In brief
Potiphar's wife is the wife of an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, in Egypt. She notices Joseph, a young Hebrew slave to whom her husband has entrusted his whole house, and asks him day after day to lie with her. Joseph refuses out of loyalty to his master and to God. One day she seizes his garment and he flees. She then accuses him falsely, and Joseph is thrown into prison. She is remembered as an image of persistent temptation and of lying.
What does the name Potiphar's Wife mean?
The Bible does not give her name: she is only called his master's wife or Potiphar's wife. Her husband's name, Potiphar, is generally linked to an Egyptian expression meaning "the one whom Ra has given". The names sometimes given to her come from late traditions, not from the biblical text.
The story of Potiphar's Wife
Joseph in Potiphar's house
Genesis 39:1-6Sold by his brothers, Joseph is bought by Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard. The Lord is with Joseph and makes everything he does prosper. Potiphar entrusts him with his house and all his possessions, and the Lord blesses the Egyptian's house because of him. The text adds that Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.
A repeated proposal
Genesis 39:7-10His master's wife sets her eyes on Joseph and tells him to lie with her. Joseph refuses. He recalls his master's complete trust and asks how he could do such a great wickedness and sin against God. She nevertheless presses him every day, and every day Joseph refuses to be with her.
The garment left in her hand
Genesis 39:11-12One day when none of the household is present, she seizes Joseph by his garment and repeats her demand. Joseph does not argue: he leaves his garment in her hand and flees outside. He prefers to lose his cloak rather than his faithfulness to God.
The false accusation
Genesis 39:13-18Seeing herself rejected, she calls the people of the house and accuses Joseph of trying to abuse her, showing the garment as proof. She keeps the garment until her husband returns and tells him the same story, speaking of the Hebrew slave he himself brought in. She thus turns the truth against the innocent.
Joseph in prison, God with him
Genesis 39:19-23Potiphar, burning with anger, has Joseph put in the prison where the king's prisoners are held. But the account insists that the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love. The keeper of the prison entrusts all the prisoners to him. The lie of Potiphar's wife does not stop God's plan for Joseph.
What Potiphar's Wife teaches us
- Temptation can be persistent and daily: it must be refused every time it returns.
- Sexual sin is first of all a wrong against God, as Joseph understood.
- Fleeing is sometimes the only wise response to temptation.
- A lie can make the innocent suffer for a time, but it cannot stop God from being with them.
- Faithfulness to God may cost dearly in the short term, without God ceasing to be at work.
Key verses
Joseph refuses by naming the true gravity of the act: a great wickedness and a sin against God. His faithfulness to his master flows from his fear of God.
Joseph leaves his garment and flees. This gesture illustrates the New Testament call to flee sexual immorality rather than bargain with temptation.
Even in prison because of a false accusation, Joseph is not abandoned: the Lord is with him and extends steadfast love to him.
Frequently asked questions
What was the name of Potiphar's wife?
The Bible does not give her name. Genesis 39 refers to her only as the wife of Joseph's master. The name Zuleikha, sometimes cited, comes from much later traditions and does not appear in Scripture. It is better to stay with the biblical text.
Why did Joseph refuse Potiphar's wife?
Joseph explains his refusal himself: his master has entrusted him with everything except her, because she is his wife, and giving in would be a great wickedness and a sin against God (Genesis 39:8-9). He refuses out of loyalty to Potiphar and above all out of faithfulness to God.
Where can I find the story of Potiphar's wife in the Bible?
Her whole story is in Genesis 39, from verse 7 to verse 20. Potiphar is also mentioned in Genesis 37:36, when Joseph is sold into Egypt. The story of Joseph in prison continues in Genesis 40 and 41.