Genesis 39:8
New International Version
But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care.

New Living Translation
But Joseph refused. “Look,” he told her, “my master trusts me with everything in his entire household.

English Standard Version
But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, because of me my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my charge.

Berean Standard Bible
But he refused. “Look,” he said to his master’s wife, “with me here, my master does not concern himself with anything in his house, and he has entrusted everything he owns to my care.

King James Bible
But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand;

New King James Version
But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand.

New American Standard Bible
But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, with me here, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has put me in charge of all that he owns.

NASB 1995
But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, with me here, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has put all that he owns in my charge.

NASB 1977
But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, with me here, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has put all that he owns in my charge.

Legacy Standard Bible
But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, with me here, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has given all that he owns into my hand.

Amplified Bible
But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, with me in the house, my master does not concern himself with anything; he has put everything that he owns in my charge.

Christian Standard Bible
But he refused. “Look,” he said to his master’s wife, “with me here my master does not concern himself with anything in his house, and he has put all that he owns under my authority.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But he refused. “Look,” he said to his master’s wife, “with me here my master does not concern himself with anything in his house, and he has put all that he owns under my authority.

American Standard Version
But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master knoweth not what is with me in the house, and he hath put all that he hath into my hand:

Contemporary English Version
but he refused and said, "My master isn't worried about anything in his house, because he has placed me in charge of everything he owns.

English Revised Version
But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master knoweth not what is with me in the house, and he hath put all that he hath into my hand;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
But Joseph refused and said to her, "My master doesn't concern himself with anything in the house. He trusts me with everything he owns.

Good News Translation
He refused and said to her, "Look, my master does not have to concern himself with anything in the house, because I am here. He has put me in charge of everything he has.

International Standard Version
But he refused, telling his master's wife, "Look! My master doesn't have to worry about anything in the house with me in charge, and he has entrusted everything into my care.

Majority Standard Bible
But he refused. “Look,” he said to his master’s wife, “with me here, my master does not concern himself with anything in his house, and he has entrusted everything he owns to my care.

NET Bible
But he refused, saying to his master's wife, "Look, my master does not give any thought to his household with me here, and everything that he owns he has put into my care.

New Heart English Bible
But he refused, and said to his master’s wife, "Look, my master does not concern himself with anything in his house, and he has put all that he has into my care.

Webster's Bible Translation
But he refused, and said to his master's wife, Behold, my master knoweth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand:

World English Bible
But he refused, and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, my master doesn’t know what is with me in the house, and he has put all that he has into my hand.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and he refuses and says to his lord’s wife, “Behold, my lord has not known what [is] with me in the house, and all that he has he has given into my hand;

Young's Literal Translation
and he refuseth, and saith unto his lord's wife, 'Lo, my lord hath not known what is with me in the house, and all that he hath he hath given into my hand;

Smith's Literal Translation
And he will refuse, and will say to his lord's wife, Behold, my lord knew not what is with me in the house, and all which is to him he gave into my hand;
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
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:

Catholic Public Domain Version
And without consenting at all to the wicked act, he said to her: “Behold, my lord has delivered all things to me, and he does not know what he has in his own house.

New American Bible
But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, as long as I am here, my master does not give a thought to anything in the house, but has entrusted to me all he owns.

New Revised Standard Version
But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, with me here, my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my hand.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
But he refused, and said to his master's wife, Behold, my master does not know what he has in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my charge;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And he did not want to, and he said to the wife of his lord, “Behold, my Lord does not know what is with me in his house, and everything that he has, he has authorized into my hands;
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
But he refused, and said unto his master's wife: 'Behold, my master, having me, knoweth not what is in the house, and he hath put all that he hath into my hand;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
But he would not; but said to his master's wife, If because of me my master knows nothing in his house, and has given into my hands all things that belong to him:

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Joseph and Potiphar's Wife
7and after some time his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph and said, “Sleep with me.” 8But he refused. “Look,” he said to his master’s wife, “with me here, my master does not concern himself with anything in his house, and he has entrusted everything he owns to my care. 9No one in this house is greater than I am. He has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. So how could I do such a great evil and sin against God?”…

Cross References
Exodus 20:14
You shall not commit adultery.

Proverbs 6:32
He who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself.

Proverbs 7:25-27
Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths. / For she has brought many down to death; her slain are many in number. / Her house is the road to Sheol, descending to the chambers of death.

2 Samuel 11:2-4
One evening David got up from his bed and strolled around on the roof of the palace. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing—a very beautiful woman. / So David sent and inquired about the woman, and he was told, “This is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” / Then David sent messengers to get her, and when she came to him, he slept with her. (Now she had just purified herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned home.

Job 31:1
“I have made a covenant with my eyes. How then could I gaze with desire at a virgin?

Proverbs 5:3-8
Though the lips of the forbidden woman drip honey and her speech is smoother than oil, / in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a double-edged sword. / Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to Sheol. ...

Matthew 5:27-28
You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ / But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

1 Corinthians 6:18-20
Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a man can commit is outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. / Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; / you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body.

2 Timothy 2:22
Flee from youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, together with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

Hebrews 13:4
Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.

1 Thessalonians 4:3-5
For it is God’s will that you should be holy: You must abstain from sexual immorality; / each of you must know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, / not in lustful passion like the Gentiles who do not know God;

Ephesians 5:3
But among you, as is proper among the saints, there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed.

Colossians 3:5
Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry.

Romans 13:13-14
Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. / Instead, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.

1 Peter 2:11
Beloved, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from the desires of the flesh, which war against your soul.


Treasury of Scripture

But he refused, and said to his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand;

refused.

Proverbs 1:10
My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.

Proverbs 2:10,16-19
When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; …

Proverbs 5:3-8
For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil: …

my master.

Proverbs 18:24
A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

Jump to Previous
Account Charge Cognizance Committed Concern Control Entrusted Hand House Keeps Lord's Master Master's Owns Property Refused Refuseth Wife
Jump to Next
Account Charge Cognizance Committed Concern Control Entrusted Hand House Keeps Lord's Master Master's Owns Property Refused Refuseth Wife
Genesis 39
1. Joseph is bought by Potiphar, and preferred in the family.
7. He resists temptation by Potiphar's Wife.
13. He is falsely accused by her.
20. He is cast into prison.
21. God is with him there, and he is advanced by the keeper of prison.














But he refused
The phrase "But he refused" highlights Joseph's immediate and decisive rejection of temptation. The Hebrew root for "refused" is "מָאֵן" (ma'en), which conveys a strong, deliberate denial. This refusal is not just a passive act but an active choice to uphold righteousness. Joseph's refusal is a testament to his integrity and faithfulness to God, even in the face of persistent temptation. It serves as an inspirational example of moral fortitude and the power of personal conviction.

Look
The word "Look" is translated from the Hebrew "הִנֵּה" (hinneh), often used to draw attention to something significant. Joseph is urging Potiphar's wife to consider the gravity of the situation. This word serves as a call to awareness, inviting her to see the broader implications of her actions. It reflects Joseph's attempt to reason with her, emphasizing the importance of understanding and acknowledging the truth.

he said to his master’s wife
This phrase sets the context of the conversation, highlighting the hierarchical and relational dynamics at play. Joseph, a servant, is speaking to his master's wife, which underscores the boldness and courage required to confront her. The historical context reveals the vulnerability of Joseph's position, yet he chooses to speak truthfully and respectfully. This interaction exemplifies the biblical principle of speaking the truth in love, regardless of the potential consequences.

with me here
The phrase "with me here" indicates Joseph's awareness of his role and responsibilities within Potiphar's household. It reflects his understanding of the trust placed in him and his commitment to honor that trust. Joseph's acknowledgment of his position serves as a reminder of the importance of stewardship and faithfulness in all areas of life, recognizing that our actions have a direct impact on those around us.

my master does not concern himself with anything in his house
This statement reveals the extent of the trust Potiphar placed in Joseph. The phrase "does not concern himself" suggests complete confidence and reliance on Joseph's integrity and capability. Historically, this level of trust was rare for a servant, indicating Joseph's exceptional character and work ethic. It serves as an encouragement to believers to strive for excellence and trustworthiness in all their endeavors, knowing that such qualities honor God and earn the respect of others.

and he has entrusted everything he owns to my care
The word "entrusted" comes from the Hebrew "פָּקַד" (paqad), meaning to appoint or assign responsibility. This phrase underscores the significant responsibility Joseph held, managing all of Potiphar's possessions. It highlights the biblical principle of stewardship, where believers are called to faithfully manage what God has entrusted to them. Joseph's example inspires us to be diligent and faithful stewards, recognizing that our ultimate accountability is to God, who sees and rewards our faithfulness.

Verses 8, 9. - But he refused, - "it may be that the absence of personal charms facilitated Joseph s resistance (Kalisch); but Joseph assigns a different reason for his noncompliance with her utterly immoral proposition - and said unto his master's wife, - "for her unclean solicitation he returneth pure and wholesome words" (Hughes) - Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house (literally, knoweth not, along with me, what is in the house), and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand, (literally, and all that is to him he hath given to or placed in my hand); there is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back anything from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin (cf. Genesis 20:6; 2 Samuel 12:13; Psalm 51:4 for the estimate of this act taken by God and good men) against God? - Elohim, since Jehovah would have been unintelligible to a heathen woman.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
But he refused.
וַיְמָאֵ֓ן ׀ (way·mā·’ên)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3985: To refuse

“Look,”
הֵ֣ן (hên)
Interjection
Strong's 2005: Lo! behold!

he said
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

his master’s
אֲדֹנָ֔יו (’ă·ḏō·nāw)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 113: Sovereign, controller

wife,
אֵ֣שֶׁת (’ê·šeṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female

“with me here,
אִתִּ֖י (’it·tî)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's 854: Nearness, near, with, by, at, among

my master
אֲדֹנִ֔י (’ă·ḏō·nî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 113: Sovereign, controller

does not
לֹא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

concern himself
יָדַ֥ע (yā·ḏa‘)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3045: To know

with anything
מַה־ (mah-)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

in his house,
בַּבָּ֑יִת (bab·bā·yiṯ)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1004: A house

and he has entrusted
נָתַ֥ן (nā·ṯan)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

everything
וְכֹ֥ל (wə·ḵōl)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

he owns
יֶשׁ־ (yeš-)
Adverb
Strong's 3426: Being, substance, existence, is

to
ל֖וֹ (lōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew

my care.
בְּיָדִֽי׃ (bə·yā·ḏî)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 3027: A hand


Links
Genesis 39:8 NIV
Genesis 39:8 NLT
Genesis 39:8 ESV
Genesis 39:8 NASB
Genesis 39:8 KJV

Genesis 39:8 BibleApps.com
Genesis 39:8 Biblia Paralela
Genesis 39:8 Chinese Bible
Genesis 39:8 French Bible
Genesis 39:8 Catholic Bible

OT Law: Genesis 39:8 But he refused and said to his (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 39:7
Top of Page
Top of Page