Polygamy in the Old Testament: Joseph Succeeds Where His Forefathers Failed
Over the last few weeks on Canonical Mondays, we’ve been observing a string of failures in the life of the patriarch Abraham. Through using the Canonical Approach to Bible study, we’ve observed that Abraham’s questionable practices related to polygamy were set up to look just like the stories of Creation and the Fall from Genesis 1-3.
That is, the stories of polygamy are parallel to those first stories by reoccurring words and themes. And those reoccurring words and themes are woven into each of the narratives by the author to carry the reader from one story to the next. The author (Moses) teaches us theology by showing us these interrelated narratives about the lives of the patriarchs (and beyond).
Failure when Tested
The intentional parallels by Moses from Genesis 12, 16, and 20 to Genesis 1-3 show the readers that God condemns the failures of Abraham with his wife Sarah and with Hagar by making the stories analogous to the Fall.
But Abraham is not the only patriarch to fail in this way. Moses, the author of the Pentateuch, makes sure to show us that after Abraham, Isaac has a very similar sojourn into Gerar and lies about his wife being his sister. This time, Abimelech sees that Rebekah is in fact Isaac’s wife and chastises him over the sin that could have occurred.
After Isaac, his own son Jacob is deceived and ends up choosing to have two wives. At some point soon we’ll come back to this story on Canonical Mondays because studying this narrative canonically really changed my thoughts and understanding of what happened with Jacob, Laban, Leah, and Rachel (and Bilhah and Zilpah…).
Hope
But Genesis ends with hope after a long string of failures: Adam and Eve fail in Genesis 3. Abraham failed in narratively similar ways in Genesis 12, 16, and 20. Isaac fails in the same way in Genesis 26. And Jacob, in Genesis 29-30.
Then, Jacob’s life story transitions to stories of Joseph, the son of Jacob and Rachel. And the reader gets to see how Joseph succeed where Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac, and Jacob all failed.
Joseph in Genesis 39
Joseph has been sold into slavery and is acquired by Potiphar, the Pharaoh’s captain of the guard. Even though Joseph is a slave, the LORD is with him and makes him prosper. So much so that Potiphar realizes what God has done for Joseph, and he too elevates Joseph.
Let’s get into the text. Here at the beginning of Genesis 39 we already start seeing some of the words and themes from Genesis 1-3 (and 12, 16, and 20) start showing up:
Genesis 39
1 Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an Egyptian officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the bodyguard, bought him from the Ishmaelites, who had taken him down there.
2 And the Lord was with Joseph, so he became a successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian.
3 Now his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all that he did prosper in his hand.
4 So Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his personal servant; and he made him overseer over his house, and put him in charge of all that he owned.
5 It came about that from the time he made him overseer in his house and over all that he owned, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house on account of Joseph; so the Lord’s blessing was upon all that he owned, in the house and in the field.
6 So he left Joseph in charge of everything that he owned; and with him there he did not concern himself with anything except the food which he ate.
Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.
Observations from Genesis 39:1-6
Thematically, we observe here that God’s man (the one whom He is with and blesses) is in his master’s house. Just as Adam is put into the garden, which is structured to look like the tabernacle, the place of God’s dwelling, i.e. God’s house, so too Joseph is being explicitly positioned in his master’s house.
Just like Adam (and Eve) ruling and subduing the creation that belongs to God the Creator, Joseph is set as overseer/ruler over his master’s house and all that he owns (cf. Gen 1:26-30)
Potiphar sees (רָאָה) God’s activity (his vision is correct! Not everyone’s is, in the Pentateuch) and then Joseph finds favor in his eyes (בְּעֵינָ֖יו) . Seeing/eyes are major themes starting in Genesis 1-3 and can be traced throughout the whole Bible. Seeing plays a pivotal role in God looking at Creation, in Eve looking at the forbidden tree, and in Abram assessing Sarai and Pharaoh looking at Sarai (Gen. 12); in Lot’s wife looking back at Sodom & Gomorrah (Gen. 19); Noah’s son looking on Noah’s nakedness (Gen. 9), etc.
What one sees with the eyes either prospers them or curses them.
We then observe that the LORD blesses (בָרַךְ) Joseph and then Potiphar’s house because of him (just like Abraham and the nations that would be blessed through him, cf. Gen 15). Blessing of God’s man and of His people is another major them through the Pentateuch and the whole Bible.
Next, we turn our attention to a very interesting phrase, which stands out in the paragraph: we see that because of Joseph, Potiphar doesn’t worry about anything except what to eat.
Now, many study notes suggest that this really means that Potiphar doesn’t worry about anything except his very personal matters. And to an extent, that makes sense.
But what is essential to grasp in canonical studies is that the words and phrases that the author uses in the text are intentionally chosen in order to convey the exact meaning they want. And, those words are chosen in order to connect stories together.
So then, when we come to this side note about Potiphar only paying attention to what he eats, it is in the context of God’s chosen man (Joseph)—blessed and prospered—who is in his master’s house to rule over all the master’s things. And we now see, tacked onto these growing parallels between Joseph and Adam (and Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) that the only care referenced in this blessed situation is about what to eat.
This is the same situation in the garden, Adam and Eve had access to abundance of all things, blessed by God, and have only one prohibition — one thing they must consider not doing. They are allowed to freely eat of all, except that they must not eat from one tree (Gen. 2:16-17). They must consider what they eat.
I think that this sentence here in Genesis 39 about eating is especially pointed when it’s paired with the next sentence: Jospeh was pleasant to the sight, he was good-looking, just like all the trees of the garden are said to be (Gen. 2:9), and then especially noted about the forbidden tree (Gen. 3:6)– and as Sarai is described (Gen. 12:11), and as Rebekah (Gen. 24:16; 26:7) and Rachel (Gen. 29:17) are described.
So with this insertion about Potiphar only being concerned about what he eats, plus the next sentence describing Joseph as good to look at, we are compelled to make the comparison to Genesis 2&3, as well as Genesis 12, 20, and 26.
And the note about eating and Joseph being pleasant to look at leads the reader to sit up and expect a temptation. Will Jospeh trust and obey the LORD? Because so far, these beautiful things to look at (fruit and wives) have tempted God’s people into sin…
As we keep reading the account, we are certain that this narrative is intended to contrast the Garden narratives. Joseph succeeds where Adam and Eve failed. This also shows the reader that Joseph succeeds where Abraham failed.
Genesis 39
7 And it came about after these events that his master’s wife had her eyes on Joseph, and she said, “Sleep with me.”
8 But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, with me here, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has put me in charge of all that he owns.
9 There is no one greater in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil, and sin against God?”
10 Though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he did not listen to her to lie beside her or be with her.
11 Now it happened one day that he went into the house to do his work, and none of the people of the household was there inside.
12 So she grabbed him by his garment, saying, “Sleep with me!” But he left his garment in her hand and fled, and went outside.
Observations from Genesis 39:7-12
First, we notice that the beginning of this scene begins with “after these events,” these events being the blessing and prosperity and rulership that Joseph has been given. And now, he comes to a temptation. The narrative is following the same arc as Creation: God’s man and woman are abundantly blessed, given everything, and then are tempted by an enemy in the house (the serpent in God’s garden tabernacle/house; Potiphar’s wife acts as Joseph’s enemy, tempting him to sin).
Again, we see the theme of eyes and seeing: Potiphar’s wife’s eyes are on Joseph, but with the intent for evil (this becomes explicit – that what she is asking is evil and a sin against God – in vs. 9).
Joseph responds to her, the enemy, in truth, unlike Eve (and that he responds at all is contrast to silent Adam). And I think what Joseph says to Potiphar’s wife is really illuminating. Is this how Adam and Eve should’ve responded to the Snake?
Notice the recurring themes that are present in his response that would’ve been appropriate in the garden:
The master has put me in charge of all he owns. Adam and Eve, coregents over God’s creation and garden tabernacle.
He has withheld nothing from me except you. Analogous to the garden where nothing is withheld except the tree that is being proffered by the Snake in temptation.
How then could I do this great evil and sin against God? God is the one who gave the prohibition. He is the one that has given all the blessings and abundance and elevation. Same as in the garden.
This statement is also similar to the questions Abimelech confronts Abraham with in Genesis 20:9 after he realizes that Abraham lied about Sarah being his wife: “What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done.”
Finally (for the moment!), we see that even though Potiphar’s wife continues to speak to Joseph, he does not listen (שָׁמַע) to her. This contrasts with both Adam, who listened to Eve’s voice when it contradicted God, and contrasts Eve, who listened to the Snake’s voice instead of God’s.
Explicitly, we see both linguistic and thematic parallels between this verse in chapter 39 and in the judgement scene of Genesis 3, vs 17, where God says to Adam: “Because you have listened (שָׁמַע) to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree[1] from which I commanded you not to eat…”
Summary
Over the last few weeks we’ve looked at three accounts of Abraham’s failure when it comes to his testing after a blessing—testing that had to do with giving his wife away, or taking a second wife. And those stories are told in such a way as to mimic the Fall in Genesis 3, and in so doing preach the message that God condemns Abraham’s actions[2].
But in contrast to his great-grandfather, all of Joseph’s parallels to Genesis 1-3 (and so thus the parallels between Gen 12, 16, and 20) show us that he is God’s man who succeeds when faced with temptation! Genesis ends with God’s man succeeding where his forefathers did not![3]
NOTES:
[1] I think that this connection between Gen 39:10 and Gen. 3 is seen on a deeper level when we realize that the each of the other polygamy-type passages set up the analogy between the tree of testing (the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil) and a beautiful person of testing (Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, and now Joseph/Potiphar’s wife. The story of David and Bathsheba is another good example of this recurring theme later in the OT).
[2] This point is argued throughout the past 3 blog posts on polygamy. Check them out for the reasoning!
[3] Notably, Joseph’s narratives show him marrying just one woman!