Single lesson
Joseph in Potiphar's House and Prison
Genesis 39:1–23
Joseph’s life changes sharply in this passage. Children will trace what happened in Potiphar’s house and in prison, notice Joseph’s choices, and see repeated words about Yahweh being with him.
Before you teach
Genesis 39:1–23 follows Joseph in Egypt after Potiphar buys him. The passage first shows Joseph trusted in a household, then pressured by Potiphar’s wife, then accused by her words and imprisoned. It ends by showing Joseph trusted again in prison, with Yahweh’s presence repeated in both settings.
Students will be able to retell the sequence of Genesis 39:1–23, name Joseph’s main choice, and identify two places where the passage says Yahweh was with him.
Welcome: Track the two places Joseph lives
4 minShow two headings, ‘Potiphar’s house’ and ‘prison’. Tell students they will listen for what changes and what stays the same. Explain that Joseph is brought to Egypt and bought by Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh. Ask children to listen for repeated words about Yahweh and for Joseph’s responsibilities in each place.
Genesis 39:1, Genesis 39:2, Genesis 39:20, Genesis 39:21
Read and explain: Joseph is trusted in Potiphar’s house
7 minRead Genesis 39:1–6. Explain that ‘overseer’ means a person put in charge of work and property. Potiphar sees that Yahweh is with Joseph, and he gives Joseph responsibility over his house. The text says Yahweh blesses the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake, and Joseph is trusted with nearly everything.
Genesis 39:2, Genesis 39:3, Genesis 39:4, Genesis 39:5, Genesis 39:6
Discuss: Joseph refuses a wrong request
7 minRead Genesis 39:7–12 carefully and simply. For children, state it this way: Potiphar’s wife told Joseph to do something wrong with her, and Joseph refused. His words give two reasons from the passage: Potiphar trusted him, and this would be ‘great wickedness’ and ‘sin against God’. She kept speaking to him day by day, and Joseph did not listen. When she grabbed his garment, he ran outside.
Genesis 39:7, Genesis 39:8, Genesis 39:9, Genesis 39:10, Genesis 39:12
Make and respond: Sequence strip of the account
7 minStudents make a five-part sequence strip with simple drawings or phrases: Joseph bought by Potiphar, Joseph trusted in the house, Joseph refuses, Joseph imprisoned, Joseph trusted in prison. As they work, prompt them to add the repeated truth ‘Yahweh was with Joseph’ in the house and in prison.
Genesis 39:1, Genesis 39:4, Genesis 39:9, Genesis 39:20, Genesis 39:21, Genesis 39:23
Closing: Her words, Joseph’s prison, and Yahweh’s presence
5 minRead Genesis 39:13–23. Explain that Potiphar’s wife kept Joseph’s garment and told the men of the house and then her husband that Joseph came ‘to mock me’ and ran away, leaving the garment behind. After hearing her words, Joseph’s master put him in prison. Then the passage again says Yahweh was with Joseph, gave him favour, and led to Joseph being trusted there as well.
Genesis 39:14, Genesis 39:15, Genesis 39:16, Genesis 39:17, Genesis 39:18, Genesis 39:19, Genesis 39:20, Genesis 39:21, Genesis 39:22, Genesis 39:23
Questions to explore
What two reasons does Joseph give for refusing Potiphar’s wife?
Look closely at Joseph’s own words: he speaks about his master’s trust and about sinning against God.
Genesis 39:8, Genesis 39:9
What words are repeated about Yahweh in both Potiphar’s house and the prison?
Find the matching statements near the beginning and end of the passage and compare them.
Genesis 39:2, Genesis 39:3, Genesis 39:21, Genesis 39:23
How does the passage show that Joseph was trusted in two different places?
Notice who puts things into Joseph’s hand in the house and who commits prisoners to Joseph’s hand in prison.
Genesis 39:4, Genesis 39:6, Genesis 39:22, Genesis 39:23
Make, think or respond
Joseph Sequence Strip
What you’ll need
- paper
- pencils or textas
- scissors
- glue
Try it together
- Fold or divide a strip of paper into five sections.
- In each section, draw or write one part of the story in order: Potiphar buys Joseph, Joseph is put in charge, Joseph refuses and runs, Joseph is put in prison, Joseph is trusted in prison.
- Add a short caption from the lesson for each section.
- Write ‘Yahweh was with Joseph’ beside the house scene and the prison scene.
- Use the strip to retell the passage to a partner in order.
This activity helps children sequence Genesis 39:1–23 and notice the repeated truth that Yahweh was with Joseph in both the house and the prison.
Adapt for your group
- For younger children, provide the five story moments orally and let them draw one simple picture for each instead of writing captions.
- For stronger readers, ask them to add verse numbers beside each part of their sequence strip and underline Joseph’s spoken reasons in Genesis 39:8–9.
An optional closing prayer
You may pray: ‘God, thank you that this passage shows you were with Joseph. Please help us notice what is right, refuse what is wrong, and remember your care in hard times.’
Read the Bible passage World English Bible Classic
Genesis 39
1 Joseph was brought down to Egypt. Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the hand of the Ishmaelites that had brought him down there.
2 Yahweh was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man. He was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
3 His master saw that Yahweh was with him, and that Yahweh made all that he did prosper in his hand.
4 Joseph found favor in his sight. He ministered to him, and Potiphar made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.
5 From the time that he made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, Yahweh blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake. Yahweh’s blessing was on all that he had, in the house and in the field.
6 He left all that he had in Joseph’s hand. He didn’t concern himself with anything, except for the food which he ate. Joseph was well-built and handsome.
7 After these things, his master’s wife set her eyes on Joseph; and she said, “Lie with me.”
8 But he refused, and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, my master doesn’t know what is with me in the house, and he has put all that he has into my hand.
9 No one is greater in this house than I am, and he has not kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”
10 As she spoke to Joseph day by day, he didn’t listen to her, to lie by her, or to be with her.
11 About this time, he went into the house to do his work, and there were none of the men of the house inside.
12 She caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me!” He left his garment in her hand, and ran outside.
13 When she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and had run outside,
14 she called to the men of her house, and spoke to them, saying, “Behold, he has brought a Hebrew in to us to mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice.
15 When he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment by me, and ran outside.”
16 She laid up his garment by her, until his master came home.
17 She spoke to him according to these words, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought to us, came in to me to mock me,
18 and as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment by me, and ran outside.”
19 When his master heard the words of his wife, which she spoke to him, saying, “This is what your servant did to me,” his wrath was kindled.
20 Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were bound, and he was there in custody.
21 But Yahweh was with Joseph, and showed kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
22 The keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever they did there, he was responsible for it.
23 The keeper of the prison didn’t look after anything that was under his hand, because Yahweh was with him; and that which he did, Yahweh made it prosper.
World English Bible Classic. Public domain.