Genesis 39:20-23

Genesis 39:20-23

And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.

But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.

And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it.

The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the LORD was with him, and that which he did, the LORD made it to prosper.

a. An interesting fact in this is that Potiphar himself was in charge of this prison.

1). Genesis 40:3 And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound.

b. Not only that but “the keeper of the prison” who undoubtedly was under Potiphar gave Joseph the charge of all the prisoners in the prison. Why Potiphar did not make it horribly bad for Joseph when he could have perhaps says something. Jewish tradition and some conservative Christian writers have written that its possible that Potiphar knew that Joseph was innocent but to save face had Joseph thrown in prison, but purposely made it as easy as possible for him. Joseph was in prison for at least two years but probably more, the Biblical record really does not say. I tend to lean that he was in Potiphars house for about ten years and in prison for three years.

1. Joseph was around 17 when he was taken into slavery into Egypt. Genesis 37:1-36. Since Joseph was born before Jacob left Haran, Jacob had been back in Caanan less than 17 years before Joseph was sold into slavery.

a. Genesis 37:2 These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.

b. When he was promoted to Prime Minister of Egypt, he was thirty.

1). Genesis 41:46 And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.

2. Other time line events.

a. Jacob was 130 years old when he came down to Egypt.

1). Genesis 47:8 And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, How old art thou?

And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.

b. Jacob was 60 years younger than his father Isaac.

1). Genesis 25:26 And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them.

c. . When Isaac died at 180, Jacob was 120 .

1). Genesis 35:27-29 And Jacob came unto Isaac his father unto Mamre, unto the city of Arbah, which is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned.

And the days of Isaac were an hundred and fourscore years.

And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

2). Doing the math that means Jacob was 120 years old at his father’s death, and if Jacob was 130 when he went down to Egypt, that means Joseph had been in Egypt for about 3 years when Isaac died. Jacob was about 107 or 108 when Joseph was sold into slavery and Isaac was about 177.