And after a time his master’s wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, “Lie with me.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse highlights how Potiphar's wife "cast her eyes" on Joseph, suggesting her desire began with a prolonged, intentional gaze, not just a passing glance. This focus on her eyes emphasizes the visual temptation and her deliberate choice to entertain lustful thoughts before acting on them.
And after a time his master’s wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, “Lie with me.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
After Joseph has been successfully managing Potiphar's household, his master's wife begins to lust after him. She repeatedly attempts to seduce Joseph, culminating in her directly propositioning him for an illicit affair.
It started with a look. Potiphar's wife 'cast her eyes' on Joseph. What does this seemingly simple act reveal about the nature of temptation?
The verse pinpoints the beginning of temptation: 'cast her eyes upon Joseph.' This wasn't a passive glance but an intentional, lingering look fueled by desire. Ancient commentators note the 'lascivious and unchaste manner' of her gaze. This highlights a crucial truth: temptation often begins not with an action, but with a conscious choice to entertain a forbidden thought or desire. Our eyes can become gateways to sin when they dwell on what is not ours to covet or when they allow impure thoughts to take root.
This attentive, lustful gaze is the spark that ignites the fire. It’s a deliberate act of the will to consider and desire something wrong. This powerful imagery serves as a stark warning: guard your gaze, for what you look at can shape what you desire, and what you desire can lead to destructive actions.
Joseph was in a position of great trust, yet also extreme vulnerability. How did his understanding of his master's trust shape his response?
Potiphar's wife leveraged Joseph's rise in status to fuel her temptation, but Joseph countered with his own understanding of that same status. He argued, 'Behold, my master knows not what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand; there is none greater in this house than I.'
This reveals a profound sense of moral obligation rooted in his position. Joseph understood that his master's unreserved trust was a sacred bond. To betray that trust through adultery would be a double betrayal: a sin against his master and a sin against God. This highlights that our responsibilities and the trust placed in us by others create a moral framework. Joseph’s integrity wasn't just about personal purity; it was also about honoring the relationship and authority God had placed him under, even in a foreign land and in a difficult circumstance.
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Joseph didn't just refuse out of fear of his master or personal shame. He identified the ultimate offense. What was it?
When confronted with the temptation, Joseph’s ultimate objection was not to Potiphar or his wife, but to God. He responded, 'how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?'
This is the bedrock of true righteousness: recognizing that sin is, at its core, rebellion against the Creator. Even though Potiphar was a pagan Egyptian, Joseph understood the universal moral law and God's sovereign authority. This perspective elevates his refusal from a mere act of self-preservation or honor to a profound act of worship and obedience. He understood that no matter the earthly consequences, sin against God is the greatest wickedness. This principle reminds us that our greatest accountability is to God, and that living rightly involves honoring Him in all our actions, regardless of who is watching or what earthly benefits or penalties are involved.
Understand the original words
shakab · Hebrew Verb
A term of intimacy and sexual relations. In the Old Testament, it is frequently used to denote the sexual act, often occurring within the covenant of marriage but here used in the context of adultery.
This event occurs during Joseph's enslavement in Egypt, a time when Egyptian society, unlike many other ancient cultures, allowed women considerable freedom and interaction with men, providing the social context for Potiphar's wife's bold advances.
c. 1750 BC
Joseph sold into Egypt
Joseph, son of Jacob, is sold by his brothers into slavery to Ishmaelite traders who take him to Egypt.
c. 1750-1740 BC— this verse
Joseph serves Potiphar
Joseph is bought by Potiphar, an official of Pharaoh. Due to God's blessing, Joseph prospers and is put in charge of Potiphar's household.
c. 1740 BC
Potiphar's wife's accusation
After Joseph resists Potiphar's wife's advances, she falsely accuses him of assault.
c. 1740 BC
Joseph imprisoned
Potiphar, angered by his wife's accusation, imprisons Joseph, where he is mistreated but still finds favor.
This passage speaks to the idea of guarding one's eyes against lustful temptation, directly mirroring the action of Potiphar's wife and the sin she entertained.
Matthew 5:28Jesus echoes the sentiment of Job, emphasizing that even a lustful look is a sin, highlighting the internal nature of temptation that Potiphar's wife initiated with her gaze.
Proverbs 6:25-29This passage warns against the allurements of adultery and the deceitfulness of lust, providing a strong thematic parallel to Potiphar's wife's advances and Joseph's steadfast refusal.
1 Corinthians 10:13This verse offers assurance that God will not allow us to be tempted beyond our ability to resist, which is a foundational truth for understanding how Joseph, despite the intense pressure, found a way to escape.
2 Peter 2:14This verse describes those who are 'full of adultery and never cease from sin, enticing unsteady souls,' which directly characterizes Potiphar's wife's persistent and destructive temptation of Joseph.
calvinGenesis 39:1-23: "And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither."
And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field.
Fuit autem ex eo tempore, quo p…
pooleGenesis 39:7: "And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me."
She cast her eyes upon Joseph, in a lascivious and unchaste manner. See Job 31:1 Matthew 5:28 2 Peter 2:14 .
The verse highlights how Potiphar's wife "cast her eyes" on Joseph, suggesting her desire began with a prolonged, intentional gaze, not just a passing glance. This focus on her eyes emphasizes the visual temptation and her deliberate choice to entertain lustful thoughts before acting on them.
After Joseph has been successfully managing Potiphar's household, his master's wife begins to lust after him. She repeatedly attempts to seduce Joseph, culminating in her directly propositioning him for an illicit affair.
After Joseph has been successfully managing Potiphar's household, his master's wife begins to lust after him. She repeatedly attempts to seduce Joseph, culminating in her directly propositioning him for an illicit affair.
"And after a time his master’s wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, “Lie with me.”" — The verse highlights how Potiphar's wife "cast her eyes" on Joseph, suggesting her desire began with a prolonged, intentional gaze, not just a passing glance. This focus on her eyes emphasizes the vi…
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Last reviewed October 2026