This verse is part of the story of Joseph in Egypt (Genesis 39). Specifically, it's a key piece of Potiphar's wife's false accusation against Joseph. Here's a breakdown of what it means:
"She called to the men of her house, and spoke to them, saying..." Potiphar's wife is gathering her household servants, presumably to have witnesses for her accusation and to make it seem more credible. She's crafting a narrative.
"Behold, he has brought a Hebrew in to us to mock us." This introduces the xenophobic element to her lie. She's playing on any potential prejudice they might have against Joseph, who is a foreigner (a Hebrew) in their Egyptian household. The "mock us" implies he is treating them with disrespect, insulting their status and customs.
"He came in to me to lie with me..." This is the core of her false accusation: she's claiming Joseph attempted to sexually assault her.
"...and I cried with a loud voice." This is meant to support her claim of assault. She's suggesting that her cries scared Joseph away and prevented him from succeeding in his alleged attempt.
In essence, this verse captures Potiphar's wife weaving a complete fabrication to frame Joseph for attempted rape. She's using prejudice, manipulation, and a carefully constructed narrative to protect herself and punish Joseph for rejecting her advances.
In other words, she is lying to cover up the shame that she had asked Joseph to sleep with her, which he had refused. Now that she is mad that she has been rejected, she lies and accuses Joseph to save her reputation and take revenge on Joseph for making her look foolish.
This verse is part of the story of Joseph in Egypt (Genesis 39). Specifically, it's a key piece of Potiphar's wife's false accusation against Joseph. Here's a breakdown of what it means:
"She called to the men of her house, and spoke to them, saying..." Potiphar's wife is gathering her household servants, presumably to have witnesses for her accusation and to make it seem more credible. She's crafting a narrative.
"Behold, he has brought a Hebrew in to us to mock us." This introduces the xenophobic element to her lie. She's playing on any potential prejudice they might have against Joseph, who is a foreigner (a Hebrew) in their Egyptian household. The "mock us" implies he is treating them with disrespect, insulting their status and customs.
"He came in to me to lie with me..." This is the core of her false accusation: she's claiming Joseph attempted to sexually assault her.
"...and I cried with a loud voice." This is meant to support her claim of assault. She's suggesting that her cries scared Joseph away and prevented him from succeeding in his alleged attempt.
In essence, this verse captures Potiphar's wife weaving a complete fabrication to frame Joseph for attempted rape. She's using prejudice, manipulation, and a carefully constructed narrative to protect herself and punish Joseph for rejecting her advances.
In other words, she is lying to cover up the shame that she had asked Joseph to sleep with her, which he had refused. Now that she is mad that she has been rejected, she lies and accuses Joseph to save her reputation and take revenge on Joseph for making her look foolish.