Joseph in Potiphar’s House: Joseph goes from favorite son to bondservant and from chief steward to prisoner. Although Joseph appears prone to bad luck, the narrator makes it clear that God is directing Joseph’s destiny, including his setbacks, to his ultimate destiny of ruler as anticipated in his boyhood dreams.

A key term in this episode is “hand” (yad). It captures the trust Joseph inspires and plays a key role in his fall. Potiphar places all things in Joseph’s “hand” (vv. 3, 4, 6, 8, 22, 23). But in the incident with Potiphar’s wife Joseph flees her grasp, leaving his cloak in her “hand” (vv. 12, 13). Her hand holds the evidence that leads to his being cast into prison.

This episode depicts Joseph’s rise in Potiphar’s house (vv. 1–6), his resistance to the advances of Potiphar’s wife (v…