised my voice and screamed, he left his cloak beside me and fled outside."
וַיְהִ֕י כַּהֲרִימִ֥י קוֹלִ֖י וָאֶקְרָ֑א וַיַּעֲזֹ֥ב בִּגְד֛וֹ אֶצְלִ֖י וַיָּ֥נָס הַחֽוּצָה׃ ‬
19When his master heard what his wife told him—"This is how your slave treated me"—he burned with anger.
וַיְהִי֩ כִשְׁמֹ֨עַ אֲדֹנָ֜יו אֶת־דִּבְרֵ֣י אִשְׁתּ֗וֹ אֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבְּרָ֤ה אֵלָיו֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר כַּדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה עָ֥שָׂה‪[t]‬ לִ֖י עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ וַיִּ֖חַר אַפּֽוֹ׃ ‬
20Joseph's master took him and put him in the prison where the king's prisoners were held, and there he remained.
וַיִּקַּח֩ אֲדֹנֵ֨י יוֹסֵ֜ף אֹת֗וֹ וַֽיִּתְּנֵ֙הוּ֙ אֶל־בֵּ֣ית הַסֹּ֔הַר מְק֕וֹם אֲשֶׁר־*אסורי **אֲסִירֵ֥י הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ אֲסוּרִ֑ים וֽ͏ַיְהִי־שָׁ֖ם בְּבֵ֥ית הַסֹּֽהַר׃ ‬