Introduction

When Joseph was taken down to Egypt, a certain Egyptian, Potiphar, a courtier of Pharaoh and his chief steward bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him there. (Genesis 39:1)

Professor Nahum Sarna comments that the national identity of Joseph's master is repeated three times for emphasis because the sale of Joseph into Egyptian slavery sets the stage for the looming enslavement and subsequent redemption of Israel. The prophecy of Genesis 15:13 to Abraham is being fulfilled.