Genesis 39:6
Context39:6 So Potiphar 1 left 2 everything he had in Joseph’s care; 3 he gave no thought 4 to anything except the food he ate. 5
Now Joseph was well built and good-looking. 6
Genesis 40:20
Context40:20 On the third day it was Pharaoh’s birthday, so he gave a feast for all his servants. He “lifted up” 7 the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker in the midst of his servants.
1 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Potiphar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 sn The Hebrew verb translated left indicates he relinquished the care of it to Joseph. This is stronger than what was said earlier. Apparently Potiphar had come to trust Joseph so much that he knew it was in better care with Joseph than with anyone else.
3 tn Heb “hand.” This is a metonymy for being under the control or care of Joseph.
4 tn Heb “did not know.”
5 sn The expression except the food he ate probably refers to Potiphar’s private affairs and should not be limited literally to what he ate.
6 tn Heb “handsome of form and handsome of appearance.” The same Hebrew expressions were used in Gen 29:17 for Rachel.
7 tn The translation puts the verb in quotation marks because it is used rhetorically here and has a double meaning. With respect to the cup bearer it means “reinstate” (see v. 13), but with respect to the baker it means “decapitate” (see v. 19).