Potiphar, an Egyptian official during the time of the patriarchs, is first mentioned in Genesis 37:36.
About Potiphar
Officer who purchased Joseph when he arrived in Egypt after being sold by his brothers to the Ishmaelites or Midianites (Gn 37:36; 39:1). The word translated “officer” is derived from an Akkadian word for a court official. By the first millennium, the meaning “eunuch” was attached to the term; hence, the neb, following the Septuagint tradition, has “eunuch” in Genesis 37:36. But most English versions are correct in rendering it “officer” or “official.” Little, if anything, is known of eunuchs in Egypt, and certainly they played no role in Pharaoh’s court in the second millennium BC.
A second title held by Potiphar was “captain of the guard,” which seems to be a Semitic expression for an Egyptian title rather than a transliteration of an Egyptian phrase. This same title is applied to Nebuzaradan, Nebuchadnezzar’s general (see 2 Kgs 25:8, 11, 20; Jer 39:9–11). The Egyptian counterpart to this title suggests that this officer was an instructor for retainers who were attached to the king. The titles indicate that Potiphar was a man of some importance and status. His purchase of a Semitic slave to serve in domestic affairs is in keeping with the practice of Egyptians from 1800 BC onward.
Key References
Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.
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.
All Scripture References (2)
Genesis (2)
Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.
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.