Genesis 39:22

Old Testament Law (Torah) ASV (1901)

What does Genesis 39:22 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph`s hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph`s hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it.
Genesis 39:22 — American Standard Version

Context — Genesis 39

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
22And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph`s hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it.

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners that [were] in the prisons, etc.] Who, as they were state prisoners, were a considerable charge; and this gave Joseph great honour, credit, and influence in the prison: and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer [of it]; not that he learned and exercised every trade the prisoners were of, to get a living by, which is the sense of some, as Aben Ezra relates; or that he in fact did everything that was done in the prison: but the meaning is, that he gave orders for the doing of everything, and there was nothing done without him; all that was done, as the Targum of Jonathan paraphrases it, he commanded it to be done;…”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“- Joseph in Potiphar’s House According to our reckoning, Perez and Zerah were born when Judah was in his twenty-eighth year, and therefore, Joseph in his twenty-fourth. Here, then, we go back seven years to resume the story of Joseph. Genesis 39:1-6 Joseph fares well with his first master. “Potiphar.” This is a racapitulation of the narrative in Genesis 37:0: “The Lord;” the God of covenant is with Joseph. “In the house.” Joseph was a domestic servant. “And his master saw.” The prosperity that attended all Joseph’s doings was so striking as to show that the Lord was with him. “Set him over” - made him overseer of all that was in his house. “The Lord blessed the Mizrite’s house.” He blesses…”
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Related study paths

Sources and verification