voice and cried, that he left his garment the elder brother became like a panther; , , . with me (literally, by niy side), and fled, and he made his dagger sharp, and took it in his got him ont (or, went forth into the street, hand " (vide ' Records of the Past,' vol. ii ,a supra). p. 139). Vers. 16-18.-And she laid up his gar- Ver. 20.-And Joseph's master took him, ment by her (literally, by her side), until his and put him into the prison, - literally lord came home (literally, until the coming house of endos1we; sohai·, from sahai·, to of hu lord to hu house). And she spake encircle, meaning probably a turreted, arehed, unto him according to these words, saying, or rounded building for tho r.nn.finoment of The Hebrew servant, which thou hast prisoners-a place where the king's prisoners brought unto us (here she charges her hus- (i. e. State offenders) were bound: and he was band with being indirectly at least the cause there in the prison. This, which some regard of ihe alleged affront ,vhich had been put as having been a mild punishment (Delitzsch, upon her), came in unto me to mock me: Keil), since, according to Diodorus Sieulus, - " she seemed too modest to speak in plain tho laws of the Egyptians were specially terms of Joseph's crime (Lawson) -and it severe in their penalties for offences against ea.me to pass, as I lifted up my voice and women, is represented by a Hebrew psalmist cried, that he left his garment with me and (Ps. cv. 18) as having been accompanied :fled out (i. e. went forth into the street, ut with bodily tortures, at least for a time ; for supra). his speedy elevation to a place of trust within Ver. 19.-And it came to pass, when his the prison almost gives countenance to the master heard the words of his wife, which idea (Kurtz, Lange, &c.) that Potiphn,r did she spake unto him, saying, After this man- not believe his wife's story, and only incar- ner (literally, according to these 1cords) did cerated Joseph for the sake of appearances. thy servant to me; that his wrath was That Joseph was not immediately punished kindled. A papyrus consisting of nineteen with death is not improbable (Bohlen), but pages of ten lines of hieratic writing (pur- exceedingly natural, since Joseph was Poti- chased from Madame D'Orbiney, and pre- phar's favourite (Havernick). sently in the British Museum), belonging Ver. 21.-But (even if Joseph was harshly _probably to the nineteenth dynasty, con- treated in the tower of. Heliopolis) the Lord tains a tale of two brothers, in which inci- -Jehovah (videon ver. 5)-was with Joseph dents occur very similar to those here (v'ide ver. 2), and shewed him mercy (liter- narrated. While the two are ploughing in ally, extended kindness unto him), and gave the field, the elder sends the younger bro- him favour in the eyes of the keeper (or ther, who appears to have acted in the captain) of the prison (or round house). capacity of general superintendent, to fetch Vers. 22, 23.-And the keeper of the seed from the house. "AD.d the younger prison (captain of the round house, or brother found the wife of the elder sitting at chief officer of the tower) committed to her toilet." . . . . " And she spoke to him, Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were saying, What strength there is in thee ! in- in the prison; and whatsoever they did deed I observe thy vigour every day. Her there, he was the doer of it- literally, heart knew him. . . , She seized upon him, and all that they (the prisoners) were doing and said to him, Come, let us lie down for an there, he was the person doing it, or attend- instant. Better for thee ... beautiful clothes.'' ing to it ; i. e. the keeper gave him charge "The youth became like a panther with to see that the /risoners obeyed whatever fury on account of the shameful discourse orders were issue for their regulation ; and, which she had addressed to him. • AD.d she having implicit confidence in J oseph's pro- was alarmed exceedingly." . , . " Her lrns- bity, the keeper of the prison looked not band returned home at e,ening, according to anything that was under (or in) his hand to his daily wont. He came to the house, (i. e. he did not trouble himself about any- and he found his wife lying as if murdered thing in trusted to Joseph) ; beoause the by a ruffian.'' lnquirina the reason of her Lord (Jehovah) was with him, and that distress, he is answer;8 as Potiphar was which he did, the Lord (Jehovah) made it to answered by his deceitful spouse. ".And prosper.
HOMILETICS. Vers. 7-23.-Josepli and t!te wife of Potipliar. I. THE GREAT TEMPTATION. l. The time of it. Never perhaps had Joseph's prospects been brighter since he left his father's house than towards the close of that decade of years which he spent in the Egyptian officer's employ; and yet then it was that, like a thunderbolt shot from a clear sky, a fierce temptation burst upon him. 2. The occasion of it. Thie was the beauty of Joseph'e person. Things innocent and lovely in themselves may sometimes mI, XXXIX. 7-23.] 'rHE BOOK OF GENESIS. 451