Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Genesis 39:10

And it came to pass, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, [or] to be with her.

He avoided her company and familiar conversation, as evil in itself, the present circumstances considered, and as an occasion of further evil. See Pro 1:15; 5:8; 1Co 15:33; 1Th 5:22; 1Ti 5:14.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

And it came to pass, that as she spake to Joseph day by day,…. Continually, incessantly, hoping in time to prevail upon him to comply with her desires; so that the temptation, as it was strong, and very ensnaring, it was urgent, and frequent, and pressed with great importunity; which required the more grace and spiritual strength to resist:

that he hearkened not unto her; not only did not yield to her, but would not give her an hearing, at least as little as possible he could, lest he should be overcome by her persuasions:

to lie by her, [or] to be with her; she might tempt him to lie by her, if he would not lie with her; or to lie, as Aben Ezra interprets it, in a place near her, in a chamber next to hers, in hopes by degrees to gain her point; but he would not yield to either, nor to be in her company, and have any conversation with her, at least as little as possible, that he might not be in the way of temptation, and be led into it; though these phrases may all signify carnal copulation with her, which was what his mistress solicited, and he would not hearken to her in, and comply with her.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

But after she had repeated her enticements day after day without success, “ it came to pass at that time ( for the more usual (Gen 50:20), lit., about this day, i.e., the day in the writer’s mind, on which the thing to be narrated occurred) that Joseph came into his house to attend to his duties, and there were none of the house-servants within.” And she laid hold of him by his garment and entreated him to lie with her; but he left his garment in her hand and fled from the house.

Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament

10. As she spake to Joseph day by day. The constancy of Joseph is commended; from which it appears that a real fear of God reigned in his mind. Whence it came to pass that he not only repelled one attack, but stood forth, to the last, the conqueror of all temptations. We know how easy it is to fall when Satan tempts us through another: because we seem exempt from blame, if he who induces us to commit the crime, bears a part of it. (146) Holy Joseph, therefore, must have been endowed with the extraordinary power of the Spirit, seeing that he stood invincible to the last, against all the allurements of the impious woman. So much the more detestable is the wickedness of her, who is neither corrected by time, nor restrained by many repulses. When she sees a stranger, and one who had been sold as a slave, so discreet and so faithful to his master, when she is also sacredly admonished by him not to provoke the anger of God, how indomitable is that lust which gives no place to shame. Now, because we here see into what evils persons will rush, when regard to propriety is extinguished by carnal intemperance, we must entreat the Lord that He will not suffer the light of his Spirit to be quenched within us.

(146) Scimus quam lubricus sit lapsus, dum aliunde nobis flabella suscitat Satan: quia videmur culpa exempti, si ejus partem sustinet qui nos ad flagitium inducit. The French translation is, Nous savons combien il est aise de tomber, quand Satan nous suscite des soufflets d’ailleurs: car il nous semble que nous sommes exempts de la faute, si celuy qui nous a induit a mal en soustient une partie. The sentiment of the passage seems loosely expressed, and certainly required some limitation. The old English translator omits it, as he does many others, entirely. — Ed.

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

Pro 7:25

Observe, the pointed contempt on the religion of Joseph; first, the Hebrew, in order to heighten the offence she charged him with after. And is it not so now? Are not the blemishes, or the supposed blemishes of the LORD’S people, always magnified by the carnal world?

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

Gen 39:10 And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, [or] to be with her.

Ver. 10. And it came to pass, as she spake, &c. ] A violent temptation valiantly withstood and vanquished; and that by the force of the fear of God, that powerful grace where it may bear sway. Alexander, Scipio, Pompey, tempted with the exquisiteness and variety of choicest beauties, forbare that villany; not for conscience’ sake, or fear of God, whom they knew not, but lest thereby they should stop the current of their victories, and obscure the glory of their remarkable valour. But what saith Cyprian? As it is the greatest pleasure to have overcome pleasure, so there is no such victory as that that is gotten over a man’s lusts. This none but a Joseph fearing God can do. For “the fear of the Lord is pure,” saith David: Psa 19:9 it “is to hate evil,” not forbear it only, saith Solomon; and he instanceth in inward evils, as pride, arrogancy, &c., so unchaste thoughts, lustful vipers, and hankerings after strange flesh. These the fear of God purgeth upon and represseth; not suffering a man to sin, though he could do it so closely and covertly that the world should be never the wiser. Lo, this is chastity: and it differs herein from continency, which is the best we can say for those heathens aforementioned. The continent person refrains the outward act of uncleanness, either for love of praise or fear of punishment, but not without grief; for inwardly he is scalded with boiling lust. Whereas the chaste man, like St Paul’s virgin, 1Co 7:34 is “holy both in body and in spirit”; and this with delight, out of fear of God and love of virtue. Now, if upon such a ground we can refuse proffered pleasures and preferments, resolving rather to lie in the dust with Joseph than to rise by wicked principles, the trial is as sound as if we had endured the tortures of the rack. Heb 11:35

As she spake to Joseph day by day. ] Satan will not be said with a little, nor sit down by a light repulse. A man must give him a peremptory denial ( ) again and again, as our Saviour did; and yet the tempter departed not, but for a season. He is called Beelzebub, that is, the Master Fly, because he is impudent as a fly, and soon returns to the bait from which he was beaten. He will be egging us again and again to the same sin, and try every way to overturn us. Many times he tempts by extremes, as he did Mr John Knox, on his deathbed; first, to despair, by setting before him his sins; and, when foiled there, afterwards to presumption, and challenging of heaven as his due, for his many good works, and zeal in the Scottish Reformation. a So he dealt here by Joseph. He first set upon him on the left hand, when he sold him for a slave; and when this prevailed not, he sets here a Delilah to tickle him on the right side, and to tie him with the green withes of youthful pleasures. Sed pari successu: but he lost his labour. Joseph was semper idem; famous for all the four cardinal virtues, if ever any were. See here in this one temptation, his fortitude; justice; temperance; and prudence, in that he shuns the occasion; for he would not only not lie with her, but not “be with her,” saith the text: and that a man is indeed, that he is in a temptation; which is but a tap to give vent to corruption.

To lie by her, or to be with her. ] “Keep thee far from an evil matter,” saith Moses. Exo 23:7 “Come not nigh the door of” the harlot’s “house,” saith Solomon. Pro 5:8 “Flee fornication,” saith Paul. 1Co 6:18 And “Flee youthful lusts.” 2Ti 2:22 Not abstain from them only, but “flee” them, as ye would do a flying serpent. These are God’s commandments: and they are to be “kept as the sight of the eye.” Pro 7:2 The Nazarite might not only not drink wine, but not taste a raisin or the husk of a grape. Num 6:3-4 The good Christian is taught to “abstain from all appearance of evil”; 1Th 5:22 and to “hate the very garment that is spotted by the flesh.” The devil counts a fit occasion half a conquest; for he knows that corrupt nature hath a , a seed plot of all sin: which being drawn forth and watered by the breath of ill company, or some other occasion, is soon set awork, to the producing of death. Satan cheats us, when he persuades us that it is no conquest, except we beat away the temptation, yet keep the occasion by us. God will not remove the temptation till we remove the occasion. And in such case to pray, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,” is to thrust our finger into the fire, and then pray it may not be burnt. A bird while aloft is safe; but she comes not near the snare without danger. Solomon thought himself wise enough to convert his wives, and not be corrupted by them. But “it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods,” &c. 1Ki 11:4 He that can shun or remove the occasion, of his own proper motion, as Joseph did, he is the man; this is grace; here is a victory.

a Mr Perkins.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

as she spake: Gen 39:8, Pro 2:16, Pro 5:3, Pro 6:25, Pro 6:26, Pro 7:5, Pro 7:13, Pro 9:14, Pro 9:16, Pro 22:14, Pro 23:27

or to be: Pro 1:15, Pro 5:8, 1Co 6:18, 1Co 15:33, 1Th 5:22, 1Ti 5:14, 2Ti 2:22, 1Pe 2:11

Reciprocal: Gen 39:12 – caught Est 3:4 – when they spake Pro 6:32 – lacketh

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Gen 39:10-12. She spake to Joseph from day to day Joseph was single, was in the vigour of youth, was a man of like passions with us, was solicited and importuned to gratify those passions, and that in a way that promised both present pleasure and profit, and by one on whom he was dependant, and whom it was dangerous to provoke; whose frown might be followed by great sufferings, and whose favour might advance and establish his prosperity: opportunity and privacy also were afforded. But Joseph feared God; Joseph believed in a judgment to come. He therefore denied himself, and would not, for the sake of those pleasures of sin which are but for a season, involve himself in the divine wrath, and in certain and lasting misery and ruin. Hence he hearkened not to her, so much as to be with her. Finding her dead to all sense of shame, and deaf to the calls of duty, honour, conscience, and the fear of God, and that she was not to be reclaimed, he avoided her company, being distrustful of himself. For those that would be kept from harm must keep out of harms way. And when she laid hold on him, he left his garment in her hand He would not stay to parley with the temptation, but flew from it with the utmost abhorrence, as one escaping for his life.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments