Genesis 39:11-20

¹¹ But one day, when he went into the house to do his work, while none of the men of the house was there in the house,

¹² she caught him by his cloak, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran and got out of the house.

¹³ And as soon as she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had fled out of the house,

¹⁴ she called to the men of her household and said to them, “See, he has brought among us a Hebrew to amuse himself with us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice.

¹⁵ And as soon as he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried out, he left his cloak beside me and fled and got out of the house.”

¹⁶ Then she laid up his cloak by her until his master came home,

¹⁷ and she told him the same story, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought among us, came in to me to amuse himself with me.

¹⁸ But as soon as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his cloak beside me and fled out of the house.”

¹⁹ As soon as his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, “This is the way your servant treated me,” his anger was kindled.

²⁰ And Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison.

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The servant, whom you have brought among us

Potiphar’s wife was in a battle with her husband. Joseph was intended to be a pawn in that battle. When she could not convince him to play her game, she changed the game, and accused him of raping her. She said to her husband that he had come into her – the same words that had been used of the rape of Tamar, and Judah’s affair with her afterwards. She said he had done it to amuse himself. Reality was that he had refused her advances, and ran away from her. It did not matter. Potiphar’s wife only wanted Joseph because of her anger at her husband. Even as she accused Joseph, her words put the blame on Potiphar. She wanted to hurt him. Her lust for Joseph was merely a mask for her desire to ridicule and harm her husband.

LORD, there is within us an evil which seeks to harm others, and use others for our own gain. Change us, Father. Make us people who love authentically, and submit to and serve each other joyfully.