Genesis 39:8

Gen 39:8 But he refused, and said unto his master’s wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what [is] with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand;

Ver. 8. But he refused.] So would but a few have done of his years (he was now about twenty-seven), and that might have committed this sweet sin, as they wickedly call it, with so much security and secrecy, &c. The fear of God is both a virtue, and a keeper of other virtues. It is the bond of perfections, as Paul saith of charity. It is the ribbon or string that ties together all those precious pearls, the graces, as Peter saith of humility. {a} It is, as Basil saith of the same grace, caeterarum virtutum θησαυροφυλακιον, the storehouse of other virtues; and, as Chrysostom, the mother, and root, and nurse, and foundation, and ligament of all good things in us. {b}

Behold, my master wotteth not, &c.] Beneficium postulat officium. To argue from bounty to duty, is but right reason: but to argue, as most do, from God’s liberality to liberty in sin, is the devil’s logic. Joseph will not deal so basely with his master, though an Egyptian. To render good for evil is divine; good for good is human; evil for evil is brutish; but evil for good is devilish. "Should we again break thy commandments," saith holy Ezra, {Ezr 9:14} after so many mercies and deliverances? There is so much unthankfulness and disingenuity in such an entertainment of mercy, that heaven and earth, he thinks, would be ashamed of it. Every blessing is a binder, and each new deliverance a new tie to obedience. The "goodness of God should lead us to repentance," saith Paul. {Rom 2:4} And this Peter picks out of Paul’s Epistles, as one of the choicest sentences, and urged it upon those to whom he wrote. {2Pe 3:15}

{a} εγκομβωσασθε. {1Pe 5:5}

{b} Mητηρ, και ριζα, και τραφος, και υπδθερις, και συνδερμδς των αγαθων. - Chrysost.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 8. My master wotteth not] Knoweth not, from the old Anglo-Saxon [A.S.], witan, to know; hence [A.S.], wit, intellect, understanding, wisdom, prudence.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

7–20. The False Accusation

8. knoweth not, &c.] Here, as in Gen_39:6, the marg., knoweth not with me what is, gives the meaning of the passage.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

But he refused, and said unto his master's wife,.... Reasoning with her about the evil nature of the crime she tempted him to, which to commit would be ingratitude, as well as injury to his master, and a sin against God; by which it appears that Joseph was a partaker of the grace of God, and that this was in strong exercise at this time, by which he was preserved from the temptation he was beset with:

behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house; what goods or money are in it:

and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand: such confidence did he repose in him, wherefore to do such an injury to him as to commit adultery with his wife, would be making a sad return, and acting a most ungrateful part for such favour shown him.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Vers. 8, 9. But he refused, may be that the absence of personal charms facilitated Joseph s resistance (Kalisch); but Joseph assigns a different reason for his noncompliance with her utterly immoral proposition and said unto his master"s wife, her unclean solicitation he returneth pure and wholesome words" (Hughes)Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house (literally, knoweth not, along with me, what is in the house), and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand, (literally, and all that is to him he hath given to or placed in my hand); there is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back anything from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin (cf. Gen_20:6; 2Sa_12:13; Psa_51:4 for the estimate of this act taken by God and good men) against God? Elohim, since Jehovah would have been unintelligible to a heathen woman.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

BUT HE REFUSED, AND SAID UNTO HIS MASTER’s WIFE. Scripture relates that he refused to do her will even though she was his mistress, i.e., his master’s wife, and he feared her, for he feared G-d more. This is the meaning of the expression, unto his master’s wife.

Ramban (Nachmanides) on the Tanakh — English translation: “Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

וימאן, the meaning is clear beyond mistake.

Radak on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash” (CC BY 4.0); “Rabbi Mike Feuer, Jerusalem Anthology” (CC BY 4.0); and “R. David Kimhi on the first book of Psalms, Translated by R.G. Finch, London, 1919” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.