Potiphar's Wife

Biblical Account

She appears in Genesis 39. Her husband, Potiphar, was an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard. He bought Joseph, who had been sold by his brothers and brought to Egypt, and placed him in charge of his entire household (Genesis 39:1-6).

Potiphar's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph, who "was a goodly person, and well favoured," and asked him to lie with her (Genesis 39:6-7). Joseph refused, saying that he could not betray his master's trust: "how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" (Genesis 39:8-9). She pressed him day after day, but he would not even be with her (Genesis 39:10). One day, when no one else was in the house, she caught hold of his garment, and Joseph left it in her hand and fled outside (Genesis 39:11-12). Using the garment as evidence, she falsely told the men of her household and her husband that Joseph had tried to assault her. Potiphar, enraged, put Joseph into the prison where the king's prisoners were held (Genesis 39:13-20). She does not appear again in the narrative.

Significance Within Scripture

This episode forms the link to Joseph's imprisonment and to his later exaltation after he interprets Pharaoh's dreams. The text repeatedly states that "the LORD was with Joseph," both when he prospered and when he was imprisoned (Genesis 39:2, 21). Some scholars also note that Joseph's garment, like the coat of many colors in chapter 37, once again serves as false evidence. The New Testament does not mention her directly.

Interpretations and Issues

• Name: The Bible does not name her. Later Jewish literature and Islamic and Persian traditions are known to call her by names such as Zuleika (Zulaikha). These names come from traditions outside the biblical text.
• Potiphar's response: Because Potiphar imprisoned Joseph rather than executing him, some interpreters conclude that he did not fully believe his wife's account. The text does not state his reasons.
• Potiphar's status: The Hebrew word translated "officer" in Genesis 39:1 can also mean "eunuch," and some Jewish traditions accordingly regarded Potiphar as a eunuch. Most scholars read it as an official title.
• Comparison with ancient Near Eastern literature: The ancient Egyptian "Tale of Two Brothers" also contains a plot in which a woman whose advances are rejected makes a false accusation, and the two stories are often compared.
• Readings of the female character: Some scholars question interpretations that read her merely as a "seductive foreign woman" and instead draw attention to Joseph's position as a slave within the power relations of the household.

In the Korean Church

Sermons in Korean churches generally focus on the scene in which Joseph flees temptation. He is presented as a model of sexual purity and of faith that overcomes temptation, and the passage is often cited together with 1 Corinthians 6:15-18, which says, "Flee fornication." Sunday school lesson materials also treat it as one scene in the Joseph story. In these settings, the focus is less on Potiphar's wife herself than on Joseph's resolve not to sin before God.