Joseph’s imprisonment is recorded in Genesis 39:19–20:
“So it was, when his master heard the words which his wife spoke to him, saying, ‘Your servant did to me after this manner,’ that his anger was aroused. Then Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were confined. And he was there in the prison.”
Although Joseph resisted the advances of Potiphar’s wife and acted with integrity, she falsely accused him of attempting to violate her. Out of anger and humiliation, Potiphar cast Joseph into prison. From a human perspective, this was a grave injustice. Joseph did what was right and yet suffered as though he were guilty.
However, this event was not outside of God’s plan. Genesis 39:21 says:
“But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.”
Even in prison, God’s presence remained with Joseph, granting him favor and positioning him for what was to come. Through his time in confinement, Joseph would interpret dreams for Pharaoh’s officials, a key step toward his ultimate rise to leadership in Egypt (Genesis 41:14–16).
This account reminds believers that injustice and suffering do not mean abandonment. God uses even wrongful circumstances to advance His plan for His glory and our good.
