And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither.
 

39:1 officer of Pharaoh. The word here used for “officer” actually means “eunuch.” The same word later was used for Pharaoh’s butler and baker (Genesis 40:2). Evidently, any man who accepted a high position in Pharaoh’s bureaucracy was required to become a eunuch. This situation may have contributed to the adulterous desires of Potiphar’s wife.

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