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But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
Genesis 39:21 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB But Yahweh was with Joseph, and showed kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
  • BSB the LORD was with him and extended kindness to him, granting him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.
  • NKJV But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
  • NASB But the Lord was with Joseph and extended kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the warden of the prison.
  • NLT But the Lord was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love. And the Lord made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Even in prison the LORD is with Joseph and grants him favor with the warden.

Overview

God's covenant faithfulness follows Joseph into the lowest place, again granting him favor. The same divine presence that blessed him in Potiphar's house sustains him now. No circumstance can separate Joseph from the LORD's steadfast love.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 21

  • Isa 41:10Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
  • Exod 3:21And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty:
  • Acts 7:9–10And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him,
  • 1 Pet 3:17For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.
  • Isa 43:2When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
  • Exod 11:3And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants, and in the sight of the people.
  • Ps 105:19Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him.
  • 1 Pet 4:14–16If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
  • Rom 8:31–32What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
  • Gen 39:2And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
  • Gen 21:22And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phichol the chief captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest:
  • Dan 1:9Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.
  • Exod 12:36And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.
  • 1 Pet 3:13–14And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?
  • Gen 40:3And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound.
  • Prov 16:7When a man’s ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.
  • Rom 8:37Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
  • Gen 49:23–24The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him:
  • Ps 106:46He made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them captives.
  • Dan 6:22My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.
  • Ps 105:22To bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his senators wisdom.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (4)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Genesis videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Genesis 39:21YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on GenesisMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.

How Genesis 39:21 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.