Genesis 39:9
“There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”
King James Version (KJV)
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This verse records Joseph's response to the repeated advances of Potiphar's wife while he serves as a trusted steward in his master's house in Egypt.
What Does Genesis 39:9 Mean?
Genesis 39:9 means that Joseph refused the advances of his master's wife because he saw such an act not merely as a betrayal of his master's trust but as a sin against God Himself. Enslaved in a foreign land yet entrusted with everything in Potiphar's house, Joseph reasons through why he cannot do this wrong, and his reasoning reveals the heart of a man of integrity.
Joseph first acknowledges the trust placed in him: his master has withheld nothing from him except his wife. To betray that trust would be a grievous wrong against the man who trusted him. But Joseph reaches deeper still: "how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" The decisive reason is not fear of being caught or even loyalty to his master, but reverence for God. Joseph lives as one who knows that God sees, and that all sin is ultimately against Him. This verse shows integrity that holds firm even when no human would know -- away from home, with opportunity and pressure both present. Joseph's strength is not in his circumstances but in his settled conviction that he belongs to God and answers to Him above all.
In the Original Language
The Hebrew "chata" (sin) means to miss the mark or offend, and Joseph names his potential act a "great wickedness" (ra'ah gedolah) ultimately against God.
Cross References
“Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight.”
- Psalm 51:4
“Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.”
- 1 Corinthians 6:18
“But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.”
- Proverbs 6:32
Application
Let reverence for God shape your choices even when no one is watching, holding to integrity because you live always in His sight.