This philological commentary offers students a gateway into knowledge of the Arabic language and comparative Semitics through study of the story of Joseph as told in the Qur'an. It has enabled generations of students to unlock, with less pain and increased incentive, the treasures of Semitic literature in general, and of Arabic literature in particular. Students can use it to study on their own, and it is equally effective as a textbook or supplement in the classroom.It walks students through an entire Qur'anic surah with philological notes and explanations designed to introduce beginning students to the various forms of the Arabic verb, vocabulary, phonological rules, and elements of syntax in Qur'anic Arabic.