Potiphar’s Wife - Her Life And Times

Potiphar’s Wife - Her Life And Times

EGYPTIAN LIFE

In the ancient world, Egypt was considered the world’s breadbasket. The Nile River regularly overflowed its banks, depositing rich soil and moisture along the river valley — a perfect place for abundant crops to grow. But fertile ground in Egypt could be found only as far as the Nile reached, a division so pronounced one could literally stand with one foot on rich soil and the other in sand.

Whenever famine struck other parts of the Near East, the starving inhabitants would hurry to Egypt for food: “Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe” (Genesis 12:10). “When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, ‘Why do you just keep looking at each other?’ He continued, ‘I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die’ ” (Genesis 42:1 – 2).

In addition to serving as the world’s breadbasket, Egypt was the site of many impressive building projects. Some of the pharaohs constructed enormous tombs in which they and their families were to be ushered into the afterlife. Egyptians believed that their bodies were the eternal houses for their souls; therefore they became adept at mummification, preserving the bodies of the dead so thoroughly that some are intact today.

Egypt’s building projects were completed at tremendous human cost. Egyptian pharaohs forced the Hebrews into slavery, using them to complete their temples and tombs. Most likely the Hebrew oppression took place during the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt under the Pharaoh Rameses. Officials during that time have left behind their notations of the numbers of bricks made each day as well as their complaints at the scarcity of straw for the bricks.

Temples and tombs were filled with furniture of ebony and ivory, elegant vases, and copper tools, as well as gold jewelry and ornaments. Artisans etched beautifully drawn scenes of daily life on the walls of tombs to provide comfort for the one buried there.

As the wife of a high-ranking Egyptian official, Potiphar’s wife likely led a life of relative ease and prosperity. According to the story in Genesis 39, Potiphar’s household and business matters prospered because of Joseph’s influence, and “the blessing of the LORD was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field” (Genesis 39:5).

The story of seduction and desire is as old as history. Scripture doesn’t record if Joseph found Potiphar’s wife attractive and desirable. That detail could be considered superfluous since he rejected her because he “could not do such a wicked thing and sin against God.” The jaded, older Egyptian woman and her desires provide a stunning backdrop for Joseph’s purity, making Joseph and his choice to walk in a righteous manner all the clearer and more attractive.