Genesis 37:36
New International Version
Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard.

New Living Translation
Meanwhile, the Midianite traders arrived in Egypt, where they sold Joseph to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Potiphar was captain of the palace guard.

English Standard Version
Meanwhile the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard.

Berean Standard Bible
Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.

King James Bible
And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, and captain of the guard.

New King James Version
Now the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.

New American Standard Bible
Meanwhile, the Midianites sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, Pharaoh’s officer, the captain of the bodyguard.

NASB 1995
Meanwhile, the Midianites sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, Pharaoh’s officer, the captain of the bodyguard.

NASB 1977
Meanwhile, the Midianites sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, Pharaoh’s officer, the captain of the bodyguard.

Legacy Standard Bible
Meanwhile, the Midianites sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, Pharaoh’s officer, the captain of the bodyguard.

Amplified Bible
Meanwhile, in Egypt the Midianites sold Joseph [as a slave] to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and the captain of the [royal] guard.

Christian Standard Bible
Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and the captain of the guards.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and the captain of the guard.

American Standard Version
And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, the captain of the guard.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And the Midianites sold him into Egypt, to Putiphar the Chief Eunuch, the Guard of Pharaoh.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the Madianites sold Joseph into Egypt; to Petephres, the eunuch of Pharao, captain of the guard.

Contemporary English Version
Meanwhile, the Midianites had sold Joseph in Egypt to a man named Potiphar, who was the king's official in charge of the palace guard.

Douay-Rheims Bible
The Madianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Putiphar, an eunuch of Pharao, captain of the soldiers.

English Revised Version
And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, the captain of the guard.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Meanwhile, in Egypt the Midianites sold Joseph to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials and captain of the guard.

Good News Translation
Meanwhile, in Egypt the Midianites had sold Joseph to Potiphar, one of the king's officers, who was the captain of the palace guard.

International Standard Version
Meanwhile, down in Egypt, the Midianites sold Joseph to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's court officials, who was also Commander-in-Chief of the imperial guards.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, the captain of the guard.

Literal Standard Version
And the Midianites have sold him to Egypt, to Potiphar, a eunuch of Pharaoh, head of the executioners.

Majority Standard Bible
Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.

New American Bible
The Midianites, meanwhile, sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, an official of Pharaoh and his chief steward.

NET Bible
Now in Egypt the Midianites sold Joseph to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials, the captain of the guard.

New Revised Standard Version
Meanwhile the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard.

New Heart English Bible
Now the Midianites sold him into Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the Midianites sold him into Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, and captain of the guard.

World English Bible
The Midianites sold him into Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, the captain of the guard.

Young's Literal Translation
And the Medanites have sold him unto Egypt, to Potiphar, a eunuch of Pharaoh, head of the executioners.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jacob Mourns Joseph
35All his sons and daughters tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said. “I will go down to Sheol mourning for my son.” So his father wept for him. 36Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.

Cross References
Genesis 39:1
Meanwhile, Joseph had been taken down to Egypt, where an Egyptian named Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.

Genesis 40:3
and imprisoned them in the house of the captain of the guard, the same prison where Joseph was confined.

Genesis 41:12
Now a young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams and he interpreted them for us individually.

Psalm 105:17
He sent a man before them--Joseph, sold as a slave.

Jeremiah 39:9
Then Nebuzaradan captain of the guard carried away to Babylon the remnant of the people who had remained in the city, along with the deserters who had defected to him.


Treasury of Scripture

And the Midianites sold him into Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, and captain of the guard.

the Midianites.

Genesis 37:28
Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.

Genesis 25:1,2
Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah…

Genesis 39:1
And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither.

officer.

Esther 1:10
On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven chamberlains that served in the presence of Ahasuerus the king,

Isaiah 56:3
Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying, The LORD hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree.

captain.

Genesis 39:1-23
And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither…

Genesis 40:4
And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them: and they continued a season in ward.

2 Kings 25:8
And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which is the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem:

Jump to Previous
Bodyguard Captain Chamberlain Egypt Eunuch Executioners Guard Head High Joseph Life-Guard Meanwhile Midian Midianites Mid'ianites Officer Officials Pharaoh Pharaoh's Position Potiphar Pot'i-Phar Price Sold
Jump to Next
Bodyguard Captain Chamberlain Egypt Eunuch Executioners Guard Head High Joseph Life-Guard Meanwhile Midian Midianites Mid'ianites Officer Officials Pharaoh Pharaoh's Position Potiphar Pot'i-Phar Price Sold
Genesis 37
1. Joseph is loved by Jacob, but hated by his brothers.
5. His dreams and the interpretation.
12. Jacob sends him to his brothers, who counsel to slay him.
21. At Reuben's desire they cast him into a pit;
25. and afterwards sell him to the Ishmaelites;
29. while Ruben grieves at not finding him.
31. His coat, covered with blood, is sent to Jacob, who mourns him inordinately.
36. Joseph is brought to Egypt and sold to Potiphar.














(36) Midianites.--Heb., Medanites. (See Note on Genesis 37:25.)

Potiphar.--Three chief interpretations are given of this name The first explains it by two Coptic words, according to which it would signify "father of the king." This would make it an official name equivalent to prime minister or vizier. Gesenius considers it to be the same name as Potipherah (Genesis 41:50), and explains it as meaning "consecrated to Ra," that is, the sun-god. Thirdly, Canon Cook, in the "Excursus on Egyptian Words," at the end of Vol. I. of The Speaker's Commentary, argues with much cogency, that it means "father of the palace." This again would be an official name.

An officer.--Though this word literally in Hebrew signifies an eunuch, yet either, as seems probable from other places, it had come to mean any officer of the palace, or Potiphar was chief of the eunuchs, and therefore is himself numbered among them.

Captain of the guard.--Heb., chief of the slaughterers, by which the LXX. understand the slaughterers of animals for food, and translate "chief cook." The other versions understand by it the commander of the king's body-guard, whose business it would be to execute condemned criminals. A comparison with 2Kings 25:8, where the same title is given to Nebuzar-adan, proves that this interpretation is correct.

Verse 36. - And the Midianites - or Medanites, descendants of Medan, a brother of Midian, both of whom were sons of Abraham by Keturah (Genesis 25:2). That the Arabian merchants are called Ishmaelites (ver. 27), Midianites (ver. 28), and Medanites (ver. 36), is explained as an evidence of varying legends (Tuch, Bleek, Davidson, Colenso), but is better accounted for as indicating that the traders were composed of men of various nations (Clericus); that the Midianites, Ishmaelites, and Medanites were often confounded from their common parentage and closely similar habits (Keil); that the narrator did not intend to lay stress upon the nationality, but upon the occupation, of the travelers (Havernick); that the proprietors of the caravan were Ishmaelites, and the company attending it Midianites or Medanites (Lange); that the Ishmaelites were the genus, and the Midianites and Medanites the species, of the same nation (Rosenmüller, Quarry); that the Midianites or Medanites were the actual purchasers of Joseph, while the caravan took its name from the Ishmaelites, who formed the larger portion of it (Murphy) - sold him into Egypt (i.e. having brought him into Egypt, perhaps, as Luther conjectures, passing through Hebron on the way, sold him) unto Potiphar, - the name is abbreviated from Poti-Phera (Genesis 41:50), i.e. he who belongs to the sun (Gesenius, sub voce). The LXX. render Πετεφρής or Πετεφρῆ - an officer - סָרִיס, from סָרַס, an unused root signifying to pull up by the roots, originally means a eunuch (Isaiah 56:3, 4), such as Oriental monarchs were accustomed to set over their harems (Esther 2:3, 14, 15; Esther 4:5), but is here employed to denote an officer or courtier generally, without any reference to the primary signification, since Potiphar was married - of Pharaoh's (vide Genesis 12:15), and captain of the guard - literally, captain of the slaughterers, i.e. chief officer of the executioners, the nature of whoso duties may be understood from the fact that he was keeper of the State prison, "where the king's prisoners were bound" (Genesis 39:20).



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Meanwhile, the Midianites
וְהַ֨מְּדָנִ֔ים (wə·ham·mə·ḏā·nîm)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 4084: Midianite -- a descendant of Midian

sold
מָכְר֥וּ (mā·ḵə·rū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 4376: To sell

[Joseph]
אֹת֖וֹ (’ō·ṯōw)
Direct object marker | third person masculine singular
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

in
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

Egypt
מִצְרָ֑יִם (miṣ·rā·yim)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 4714: Egypt -- a son of Ham, also his descendants and their country in Northwest Africa

to Potiphar,
לְפֽוֹטִיפַר֙ (lə·p̄ō·w·ṭî·p̄ar)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6318: Potiphar

an officer
סְרִ֣יס (sə·rîs)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5631: A eunuch, valet, a minister of state

of Pharaoh
פַּרְעֹ֔ה (par·‘ōh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6547: Pharaoh -- a title of Egypt kings

[and] captain
שַׂ֖ר (śar)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 8269: Chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince

of the guard.
הַטַּבָּחִֽים׃ (haṭ·ṭab·bā·ḥîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 2876: A butcher, a lifeguardsman, a cook


Links
Genesis 37:36 NIV
Genesis 37:36 NLT
Genesis 37:36 ESV
Genesis 37:36 NASB
Genesis 37:36 KJV

Genesis 37:36 BibleApps.com
Genesis 37:36 Biblia Paralela
Genesis 37:36 Chinese Bible
Genesis 37:36 French Bible
Genesis 37:36 Catholic Bible

OT Law: Genesis 37:36 The Midianites sold him into Egypt (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 37:35
Top of Page
Top of Page