Genesis 39:3

Old Testament Law (Torah) ASV (1901)

What does Genesis 39:3 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And his master saw that Jehovah was with him, and that Jehovah made all that he did to prosper in his hand.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And his master saw that Jehovah was with him, and that Jehovah made all that he did to prosper in his hand.
Genesis 39:3 — American Standard Version

Context — Genesis 39

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
3And his master saw that Jehovah was with him, and that Jehovah made all that he did to prosper in his hand.

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 his master saw that the Lord [was] with him, etc.] He knew nothing of the spiritual and gracious presence of God that was with him, he was no judge of that; but he perceived by the ingenuity of his mind, by his ready and speedy learning the Egyptian language, by his dexterity in business, and by the prudence and faithfulness with which he did everything, that he was highly favoured by the divine Being, and had great endowments bestowed upon him, and was an extraordinary person for his age: and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand; and though Potiphar might have no knowledge of the true Jehovah, whose name he uses, yet he might have a notion of a supreme Being, and…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“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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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