Genesis Part 059
Potiphar is called “an officer of Pharaoh, and captain of the guard.” It is possible that he was a eunuch.
We skip through the well-known story of Joseph to focus on Potiphar, who is called “an officer of Pharaoh, and captain of the guard.” This word for “officer” is more commonly translated “eunuch” in the Bible because it comes from the word “to castrate” (Strong's Exhaustive Bible Concordance).
Adam Clarke’s commentary says this: “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, and some of them have even a harem or seraglio where they keep many women, though it does not appear that they have any progeny.” This fact offers insight into the narrative of Joseph’s interaction with Potiphar’s wife. It is possible that discontent on this ground might have contributed to the unfaithfulness of Potiphar’s wife and provided a motive for her actions. She might have been unaccustomed to rebuff, which fueled her animosity toward Joseph.
The end of verse 36 states that Potiphar was also “Captain of the guard.” “Captain,” meaning “a head person,” could be a captain, chief, general, or governor. “Guard” properly means “a butcher” (Strong's Exhaustive Bible Concordance). The following is what Adam Clarke’s commentary states about this title: “chief of the butchers; a most appropriate name for the guards of an eastern despot. If a person offends one of the despotic eastern princes, the order to one of the 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 was to take care of the royal person and execute his sovereign will on all the objects of his displeasure.”
The biblical narrative is concise, and it is helpful to understand the historical context that supports the story. Character development of the actors is sometimes missing, and the commentaries help us to extract information that adds validity to the story.
UYA Team | uya@ucg.org
United Young Adults (UYA) primarily serves the 18–32-year age group for the United Church of God. There are three main areas of contribution to the lives of the young adults: Promoting Spiritual Growth, Developing Meaningful Relationships, and Making the Most of Your Talents. The Know Your Sword series is a daily expository message introducing God’s Word from a trusted perspective.
