Opening the library…

Search the Bible

The Testament of Joseph Concerning Sobriety

Unknown

Section 2

About this work

Author: Unknown

2. And thus Potiphar the chief cook of Pharaoh entrusted

‹ Section 1 Section 3 ›

to

me

his

house

,

and

I

struggled

against

a

shameless

woman

,

urging

me

to

transgress

with

her

;

but

the

God

of

Israel

my

father

guarded

me

from

the

burning

flame

.

I

was

cast

into

prison

,

I

was

beaten

,

I

was

mocked

;

and

the

Lord

granted

me

to

find

pity

in

the

sight

of

the

keeper

of

the

prison

.

For

He

will

in

no

wise

forsake

them

that

fear

Him

,

neither

in

darkness

,

nor

in

bonds

,

nor

in

tribulations

,

nor

in

necessities

.

For

not

as

man

is

God

ashamed

,

nor

as

the

son

of

man

is

He

afraid

,

nor

as

one

that

is

earth

-

born

is

He

weak

,

or

can

He

be

thrust

aside

;

but

in

all

places

is

He

at

hand

,

and

in

divers

ways

doth

He

comfort

,

departing

for

a

little

to

try

the

purpose

of

the

soul

.

In

ten

temptations

He

showed

me

approved

,

and

in

all

of

them

I

endured

;

for

endurance

is

a

mighty

charm

,

and

patience

giveth

many

good

things

.

Notes

1
The Greek spelling here is Φωτιμάρ, in the later chapters Πετεφρίς (Πεντεφρῆς, Cd. Oxon.). The former is more like the Hebrew, the latter really the LXX. spelling, Πετεφρῆς. We may perhaps see herein a trace of a double authorship in the Test. Joseph.
2
Cf. Gen. xxxix. 1, LXX., and Josephus (Antiq., ii. 4. 1), who calls Potiphar μαγείρων ὁ βασιλεύς. The view of the Eng. ver. is most probably correct, though we find חבָּט used in the sense of cook in 1 Sam. ix. 23.