Potiphar

After Joseph was sold by his brothers to Midianite merchants, Potiphar, the captain of the guard in Egypt, bought Joseph and placed him in service in his household. The Bible says that God was with Joseph and blessed him, and it indicates that Potiphar liked Joseph and made him his personal servant. Potiphar gave Joseph responsibility for his entire household. Joseph, a gifted administrator, took care of his master’s affairs so effectively that Potiphar had no worries in the world.

Potiphar’s wife was attracted to Joseph, and she sought repeatedly to seduce him. Joseph refused, even running away from her on one occasion. As he fled, she grabbed his garment. He continued running, leaving the article of clothing in her hand. Potiphar’s wife showed it to her husband and accused Joseph of trying to rape her—so Potiphar arranged for Joseph to be sent to prison. For the whole story, read Genesis 39:1-20. Despite all the injustices Joseph endured, God was working in and through His circumstances, and good things eventually would result.

The name Potiphar means “belonging to the sun.”

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations in SundaySchoolZone.com materials are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®,  Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.