[[Gen-39]] Prev: [[Prophecies in Gen-38]] | Next: [[Prophecies in Gen-40]] --- ### Joseph was brought down to Egypt. Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's... bought him from the hand of the Ishmaelites that had brought him down there. *Type*: fulfillment *Summary*: Joseph's entry into Egypt as a servant marks the beginning of the 400-year period of sojourning in a foreign land. *Historical context*: Theologians and historians identify Joseph's arrival in Egypt as the specific historical initiation of the prophecy given to Abraham in [[Gen-15#v13|Genesis 15:13]]. This period of 'sojourning' is traditionally calculated to include the time from the patriarchs' entry into Egypt through the eventual Exodus. *Related to*: [[Gen-15#v13|Genesis 15:13]] ("Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there.") ### 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. *Type*: fulfillment *Summary*: The blessing of a pagan Egyptian through the presence of Joseph fulfills the promise that Abraham's seed would be a blessing to all families of the earth. *Historical context*: Scholars view the prosperity of Potiphar's house as a 'covenant overflow' and a primary early example of the 'blessing to the nations' promise. It demonstrates the theological principle that divine favor is mediated through the chosen seed to the Gentile world. *Related to*: [[Gen-12#v3|Genesis 12:3]] ("I will bless those who bless you... and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.") ### 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. *Type*: fulfillment *Summary*: Joseph's wrongful imprisonment begins the specific 'affliction' phase of the prophecy concerning the descendants of Abraham. *Historical context*: In biblical commentary, Joseph's imprisonment is seen as the personal precursor to the national 'affliction' of Israel in Egypt. The Hebrew term for 'affliction' (anah) used in the original prophecy is applied to Joseph’s experience in the dungeon, representing the start of the predicted mistreatment in a foreign land. *Related to*: [[Gen-15#v13|Genesis 15:13]] ("...they will be enslaved and afflicted for four hundred years.") --- #ai_prophecy