Love and Lust in Genesis 37 and 39
Love and Lust in Genesis 37 and 39

Summary/Abstract: The article discusses the literary way of presenting the contrasts and contradictions regarding the circumstances, nature and effects of love(Gen 37) and lust (Gen 39) in the context of the story of Joseph in Genesis 37–50.Jacob “loved (’āhab) Joseph more than any other of his children,for he was the son of his old age” (Gen 37:3). But Jacob’s preference for Joseph aroused envy and hatred in his other sons, which gave rise to the unfolding of the whole story of Joseph to a conclusion in chapter 50. The verb ’āhabhere expresses the genuine paternal love for the son. Within the whole story of Joseph, however, the literary portrayal of the desire of the married wife of the Egyptian nobleman Potiphar in relation to the Hebrew slave Joseph stands out. Joseph rejects the seduction of Potiphar’s wife out of love for God and his law, which sets ethical norms in human relationships. That her passionate feelings do not reflect pure love, is evident in her reaction to Joseph's rejection. Her supposed love immediately turns to hatred and revenge.To judge the nature of her desire, the article relies on similar emotional states in the narratives of 2 Samuel 13 and of Genesis 34. The most important finding of the article is that the full meaning of the narrative in chapters 37 and 39 can only be seen in the context of the whole of Joseph’s story in Genesis 37–50.The article is thus part of a more extensive study of Joseph’s story as a whole in intertextual relations in the Bible.

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