Joseph in Egypt, from Prison to Palace

Genesis 39:1–41:57

This story tracks Joseph through dramatic reversals: slavery, trust, accusation, prison, and sudden promotion. The repeated narrative claim is that the Lord is with Joseph in each setting. What looks like random suffering is gradually shown as preparation for public responsibility. By the end of Genesis 41, Joseph is governing Egypt's food strategy ahead of a regional famine that will later bring his brothers before him.

Joseph in Potiphar's House

Joseph is brought to Egypt and sold to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh—the captain of the guard. The Lord is with Joseph, and he prospers. Potiphar sees that the Lord is with him and entrusts him with all his household. Joseph is given charge over everything Potiphar owns. The text notes: "So Potiphar left all that he had in Joseph's charge, and because of him the Lord blessed the Egyptian's house."

Joseph is successful in everything he does. He manages the household, the fields, and all of Potiphar's affairs. He is trusted completely. But this position of trust and proximity creates vulnerability.

Potiphar's wife notices Joseph. The text describes him: "Joseph was handsome in form and appearance." She desires him and says: "Lie with me." Joseph refuses. He says: "Behold, because of me, my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my charge. He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?"

Joseph's refusal is not merely about avoiding adultery. He appeals to trust, to loyalty, to his master's confidence in him. He also appeals to God—this would be a sin against God, not just against Potiphar. He refuses repeatedly, but she persists. Day after day, she makes her request. Joseph consistently refuses and avoids being alone with her.

One day, Joseph comes into the house to do his work. None of the men of the household are inside. Potiphar's wife grabs his garment and says: "Lie with me." Joseph leaves his garment in her hand and flees out of the house. He chooses flight over compromise. He abandons his outer garment rather than yield to her demand.

She calls out to the men of the household and accuses Joseph: "The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought among us, came in to me to mock me. But as soon as I lifted up my voice and cried out, he left his garment beside me and fled out of the house." She uses his flight as evidence of guilt. She claims he came to assault her, and when she cried out, he fled, leaving his garment behind.

When Potiphar comes home, his wife tells him the same story: "The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought among us, came in to me to mock me. But as soon as I lifted up my voice and cried out, he left his garment beside me and fled out of the house." She has the garment as evidence—Joseph's own garment, which he left behind in his flight.

Potiphar hears his wife's words and is angry. He believes her account. He takes Joseph and puts him in prison, the place where the king's prisoners are confined. Joseph is imprisoned for a crime he did not commit, accused by the woman he refused.

Calvin notes Joseph's refusal in Potiphar's house as fear-of-God ethics: integrity is maintained even when secrecy would permit compromise. Joseph could have yielded in secret. No one would have known. But Joseph's fear of God is stronger than his fear of consequences. He refuses, and the refusal costs him his freedom.

Joseph in Prison

Even in prison, the Lord is with Joseph. The keeper of the prison puts Joseph in charge of all the prisoners and all that is done in the prison. The keeper does not look after anything that is in Joseph's charge, because the Lord is with him and whatever he does, the Lord makes it succeed.

Pharaoh's cupbearer and baker offend Pharaoh and are put in prison. They are assigned to Joseph's care. One night they both have dreams. Joseph sees that they are troubled and asks: "Why are your faces downcast today?"

They say: "We have had dreams, and there is no one to interpret them." Joseph says: "Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me."

The cupbearer tells his dream: "In my dream there was a vine before me, and on the vine there were three branches. As soon as it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and the clusters ripened into grapes. Pharaoh's cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup and placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand."

Joseph says: "This is its interpretation: the three branches are three days. In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office, and you shall place Pharaoh's cup in his hand as formerly, when you were his cupbearer."

The baker tells his dream: "I had three cake baskets on my head, and in the uppermost basket there were all sorts of baked foods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head."

Joseph says: "This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days. In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head—from you!—and hang you on a pole. And the birds will eat the flesh from you."

Three days later, on Pharaoh's birthday, both dreams come true exactly as Joseph said. The cupbearer is restored to his office. The baker is hanged.

Joseph says to the cupbearer: "Only remember me, when it is well with you, and please do me the kindness to mention me to Pharaoh, that he may let me out of this house." But the cupbearer forgets Joseph. Joseph remains in prison for two years, extending the period of waiting.

Pharaoh's Dreams

Two years later, Pharaoh has a dream. He is standing by the Nile, and seven well-fed cows come up out of the Nile and feed in the reed grass. Then seven other cows, gaunt and thin, come up out of the Nile after them and stand by the other cows on the bank of the Nile. The gaunt cows eat up the seven well-fed cows. Pharaoh wakes.

He falls asleep again and has another dream. Seven ears of grain, plump and good, are growing on one stalk. Then seven ears, thin and blighted by the east wind, sprout after them. The thin ears swallow up the seven plump ears. Pharaoh wakes.

In the morning, Pharaoh is troubled. He calls for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men, but none can interpret the dreams for him.

Then the cupbearer remembers Joseph. He says to Pharaoh: "I remember my faults today. When Pharaoh was angry with his servants and put me and the chief baker in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, we dreamed on the same night, he and I, each having a dream with its own interpretation. A young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. When we told him, he interpreted our dreams to us, giving an interpretation to each man according to his dream. And as he interpreted to us, so it came about."

Pharaoh sends for Joseph. Joseph is brought quickly from the prison. He shaves and changes his clothes and comes before Pharaoh.

Pharaoh says: "I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it." Joseph says: "It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer."

Joseph listens to Pharaoh's dreams and says: "The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are one. The seven lean and gaunt cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty ears blighted by the east wind are also seven years of famine."

Joseph continues: "There will come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt, but after them there will arise seven years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will consume the land."

Joseph proposes a plan: "Let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh proceed to appoint overseers over the land and take one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven plentiful years. And let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it. That food shall be a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine that are to occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish through the famine."

Dream interpretation in Genesis is tied to God's disclosure, not private mysticism. Joseph credits God for the interpretation and proposes a practical plan. Modern readers often discuss Joseph's statecraft as wise stewardship: practical planning is treated as faithful response, not as competition with trust in God.

Joseph's Elevation

Pharaoh is pleased with Joseph's interpretation and plan. He says to his servants: "Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?" Pharaoh says to Joseph: "Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only with regard to the throne will I be greater than you."

Pharaoh takes off his signet ring from his hand and puts it on Joseph's hand. He dresses him in garments of fine linen and puts a gold chain about his neck. He makes him ride in his second chariot, and they call out before him: "Bow the knee!" Thus he set him over all the land of Egypt.

Pharaoh says to Joseph: "I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no one shall lift up hand or foot in all the land of Egypt." Joseph is given the name Zaphenath-paneah and is given Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, as his wife.

Joseph is thirty years old when he enters the service of Pharaoh. He goes throughout the land of Egypt and gathers grain in great abundance, like the sand of the sea, until he stops measuring it, for it is beyond measure.

The seven years of plenty come to an end, and the seven years of famine begin. The famine is severe in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there is bread. When all the land of Egypt is famished, the people cry to Pharaoh for bread. Pharaoh says to them: "Go to Joseph; what he says to you, do."

Joseph opens all the storehouses and sells grain to the Egyptians, for the famine is severe in the land of Egypt. Moreover, all the earth comes to Egypt to Joseph to buy grain, because the famine is severe over all the earth. Joseph's rise positions him to preserve many lives, including his own family.

What to Notice

Joseph's gifts are exercised under long delay before public recognition arrives. Joseph interprets dreams in prison, but the cupbearer forgets him for two years. His gifts are real, but recognition comes slowly. Patience and faithfulness are required.
The Lord is with Joseph in each setting. Whether in Potiphar's house, in prison, or in Pharaoh's palace, the refrain is that the Lord is with Joseph. This is the theological backbone of the story. Success and endurance alike are grounded in divine presence.
The famine strategy links spiritual insight with concrete administration. Joseph's interpretation of Pharaoh's dreams is spiritual; his plan to store grain is practical. Both are necessary. Faith and wisdom work together.
Joseph's rise positions him to preserve many lives. Joseph does not know it yet, but his elevation will allow him to preserve his own family during the famine. God's providence is working through Joseph's faithfulness.