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Ge 39:1-23.
英文原文
Ge 39:1-23. JOSEPH IN POTIPHAR'S HOUSE.
1. Potiphar--This name, Potiphar, signifies one "devoted to the sun," the local deity of On or Heliopolis, a circumstance which fixes the place of his residence in the Delta, the district of Egypt bordering on Canaan.
officer--literally, "prince of the Pharoah"--that is, in the service of government.
captain of the guard--The import of the original term has been variously interpreted, some considering it means "chief cook," others, "chief inspector of plantations"; but that which seems best founded is "chief of the executioners," the same as the captain of the watch, the zabut of modern Egypt [WILKINSON].
bought him . . . of the Ishmaelites--The age, appearance, and intelligence of the Hebrew slave would soon cause him to be picked up in the market. But the unseen, unfelt influence of the great Disposer drew the attention of Potiphar towards him, in order that in the house of one so closely connected with the court, he might receive that previous training which was necessary for the high office he was destined to fill, and in the school of adversity learn the lessons of practical wisdom that were to be of greatest utility and importance in his future career. Thus it is that when God has any important work to be done, He always prepares fitting agents to accomplish it.
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2. 約瑟住在他主人……家中——那些被擄來的奴隸通常被送去田間勞動，在監工的"棍子"下受苛待。但那些用錢買來的則用於家務，受善待，並享有與現代埃及同等階級相同的自由。
英文原文
2. he was in the house of his master--Those slaves who had been war captives were generally sent to labor in the field and subjected to hard treatment under the "stick" of taskmasters. But those who were bought with money were employed in domestic purposes, were kindly treated, and enjoyed as much liberty as the same class does in modern Egypt.
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3. 他主人見耶和華與他同在——約瑟雖然境遇改變了，心志卻沒有改變；雖然被剝去那曾裝飾他身量的華美彩衣，他卻沒有失去那使他品格出眾的道德美德；雖然與地上的父親分離，他仍與天上的父相交；雖然身處拜偶像者的家中，他仍繼續敬拜真神。
英文原文
3. his master saw that the Lord was with him--Though changed in condition, Joseph was not changed in spirit; though stripped of the gaudy coat that had adorned his person, he had not lost the moral graces that distinguished his character; though separated from his father on earth, he still lived in communion with his Father in heaven; though in the house of an idolater, he continued a worshipper of the true God.
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5. 耶和華就因約瑟的緣故賜福與那埃及人的家等等——可能是——也大概是——一個特別的、神蹟性的福氣傾倒在一個在種種不利的境地中仍如此忠心而熱心事奉神的少年身上。但值得注意的是，這樣的福氣通常是循着事物的常軌而來的；最屬世、最不講原則的主人，當他們看見僕人的宗教信仰有良心的原則和一致的生活作支持時，總是欽佩和尊重的。
派他管理家務——我們不知道約瑟最初以甚麼身分進入波提乏家中服役；但他主人那留意的眼睛，不久便發現了他出眾的品質，立他為總管，作他信任的僕人（參
Eph 6:7； Col 3:23）。
家奴的晉升並不罕見，若在一家中已服役一兩年而仍不獲提升，被視為極大的恥辱。但約瑟這非凡的晉升乃是耶和華的作為，雖然在波提乏方面，這是觀察到約瑟在一切所行的事上均有驚人的興盛隨着他而產生的結果。
英文原文
5. the Lord blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake, &c.--It might be--it probably was--that a special, a miraculous blessing was poured out on a youth who so faithfully and zealously served God amid all the disadvantages of his place. But it may be useful to remark that such a blessing usually follows in the ordinary course of things; and the most worldly, unprincipled masters always admire and respect religion in a servant when they see that profession supported by conscientious principle and a consistent life.
made him overseer in his house--We do not know in what capacity Joseph entered into the service of Potiphar; but the observant eye of his master soon discovered his superior qualities and made him his chief, his confidential servant (compare
Eph 6:7; Col 3:23).
The advancement of domestic slaves is not uncommon, and it is considered a great disgrace not to raise one who has been a year or two in the family. But this extraordinary advancement of Joseph was the doing of the Lord, though on the part of Potiphar it was the consequence of observing the astonishing prosperity that attended him in all that he did.
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7. 主人的妻以目送情給約瑟——埃及婦女不像如今大多數東方國家的婦女那樣被嚴密隔離。她們受到更合乎文明民族身分的待遇——事實上，無論在家在外都享有很多自由。因此波提乏的妻子經常有機會遇見約瑟。但古時埃及的婦女在道德上很放蕩。私情和縱慾是她們當中非常盛行的惡習，正如那些古蹟所清楚見證的〔WILKINSON〕。波提乏的妻子大概不比許多同等身分的婦女更壞，她對約瑟所作出那可恥的勾引，是出於她地位上的優越。
英文原文
7. his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph--Egyptian women were not kept in the same secluded manner as females are in most Oriental countries now. They were treated in a manner more worthy of a civilized people--in fact, enjoyed much freedom both at home and abroad. Hence Potiphar's wife had constant opportunity of meeting Joseph. But the ancient women of Egypt were very loose in their morals. Intrigues and intemperance were vices very prevalent among them, as the monuments too plainly attest [WILKINSON]. Potiphar's wife was probably not worse than many of the same rank, and her infamous advances made to Joseph arose from her superiority of station.
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9. 我怎能作這大惡，得罪神呢？——當一切次要的論據都失敗之時，這抗辯表明了道德純潔的真正原則——這原則在它存在之處總是足夠的，並且是唯一足夠的。
英文原文
9. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?--This remonstrance, when all inferior arguments had failed, embodied the true principle of moral purity--a principle always sufficient where it exists, and alone sufficient.
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14. 婦人就呼叫家裏的人——她既失望又受辱，便發誓報復，首先向家裏的僕人，然後在她丈夫回來之時向他，控告約瑟。
看哪，他帶了一個希伯來人進我們家裏來……要戲弄我們——這是對她丈夫裝作而盲目的誣衊，責怪他在家裏留用一個希伯來人，正是埃及人所最厭惡的。
英文原文
14. Then she called unto the men of her house--Disappointed and affronted, she vowed revenge and accused Joseph, first to the servants of the house, and on his return to her lord.
See, he hath brought in an Hebrew . . . to mock us--an affected and blind aspersion of her husband for keeping in his house an Hebrew, the very abomination of Egyptians.
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20. 約瑟的主人把他拿住，下在監裏——即圓屋，因建築的形式而得名，通常附設在像波提乏這樣官員的住宅旁。它部分是地下的囚牢
(Ge 41:14)，
雖然磚砌的牆壁高出地面相當多，頂上有一個拱形屋頂，略呈倒置碗狀。波提乏在最初怒氣爆發之時，把約瑟扔進這樣的囚牢，並吩咐進一步加以他所敢作的嚴酷待遇
(Ps 105:18)；
因為主人對奴隸的權力受法律的適當限制，殺害奴隸是死罪。
王的囚犯被囚的地方——雖然監獄似乎是宮殿不可分割的附屬設施，這卻不是普通的監獄——它是收容國事罪犯的地方；因此可以推測，對囚犯行使着非同尋常的嚴格和警惕。然而一般來說，埃及的監獄，像其他東方國家的監獄一樣，只用作拘留。被告被關在裏面，直到對他們的控罪得以查明；雖然獄卒要為被看管之人按時出庭負責，但只要他們在被傳喚時出庭，獄卒中從不被查問他是如何看守他們的。
英文原文
20. Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison--the roundhouse, from the form of its construction, usually attached to the dwelling of such an officer as Potiphar. It was partly a subterranean dungeon
(Ge 41:14),
though the brick-built walls rose considerably above the surface of the ground, and were surmounted by a vaulted roof somewhat in the form of an inverted bowl. Into such a dungeon Potiphar, in the first ebullition of rage, threw Joseph and ordered him to be subjected further to as great harshness of treatment
(Ps 105:18)
as he dared; for the power of masters over their slaves was very properly restrained by law, and the murder of a slave was a capital crime.
a place where the king's prisoners were bound--Though prisons seem to have been an inseparable appendage of the palaces, this was not a common jail--it was the receptacle of state criminals; and, therefore, it may be presumed that more than ordinary strictness and vigilance were exercised over the prisoners. In general, however, the Egyptian, like other Oriental prisons, were used solely for the purposes of detention. Accused persons were cast into them until the charges against them could be investigated; and though the jailer was responsible for the appearance of those placed under his custody, yet, provided they were produced when called, he was never interrogated as to the way in which he had kept them.
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21-23. 耶和華……使他在獄長眼前蒙恩等——從這監獄的位置看
(Ge 40:3)，
獄長先前很可能已經認識約瑟，有機會知道他對所控之罪的清白，也知道他品格的高尚與正直。這或可部分解釋他為何對這囚犯如此恩待信任。但還有更高的影響在工作；因為「耶和華與約瑟同在，耶和華使他所做的盡都順利」。
英文原文
21-23. The Lord . . . gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison, &c.--It is highly probable, from the situation of this prison
(Ge 40:3),
that the keeper might have been previously acquainted with Joseph and have had access to know his innocence of the crime laid to his charge, as well as with all the high integrity of his character. That may partly account for his showing so much kindness and confidence to his prisoner. But there was a higher influence at work; for "the Lord was with Joseph, and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper."
Ge 39:1-23. 約瑟在波提乏家中。
1. 波提乏——這個名字意為"獻於太陽之人"，太陽是安城（即赫利奧波利斯）的本地神祇，這一情況將他的住所定位於三角洲地帶，即埃及鄰接迦南的地區。
官員——直譯為"法老的臣宰"——即在政府中任職。
護衛長——原文此詞有多種解釋，有人認為是"廚師長"，有人認為是"園林總監"；但最有根據的解釋是"行刑者之首"，等同於禁衛長，即現代埃及的 zabut〔WILKINSON〕。
從以實瑪利人手中……買了他——這希伯來奴隸的年齡、外貌和才智，很快便使他在市場上被相中。然而那位大主宰那看不見、感受不到的影響力，將波提乏的注意力引向他，為要使他在這樣一位與宮廷關係密切的人家中，可以接受日後所要擔任之高位所需的預備訓練，並在苦難的學校中學習那些在他未來事業中最為有用而重要的實際智慧功課。因此，每當神有任何重要工作要做時，祂總是預備合適的工人來完成。