In Genesis 39 we have the story of Potiphar's wife, another nameless woman important to the story of God's people. Her persuit of Joseph and his constant refusal to give in to his owner's wife (remembering that he had been sold into slavery) demonstrate Joseph's goodness and faithfulness to God and his human master. Her lie that Joseph had tried to seduce her caused him to lose his favored position in Potiphar's house and landed him in jail, which ultimately ended up in his coming to the King's notice and rising to even higher status, that of King's advisor. So we usually just see her as an evil antagonist, necessary to the plotline, not as a real human being.
So who was she? I guess we'll never know too much. Her husband was an officer of Pharoah, a captain of the guard. This would imply that she had wealth and comfort. They could afford slaves, so she probably did not have to do much, if any, work. Perhaps she was bored. Perhaps her husband ignored her. Perhaps she just really liked the way Joseph looked and the way he handled their household. Often I picture her as one of those rich divas featured in so many soap operas - self important and petulant; expecting everyone to do as she says. This may or may not be true. I wonder if it was common back then for rich wives to sleep with their slaves?
When I read the story my thoughts drift to the stories of the south - of the slavery experienced in North America. How many times have we heard stories of Masters forcing their female slaves to sleep with them? and then selling them if they become pregnant? How often have we heard of families being sold to different people, children being torn from their parents, husbands and wives separated. We hear of the slaves being treated like animals, or worse - with no concern for family ties or health or religion. I can't help but wonder, if this is similar to Egypt back in Joseph's time, how he managed to put 'Mrs. Potiphar' off for as long as he did. I guess his station within the house would give him a modicum of power - and his physical strength would prevent her from physically forcing him - but it is still amazing that, when she was so adamant that he sleep with her that he could refuse while technically being her property.
Of course there is the possibility that she actually cared for him. That, through their interactions while running the household, the mistress developed a kind of love/respect for him (infatuation?) that made her wish for a deeper physical relationship as well. Maybe he cared for her, too, but could not betray his master or go against his belief that adultry was wrong. Maybe she just finally snapped. We've heard tales (especially on tv or movies) about obsessive "love".
In the Interpretation Commentary written by Walter Brueggemann it is suggested that this story is multi-layered. There is a common beginning with the Egyptian tale of Two Brothers - where the older brother's wife tries to seduce the younger brother who refuses her and ends up banished when she accuses him of attempted rape. In that story, after many twists and turns, the younger brother is reincarnated and becomes the Pharoah, naming his older brother as his trusted advisor. There is the idea that the Israelites know (and Mrs. Potiphar doesn't know) that Joseph's success is due to his being chosen by God and therefore his faithfulness to his belief makes sense. There is the conflict between the "empire" (Egypt) and the "dream" (Joseph's vision of ruling). The way to rise in the empire is to do as your are told by your superiors, The way to rise to the fulfilment of God's plan is to stay true to what God tells you. Joseph picked the "dream". There are themes and word usages that would have brought other stories to the mind of the ancient reader.
I guess the Bible doesn't tell us more about the wife of Potiphar because her motives and desires are not important. It is her actions that cause her inclusion at all. Because she managed to get Joseph imprisoned he came to the attention of the king's cup-bearer and baker. Because he interpreted their dreams correctly, the cup-bearer mentions him to Pharoah when he was troubled by dreams. Because Joseph was able to explain both Pharoah's dream and its meaning, Joseph was elevated to second in command in Egypt. So if it had not been for the foolish/evil desires of Potiphar's wife, Joseph may never have come to rule in Egypt.
What does this teach us? I'm not sure. That revenge sometimes backfires? Potiphar's household not only lost a great manager and all the blessings/prosperity he brought, but also ended up lower than Joseph in society. Maybe we learn that we have no idea what results our actions good (Joseph staying true) or bad (Mrs. Potiphar lying) may have. Maybe that God is in control no matter what. In the end run, this is what matters. God is in control and can use current "horrible-ness" to bring future "right-ness". It doesn't seem fair - we live in the small picture and may not be around for the "happy ending" or the big picture corrections. I guess this is where faith comes in. When Joseph said no to pleasing his owner's wife, he did not know if this was going to be the end of him, or if he would rot in jail for the rest of his life or whether he would be ok. He had to trust. And so do we.
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