Genesis 39:20-23
New English Translation
20 Joseph’s master took him and threw him into the prison,[a] the place where the king’s prisoners were confined. So he was there in the prison.[b]
21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him kindness.[c] He granted him favor in the sight of the prison warden.[d] 22 The warden put all the prisoners under Joseph’s care. He was in charge of whatever they were doing.[e] 23 The warden did not concern himself[f] with anything that was in Joseph’s[g] care because the Lord was with him and whatever he was doing the Lord was making successful.
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- Genesis 39:20 tn Heb “the house of roundness,” suggesting that the prison might have been a fortress or citadel.
- Genesis 39:20 sn The story of Joseph is filled with cycles and repetition: He has two dreams (chap. 37), he interprets two dreams in prison (chap. 40) and the two dreams of Pharaoh (chap. 41), his brothers make two trips to see him (chaps. 42-43), and here, for the second time (see 37:24), he is imprisoned for no good reason, with only his coat being used as evidence. For further discussion see H. Jacobsen, “A Legal Note on Potiphar’s Wife,” HTR 69 (1976): 177.
- Genesis 39:21 tn Heb “and he extended to him loyal love.”
- Genesis 39:21 tn Or “the chief jailer” (also in the following verses).
- Genesis 39:22 tn Heb “all which they were doing there, he was doing.” This probably means that Joseph was in charge of everything that went on in the prison.
- Genesis 39:23 tn Heb “was not looking at anything.”
- Genesis 39:23 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Genesis 39:20-23
New American Standard Bible
20 So Joseph’s master took him and (A)put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined; and he was there in the prison. 21 But (B)the Lord was with Joseph and extended kindness to him, and (C)gave him favor in the sight of the warden of the prison. 22 And the warden of the prison [a](D)put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison; so that whatever was done there, he was [b]responsible for it. 23 (E)The warden of the prison did not supervise anything [c]under Joseph’s authority, because (F)the Lord was with him; and, (G)the Lord made whatever he did prosper.
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- Genesis 39:22 Lit handed over to Joseph all
- Genesis 39:22 Lit the doer
- Genesis 39:23 Lit in his hand
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