Potiphar or Potifar /ˈpɒtɨfər/ is a person in the Book of Genesis's account of Joseph. Potiphar is said to be the captain of the palace guard and is referred to without name in the Quran. Joseph, sold into slavery by his brothers, is taken to Egypt where he is sold to Potiphar as a household slave. Potiphar makes Joseph the head of his household, but Potiphar's wife, furious at Joseph for resisting her attempts to seduce him into sleeping with her, accuses him falsely of attempting to rape her. Potiphar casts Joseph into prison, where he comes to the notice of Pharaoh through his ability to interpret the dreams of other prisoners.
Potiphar's wife is named in neither the Bible nor the Quran. The mediaeval Sefer HaYashar, a commentary on the Torah, gives it as Zuleikha, as do many Islamic traditions and thus the Persian poem called Yusuf and Zulaikha (from Jami's Haft Awrang ("Seven thrones")). Because of the Egyptian location wherein the scene is staged, it is not impossible to scope in this biblical tale also a more recent echo of the very old Egyptian fable of the two brothers Bata and Anpu.
(Narrator)
Joseph was taken to Egypt in chains and sold
Where he was bought by a captain named Potiphar
(Narrator & MM)
Potiphar had very few cares
He was one of Egypt's millionaires
Having made a fortune buying shares in
(Potiphar)
Pyramids
(Narrator & MM)
Potiphar had made a huge pile
Owned a large percentage of the Nile
(Potiphar)
Meant that I could really live in style
(Narrator & MM)
And he did
(Narrator)
Joseph was an unimportant
Slave who found he liked his master
Consequently worked much harder
Even with devotion
Poitphar could see that Joseph
Was a cut above the average
Made him leader of his household
Maximum promotion
(Narrator & MM)
Potiphar was cool and so fine
(Potiphar)
But my wife would never toe the line
(Narrator & MM)
It's all there in chapter thirty-nine
Of Genesis
She was beautiful but
(Potiphar)
Evil
(Narrator & MM)
Saw a lot of men against his will
He would have to tell her that she still
Was his
(Narrator)
Joseph's looks and handsome figure
Had attracted her attention
Every morning she would beckon
(Mrs. Potiphar)
Come and lie with me, love
(Narrator)
Joseph wanted to resist her
'Till one day she proved too eager
Joseph cried in vain
(Joseph)
Please stop
I don't believe in free love
(Narrator)
Potiphar was counting sheckels
In his den below the bedroom
When he heard a mighty rumpus
Clattering above him
Suddenly he knew his riches
Couldn't buy him what he wanted
Gold would never make him happy
If she didn't love him
(Narrator, Ensemble & Children)
Letting out a mighty roar
Potiphar burst through the door
(Potiphar)
Joseph, I'll see you rot in jail
The things you have done are beyond the pale
(Narrator, Ensemble & Children)
Poor, poor Joseph, locked up in a cell
Things ain't going well, hey, locked up in a cell
Poor, poor Joseph, locked up in a cell
Joseph was taken to Egypt in chains and sold
Where he was bought by a captain named Potiphar
Potiphar had very few cares
He was one of Egypt's millionaires
Having made a fortune
Buying shares in pyramids
Potiphar had made a huge pile
Owned a large percentage of the Nile
Meant that he could really
Live in style and he did
Joseph was an unimportant slave
Who found he liked his master
Consequently worked much harder
Even with devotion
Potiphar could see that Joseph
Was a cut above the average
Made him leader of his household
Maximum promotion
Potiphar was cool and so fine
But his wife would never toe the line
It's all there in chapter 39 of Genesis
She was beautiful but evil
Saw a lot of men against his will
He would have to tell her
That she still was his
Joseph's looks and handsome figure
Had attracted her attention
Every morning she would beckon
"Come and lie with me, love"
Joseph wanted to resist her till
One day she proved too eager
Joseph cried in vain
"Please stop, I don't believe in free love"
Potiphar was counting shekels
In his den below the bedroom
When he heard a mighty rumpus
Clattering above him
Suddenly he knew his riches
Couldn't buy him what he wanted
Gold would never make him happy
If she didn't love him
Letting out a mighty roar
Potiphar burst through the door
"Joseph, I'll see you rot in jail
The things you have done
Are beyond the pale"
Poor, poor Joseph locked up in a cell
Things ain't going well hey
Narrator
Joseph was taken to Egypt in chains and sold
Where he was bought by a captain named Potiphar
Narrator MM
Potiphar had very few cares
He was one of Egypt's millionaires
Having made a fortune buying shares in
Potiphar
Pyramids
Narrator MM
Potiphar had made a huge pile
Owned a large percentage of the Nile
Potiphar
Meant that I could really live in style
Narrator MM
And he did
Narrator
Joseph was an unimportant
Slave who found he liked his master
Consequently worked much harder
Even with devotion
Poitphar could see that Joseph
Was a cut above the average
Made him leader of his household
Maximum promotion
Narrator MM
Potiphar was cool and so fine
Potiphar
But my wife would never toe the line
Narrator MM
It's all there in chapter thirty-nine Of Genesis
She was beautiful but
Mrs. Potiphar
Evil
Narrator MM
Saw a lot of men against his will
He would have to tell her that she still
Was his
Narrator
Joseph's looks and handsome figure
Had attracted her attention
Every morning she would beckon
Mrs. Potiphar
Come and lie with me, love
Narrator
Joseph wanted to resist her
'Till one day she proved too eager
Joseph cried in vain
Joseph
Please stop
I don't believe in free love
Narrator
Potiphar was counting sheckels
In his den below the bedroom
When he heard a mighty rumpus
Clattering above him
Suddenly he knew his riches
Couldn't buy him what he wanted
Gold would never make him happy
If she didn't love him
Narrator, Ensemble Children
Letting out a mighty roar
Potiphar burst through the door
Potiphar
Joseph, I'll see you rot in jail
The things you have done are beyond the pale
Narrator, Ensemble Children
Poor, poor Joseph, locked up in a cell
Things ain't going well, hey, locked up in a cell
Poor, poor Joseph, locked up in a cell
Things ain't going well, hey, locked up in a cell