seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Quran 12:21. The Egyptian who bought him said to his wife, “Take good care of him; he may be useful to us, or we may adopt him as a son.” We thus established Joseph in the land, to teach him the interpretation of events. God has control over His affairs, but most people do not know.
22. When he reached his maturity, We gave him wisdom and knowledge. We thus reward the righteous.
23. She in whose house he was living tried to seduce him. She shut the doors, and said, “I am yours.” He said, “God forbid! He is my Lord. He has given me a good home. Sinners never succeed.”
24. She desired him, and he desired her, had he not seen the proof of his Lord. It was thus that We diverted evil and indecency away from him. He was one of Our loyal servants.
25. As they raced towards the door, she tore his shirt from behind. At the door, they ran into her husband. She said, “What is the penalty for him who desired to dishonor your wife, except imprisonment or a painful punishment?”
26. He said, “It was she who tried to seduce me.” A witness from her household suggested: “If his shirt is torn from the front: then she has told the truth, and he is the liar.
27. But if his shirt is torn from the back: then she has lied, and he is the truthful.”
28. And when he saw that his shirt was torn from the back, he said, “This is a woman's scheme. Your scheming is serious indeed.”
29. “Joseph, turn away from this. And you, woman, ask forgiveness for your sin; you are indeed in the wrong.”
30. Some ladies in the city said, “The governor's wife is trying to seduce her servant. She is deeply in love with him. We see she has gone astray.”
31. And when she heard of their gossip, she invited them, and prepared for them a banquet, and she gave each one of them a knife. She said, “Come out before them.” And when they saw him, they marveled at him, and cut their hands. They said, “Good God, this is not a human, this must be a precious angel.”
32. She said, “Here he is, the one you blamed me for. I did try to seduce him, but he resisted. But if he does not do what I tell him to do, he will be imprisoned, and will be one of the despised.”
33. He said, “My Lord, prison is more desirable to me than what they call me to. Unless You turn their scheming away from me, I may yield to them, and become one of the ignorant.”
34. Thereupon his Lord answered him, and diverted their scheming away from him. He is the Hearer, the Knower.
35. Then it occurred to them, after they had seen the signs, to imprison him for a while.
This is what the commentary says.
“And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, and a captain of the guard” (Gen. 37:36).
“And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man” (Gen. 39:2).
The vindication of Joseph’s character on this occasion, and the production of the evidence of the shirt, are not related in the Bible; but without it the episode of leaving the garment becomes meaningless. It seems to be a clear omission. The next section proves that Joseph was not cast into prison for being guilty of having committed an outrage against his master’s wife.
Shaghafa-hå literally means he has affected her so that the love of him has entered beneath the shighåf, i.e. the pericardium of her heart.
The secret imputation of the women is called here their makr or device. Some think that she knew that certain women had circulated the news with the object of getting a chance to see Joseph, and hence it is called their device.
Muttaka’a means originally a place in which one reclines, then that upon which one reclines in eating, drinking, or talking, and also food, or repast, which last is considered to be the meaning here. The commentators add that muttaka’a is the particular food which requires to be cut with a knife and suggest that to be the reason for handing over knives to them.
The Egyptians were a superstitious and polytheistic people, and anything strange, or any human being about whom they witnessed anything wonderful, was considered by them to be a god. Hence, when they saw Joseph they thought he was not a mortal.
There is nothing to show that Joseph was cast into prison on a charge of having committed an outrage on Potiphar’s wife. As he was proved guiltless of that charge, it is very likely that some other accusation was brought against him; and more probably an autocratic ruler needed no excuse for putting an innocent man into prison. By signs must be understood the signs of Joseph’s innocence.
Hubby and I were watching football yesterday. Have you seen Aaron Rogers this season? He's a ruffian looking creature! I asked hubby "what's going on with Rogers? He's different.... and yes I know about the contract issues..... but that's not it". Hubby said "He's married!". Women sure have a strange affect on men... right?
So.... I heard the story of the shirt before. When I envision Joseph, I think of him clothed in layers. The Jewish people were really quite prudish. He had to pull off layers to be "in a shirt". Maybe that's why the Quran says "he was in love with her". The Bible puts the whole affair on her.... Joseph does no wrong at all.... but if he has pulled off layers of clothes.... and he's down to his shirt.... he was willing for a while..... at least a little while. But that's just my conjecture. Women sure have a strange affect on men.... right?
I can just see Potiphar's wife now.... standing at the head of the table.... with all her gossiping friends gathered round her.... having seen the new "delicious" servant.... she says "come on now... don't you see what I'm facing?"..... and I can just see all those women.... agreeing. I can just hear them now "Who could help themselves!"
Joseph must have been really easy to look at..... King David was..... so Joseph must have been... it runs in the family! Who could blame Potiphar's wife!?!
#metoo
Please say a prayer for me.... I meet a new eye doctor today.