Arcana Coelestia, Vol. VII

4959. The reason why the Lord says these things of Himself is that He is present within those who are in such a state referring to those who possess the spiritual qualities of hunger, thirst, or being a stranger described in the previous section, and therefore He also says: “Truly I tell you, in so far as you have done it to one of the least of these My brethren, you have done it to Me” (verses 40, 45).

CHAPTER XXXIX.

1. And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar bought him—an officer chamberlain; a high-ranking official or eunuch in a royal court of Pharaoh, the prince of the guards, an Egyptian man—from the hand of the Ishmaelites, who had brought him down there.
2. And Jehovah The Hebrew name for God, often representing the Divine Being in His aspect of Love was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his lord the Egyptian.
3. And his lord saw that Jehovah was with him, and that Jehovah made all that he did to prosper in his hand.
4. And Joseph found grace in his eyes, and he ministered to him; and he set him over his house, and all that he had he gave into his hand.
5. And it came to pass from the time that he set him over his house, and over all that he had, that Jehovah blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of Jehovah was in all that he had, in the house and in the field.
6. And he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand; and he knew not anything that was with him, except the bread which he did eat original: "save the bread which he did eat," an idiom meaning the master took no concern for his own affairs because he trusted Joseph completely. And Joseph was beautiful in form, and beautiful in look.
7. And it came to pass after these words that his lord’s wife lifted up her eyes to Joseph, and she said, "Lie with me."
8. And he refused, and said unto his lord’s wife, "Behold, my lord knows not what is with me in the house, and all that he has he has given into my hand.
9. He is not greater in this house than I; and he has not withheld from me anything but you, because you are his wife; and how shall I do this great evil, and sin against God?"
10. And it came to pass as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her.