He is not greater in this house than I am: the sense of greater is to be taken in terms of right, power, or authority. See Good News Translation. In some languages this statement may be rendered “In this house I am as much a ruler as he is,” “In this house I rule people the same as he does,” or “neither of us-two is higher in this household.”

Nor has he kept back anything from me except yourself: kept back means “forbidden,” “withheld,” or “denied.” We may also translate, for example, “He has given me the right to everything except you.” Two other ways of expressing this are “He did not forbid me to touch anything. No. But he did not tell me to sleep with you…,” and “I can do anything I want to in this household. Only you I can’t touch.”

Because you are his wife: Joseph’s reason makes clear the seriousness with which he views adultery, and that marriage is under divine protection.

How then can I do this great wickedness…? or “How can I do such an evil thing…?” Good News Translation “immoral thing” may be too abstract for a model translation in some languages. If the question form is not suitable, it may also be expressed as a negative statement; for example, “I could not do such a bad thing.”

Sin against God: see 13.13 for discussion of this expression.

In contrast with the narrator’s use of Yahweh in verses 2-5, Joseph in conversation with the Egyptian woman uses ʾelohim.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .