וְיוֹסֵ֖ף הוּרַ֣ד מִצְרָ֑יְמָה וַיִּקְנֵ֡הוּ פּוֹטִיפַר֩ סְרִ֨יס פַּרְעֹ֜ה שַׂ֤ר הַטַּבָּחִים֙ אִ֣ישׁ מִצְרִ֔י מִיַּד֙ הַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר הוֹרִדֻ֖הוּ שָֽׁמָּה׃

Joseph was brought down to Egypt as a slave devoid of rights. Potifar, the courtier of Pharaoh, chief executioner, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites, who had brought him down there.

וַיְהִ֤י יְהוָה֙ אֶת־יוֹסֵ֔ף וַיְהִ֖י אִ֣ישׁ מַצְלִ֑יחַ וַיְהִ֕י בְּבֵ֖ית אֲדֹנָ֥יו הַמִּצְרִֽי׃

The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man in the house of Potifar. Joseph arrived in Egypt as an inexperienced youth and with no knowledge of the Egyptian language. He also needed to cross the cultural divide between his upbringing in a small village to life in a developed city. Nevertheless, his success was evident for all to see. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian.

וַיַּ֣רְא אֲדֹנָ֔יו כִּ֥י יְהוָ֖ה אִתּ֑וֹ וְכֹל֙ אֲשֶׁר־ה֣וּא עֹשֶׂ֔ה יְהוָ֖ה מַצְלִ֥יחַ בְּיָדֽוֹ׃

After some time, his master saw that the Lord was with him, and all that he did, the Lord made his undertaking successful. Potifar took notice of Joseph’s success.

וַיִּמְצָ֨א יוֹסֵ֥ף חֵ֛ן בְּעֵינָ֖יו וַיְשָׁ֣רֶת אֹת֑וֹ וַיַּפְקִדֵ֙הוּ֙ עַל־בֵּית֔וֹ וְכָל־יֶשׁ־ל֖וֹ נָתַ֥ן בְּיָדֽוֹ׃

Joseph found favor in his eyes, and he served him as his personal attendant. Following that, Potifar promoted him and he appointed him overseer of his household, and everything that was his he placed in his charge, as Potifar saw Joseph’s successes as well as his honesty.

וַיְהִ֡י מֵאָז֩ הִפְקִ֨יד אֹת֜וֹ בְּבֵית֗וֹ וְעַל֙ כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֶשׁ־ל֔וֹ וַיְבָ֧רֶךְ יְהוָ֛ה אֶת־בֵּ֥ית הַמִּצְרִ֖י בִּגְלַ֣ל יוֹסֵ֑ף וַיְהִ֞י בִּרְכַּ֤ת יְהוָה֙ בְּכָל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֶשׁ־ל֔וֹ בַּבַּ֖יִת וּבַשָּׂדֶֽה׃

It was once he appointed him overseer of his household and over everything that was his; the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake. The blessing of the Lord was in all that he had, in the house and in the field. In addition to Joseph’s personal success, Potifar noticed that he too became prosperous. He sensed that this was due to Joseph’s presence, just as Laban had known to attribute his prosperity to Jacob a generation earlier (see also 30:27).

וַיַּעֲזֹ֣ב כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ֮ בְּיַד־יוֹסֵף֒ וְלֹא־יָדַ֤ע אִתּוֹ֙ מְא֔וּמָה כִּ֥י אִם־הַלֶּ֖חֶם אֲשֶׁר־ה֣וּא אוֹכֵ֑ל וַיְהִ֣י יוֹסֵ֔ף יְפֵה־תֹ֖אַר וִיפֵ֥ה מַרְאֶֽה׃

Therefore, he left everything that he had in Joseph’s charge; and he did not know anything about his doings except the bread that he would eat. In other words, Potifar found it unnecessary for himself to be involved in the affairs of his household, as he trusted Joseph completely; he was therefore present only for his personal needs, such as eating. The Torah adds a comment that will be important in the continuation of the narrative: Joseph, who was probably around eighteen or twenty years old at the time, was of fine form, and handsome. As previously discussed, he bore a resemblance to his mother, who was also described in such terms.