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Everything in Potiphar's House Grew While Joseph Was a Slave

Potiphar asked for one wine, then another. The cup in Joseph's hand changed with the wish, and the master stopped counting his own stores.

Curated by Arthur · Told by Maggid ·
Table of Contents
  1. The House Would Not Stay Small
  2. She Tried Every Door
  3. The Beating She Could Not Watch
  4. Gold on a Head They Did Not Know

Potiphar asked for a cup of hippocras, the spiced wine of the house. Then, on a whim, he said he would rather have wine mixed with absinthe. The cup in Joseph's hand changed with the wish. The master watched it happen and stopped pretending this slave was ordinary.

Everything in Potiphar's House Grew While Joseph Was a Slave Click for full size

Joseph had been sold by his brothers, hauled down to Egypt, and registered as property at seventeen. His world had collapsed into a single Egyptian household. Then the household began to grow around him.

The House Would Not Stay Small

Fruit trees bore out of season. Livestock multiplied past ordinary rates. Bread tasted richer when Joseph had handled the preparations. Whatever Potiphar desired seemed to arrive through the young man's hands. The master saw the Shechinah (שכינה), God's divine presence, resting on him, and said it plainly. "This youth is not cut out for a slave's work. He is worthy of a prince's place."

He handed Joseph control of everything he owned, and took no knowledge of any of it, except the wife with whom he lay (Genesis 39:6). Granaries, silver, who entered, who left. The only door he kept shut was the one that would later be used to ruin the steward.

Joseph fasted. He gave his own rations to the poor and sick of the house and refused the fine food his new rank afforded him. He grew thinner by human measures. He became more beautiful. Those who fast for the glory of God are made beautiful of countenance, and Potiphar's household watched it happen in real time. The slave who gave away his food was the most radiant person in the rooms.

She Tried Every Door

Potiphar's wife began watching Joseph too, for different reasons. She praised his chastity to her husband, a cover that also tested the air. She told Joseph privately that even if someone gossiped, Potiphar would not believe it. Then she asked him to teach her the word of God. If he would fulfill her desire, she said, she would persuade her Egyptian husband to forsake the idols, and they would walk in the law of Joseph's God.

Joseph refused. "The Lord desireth not that those who fear Him shall walk in impurity, nor hath He pleasure in the adulterer."

She raised the stakes. "If thou wilt not do my desire, I will murder the Egyptian and wed with thee according to the law." Joseph tore his garment and rebuked her. Fear the Lord, he said. Do not do this. He would proclaim her purpose in public if she pressed it.

She sent him a dish prepared with spells. When the eunuch presented it, Joseph saw a man handing him a sword along with the food. He refused to eat. A few days later she asked why he had not touched her offering. He told her the God of his fathers had revealed her iniquity through an angel. Then, to prove that the wicked have no power over those who fear God, he ate the food before her eyes. She fell at his feet, weeping, and promised she would not repeat the sin.

She repeated it. The campaign did not end because a promise had been spoken. At the last she caught his garment, and he fled, leaving it in her hand (Genesis 39:12).

The Beating She Could Not Watch

She showed the garment to Potiphar and accused Joseph of assault. Potiphar had him stripped and beaten before ordering him held. Watching the blows, she sent word that the verdict was unjust. He was punishing a free-born youth stolen from his place as though he were the one who had committed a crime.

Joseph stood his ground and kept his innocence. Potiphar, caught between his wife's accusation and the young man who had made the house flourish, threw him in prison "until his masters should return," to wait until the Ishmaelites who had sold him came back. Joseph waited twenty-four days in that compound jail. The wife argued he should be released to serve in the house again. Potiphar answered that Egyptian law would not let him take what belonged to another before the titles were clear.

The blessing that had changed the wine did not stop at stone. The warden gave Joseph authority. Walls could hold a body. They could not hold what traveled with him.

Gold on a Head They Did Not Know

Years later his brothers bowed in a palace and did not know the face. A large crown of gold sat on Joseph's head. He wore byssus and purple, and valiant men stood around a golden throne. They fell down before his beauty and his majesty, and they had no idea they were looking at the beardless boy they had sold.

Joseph knew them. Their appearance had not changed. They had been bearded men when he was separated from them. He was on the verge of revealing himself when an angel appeared, the same one that had brought him from Shechem to his brothers at Dothan. "These came hither with intent to kill thee."

The cup in the slave's hand had changed with a master's wish. The house had grown. The wife had used the one door Potiphar kept shut. The brothers now stood under a crown they could not read. Joseph looked at the faces that had not changed, and at the angel's sentence hanging in the room, and he did not speak his name yet.

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From the tradition

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The texts behind this telling. Some cards carry a translation of the source; others are our own retelling of it, and each card says which. Every card links out to the original.

Legends of the Jews 1:91Legends of the Jews

Retold in our words. Read the original at the link below.The Legends of the Jews by Louis Ginzberg (1909) · Public Domain

Legends of the Jews turns to Everything Joseph Touched in Potiphar's House Prospered.

He ends up in the house of Potiphar, an Egyptian official. Now, the biblical account tells us that God was with Joseph, and Potiphar recognized this. But the Legends of the Jews, that wonderful collection of rabbinic lore compiled by Louis Ginzberg, really fleshes out the details. It paints a picture of a man utterly convinced of Joseph's divine connection.

Potiphar wasn’t just casually observant; he actively tested Joseph. Imagine this: Potiphar asks for a glass of hippocras – a spiced wine. Then, on a whim, he says, "Actually, I'd prefer wine mixed with absinthe." And instantly, according to the legend, the spiced wine transforms into the bitter concoction he requested!

The stories tell us that Potiphar realized that whatever he desired, Joseph seemed to be able to obtain it through divine intervention. Seeing this visible manifestation of the Shekinah (the Divine Presence) – that divine presence – resting upon Joseph, Potiphar's attitude shifted dramatically. He entrusted Joseph with everything, holding back nothing except his own wife.

It’s a remarkable transformation. Potiphar declares, "This youth is not cut out for a slave's work; he is worthy of a prince's place!" So, he elevates Joseph's status, providing him with education in the arts and ensuring he received better food than the other slaves. This isn't just a master being kind to a slave; it's a recognition of inherent worth, a belief that Joseph was destined for something greater. This echoes the theme we find throughout Jewish tradition of recognizing the divine spark, the neshama, in every human being, regardless of their circumstances. Even in slavery, Joseph’s potential shone through, not just because of his inherent talents, but because of the divine favor he carried.

What kind of world would that create?

Full source
Legends of the Jews 1:97Legends of the Jews

Retold in our words. Read the original at the link below.The Legends of the Jews by Louis Ginzberg (1909) · Public Domain

Joseph enters Egypt as a slave in Potiphar's house, but the legend refuses to make him look diminished.

Even though Joseph underwent serious self-denial – some texts even say he gave his own food to the poor and sick – his master, Potiphar, still thought he lived lavishly! Why? Because, as the text puts it, "those that fast for the glory of God are made beautiful of countenance. That devotion and piety can literally make someone more radiant.

Then there's Potiphar's wife. We know how that story goes.

In Legends of the Jews, that incredible compilation of Jewish folklore by Louis Ginzberg, Potiphar's wife would often praise Joseph's chastity to her husband.! Was she trying to deflect suspicion, or was something else going on? She even encouraged Joseph privately, assuring him that Potiphar was convinced of his purity. "Even if someone gossiped about us," she supposedly said, "Potiphar wouldn't believe them!"

But it gets even more interesting. She then shifted her tactics, approaching Joseph with a rather… peculiar request. She asked him to teach her about the word of God! "If you want me to abandon idol worship," she pleaded, "then fulfill my desire, and I'll persuade my Egyptian husband to forsake the idols too. We can walk in the law of your God!"

Talk about a mixed message. Joseph, of course, wasn't having any of it. His response, as recorded in Legends of the Jews, is firm and unwavering: "The Lord desireth not that those who fear Him shall walk in impurity, nor hath He pleasure in the adulterer."

So, what do we take away from this little episode? It is a reminder that even in the face of temptation, integrity and devotion to one’s principles can hold strong. It also serves as a commentary on human nature, showing how complex and many-sided even the most seemingly straightforward situations can become. What really motivated Potiphar's wife? Was it lust, a genuine spiritual yearning, or some twisted combination of both? The text leaves us to ponder these questions, inviting us to delve deeper into the complexities of the human heart.

Full source
Legends of the Jews 1:99Legends of the Jews

Retold in our words. Read the original at the link below.The Legends of the Jews by Louis Ginzberg (1909) · Public Domain

The familiar story is this: – Joseph, sold into slavery, rises through the ranks in the house of Potiphar, an Egyptian official. But it wasn't all smooth sailing. Potiphar's wife, well, she took a liking to Joseph. A strong liking.

The Legends of the Jews retells this episode with details that are just astonishing. It wasn't just a passing fancy on her part. According to Ginzberg's retelling, one day she approached Joseph with a chilling proposition. "If thou wilt not do my desire," she threatened, "I will murder the Egyptian and wed with thee according to the law."

That for a moment. Murder? Marriage? Joseph's response? He tore his garment, a sign of distress and mourning still practiced today, and rebuked her. "O woman, fear the Lord," he pleaded, "and do not execute this evil deed.for I will proclaim thy impious purposes to all in public."

She wasn't easily deterred. Next, she tried a more subtle approach: magic. She sent him a dish, prepared with spells intended to ensnare him. But here's where it gets really interesting. When the eunuch, a castrated man, presented the dish to Joseph, he had a vision. He saw a man handing him a sword along with the food.

Talk about a warning sign! Joseph, wise to the potential danger, refused to eat it.

A few days later, Potiphar's wife, puzzled, asked him why he hadn't touched her offering. Joseph didn't hold back. He rebuked her, reminding her of his devotion to God. "How couldst thou tell me, I do not come nigh unto the idols, but only unto the Lord?" he exclaimed. "The God of my fathers hath revealed thy iniquity to me through an angel."

Then, in a moment of incredible faith, Joseph declared that he would eat the food, to prove that the wicked have no power over those who fear God. "I shall eat thy food before thine eyes, and the God of my fathers and the angel of Abraham will be with me."

The result? According to the Legends, Potiphar's wife, overwhelmed, fell at his feet, weeping and promising to never repeat her sin.

What a story! And it speaks to the power of faith, not as a passive belief, but as an active force that can protect us, even in the face of the seemingly impossible.

Full source
Legends of the Jews 1:86Legends of the Jews

Retold in our words. Read the original at the link below.The Legends of the Jews by Louis Ginzberg (1909) · Public Domain

The details, as they say, are in the legends.

Potiphar, understandably enraged by his wife's claims about Joseph, didn't just shrug it off. He had Joseph stripped and beaten, according to Ginzberg's Legends of the Jews. Imagine the scene – the injustice, the humiliation. But

Potiphar's wife, seeing the brutal punishment, had a moment of… what? Remorse? Guilt? Maybe a twisted sense of fairness? She sent word to her husband, protesting, "Thy verdict is unjust, for thou punishest the free-born youth that was stolen away from his place as though he were the one that had committed a crime. She still wanted Joseph, but perhaps not at the cost of such harsh treatment.

Joseph, bless his heart, stood his ground, maintaining his innocence. And Potiphar, still caught between his wife's accusation and Joseph's unwavering denial, decided to throw him in prison "until his masters should return." A holding pattern, if you will.

But Potiphar's wife wasn't done. Driven by her "sinful longing," she argued that Joseph should be released from prison and allowed to serve Potiphar in the house. "Wherefore dost thou keep the captive, nobly-born slave a prisoner? Thou shouldst rather set him at liberty and have him serve thee." Talk about persistence!

Potiphar, ever the stickler for rules – or perhaps just stalling for time – replied that Egyptian law wouldn't allow him to simply take possession of someone else's property before the matter was fully resolved. "The law of the Egyptians does not permit us to take what belongs to another before all titles are made clear." So, Joseph languished in prison for twenty-four days, awaiting the return of the Ishmaelite traders who had originally brought him to Egypt.

Think about those twenty-four days. Twenty-four days of uncertainty, fear, and probably a lot of prayer. Joseph, a young man far from home, caught in a web of desire and deceit. It's a reminder that even in the most well-known stories, there are hidden depths, untold struggles, and fascinating glimpses into the complexities of human nature.

Full source
Legends of the Jews 1:203Legends of the Jews

Retold in our words. Read the original at the link below.The Legends of the Jews by Louis Ginzberg (1909) · Public Domain

The familiar story is this:,

Joseph, now a powerful figure in Egypt. He’s no longer the naive youth they tossed into a pit. The text paints a vivid scene: "A large crown of gold on his head, apparelled in byssus (fine linen) and purple, and surrounded by his valiant men, Joseph was seated upon his throne in his palace." It's quite a contrast to the Joseph

His brothers arrive, bowing low, awestruck by his splendor. Ginzberg, in Legends of the Jews, captures their reaction perfectly: "They fell down before him in great admiration of his beauty, his stately appearance, and his majesty." They are completely oblivious to the fact that they stand before the brother they wronged. How could they know? As the story goes, "when Joseph was sold into slavery, he was a beardless youth." Time, power, and Egyptian garb have rendered him unrecognizable.

Joseph? He knows them. Their faces haven't changed. "He knew his brethren," the text says, "their appearance had not changed in aught, for they were bearded men when he was separated from them." Can you imagine the emotions swirling within him at that moment? Revenge? Joy? Confusion?

He's on the verge of revealing himself, ready to bridge the chasm of years and betrayal. But then, a twist. "An angel appeared unto him," we are told, "the same that had brought him from Shechem to his brethren at Dothan." This angel, a messenger of God, reminds Joseph of their original intent: "These came hither with intent to kill thee."

Whoa.

This isn't just a reunion; it's a confrontation with the past, a reminder of the potential for deadly sibling rivalry. It throws a whole new light on Joseph’s What would you do?

The narrative continues, explaining how the brothers, back home, recount their experiences to Jacob. They speak of a mysterious man who falsely accused them before the Egyptian ruler, unaware that this "man" was, in fact, their own brother. They have no idea that the person who stirred up trouble for them was an angel, as well.

It's fascinating how angels operate in these ancient tales. They aren't always benevolent, are they? Sometimes, they seem to be instigators, pushing events toward a predetermined path.

And Jacob, sensing something amiss, prays to God for mercy. As we find in the text, when he dispatches his sons on their second expedition to Egypt, he prays, "God Almighty give you mercy before the man." It's a powerful, heartfelt plea, laden with unspoken anxieties and a father's love.

What does it all mean? Perhaps that even in moments of great power and potential reconciliation, the shadows of the past can linger, influencing our decisions and shaping our destinies. And maybe, just maybe, that even divine intervention can sometimes feel like a mixed blessing.

Full source
Targum Pseudo-Jonathan on Genesis 39:6Targum Pseudo-Jonathan on Genesis

Retold in our words. Read the original at the link below.The Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel, trans. J. W. Etheridge, London, 1862 · Public Domain

The Targum reports the architecture of the household plainly. Potiphar left all that he had in Joseph's hand, and took no knowledge of anything of his, except his wife with whom he lay. And Joseph was of goodly form and beautiful aspect (Genesis 39:6).

The Sages read this verse as the setup for everything that follows. The Aramaic notes two things in tight sequence. First: the master has stopped tracking his own affairs. He does not know what is in his granaries, what silver is in his chest, who enters and who leaves. Second: the young steward is beautiful.

Bereshit Rabbah 87 hears a moral warning in the order of the clauses. The moment Joseph started tending to his appearance, combing his hair, darkening his eyes, the midrash says, the stage was set for the accusation. The Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, more restrained, just places the two facts side by side and lets the reader feel the tension. Potiphar's trust is total. Joseph's beauty is conspicuous. The only thing reserved from the young man's reach is the one thing that will be used to try to destroy him.

The Sages also hear the phrase took no knowledge of anything of his, except his wife with whom he lay as an Egyptian euphemism: the steward was trusted with every other matter of the household except the intimate life of the master. The Targum preserves the modesty of the phrasing while letting the meaning register.

What we learn is uncomfortable and useful. The places where we have been trusted completely are also the places where a single failure would be catastrophic. Full trust raises the stakes, not lowers them. Joseph has been handed the keys to everything; the test he is about to face is precisely whether keys can open doors that the master's honor has closed.

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