Charles Ellicott Commentary Genesis 37:36

"And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh`s, the captain of the guard." — Genesis 37:36 (ASV)

Midianites. —Hebrew, Medanites. (See Note on Genesis 37:25.)

Potiphar. —Three chief interpretations are given for this name. The first explains it by two Coptic words, according to which it would signify “father of the king.” This would make it an official name equivalent to prime minister or vizier. Gesenius considers it to be the same name as Potipherah (Genesis 41:50) and explains it as meaning “consecrated to Ra,” that is, the sun-god. Thirdly, Canon Cook, in the “Excursus on Egyptian Words” at the end of Volume I of The Speaker’s Commentary, argues with much cogency that it means “father of the palace.” This again would be an official name.

An officer. —Though this word literally in Hebrew signifies a eunuch, yet it either, as seems probable from other places, had come to mean any officer of the palace, or Potiphar was chief of the eunuchs and therefore is himself numbered among them.

Captain of the guard. —Hebrew, chief of the slaughterers, which the Septuagint understands as the slaughterers of animals for food, and translates as “chief cook.” The other versions understand it to mean the commander of the king’s bodyguard, whose duty it would be to execute condemned criminals. A comparison with 2 Kings 25:8, where the same title is given to Nebuzar-adan, proves that this interpretation is correct.