In brief
Potiphar is an Egyptian, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard, who buys Joseph from the Ishmaelites (Genesis 39:1). He sees that the Lord is with his Hebrew slave and puts his whole house in his charge, a house God blesses because of Joseph. But when his wife falsely accuses Joseph, Potiphar burns with anger and has him put in the prison where the king’s prisoners are confined. His story shows how God stays with his own in the midst of injustice.
What does the name Potiphar mean?
Potiphar is an Egyptian name, generally linked to an expression meaning given by Ra, the sun god of Egypt. The Bible does not explain it. He should not be confused with Potiphera, priest of On, whose daughter Asenath Joseph will marry (Genesis 41:45).
The story of Potiphar
The buyer of Joseph
Genesis 39:1Sold by his brothers, Joseph is taken down to Egypt. There Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard, an Egyptian, buys him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him. Joseph, Jacob’s favorite son, becomes the slave of a high foreign official. Nothing in this situation seems to promise a blessing.
A master who sees God at work
Genesis 39:2-4His master saw that the Lord was with Joseph and made everything he did prosper in his hand. Potiphar, an Egyptian, recognizes that Joseph’s success comes from his God. Joseph finds favor in his eyes: Potiphar takes him into his service, puts him in charge of his house and entrusts to him all that he owns.
A house blessed because of Joseph
Genesis 39:5-6From the moment Joseph is put in charge of the house, the Lord blesses the Egyptian’s house because of Joseph. The blessing reaches everything Potiphar owns, in the house and in the field. He leaves everything in Joseph’s hand and concerns himself only with the food he eats. The faithfulness of one servant draws God’s favor on a whole household.
Trust betrayed by his wife
Genesis 39:7-18Potiphar’s wife tries day after day to seduce Joseph. He refuses, out of respect for his master and above all for God, asking how he could do such a great wickedness and sin against God. One day she grabs him by his garment, and he runs out, leaving it in her hand. She uses it to accuse him before the household, then before her husband.
Anger and prison
Genesis 39:19-23When he hears his wife’s account, Joseph’s master burns with anger. He has Joseph put in prison, in the place where the king’s prisoners are confined. The text does not say what Potiphar really thought. But in prison too the Bible affirms that the Lord was with Joseph, who wins the favor of the keeper of the prison.
The prison of the captain of the guard
Genesis 40:1-4Later, Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker are put in the custody of the captain of the guard, in the prison where Joseph is confined. The captain of the guard assigns them to Joseph. The text does not name this captain, but it is the title Potiphar held. By this road, God prepares the encounter that will bring Joseph before Pharaoh.
What Potiphar teaches us
- Your faithful work can show God to people who do not know him, as Potiphar saw that the Lord was with Joseph.
- God can bless a whole household or business because of a single child of his who stays faithful.
- Do not decide in the heat of anger without looking for the truth: Potiphar ruled on one testimony alone.
- When you are treated unjustly, God stays with you and prepares what comes next, even at the bottom of a prison.
Key verses
Potiphar, an Egyptian, sees for himself that the Lord is with Joseph and makes his work prosper. Joseph’s faith is noticed first of all in the way he serves.
God blesses Potiphar’s house because of Joseph, in the house and in the field. The presence of a faithful servant brings blessing on those around him.
Potiphar sends Joseph to the prison of the king’s prisoners. But the Lord is with Joseph and extends kindness to him: human injustice does not stop God’s plan.
Sermons about Potiphar
- Joseph and Potiphar's Wife: How to Resist TemptationThe sermon points out that Potiphar himself recognizes that Joseph’s success comes from the God of Israel. It also notes that he does not put Joseph to death, but places him in the prison for the king’s prisoners.
- Follow Jesus to Become What He Promised YouJoseph had to serve Potiphar and then the keeper of the prison before becoming second in Egypt: for the sermon, prophecy announces the destiny, and service brings it to birth.
Frequently asked questions
Who was Potiphar in the Bible?
Potiphar was an Egyptian, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard (Genesis 39:1). He bought Joseph as a slave, saw that the Lord was with him and put his whole house in his charge. After his wife’s false accusation, he had Joseph put in the prison where the king’s prisoners were confined.
Why did Potiphar not put Joseph to death?
The Bible does not say. It only reports that Potiphar burned with anger and put Joseph in prison, in the place of the king’s prisoners (Genesis 39:19-20). Some see in this a sign of doubt about his wife’s story, but that is only a hypothesis. The text insists above all on one point: the Lord was with Joseph.
Where can I find the story of Potiphar in the Bible?
Potiphar is named in Genesis 37:36, when Joseph is sold in Egypt, and then in Genesis 39:1. The whole of chapter 39 tells his part: the purchase of Joseph, the blessing of his house, his wife’s false accusation and the prison. Genesis 40 and 41 then mention the house of the captain of the guard.