Bible Word Study
פּוֹטִיפַר
Pôwṭîyphar · Potiphar, an Egyptian
פּוֹטִיפַר
Potiphar, an Egyptian
Definition
פּוֹטִיפַר (Potiphar) is the proper name of an Egyptian official who purchased Joseph as a slave (Genesis 37:36). He is identified as the captain of Pharaoh's guard, a position of significant military and administrative authority. In Genesis 39:1, he is further described as Joseph's master, in whose household Joseph served faithfully until being falsely accused by Potiphar's wife. The name refers specifically to this single individual in the biblical narrative.
Biblical Usage
This proper noun is used exclusively in the Joseph narrative in Genesis, appearing only twice in the Old Testament. It first introduces him as the purchaser of Joseph (Genesis 37:36) and then re-identifies him as Joseph's master at the beginning of the next chapter (Genesis 39:1). Its usage is strictly referential, naming this specific Egyptian character within the story's context.
Etymology
The name פּוֹטִיפַר is of Egyptian derivation, not Hebrew. Scholars generally agree it is a transliteration of an Egyptian name, likely meaning something like 'he whom Ra (the sun god) has given.' This foreign origin highlights Potiphar's cultural identity as an Egyptian, distinct from the Hebrew characters in the narrative.
Semantic Range
While the name itself is not theologically loaded, the character of Potiphar plays a key role in the theology of divine providence. His household becomes the initial setting where God demonstrates His presence with Joseph (Genesis 39:2-3), blessing Potiphar's estate because of Joseph. This episode shows God's sovereign ability to work through and even bless a foreign household for the sake of His chosen servant, advancing His plan to preserve Israel. As 'captain of the guard' (literally 'chief of the executioners'), Potiphar held a high-ranking military and police office in Pharaoh's court, likely overseeing the royal prison. His Egyptian name and title accurately reflect the historical setting of the narrative. As a wealthy official, his household would have included many slaves, making Joseph's rapid rise to a position of trust notable. There are no direct Hebrew synonyms for this proper name. As a title, his role could be associated with other officials like סָרִיס (sârîys, H5631) — a high official or eunuch, a broader term for court officers.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]