Following the prediction, Joseph became Vizier, under the name of Zaphnath-Paaneah (Hebrew: pna Pana),[e][19] and was given Asenath, the daughter of Potipherah, priest of On,[f] to be his wife. When Joseph interpreted Pharaoh's dreams, the king asked him for a sign by which he might know that his interpretation was true. As with Bilhahs offspring, Zilpahs children are claimed and named by Leah as her own. | Bible Topics "All Pharaoh's officials accompanied himthe dignitaries of his court and all the dignitaries of Egyptbesides all the members of Joseph's household and his brothers and those belonging to his father's household Chariots and horsemen also went up with him. (7-14) Genesis 29:17. Of all the sons, Joseph was preferred by his father, who gave him a "long coat of many colors". (Gen. 30:24) He was born in Padan-aram when Jacob was about 90 years old. How many children did Mary have after Jesus? Tsaphenath Paneach", "Allusions to the Joseph Narrative in the Synoptic Gospels and Acts: Foundations of a Biblical Type", The Story of Joseph in the Babi and Baha'i Faiths, "The New Media Bible: Book of Genesis (Video 1979)", "Jewish religious life in the Persian period", The Composition of Genesis 37: Incoherence and Meaning in the Exposition of the Joseph Story, "The Odyssey and the myth of Joseph; Autolykos and Jacob", "Strange Bedfellows: Politics and Narrative in Philo", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Joseph_(Genesis)&oldid=1142074895, 1979, New Media Bible Genesis Project (TV)-cap. Jacob is between 130 and 147 years old. It starts with the 12 tribes and ends with the 12 gates with 12 pearls representing the tribes and the 12 kinds of fruit. God richly bless you my sis. "Give me children, or I shall die," she says to Jacob (Genesis 30:1). One tradition holds that Jacob's other children came into the world only for Joseph's sake. He was the son of Leah, Jacob's first wife. 21-22; comp. Though Manasseh was the older brother, Jacob placed his right hand on Ephraim, the younger, and gave him the greater blessing. Jacob, Hebrew Yaaqov, Arabic Yaqb, also called Israel, Hebrew Yisrael, Arabic Isrl, Hebrew patriarch who was the grandson of Abraham, the son of Isaac and Rebekah, and the traditional ancestor of the people of Israel. Every time a son was born I asked my boys to tell me who the sons belonged to and it worked fine until we got to Dan. Genesis 31:38-41 - Biblical Chronology Studies - Google In fact, this is all we learn about her: Genesis 41:45: "Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah and gave . Moreover, Inter. In the Elohist version it is Rueben intervenes on Joseph's behalf, while in the Yahwist version it is Judah that saves him. The text says that they are Jacobs wives, and yet wives would retain ownership over their own children, so how can they be actual wives?. Her father contracted with her husbands father that she would be a wife in that house, that she would provide heirs to the house who would have rights to his share of the inheritance. the time has come for the Israelites to be rescued from their oppressors; come up and do not cause us any further delay!" They shall be on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren. (note that the second wife is only permissibly taken in response to barrenness), [146] If a man take a wife and she give this man a maid-servant as wife and she bear him children, and then this maid assume equality with the wife: because she has borne him children her master shall not sell her for money, but he may keep her as a slave, reckoning her among the maid-servants. Israel is another name for Jacob as, son of Isaac as. He was present at Jacob's famous reconciliation with his brother Esau. In Genesis 29:31-30:24 the birth of twelve of Jacob's children is recorded. Convinced of his brothers' repentance and overcome with emotion, Joseph finally revealed himself to them. Before he died, he made the children of Israel swear that when they left the land of Egypt they would take his bones with them, and on his death his body was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt. Joseph settled Jacob's growing clan with Pharaoh's blessing in the Land of Goshen (Gen. 47:29). Both were met by angels at various times (Gen. R. 84:6; Num. Yet, from this answer in Quora. Both were born after their mothers had been barren for a long time. Joseph's sons Manasseh and Ephraim were born before the years of famine. Some declare that during the 22 years he was away from home he drank no wine (Shab. Shechem was in the land which was allocated by Joshua to the Tribe of Ephraim, one of the tribes of the House of Joseph, after the conquest of Canaan. The name of Reuben's wife is 'Ad 1 and the name of Simeon's wife is 'Adb'a, a Canaanite; 1 and the name of Levi's wife is Mlk, 2 of the daughters of Aram, of the seed of the sons of Terah; and the name of Judah . Joseph! JOSEPH. Josephus claims that Potiphar fell for his wife's, Josephus refers to Potipherah (or Petephres) as the priest of, Josephus has Joseph meeting his father Jacob in, Last edited on 28 February 2023, at 10:50, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, "Strong's Hebrew Concordance - 622. asaph", "Strong's Hebrew Concordance - 3254. yasaph", "Strong's Hebrew Concordance - 6847. 14 Facts About Esau Everyone Should Know. Jacob's Sons and the 12 Tribes of Israel | Bible Story - JW.ORG Cindy Crawford's son Presley Gerber, 23, opens up about 'mistakes' he made during his battle with depression: 'I feel like it should be talked about a lot more than it is' 15So Jacob moved down into Egypt, and lived there till he died, as did our fathers. 20. [47] But in Islam they returned leaving behind Benjamin because the mizzen bowl of the king was found in his bag. The brothers conferred amongst themselves speaking in Hebrew, reflecting on the wrong they had done to Joseph. For the New Testament Joseph, see, Another possible translation is "coat with long sleeves" (. The next two instances of dream interpretation establish his reputation as a great interpreter of dreams; first, he begins in a low place, interpreting the dreams of prisoners. The Priestly source adds some statistics and gives a list of the people who went down to Egypt, while a later editor has supplied details to make the accounts appear as one, such as Joseph's subterfuge of sending the brothers back to Canaan first to get Benjamin, and later to get Jacob. "[40], In addition, some Christian authors have argued that this typological interpretation finds its origin in the speech of Stephen in Acts 7:9-15, as well as the Gospel of Luke and the parables of Jesus, noting strong verbal and conceptual collocation between the Greek translation of the portion of Genesis concerning Joseph and the Parable of the Wicked Tenants and the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Cause me to die as a Muslim and join me with the righteous" (Qur'an 12:101). Simeon had six sons, all of whom migrated to Egypt (Gen. xlvi. Upon their return to Egypt, the steward of Joseph's house received the brothers. For Jacob however, a time came when his parents urged him to leave Canaan . Sefer ha-Yashar, section Wayiggash). Some believe that he built the city of Memphis, and that he was instrumental in building the obelisks and pyramids. 5 Bibliography. Bah' commentaries have described these as metaphors with the garment implying the recognition of a manifestation of God. How many wives did Joseph have in the Bible? . Jacob was tricked into polygamy (Genesis 29:20-30) and later received two additional wives bringing the grand total of four wives (Genesis 30:4, 9). Did Jacob wait more than seven years to marry Rachel? 14. Who was Jacob's first wife? When they came to Egypt, they stood before the Vizier but did not recognize him as their brother Joseph, who was now in his late 30s; but Joseph did recognize them and did not speak at all to them in his native tongue of Hebrew. The two halves of Manasseh were often treated as two separate units in the biblical account. Upon their return to Egypt with Benjamin, Joseph received them kindly and prepared a feast for them. 2. How many sons did Jacob have with bilhah? popularly referred to as a "coat of many colors." Required fields are marked *, nine = 27 .hide-if-no-js { 17:1; 1 Ne. The first mention of Ishmaelites (Yishma'elm) is in verse 25. As a result, he was envied by his half-brothers. Gad and Asher: On the heels of Rachel's entry into the battle of the babies, Leah decided to give her maid, Zilpah to Jacob ( Genesis 30:9-12 ). How many wives did Joseph have in the Bible? - Quora The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him: But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob (From thence is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel), Even by the God of your father who shall help thee; and by the Almighty who shall bless thee With blessings of heaven above, Blessings of the deep that lieth under, Blessings of the breasts and of the womb. The brothers then dipped Joseph's coat in goat's blood and, returning home, showed it to their father, who concluded that Joseph had been torn apart by a wild beast. This sets up the climax of the story, which many regard to be the moment Joseph reveals his identity to his brothers (Gen 45:3). arose that night, and took his two wives, his two maidservants1 and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. The problem lies in the fact that the Hebrew word for wife, isha, is also the generic word for woman (we see this same phenomenon in Greek), and so Bilhah and Zilpah were given to Jacob as women who were there for the express purpose of bearing children otherwise known as concubines. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. As Jacob's name became synonymous with all Israel, so that of Joseph was eventually equated with all the tribes that made up the northern kingdom. The younger daughter of Laban and wife of Jacob, Rachel is the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, who become two of the twelve tribes of Israel ( Gen 35:24; Gen 46:15-18). He was Rachel's firstborn and Jacob's eleventh son. Jacob was 130 at this time (Gen 47:9). Taking 130 and subtracting it from Joseph's age of 39 means Jacob was 91 when Joseph was born. R. 14:16). [18] After two more years, the Pharaoh dreamt of seven lean cows which devoured seven fat cows; and of seven withered ears of grain which devoured seven fat ears. 51 Joseph called the name of the first-born Manas'seh, "For," he said, "God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father's house." 52 The name of the second he called E'phraim, "For God has . Joseph's brothers were motivated by fear. The merchants, meanwhile, brought Joseph to Egypt, where he was sold to Potiphar, an "officer of Pharaoh's, and captain of the guard" (Gen. 37:36). Because Joseph the Dreamer predicts the future by analyzing dreams, alternative Jewish tradition claims that he practiced divination using this silver cup as the steward charged[33] and as Joseph himself claimed in Genesis 44:15.[34]. During this period of famine, Joseph's brothers, except for Benjamin, also came down to Egypt to buy grain. How Many Brothers Did Joseph Have? - Answers On Web It served a specific societal function within a context that no longer exists (much like the need for Levirate marriage). Joseph had good reasons not to have an affair with Potiphar's wife: he did not want to abuse his master's trust; he believed in the sanctity of marriage; and it went against his ethical, moral and religious principles taught to him by his father Jacob. How many wives did Jacob have? Is polygamy really Biblical? Old and nearly blind, Jacob is overwhelmed with joy, saying: "I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children too" (Gen 48:11). These were the 11 sons that were born to Jacob when he lived with Rachel's father Laban. He is Jacob's favorite (Genesis 37:3). Israel. Hope that makes sense. 1. Manasseh, Ephraim are between 19 and 26. The story begins in Canaan - modern day Palestine, Syria and Israel - around 1600 to 1700 BC. According to Legend of the Jews, the name of Potiphar's wife is Zuleikha and when she was enticing Joseph to give up to her sinful passion, God appeared unto him, holding the foundation of earth (Eben Shetiyah), that He would destroy the world if Joseph touched her. The first group identified, are Joseph's brothers when Judah brings up the idea of selling Joseph in verses 26 and 27. [NOTE: Jacob is listed by Stephen individually.] 5. Since Joseph and Benjamin were born from Rachel, this test was necessary to reveal if they would betray Benjamin as they did with Joseph when he was seventeen. Then he prepared a great ceremonial journey to Canaan leading the servants of the Pharaoh, and the elders of the houses Israel and Egypt beyond the Jordan River. ), and as recently as the reign of Pharaoh Merneptah about 1200 B.C.E. As Bilhah and Zilpah were almost undoubtedly purchased by Laban as young girls from fathers who either needed to pay debts or who could not afford to provide dowries, this term does make sense again, these were women of a special class. Later we will learn a lot more about Joseph, because he became a very important person. (Genesis 46:134). Joseph, son of Jacob and Rachel, lived in the land of Canaan with ten half-brothers, one full brother, and at least one half-sister. After bearing Judah, Leah stopped bearing children for a . Who Was Joseph's Mother In The Bible? - Good News for Catholics Joseph wept as they spoke and told them that what had happened was God's purpose to save lives and the lives of his family. Joseph ordered the steward to go after the brothers and to question them about the "missing" silver cup. Joseph is represented as a perfectly righteous man (tzadik gamur) and as the counterpart of his father Jacob. 2) Simeon was next, and he was also a son of Leah. In the sixth year, Asenath bore two children to Joseph: Manasseh and Ephraim. I had no idea about what dyadic social identity was all about, or concubinage, and although I did understand the importance of political marriages (Solomon did NOT need that many alliances, just sayin) I was way too caught up in idea that black Mormons (not meaning color, but it was just what they were called in my neck of the woods) represented a sort of an ideal Biblical model for what was going on in ancient times. The latter third of the book of Genesis relates the complex and vola- tile relationship of the patriarch Jacob, his four wives, and their thirteen children (twelve sons, one daughter). Joseph is commemorated as one of the Holy Forefathers in the Calendar of Saints of the Armenian Apostolic Church on 26 July. [41], Joseph (Arabic: , Ysuf) is regarded by Muslims as a prophet (Quran, suras vi. Glad to hear from you Brian, I have received many heartbreaking messages from women whose husbands seem to think they can force them into this lifestyle when they havent even bothered to look at whether or not the reasons that existed then still exist now, which of course they do not. His brothers did not understand his spirituality and saw him as a threat. During the seven years of abundance, Joseph ensured that the storehouses were full and that all produce was weighed. [c] Thereafter the guilty brothers painted goat's blood on Joseph's coat and showed it to Jacob, who therefore believed Joseph had died (Genesis 37:1235). | Fact Sheet Index Pseudo-Jonathan to Gen. 1:26). In the Kitb-i-Aqdas, Bah'u'llh states that "from my laws, the sweet-smelling savour of my garment can be smelled" and, in the Four Valleys, states that "the fragrance of his garment blowing from the Egypt of Baha," referring to Joseph. According to the Midrash, Joseph would have been immediately executed by the sexual assault charge against him by Potiphar's wife. 34), and a whole chapter Yusuf (sura xii.) What Leah knew was that her husband, although she had given him many sons, had no regard for her Jewish tradition even states that Jacob moved to Bilhahs tent after the death of Rachel (I dont think he ever got over that anger from the morning after the wedding). (Exodus 13:19) The bones were buried at Shechem, in the parcel of ground which Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor (Joshua 24:32), which has traditionally been identified with site of Joseph's Tomb, before Jacob and all his family moved to Egypt. When Jacob calls his wives to him in Gen thirty-one only Leah and Rachel are named. Lehi's Family Tree - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Because the 12 sons of Jacob became the 12 tribesGod's covenantal peoplethe 12 stones on the high priest's breastplate of course represent God's promise to them ( Genesis 28:12-15 ). The Egyptians would not dine with Hebrews at the same table, as doing so was considered loathsome, thus the sons of Israel were served at a separate table (Genesis 43:1644:34). The following morning the brothers began their journey back to Canaan. As a last resort, all of the inhabitants of Egypt, less the Egyptian priestly class, sold their properties and later themselves (as slaves) to Joseph for seed; wherefore Joseph set a mandate that, because the people would be sowing and harvesting seed on government property, a fifth of the produce should go to the Pharaoh. In the Eastern Orthodox Church and those Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine Rite, he is known as "Joseph the all-comely", a reference not only to his physical appearance, but more importantly to the beauty of his spiritual life. After Jacob's death, Joseph received the Pharaoh's permission to travel with a great caravan to Canaan in order to bury the patriarch. In the interim, Joseph's mother died giving birth to his brother, Benjamin. The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills. Joseph predicted seven years of plenty to be followed by seven years of famine and advised the Pharaoh to appoint someone to store up surplus grain. Because she was now barren (for whatever reason), she was in the legal position to give her own maidservant to Jacob as another woman, concubine. "Pharaoh called Joseph by the name Tzafnat-Pa'neach and gave him as his wife Asenath the daughter of Poti-Fera priest of On. [54], This article is about the Joseph of the Book of Genesis. Their relationship is first mentioned in Genesis 41:45. Deceptively, Joseph also ordered the steward to put his silver cup in Benjamin's sack. Jacob with Ephraim and Manasseh. (notice that she is given the same treatment as a wife but is not a wife), [147] If she have not borne him children, then her mistress may sell her for money. The "seven lean years" has been taken to refer to a Middle Eastern famine documented at that time. Then he brought the brothers into the house of Joseph and received them hospitably. Thats an interesting word, because although the lemma is the same isha as I discussed above neshe is tied in to the idea of a debt. | Alpha Index Jacob and Joseph Timeline - Bible Study Joseph was born the 11 th of 12 sons to his father Jacob. 25 Rachel's servant Bilhah's sons were Dan and Naphtali. As they approached Egyptian territory, Judah went ahead to ask Joseph where the caravan should unload. The children of Israel remembered their oath, and when they left Egypt during the Exodus, Moses took Joseph's bones with him. Genesis 35:21-27 gives a list of Jacob's sons and the various woman he had them with. 'ewe') was a Biblical figure, the favorite of Jacob's two wives, and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, two of the twelve progenitors of the . Loads of love from me my sister Wisdom Speaks. 2. Who are the two concubines who have children with Jacob? Rabbah l.c). . Who Are the Sons of Jacob? Importance of the 12 - Bible Study Tools Even John Calvin, sometimes hailed as the father of modern grammatico-historical exegesis,[39] writes "in the person of Joseph, a lively image of Christ is presented. When we look at Jacobs situation, the >description< of it and how much sorrow and dysfunction followed, it's not for us to overlook all that and consider it as a prescription to do to our own family! After his phenomenal rise to power, as he is passing through the street one day, his attention is attracted by a beggar woman whose bearing shows traces of former greatness. Legacy. Stories about Jacob in the Bible begin at Genesis 25:19. Prophets of Allah - Prophet Jacob: 'Honourable and the son of the Muslim theologians, especially of the Sufi tradition, use this story to symbolize the spiritual love between God and the soul. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's wives. Indeed the name Potiphar may even be a version of Merenptah's name (Poti = Ptah, Phar = Pharaoh). Joseph had his father embalmed, a process that took forty days. She gave birth to Joseph, one of the most important figures of the Old Testament, who saved the nation of Israel during a famine. In the second year of famine,[20] Joseph's half brothers were sent to Egypt to buy goods. The Story of Joseph | My Jewish Learning So they immediately informed the steward of what had transpired. By way of background, the Bible tells us that God created the first man, Adam, out of dust, and then created Eve out of Adam's ribs (Genesis 2:7,22). Joseph was made a ruler over Egypt second to Pharoah. The other polygamists in Scripture were Lamech (a descendant of Cain who killed a guy) and Esau (who well he was Esau, nuff said) we dont see any of the twelve sons of Jacob having mutliple wives, Moses, Joshua, Caleb, the Judges (not even Sampson) or the prophets. [32], Jewish tradition holds that Joseph had his steward plant his personal silver cup in Benjamin's sack to test his brothers. When he returned, the Vizier took Simeon and bound him as a hostage. In the Bible, the name Joseph was first mentioned as the eleventh son of Jacob, and the Ephraim was one of the major northern tribes, just north of the territory of Judah. Upon stopping to speak to her, he discovers Zulaikha, who has been left in misery at the death of her husband. pseudo-Jonathan). When Joseph's half-brothers reached home after selling him, Jacob ordered them to arm themselves and capture the beast that had supposedly killed Joseph. ASENATH, mysterious wife of Joseph of Egypt - Women In The Bible Joseph is 56 and Benjamin is about 40. Thank you. But Judah pleaded for Benjamin, offering himself as a slave instead. These children are the offspring of four different women, Leah and Rachel, his wives, and Zilpah and Bilhah, their respective handmaids. 119a; comp. (Gen. 28:3, 4) This explains why Jacob when nearly 100 years old did everything in his power to obtain God's blessing; he even wrestled with a materialized angel. Joseph was the first son of Rachel and Jacob, and the 11th of Jacobs 12sons, Joseph was sold by his brothers into slavery in Egypt, Joseph became the slave of Potiphar a very high official in Egypt. Joseph was fully trusted by his master, Potiphars wife took a fancy to Joseph, but he refused to sin with her. Joseph interpreted this dream as the baker being hanged within three days and having his flesh eaten by birds. Israel (Jacob) moves to Egypt to join Joseph - Bible Blender At last Rachel was able to have a child. How many wives did Joseph have in the Old Testament? 24 Rachel's sons were Joseph and Benjamin. 14 Then Joseph sent and called his father Jacob and all his relatives to him, seventy-five people. Joseph prospered in Potiphar's household and was eventually made head of the servants. The story of Yusuf and Zulaikha was a favorite love song in the Near East. (Genesis 49:3350:14), After their father died, the brothers of Joseph feared retribution for being responsible for Joseph's deliverance into Egypt as a slave. Joseph was sold by his brothers into slavery in Egypt (Genesis 37). He then tested them further, by accusing Benjamin of theft. She became angry and told lies about him, so he was put in jail. 20-21). Yes and No. of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife, Jacob, before he died, gave his blessing to Josephs two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. He has humbled her (had sexual relations with her) and cannot sell her to another man, he must allow her to go out for nothing (she came in with no dowry). Joseph is regarded as a saint by several Christian churches, including the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, which commemorates him as a patriarch on March 31. One of the hardest things there is, is to contemplate the possibility that our point of view has been utterly contaminated after all, they never taught ancient Near Eastern context in any of the churches I attended. An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and he said; "Take Mary home as your wife.". So, did Jacob have four legally wedded wives? The musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is about Joseph's story.