只是問一下 (11)：她真的那麼醜？

Heinrich Aldegrever: Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife [1510] (CC0, via Wikimedia Commons)

我常常都想知道，究竟波提乏的妻子是否真的那麼醜。
抑或，她長得像安祖蓮娜祖莉（Angelina Jolie）或施嘉莉祖安遜（Scarlet Johansson）。

這樣，我就知道約瑟是否真的正直。

不過，我大概永遠都不會找到答案。

除了上述有關波提乏的妻子這個問題外，創世記所記載的約瑟故事其實充滿疑問。舉幾個例子：
* 約瑟的故事於第三十七章開始，第五十章結束。然而，第三十八章記述猶大和她瑪，這與約瑟有何相干？
* 約瑟何時由一個勢利的小孩轉變而成耶和華所賜福的成人？
* 約瑟的故事是否「亞伯拉罕—以撒—雅各」這個大故事的附錄？
* 約瑟故事的主角究竟是約瑟還是耶和華？

約瑟與波提乏妻子交往的轉折點在第三十九章：
約瑟不從，對他主人的妻說：「看哪，一切家務，我主人都不知道；他把所有的都交在我手裏。在這家裏沒有比我大的；並且他沒有留下一樣不交給我，只留下了你，因為你是他的妻子。我怎能作這大惡，得罪上帝呢？」（創三十九8～9）

讀者會毫無疑問指出，這就是為何約瑟獲賜福的原因。

不過，約瑟其實因此而被鎖進監牢，至少有幾年之久。
而且，他其實在拒絕波提乏妻子之先，早已獲耶和華賜福。

約瑟住在他主人埃及人的家中，耶和華與他同在，他就百事順利。他主人見耶和華與他同在，又見耶和華使他手裏所辦的盡都順利（創三十九2～3）。

「耶和華與約瑟同在……他就百事順利」，這句話在約瑟的故事中一再重複。
遠先於約瑟拒絕波提乏妻子的要求。
耶和華的同在和賜福，比任何對約瑟忠於上帝的描寫更早。

事實上，他幼年的夢，雖然挑起他眾兄長的嫉妒和殺機，卻顯示耶和華對他的揀選。

現在，我只想知道：如果波提乏的妻子是世界小姐，約瑟的命運會有所不同嗎？

只是問一下。

Just Asking (11): Was she really that ugly?

William Blake: Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife [1803-1805, Google Art Projet] (Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

I always wondered if Potiphar’s wife was really that ugly.
Or she was like Angelina Jolie or Scarlet Johansson?

Then, I would know if Joseph was really upright.

But guess I would never find out.

In addition to the question about Potiphar’s wife, Joseph’s story in the Book of Genesis is full of unanswered questions. Just name a few.
* It starts in Ch. 37 and ends in Ch. 50. But what has Ch. 38 got to do with Joseph?
* When did Joseph turn from a snobbish brat into a man blessed by Yahweh?
* Is Joseph’s story an appendix to Abraham-Issac-Jacob grand story?
* Is Joseph’s story about him or Yahweh?

The turning point in the encounter with Potiphar’s wife takes place here:
But Joseph refused. “Look,” he told her, “my master trusts me with everything in his entire household. No one here has more authority than I do. He has held back nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How could I do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God.” (Gen 39:8-9, NLT)

Readers will no doubt point to this to justify Joseph’s blessings.

Fact is, that landed him in prison for a few years at least.
Fact is, Joseph was already blessed long before he rejected her.

The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master. Potiphar noticed this and realized that the Lord was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did (Gen 39:2-3, NLT) .

The Lord was with Joseph . . . he succeeded in everything he did becomes a noticeable refrain in the story.
It started then, before Joseph rejected Potiphar’s wife.
Yahweh’s presence and blessings were before any recorded acts of faithfulness on Joseph’s part.

In fact, it seems the dreams that Joseph had as a teenager that led to his jealous brothers wanting to kill him, were indicators that Yahweh picked him.

Now, just wanna know: would it have mattered had Potiphar’s wife was Miss Universe?

Just asking.