Genesis 39-42: Crying Rape, Interpreting Dreams and Yanking Chains

Chapter 39
Meanwhile, back to the kidnapped Joseph

Verse 1 “And Joseph was brought down to Egypt: and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh,captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites , which had brought him down thither”

But he has God on his side and becomes prosperous. And in true Calvinist style, other folks spot he is wealthy and therefore one of the Elect. So the guy who bought him (and this isn't transatlantic slavery, red in tooth and claw, more sort of Greco-Roman slavery. There's a difference) hands over lots of autonomy/responsibility. And you know how these things end...

Verse 7 “And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Jospeh: and she said, Lie with me.”

Don't do it Joseph, don't get laid where you get paid!

Verse 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. There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickendess and sin against God?”

And she persists, and he resists, and she really persists and he has to run out of the house, leaving his “garment”. And she Cries Rape, hell having no fury like a woman scorned. Oh, and she throws in some anti-Semitism, just to add to the charm of it all...

Verse 17 “And she spake unto him [hubby] according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant, which thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me...”

Joseph gets banged up in chokey, but God is Still On His Side, and gets the chief warder on Joseph's side.

So by not screwing, Joseph gets well-Screwed, virtue being its own reward and all that...

Chapter 40
The Pharaoh bangs up his butler and baker and Joseph serves 'em. Joseph interprets their dreams. (Cue flowery stuff about vines and birds and so forth)

The butler is gonna be back in favour- Joseph asks to be remembered.

The baker is gonna hang- and Dead Men do no favours.

And so it comes to pass, but the butler forgets his mate wot he did porridge wiv. Like always.

Chapter 41
Two years go by. And Pharaoh has some weird dreams involving seven fat and thin cattle, and likewise ears of corn that no-one can interpret. But then t'butler fesses up to having forgotten that nice young Hebrew lad with the talent for dream interpretation.

Verse 14 “Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh.”

Joseph lets God take the dream interpretation credit and says

Verse 26-7 “The seven good kine are seven years: and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one. And the seven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after them are seven years: and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine.”

So unlike our current bunch of clowns, Pharaoh listens to the best scientific advice of the day and makes preparations. He appoints Joseph, who's pushing 30, as his Preparer-for-Famine-in-chief.

Verse 47 “And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls. And he gathered up all the foods of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same.”

Verse 49 is cute-“And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering: for it was without number.”

Reminds me of Marvin Harris' point again- that centralised power is possible when leaders can store food. No long-term storage, no credibility as saviours from famine, no authority...

Joseph has two kids before the predicted bad years hit.

Verse 56 “And the famine was over all the face of the earth: And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians: and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt. And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands.”

Chapter 42
Jacob, peckish up north, sends his sons to buy corn, keeping his youngest Benjamin (the one he re-named despite Rebekkah dying in childbirth) at home.

They turn up in Egypt...

Verse 8 “And Joseph saw his brethren, but they knew not him.”

And accuses them of being spies. “Nah, just merchants” they say.
And Joseph creates a hostage situation, and can overhear Reuben and the others arguing, (because he has been pretending not to speak their lingo, using an interpreter subterfugily.)

Verse 24 “And he turned himself about from them, and wept: and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes.”

And Joseph sends the rest away with bags of corn and their money hidden inside, which they discover on the way back to Canaan and get weirded out by.

Verse 28 “...and their heart failed them, and they were afraid, saying on to another What is this that God hath done unto us.”

The sons explain to Jacob what's gone on, and he doesn't want to lose Benjamin too.

Verse 37 “And Reuben spake unto his father saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.”

But Jacob it too risk-averse...