It seems one of the things that drew Jacob to his wife, Rachel, was the fact that she was “beautiful (H3303; H8389) and well favored” (H3303; H4758; see Genesis 29:17). The very same Hebrew is used to describe Joseph, who was a “goodly (H3303; H3839) person, and well favored” (H3303; H4758; see Genesis 29:6). The translated English words differ, when describing male or female, but they are the same in the Hebrew. While it is true that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, and may be understood differently in diverse cultures or even change from age to age, it was a leading factor that moved Jacob to work 14 years for Rachel, his favorite wife.
Physical form and pleasing facial features often move folks to achieve what they might not, and it may also destroy the lives and reputations of those seeking to own such beauty in sordid and lustful relationships. The latter, of course, is what moves events in Joseph’s life at this time. However, it is a factor that eventually brings him before Pharaoh, and ultimately saves the lives of many in his family. One may ask: how or even why did this occur? After all, beauty, while important, doesn’t leave the beholder helpless, so that he isn’t responsible for what he does because of it. I believe the answer is obvious in the Hebrew but covered in the translation.
In verse-1 we are introduced to Potiphar, and he is described as an officer of Pharoah. The term “officer” (H5631) literally means eunuch. The captured members of a royal family of a conquered kingdom, were often used as high officials in the court of the victorious king, and before that was allowed, they were castrated (cp. 2Kings 20:18). Daniel was such a man of the king’s family (Daniel 1:3, 7-8). However, the point in bringing this out is to consider the state of affairs of a young woman married to a eunuch. Her position as Potiphar’s wife gave a certain degree of power and influence. Joseph, no doubt, wasn’t the first man she lusted after and probably wouldn’t be the last. His good looks and physical frame tempted her, but, when her unwanted advances were close to being found out, she blamed Joseph, first telling the household servants that he mocked her and her husband (laughing at them because they couldn’t enjoy a sexual encounter; see Genesis 39:14), and then telling her husband that Joseph mocked her, meaning she couldn’t enjoy a sexual relationship with her husband (Genesis 29:17).
In this light, therefore, we should understand Potiphar’s wife’s advances toward Joseph (Genesis 29:7). Nevertheless, Joseph refused his master’s wife’s sexual advances, appealing to her sense of common decency. After all, Potiphar had placed Joseph in authority over all things in his house, and his business. He held back nothing but his wife, as it pertained to Joseph’s authority (Genesis 39:8-10).
Then Joseph appealed to her sense of morality, saying that, what she desired, was wicked and sinful against God[1] (Genesis 29:10). Nevertheless, she wouldn’t take “No!” for an answer. Therefore, when Joseph kept refusing her daily overtures, to the point where he avoided being alone with her, she orchestrated a time, when Joseph came into the house, that no male was there in Potiphar’s house (Genesis 39:10-11). However, when she grabbed Joseph’s outer garment and demanded that he lie with her, he fled out of the house, leaving his garment in her hands (Genesis 39:12).[2] Later, she would use the garment to incriminate Joseph as the aggressor in the lustful encounter, while excusing herself as the victim.
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[1] Joseph didn’t use the term Yahweh here, because there would be no reason for her to know God by his covenant name. Rather, he used the general term for God, Elohim.
[2] Joseph’s attire was probably only an outer garment covering the lower part of his body, with a loincloth underneath. His torso was probably bare, as was the attire of all the Egyptian servants at that time.
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