Bible Strands
Genesis 39:21
the LORD was with him and extended kindness to him, granting him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The narrator records events after Joseph’s master throws him into the king’s prison. The account notes God’s intervention at the precise moment Joseph faces unjust confinement.
The words — חֶסֶד (chesed) means covenant loyalty, and יָט (yat) means to extend or show favor. The text states Yahweh extended this loyalty to Joseph while he was incarcerated.
The thread — Divine presence and favor appear in Isaiah 41:10, where God promises to strengthen the fearful. Exodus 3:21 records God granting favor to Israel in the sight of the Egyptians, and 1 Peter 3:17 notes suffering for doing good aligns with God’s will.
Why it lands — The text requires acknowledging that unjust circumstances do not nullify divine oversight. It directs the reader to observe how God’s actions precede human recognition of favor.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
But the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
Cross-references
- Isaiah 41:10 Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
- Exodus 3:21 And I will grant this people such favor in the sight of the Egyptians that when you leave, you will not go away empty-handed.
- 1 Peter 3:17 For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
- Acts 7:9 Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him
- Isaiah 43:2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you go through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched; the flames will not set you ablaze.
- Romans 8:31 What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
- Genesis 21:22 At that time Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army said to Abraham, “God is with you in all that you do.
- Genesis 39:2 And the LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, serving in the household of his Egyptian master.
- Exodus 11:3 And the LORD gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover, Moses himself was highly regarded in Egypt by Pharaoh’s officials and by the people.
- Exodus 12:36 And the LORD gave the people such favor in the sight of the Egyptians that they granted their request. In this way they plundered the Egyptians.