John Gill Commentary Genesis 39:11

"And it came to pass about this time, that he went into the house to do his work; and there was none of the men of the house there within." — Genesis 39:11 (ASV)

And it came to pass about this time About a week, or a month, or rather a year, as Aben Ezra thinks, after she first began her solicitations to him. According to Josephus ^F18, it was a public festival, at which women used to attend; but she excused herself, pretending illness; and so Jarchi takes it to be some noted day at the idol's temple, to which all used to go; but she pretended she was sick, and could not go, knowing that Joseph would not be there, but at home, and therefore judged this a fit opportunity to attack him once more:

and so it was, that [Joseph] went into the house to do his business :

to inspect the accounts, as the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan paraphrase it, and settle them:

and [there was] none of the men of the house there within ;

being all gone to the public festival, or however there were none in that part of the house where Joseph was.

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FOOTNOTES:

• F18: Antiqu. l. 2. c. 4. sect. 3.