GEN 39

Genesis 39:15

WEB

When he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment by me, and ran outside.”

BSB

When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”

KJV

And it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled, and got him out.

Matthew Henry

Verses 13–18

Genesis 39:13–18

Joseph's mistress, having tried in vain to make him a criminal, now endeavours to represent him as one; so to be revenged on him for his virtue. Now was her love turned into the utmost rage and malice, and she pretends she cannot endure the sight of him whom awhile ago she could not endure out of her sight. Chaste and holy love will continue, though slighted; but sinful love, like Amnon's to Tamar, is easily changed into sinful hatred. 1. She accused him to his fellow servants (Gen 39:13-15) and gave him a bad name among them. Probably they envied him his interest in their master's favour, and his authority in the house; and perhaps found themselves aggrieved sometimes by his fidelity, which prevented their purloining; and therefore they were glad to hear any thing that might tend to his disgrace, and, if there was room for it, incensed their mistress yet more against him. Observe, When she speaks of her husband, she does not call him her husband, or her lord, but only he; for she had forgotten the covenant of her God, that was between them. Thus the adulteress (Pro 7:19) calls her husband the good man. Note, Innocence itself cannot secure a man's reputation. Not every one that keeps a good conscience can keep a good name. 2. She accused him to his master, who had power in his hand to punish him, which his fellow servants had not, Gen 39:17, Gen 39:18. Observe, (1.) What an improbable story she tells, producing his garment as an evidence that he had offered violence to her, which was a plain indication that she had offered violence to him. Note, Those that have broken the bonds of modesty will never be held by the bonds of truth. No marvel that she who had impudence enough to say, Lie with me, had front enough to say, "He would have lien with me." Had the lie been told to conceal her own crime it would have been bad enough, yet, in some degree, excusable; but it was told to be revenged upon his virtue, a most malicious lie. And yet, (2.) She manages it so as to incense her husband against him, reflecting upon him for bringing this Hebrew servant among them, perhaps at first against her mind, because he was a Hebrew. Note, It is no new thing for the best of men to be falsely accused of the worst of crimes by those who themselves are the worst of criminals. As this matter was represented, one would have thought chaste Joseph a very bad man and his wanton mistress a virtuous woman; it is well that there is a day of discovery coming, in which all shall appear in their true characters. This was not the first time that Joseph's coat was made use of as a false witness concerning him; his father had been deceived by it before, now his master.

Cross-references: Gen 39:13 · Prov 7:19 · Gen 39:17 · Gen 39:18

Hebrew interlinear

H1961

הָיָהhâyâh/haw-yaw/

v — exist, be, become, come to pass

Derivation: a primitive root (compare 1933);

to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)

KJV: beacon, × altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, follow, happen, × have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, × use.

הָיָה

vb — fall out

הָיָה 3570 vb. fall out, come to pass, become, be

Qal

I.

1.

a. Fall out, happen

b. occur, take place, come about, come to pass

2. esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass

a.

(1). וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)

(2). rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

b. less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)

II. Come into being, become

1.

a. abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come

b. sq. prep.

2. become

a. sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)

b. sq. pred. adj.

c. become like

d. sq. pred. לְ pers.

e. sq. לְ pred.

f. oft. c. לְ pred. לְ pers.

g. with עַל and לְ

h. sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of

III. Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming)

1. exist, be in existence

2. abide, remain, continue

3. with word of locality, be in or at a place, be situated, stand, lie

4. as copula, joining subj. & pred.

5. periphrastic conjug.

Niph.

1. either be done, be brought about, or occur, come to pass

2. be done, finished, gone

H8085

שָׁמַעshâmaʻ/shaw-mah'/

v — hear, tell

Derivation: a primitive root;

to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)

KJV: × attentively, call (gather) together, × carefully, × certainly, consent, consider, be content, declare, × diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make to) hear(-ken, tell), × indeed, listen, make (a) noise, (be) obedient, obey, perceive, (make a) proclaim(-ation), publish, regard, report, shew (forth), (make a) sound, × surely, tell, understand, whosoever (heareth), witness.

שָׁמַע

vb — hear

שָׁמַע 1152 vb. hear

Qal 1052

1. subj. pers. hum.

2. י׳ (God) subj.

Niph. 42

1. be heard, of voice, sound

2. be heard of

3. be regarded, obeyed

4. = (favourable) hearing was granted to their voice.

Pi. he caused the people to hear

Hiph. 63

1. of man

2. י׳ subj.

H3588

כִּיkîy/kee/

conj — relative conjunction

Derivation: a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent or consequent;

(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed

KJV: and, (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), but, certainly, doubtless, else, even, except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, (al-) though, till, truly, until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet.

כִּי

conj — that

כִּי conj. that, for, when

1. that

2.

a. Of time, when, of the past

b. elsewhere כִּי has a force approximating to if, though it usu. represents a case as more likely to occur than אִם

c. when or if, with a concessive force, i.e. though

3. Because, since

כִּי אם־

relative conjunction

כִּי אם־

1. each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause:

a. that if

b. for if

2. (About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause—

a. limiting the prec. clause, except

b. the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but

c. after an oath, surely

כִּי עַל כֵּן

forasmuch as

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

H7311

רוּםrûwm/room/

v — be high, rise, raise

Derivation: a primitive root;

to be high actively, to rise or raise (in various applications, literally or figuratively)

KJV: bring up, exalt (self), extol, give, go up, haughty, heave (up), (be, lift up on, make on, set up on, too) high(-er, one), hold up, levy, lift(-er) up, (be) lofty, (× a-) loud, mount up, offer (up), presumptuously, (be) promote(-ion), proud, set up, tall(-er), take (away, off, up), breed worms.

רוּם

vb — be high

רוּם vb. be high, exalted, rise

Qal

1.

a. be high, lit. rock (in fig.)

b. esp. of י׳

2. be raised, uplifted

3. be lifted, rise, of ark

Pō‛lēl

1.

a. raise, rear, children

b. cause tree to grow

2. lift up

3. exalt, extol, acc. י׳

Pō‛lal be lift up

Hiph.

1.

a.

(1). raise, rear, c. acc., hand

(2). raise poor

b. lift up voice

c. (take into one's hand and) lift, take up, stone

d. set up, erect, stone

e. set on high, throne

f. lift up, exalt, c. acc. pers.

2. lift up and take away, remove

3. lift off and present, contribute, offer

Hoph. be taken off from; be abolished

Hithpō‛l. and he shall exalt and magnify himself above, etc.; I will raise myself

רָמַם

vb. denom — be wormy

[רָמַם] vb. denom. be wormy;—Ex 16:20

H6963

קוֹלqôwl/kole/

n-m — voice, sound

Derivation: or קֹל; from an unused root meaning to call aloud;

a voice or sound

KJV: aloud, bleating, crackling, cry ( out), fame, lightness, lowing, noise, hold peace, (pro-) claim, proclamation, sing, sound, spark, thunder(-ing), voice, yell.

קוֹל

n.m — sound

קוֹל 506 n.m. sound, voice

קֹל

n.[m.] — lightness

קֹל n.[m.] lightness, frivolity;—Je 3:9

H7121

קָרָאqârâʼ/kaw-raw'/

v — call out to

Derivation: a primitive root (rather identical with 7122 through the idea of accosting a person met);

to call out to (i.e. properly, address by name, but used in a wide variety of applications)

KJV: bewray (self), that are bidden, call (for, forth, self, upon), cry (unto), (be) famous, guest, invite, mention, (give) name, preach, (make) proclaim(-ation), pronounce, publish, read, renowned, say.

קָרָא

vb — call

קָרָא 724 vb. call, proclaim, read

Qal

1.

a. call, cry, utter a loud sound

b. call, cry

2.

a. call unto some one

b. cry for help

3. proclaim

4.

a. read aloud

b. read to oneself

5. summon

6. call = name

Niph.

1. reflex.

2. pass. be called

Pu. be called

H5800

עָזַבʻâzab/aw-zab'/

v — loosen, relinquish, permit

Derivation: a primitive root;

to loosen, i.e. relinquish, permit, etc.

KJV: commit self, fail, forsake, fortify, help, leave (destitute, off), refuse, × surely.

עָזַב

vb — restore

[עָזַב] vb. restore, repair (?);—Qal Ne 3:8

עָזַב

vb — leave

עָזַב 213 vb. leave, forsake, loose

Qal

1. leave, c. acc.

2. leave, abandon, forsake

3. let loose, set free, let go

Niph.

1. be left to

2. be forsaken, of house of God

Pu. (or Qal pass.) be deserted, of city

H899

בֶּגֶדbeged/behg'-ed/

n-m — covering, clothing, treachery, pillage

Derivation: from 898;

a covering, i.e. clothing; also treachery or pillage

KJV: apparel, cloth(-es, ing), garment, lap, rag, raiment, robe, × very (treacherously), vesture, wardrobe.

בֶּ֫גֶד

n.m — garment

בֶּ֫גֶד n.m. garment, covering

בֶּ֫גֶד

n.[m.] — treachery

בֶּ֫גֶד n.[m.] treachery Is 24:16 Je 12:1.

H681

אֵצֶלʼêtsel/ay'-tsel/

n-m — side, near

Derivation: from 680 (in the sense of joining);

a side; (as a preposition) near

KJV: at, (hard) by, (from) (beside), near (unto), toward, with. See also 1018.

אֵ֫צֶל

subst — conjunction

אֵ֫צֶל 81 subst. conjunction, proximity

H5127

נוּסnûwç/noos/

v — flit, vanish

Derivation: a primitive root;

to flit, i.e. vanish away (subside, escape; causatively, chase, impel, deliver)

KJV: × abate, away, be displayed, (make to) flee (away, -ing), put to flight, × hide, lift up a standard.

נוּס

vb — flee

נוּס 160 vb. flee, escape

Qal

1. flee

2. escape

3. take flight, depart, disappear

4. fly (to the attack) on horseback.

Po‛lel the breath of י׳ driveth at it, driveth it on

Hithpo‛l. in order to take flight before the bow

Hiph.

1. put to flight

2. drive hastily to a safe place

3. cause to disappear, hide

H3318

יָצָאyâtsâʼ/yaw-tsaw'/

v — go, bring, out

Derivation: a primitive root;

to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim.

KJV: × after, appear, × assuredly, bear out, × begotten, break out, bring forth (out, up), carry out, come (abroad, out, thereat, without), be condemned, depart(-ing, -ure), draw forth, in the end, escape, exact, fail, fall (out), fetch forth (out), get away (forth, hence, out), (able to, cause to, let) go abroad (forth, on, out), going out, grow, have forth (out), issue out, lay (lie) out, lead out, pluck out, proceed, pull out, put away, be risen, × scarce, send with commandment, shoot forth, spread, spring out, stand out, × still, × surely, take forth (out), at any time, × to (and fro), utter.

יָצָא

vb — go out

יָצָא 1068 vb. go or come out

Qal

1. go or come out or forth

a. from (מִן) a place

b. go forth from (the presence of) a person

c. in technical senses

d. of flight, involving escape

e. depart

f. of inanimate things

g. with especial emphasis on idea of origin, source

h. of children as going forth from loins (of father)

2.

a. go forth to a place

b. go forward, proceed to or toward something

c. come or go forth, with esp. ref. to purpose or result

3. of combinations

Hiph.

1. cause to go or come out, bring out, lead out

2. fig. obj. persons, bring out of (מִן) distress, etc.

3. bring out animals

4. inanimate obj.

5. fig. subj. י׳, bring forth from (מִן)

Hoph. be brought forth

H2351

חוּץchûwts/khoots/

n-m — separate by a wall, outside, outdoors

Derivation: or (shortened) חֻץ; (both forms feminine in the plural) from an unused root meaning to sever;

properly, separate by a wall, i.e. outside, outdoors

KJV: abroad, field, forth, highway, more, out(-side, -ward), street, without.

חוּץ

n.[m.] — the outside

חוּץ n.[m.] the outside, sts., esp. in pl., spec. a street

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