Though he lived at a time when no Bible book had yet been written and the Ten Commandments had not been given, Joseph reacted by saying: “How could I commit this great badness and actually sin against God? ”
(‏ پیدایش ۳۹ :‏ ۹ )‏ واضح است که پرهیزکاری او صرفاً برای راضی نگاه داشتن خانواده‌اش نبود ؛‏ زیرا آنان بسیار دور از او زندگی می‌کردند .‏