Genesis 37:36

And the Midianites sold him into Egypt,.... Or Medanites, who sprung from Medan, a brother of Midian, and son of Keturah, Genesis 24:2; and were distinct from the Midianites, though they dwelt near

And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, and captain of the guard. Sold him ... unto Potiphar , [Septuagint, Petefree] - i:e. belonging to the sun.

Whose office it was to apprehend and punish criminal persons. See .

Genesis 37:36 And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’ s, [and] captain of the guard.Ver. 36. And the Midianites.] Little knew Joseph what God was in doing. Have patience, till he have brought both ends together.

(36) Midianites.—Heb., Medanites. (See Note on Genesis 37:25.) Potiphar.—Three chief interpretations are given of this name The first explains it by two Coptic words, according to which it would signify “father of the king.” This would make it an official name equivalent to prime minister or vizier. Gesenius considers it to be the same name as Potipherah (Genesis 41:50), and explains it as meaning “consecrated to Ra,” that is, the sun-god. Thirdly, Canon Cook, in the “Excursus on Egyptian Words,” at the end of Vol. I. of The Speaker’s Commentary, argues with much cogency, that it means “father of the palace.” This again would be an official name. An officer.—Though this word literally in Hebrew signifies an eunuch, yet either, as seems probable from other places, it had come to mean any officer of the palace, or Potiphar was chief of the eunuchs, and therefore is himself numbered among them. Captain of the guard.—Heb., chief of the slaughterers, by which the LXX. understand the slaughterers of animals for food, and translate “chief cook.” The other versions understand by it the commander of the king’s body-guard, whose business it would be to execute condemned criminals. A comparison with 2 Kings 25:8, where the same title is given to Nebuzar-adan, proves that this interpretation is correct.

Verse 36. Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's] The word סריס saris, translated officer, signifies a eunuch; and lest any person should imagine that because this Potiphar had a wife, therefore it is absurd to suppose him to have been a eunuch, let such persons know that it is not uncommon in the east for eunuchs to have wives, nay, some of them have even a harem or seraglio where they keep many women, though it does not appear that they have any progeny; and probably discontent on this ground might have contributed as much to the unfaithfulness of Potiphar's wife, as that less principled motive through which it is commonly believed she acted. Captain of the guard.] שר הטבחים sar kattabbachim, chief of the butchers; a most appropriate name for the guards of an eastern despot. If a person offend one of the despotic eastern princes, the order to one of the life-guards is, Go and bring me his head; and this command is instantly obeyed, without judge, jury, or any form of law. Potiphar, we may therefore suppose, was captain of those guards whose business it was to take care of the royal person, and execute his sovereign will on all the objects of his displeasure. Reader, if thou hast the happiness to live under the British constitution, be thankful to God. Here, the will, the power, and utmost influence of the king, were he even so disposed, cannot deprive the meanest subject of his property, his liberty, or his life. All the solemn legal forms of justice must be consulted; the culprit, however accused, be heard by himself and his counsel; and in the end twelve honest, impartial men, chosen from among his fellows, shall decide on the validity of the evidence produced by the accuser. For the trial by jury, as well as for innumerable political blessings, may God make the inhabitants of Great Britain thankful! 1. WITH this chapter the history of Joseph commences, and sets before our eyes such a scene of wonders wrought by Divine Providence in such a variety of surprising instances, as cannot fail to confirm our faith in God, show the propriety of resignation to his will, and confidence in his dispensations, and prove that all things work together for good to them that love him. Joseph has often been considered as a type of Christ, and this subject in the hands of different persons has assumed a great variety of colouring.

36. Midianites] Heb. Medanites. This verse, from E, resumes the narrative from Genesis 37:29-30. Potiphar] An Egyptian name, denoting “the gift of Ra,” the sun-god. It appears as “Potiphera,” Genesis 41:45, Genesis 46:20. LXX Πετεφρῆς, Lat. Putiphar, reproducing the Egyptian Pedephrη = “he whom the sun-god gives.” officer] Lit. “eunuch.” Probably a word used to denote an official about the court. Heb. saris, LXX σπάδων, Lat. eunuchus. Some Assyriologists prefer the derivation from �a rκ�i = “he who is the head.” But there seems to be no sufficient reason to call in question the meaning which the word has in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Arabic. The class to which the saris belonged has always infested Oriental courts, and the name was therefore likely to acquire a general significance as “a court official.” Cf. 2 Kings 18:17 (Rab-saris); Jeremiah 39:3; Jeremiah 39:13; Daniel 1:3. Pharaoh] i.e. the king of Egypt. The title, but not the personal name, of the sovereign: see note on Genesis 12:15. captain of the guard] Heb. chief of the executioners, and, as such, having charge of the prisoners (Genesis 40:3-4, Genesis 41:12). Cf. “captain of the guard,” 2 Kings 25:8; Jeremiah 39:9; Jeremiah 41:10; Jeremiah 43:6; Jeremiah 52:12; Daniel 2:14. Another very possible rendering is “chief of the butchers” (cf. Genesis 40:2, “chief of the bakers”), the officer over the men who killed the animals for the food of the king’s house, and one of the principal officials in an ancient court. The Heb. word in the sing. is “cook” in 1 Samuel 9:23-24, i.e. the man who killed the animal for food and cooked it. If so, the rendering of the LXX ἀρχιμάγειρος, “head cook,” “head of the kitchen department,” is nearer the truth than that of the Lat. magister militum.

36. Potiphar — “A eunuch of Pharaoh: this is the primary meaning, although the word came afterwards to mean officer in general, since the officers about the royal person were usually eunuchs.