Genesis 39:6

And he left all he had in Joseph's hand;.... His master took no care of anything, but committed all to him, trusted him with his money and with his accounts, and with the management of all his

And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured. No JFB commentary on this verse.

He took care for nothing, but that he might eat, and drink, and fare deliciously. Nor did he indeed take any care for that, it being provided for him by other hands. Others thus, He took care for nothing, but committed all to Joseph, except his bread, which he would not have provided by a Hebrew hand, because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews, . But that was no impediment, for neither did Joseph eat with his master, nor was he the cook to dress it for him. But he might provide food for him, as afterwards he did for all the Egyptians without any scruple on their side.

Genesis 39:6 And he left all that he had in Joseph’ s hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was [a] goodly [person], and well favoured.Ver. 6. And he knew not aught he had, &c.] Some expound this of Joseph, that he took nothing for all his pains, but the food he ate; did not feather his own nest, as many in his place would have done; nor embezzle his master’ s goods committed to his trust. But without doubt the other is the better sense: Potiphar took what was provided for him, and cared for no more. This is few men’ s happiness; for usually the master is the greatest servant in the house. And Joseph was a goodly person.] But nothing so goodly on the outside as on the inside. His brethren had stript him of his coat, but could not disrobe him of his graces. Still he retained his piety and fear of God, his integrity and faithfulness toward his master, his chastity and modesty toward his mistress, his spiritual prudence and watchfulness over himself. How stoutly did he resist the devil, despise the world, subdue the flesh! Many "archers shot at him, but his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made firm by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob." Of bodily beauty, Pulchrior in luce cordis quam facie corporis.

Verse 6. Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured.] יפה תאר ויפה מראה yepkeh thoar, vipheh mareh, beautiful in his person, and beautiful in his countenance. The same expressions are used relative to Rachel; see them explained Genesis 29:17. The beauty of Joseph is celebrated over all the East, and the Persian poets vie with each other in descriptions of his comeliness. Mohammed spends the twelfth chapter of the Koran entirely on Joseph, and represents him as a perfect beauty, and the most accomplished of mortals. From his account, the passion of Zuleekha (for so the Asiatics call Potiphar's wife) being known to the ladles of the court, they cast the severest reflections upon her: in order to excuse herself, she invited forty of them to dine with her, put knives in their hands, and gave them oranges to cut, and caused Joseph to attend. When they saw him they were struck with admiration, and so confounded, that instead of cutting their oranges they cut and hacked their own hands, crying out, [Arabic] hasha lillahi ma hadha bashara in hadha illa malakon kareemon. "O God! this is not a human being, this is none other than a glorious angel!" - Surat xii., verse 32. Two of the finest poems in the Persian language were written by the poets Jamy and Nizamy on the subject of Joseph and his mistress; they are both entitled Yusuf we Zuleekha. These poems represent Joseph as the most beautiful and pious of men; and Zuleekha the most chaste, virtuous, and excellent of women, previous to her having seen Joseph; but they state that when she saw him she was so deeply affected by his beauty that she lost all self-government, and became a slave to her passion. Hafiz expresses this, and apologizes for her conduct in the following elegant couplet: - [Arabic] Men az an husn-i roz afzoon keh Yusuf dasht danistam Keh ishk az pardah-i ismat beroon arad Zuleekhara. "I understand, from the daily increasing beauty which Joseph possessed, How love tore away the veil of chastity from Zuleekha." The Persian poets and eastern historians, however, contrive to carry on a sort of guiltless passion between them till the death of Potiphar, when Zuleekha, grown old, is restored to youth and beauty by the power of God, and becomes the wife of Joseph. What traditions they had beside the Mosaic text for what they say on this subject, are now unknown; but the whole story, with innumerable embellishments, is so generally current in the East that I thought it not amiss to take this notice of it. The twelfth chapter of the Koran, which celebrates the beauty, piety, and acts of this patriarch, is allowed to be one of the finest specimens of Arabic composition ever formed; and the history itself, as told by Moses, is one of the most simple, natural, affecting, and well-told narratives ever published. It is a master-piece of composition, and never fails of producing its intended effect on the mind of a careful reader.

6. he knew not … him] The R.V. marg., with him he knew not, gives the correct meaning. Joseph’s master trusted everything to him. Everything went on smoothly; and with Joseph as manager he had no need to think of a thing, except as regards food. It is also just possible that “save the bread, &c.,” implies that food, owing to the strictness of Egyptian scruples (cf. Genesis 43:32), could not be committed to the care of a foreigner. Joseph was controller, or steward, of the household.