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The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master.
Genesis 39:2 · New Living Translation
Parallel translations
  • WEB Yahweh was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man. He was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
  • KJV And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
  • BSB And the LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, serving in the household of his Egyptian master.
  • NKJV The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
  • NASB And the Lord was with Joseph, so he became a successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian.

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

The LORD is with Joseph, and he prospers even as a slave in an Egyptian's house.

Overview

Despite his lowly status, Joseph flourishes because the LORD's presence accompanies him. The text emphasizes that true prosperity flows from God's nearness, not from circumstances. This 'God with us' theme anticipates Immanuel, Christ, in whom God dwells with His people.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 23

  • 1 Sam 18:14David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and Yahweh was with him.
  • Ps 91:15He will call on me, and I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him, and honor him.
  • Jer 15:20I will make you to this people a fortified bronze wall; and they shall fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you; for I am with you to save you and to deliver you,” says Yahweh.
  • Gen 26:28They said, “We saw plainly that Yahweh was with you. We said, ‘Let there now be an oath between us, even between us and you, and let us make a covenant with you,
  • Acts 7:9–10“The patriarchs, moved with jealousy against Joseph, sold him into Egypt. God was with him,
  • Gen 21:22At that time, Abimelech and Phicol the captain of his army spoke to Abraham, saying, “God is with you in all that you do.
  • Isa 43:2When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned, and flame will not scorch you.
  • Gen 26:24Yahweh appeared to him the same night, and said, “I am the God of Abraham your father. Don’t be afraid, for I am with you, and will bless you, and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham’s sake.”
  • Gen 39:21–22But Yahweh was with Joseph, and showed kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
  • Isa 41:10Don’t you be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. Yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.
  • Gen 28:15Behold, I am with you, and will keep you, wherever you go, and will bring you again into this land. For I will not leave you, until I have done that which I have spoken of to you.”
  • Ps 1:3He will be like a tree planted by the streams of water, that produces its fruit in its season, whose leaf also does not wither. Whatever he does shall prosper.
  • Ps 46:11Yahweh of Armies is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
  • 1 Sam 16:18Then one of the young men answered, and said, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and Yahweh is with him.”
  • Ps 46:7Yahweh of Armies is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
  • 1 Sam 3:19Samuel grew, and Yahweh was with him, and let none of his words fall to the ground.
  • 1 Cor 7:20–24Let each man stay in that calling in which he was called.
  • Isa 8:9–10Make an uproar, you peoples, and be broken in pieces! Listen, all you from far countries: dress for battle, and be shattered! Dress for battle, and be shattered!
  • 1 Sam 18:28Saul saw and knew that Yahweh was with David; and Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him.
  • Titus 2:9–10Exhort servants to be in subjection to their own masters, and to be well-pleasing in all things; not contradicting;
  • Matt 1:23“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall give birth to a son. They shall call his name Immanuel”; which is, being interpreted, “God with us.”
  • 1 Tim 6:1Let as many as are bondservants under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, that the name of God and the doctrine not be blasphemed.
  • Acts 8:31He said, “How can I, unless someone explains it to me?” He begged Philip to come up and sit with him.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (3)

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 39:2YouTube · 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 39:2 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.