Facts About Joseph (a son of Jacob) - A Simple Bible List Abravanel explains that she had accused other servants of the same crime in the past. ISBN links support NWE through referral fees, https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/p/index.php?title=Joseph,_son_of_Jacob&oldid=1017043, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License, More recently, Joseph figures prominently in Anita Diamant's novel. Answer and Explanation: Joseph has one wife, Asenath the daughter of Potiphar the priest of On, whom he marries in Egypt. However, it is instructive to note that only Dinah is mentioned (Genesis 30:19-21; 34:1-3; 46:15) . Jacob's sons, including Joseph, are listed at the end of this page. Jacob also had some daughters, but the Bible gives the name of only one of them. The first born of this union is still his firstborn even after he marries another woman, loves her, and has children with her. Jacob had twelve sons | Bibleview Thus, Israel was able to bless the Pharaoh. Their relationship is first mentioned in Genesis 41:45. When the famine came which Pharoah had dreampt of, and Joseph had predicted, Joseph's father, brothers, and their families, settled in Egypt where there was food. 12 Sons of Jacob - Who They Were + Importance - Christianity.com which references passages that point to Jacob having "daughters" (plural, more than one) such as Genesis 37:34-35. He was Jacob's eleventh son and Rachel's first. Tap a Lookup below to generate a list oflessons. In the interim, Joseph's mother died giving birth to his brother, Benjamin. The Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod commemorates him as a patriarch on 31 March. 9The fathers, moved by jealousy against Joseph, sold him into Egypt as a slave; but God was with him. Biblical context is very much important. Joseph urged the first, a royal cupbearer, to get him out of prison once he was reinstated, but the cupbearer took no action on his behalf for two more years. New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article The Vizier broke down into tears. He was Rachel's firstborn and Jacob's eleventh son. Joseph was brought from prison to interpret the king's dream. [46], In the Bible, Joseph discloses himself to his brethren before they return to their father the second time after buying grain. Known for: Rachel was the younger daughter of Laban and Jacob's favored wife. [53] These come in the forms of allusions written by the Bb and Bah'u'llh. 13When they went the second time Joseph was recognized by his brothers, and Josephs origins were revealed to Pharaoh. (Acts 7:9-13). Jacob's favoritism for Joseph made his half-brothers so jealous that they were ready to murder him (see Genesis 37). Joseph is between 39 and 56 years old. (Genesis 37:35, Common English Bible). Unaware of this secondary intention, the others obeyed him first. Jacob therefore let the wolf go. Judah (son of Jacob) - Wikipedia Israel declared that they would be heirs to the inheritance of the house of Israel, as if they were his own children, just as Reuben and Simeon were. If later he is disgusted with her (after all, she was from a pagan nation), he cannot treat her as a slave and simply sell her away but must treat her as he would treat a divorced wife. Later, Joseph became Potiphar's personal servant, and subsequently his household's superintendent. How many years overall did he work for Laban? Short answer: Jacob worked 7 years for Laban before he married his two wives, Leah and Rachel.Long answer: Jacob worked 7 years to pay . Joseph is regarded by Muslims as a prophet (Qur'an, suras vi. 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. 10God saved Joseph from all his afflictions, and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Is Polygamy Really Biblical? 5 Bibliography. Who was Leah's 4th son? 17:1; 1 Ne. She named him Joseph. "[43] The story has a lot in common with the biblical narrative, but with certain differences. He wanted to know if they would be willing to risk danger in order to save their half brother Benjamin. The brothers conferred amongst themselves speaking in Hebrew, reflecting on the wrong they had done to Joseph. He wept so loudly that even the Egyptian household heard it outside. 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. So Joseph supplied them Egyptian transport wagons, new garments, silver money, and twenty additional donkeys carrying provisions for the journey. Legacy. In his father's house, Joseph is the favored son: "Israel (another name for Jacob) loved Joseph more than all his sons since he was a child of his old age" (Genesis 37:3). 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 . 25 Rachel's servant Bilhah's sons were Dan and Naphtali. When he regained control of himself, he returned and ordered a meal to be served. Potiphar believed that Joseph was incapable of such an act and petitioned Pharaoh to spare his life. So the final birth order of Jacob's thirteen children by these four women was: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Dinah, Joseph, and Benjamin. The motif of dreams/dream interpretation contributes to a strong story-like narrative. Scripture doesn't tell us much about Asenath, the wife of Joseph, the son of Jacob. These are the generations of Jacob. 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). As Zipporah was a Midianite, calling her a Kusite makes absolute sense. On the third day, he brought them out of prison to reiterate that he wanted their youngest brother brought to Egypt to demonstrate their veracity. 13. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Please consider supporting this ministry, which is offered free of charge in order to help newcomers understand Biblical context and develop good spiritual fruit. To the modern proponents of polygamy (as opposed to Biblical polygamy, which was entirely different), our forefather Jacob is the shining example after all, he had four wives right? When Rachel did not have any children, she became upset. The Bible tells us twice that Jacob had daughters. [16] Joseph requested that the cup-bearer mention him to Pharaoh to secure his release from prison,[17] but the cup-bearer, reinstalled in office, forgot Joseph. It also includes the marvelous story and time of Jacob's son Joseph (Genesis 35-50). Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, Judgment in Context: Honor, Shame, and the Command to Judge Not., Confessions of a Former Torah Terrorist Pt II. The final group, where a transaction is made, is among the Egyptians in the same verse. People just cherry pick with the descriptions to determine prescriptives without studying out the matter. It is described in the Quran as the 'best of stories'. How many children did Jacob have? Half of Manasseh's tribe settled east of the Jordan, while the other half settled west of it. Esau. The brothers were frozen and could not utter a word. Home 'Yahweh shall add'; Standard: Yhsef, Tiberian: Yhsp;[4] Arabic: , romanized:Ysuf; Ancient Greek: , romanized:Isph) is an important figure in the Bible's Book of Genesis. Rather, he requested to be carried to the land of Canaan to be buried with his forefathers. With Reuben and Judah's persistence, they persuaded their father to let Benjamin join them for fear of Egyptian retribution (Genesis 42:2943:15). God richly bless you my sis. well, that did go well. How many Josephs are there in the Bible? - Quora Certain rabbis declared that Joseph was ready to yield to his mistress, but that his father's image suddenly appeared to him and called him to his duty (Sotah 36b; Gen. R. 87:9). Joseph And His Brothers, The cultural impact of the Joseph story in early-modern times is discussed in, This page was last edited on 28 February 2023, at 10:50. 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. selling him to an Ishmaelite trade caravan. Great article Tyler! And after Joseph perished, the sons of Jacob took unto themselves wives. I think some translators/editors have erred when they separate the two sections. Recall that Jacob was born in the land of Canaan, the land God promised to Abraham, and where Jacob's father Isaac was born and lived his entire life. For an excellent read on many matters pertaining to women in the Bible (not all of which I agree with, of course), see Matthews, Victor H., Gender and Law in the Hebrew Bible and the Ancient Near East (1998) p 229 is directly relevant to this discussion. Paul even specifically said that male leadership within the Body was to be limited to those men who only had one wife (I Tim 3:2, 12; Titus 1:6). After bearing Judah, Leah stopped bearing children for a . At the end of that period, the Pharaoh had a strange dream which none of his advisers could interpret. John 10:30) is hen and the word used by Paul in those instances is mia. 50 Before the year of famine came, Joseph had two sons, whom As'enath, the daughter of Poti'phera priest of On, bore to him. From the various midrashim, a wondrous story emerges: You see, when Shechem abducted Dinah, she became pregnant with his child. JOSEPH. Full Bible Timeline - section on the life of Jacob. The narrative describes his emotional reaction upon seeing Benjamin: "Deeply moved at the sight of his brother, Joseph hurried out and looked for a place to weep. The historicity of Joseph's story is debated, with dates ranging from an early estimate beginning around 2000 B.C.E. And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. During this period of famine, Joseph's brothers, except for Benjamin, also came down to Egypt to buy grain. Cause me to die as a Muslim and join me with the righteous" (Qur'an 12:101). Abraham, Isaac and Jacob: a chronology - British Bible School Required fields are marked *, nine = 27 .hide-if-no-js { After relaying his prophecies, Israel died. The community seems to confuse quite often what is description vs prescription. 42-45), Jacob, his sons, and all of his descendants moved to Egypt to be with Joseph. Leah. I smiled. It was during this return to Egypt that Joseph disclosed his real identity to his brothers. Isaac had one wife. The majority opinion of the rabbis is that Joseph always kept in mind his father and brothers. After identifying the Hebrew names, Rabbi Judah claims that Joseph was sold four times: First his brothers sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites (Yishma'elm), then the Ishmaelites sold him to the Midianite traders (shm midyanm srm), the Midianite traders to the Medanites (mdanm), and the Medanites into Egypt. They were directed into the province of Goshen and Joseph readied his chariot to meet his father there. Joseph then told him that the queen, who was about to be delivered of a child, would give birth to a son, but that at the same time another of the king's sons, two years of age, would dieall of which came to pass exactly as Joseph predicted. Moses, led there by an ancient holy woman named Serach, was able by a miracle to raise the sarcophagus and to take it with him at the time of the Exodus. Many of these amplifications have been borrowed by rabbinical tradition. Joseph correctly predicted their futures: one would be reinstated in his post while the other would be executed. Really Bilhahs and Zilpahs lives would have looked bleak but they would have accepted it as their lot in life in ancient times people firmly believed that their conditions and station in life were pre-determined by the gods and hardly worth complaining about or trying to get out of. Similar theories are propounded to explain confusion in the narrative's parallel accounts of his slavery and imprisonment, as well as his and reunion(s) with his brothers, with Benjamin present in one, and absent in another. One tradition holds that Jacob's other children came into the world only for Joseph's sake. How many wives did Jacob married? - AnswersAll 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. Was Joseph married before Mary? | GotQuestions.org As the reputed ancestor of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, he is regarded by some as altogether legendary or even mythical by some critics. 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. 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). Of all the sons, Joseph was preferred by his father, who gave him a "long coat of many colors". 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. The Amidah and the New Testament I: Long Prayers and Vain Repetitions? Joseph became the slave of Potiphar a very high official in Egypt. When Jacob calls his wives to him in Gen thirty-one only Leah and Rachel are named. Tap the title above, next to the arrow, to go to thatlesson with a link back to thispage. Joseph would have been approximately six years old when his family returned from Haran to Canaan. Judah (left) talking to Tamar (right) (1606-1669), by Rembrandt. Sefer ha-Yashar, section Wayiggash). [29] Maimonides comments that even the villager in Shechem, about whom Joseph inquired his brother's whereabouts, was a "divine messenger" working behind the scene.[30]. Tap the title above, next to the arrow, to go to thatlesson with a link back to thispage. How many wives did Abraham have? 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. Joseph saw and inquired of Benjamin, and was overcome by emotion but did not show it. They commemorate him on the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers (two Sundays before Christmas) and on Holy and Great Monday (Monday of Holy Week). This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. : > 1. Joseph (/dozf, -sf/; Hebrew: , lit. Joseph was made a ruler over Egypt second to Pharoah. 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?. Am happy to have read this. The levirate marriage was for the purpose of providing a woman with offspring and so if a man was already married, he could still perform the levirate function and she would be provided for with her dead husbands share of the inheritance, which then belongs to her son (or daughter, because the Torah also says that if a man dies and has only daughters they can inherit so that his name and inheritance will not pass from Israel). How many wives did Jacob have? Is polygamy really Biblical? 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. After this, his brothers plotted against him and would have killed him had not his brother Reuben intervened. The "unloved" Leah bore seven of Jacob's childrensix sons, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun, as well as a daughter, Dinah. The eleventh son of Jacob and elder of the two sons Rachel (Genesis 30:23, 24). If Jacob, Joseph, and Joseph's two sons are added, then the total number is seventy (46:27). His brothers did not understand his spirituality and saw him as a threat. Unbeknownst to them, Joseph had also returned their money to their money sacks (Genesis 42:128). Why Did Jacob Have Children With Bilhah? - FAQS Clear }. He worked under the Egyptian official Potiphar but was freed and became the chief adviser (vizier) to the Egyptian Pharaoh. The two halves of Manasseh were often treated as two separate units in the biblical account. After they mentioned a younger brother at home, the Vizier (Joseph) demanded that he be brought to Egypt as a demonstration of their veracity. At the age 30, Joseph married Asenath, the daughter of the priest of Heliopolis. during the Egyptian Middle Kingdom, to a later time during the Hyksos Era (16481540 B.C.E. Later we will learn a lot more about Joseph, because he became a very important person. Later we read, "His . Joseph was sold by his brothers into slavery in Egypt (Genesis 37). They were survival oriented, and so when greeted with the opportunity to be something greater in the family, not wives but the mothers of some of the heirs of the House, that was a chance to have a much better life and better prospects for the future. Joseph's brothers were motivated by fear. Joseph placed his brothers in prison for three days. ACTS 7:13-15 13 And the second time Joseph was made known to his brothers, and Joseph's family became known to the Pharaoh. As Joseph had foreseen, seven years of plenty came, during which he stored up a great abundance of grain in granaries built for the purpose. 2. 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. There are many examples of descriptions that we don't assume to be a prescription for us today living as nomads in tents, giving each wife her own tent (modern day equivalent would be that each wife has her own home or at minimum her own personal suite), digging our own wells, making alliances via sons and daughters, being without citizenship, for husbands to devote their first year of marriage being at home with their wives, etc. How many wives did Jacob have? In Jewish tradition, Joseph was the progenitor of the northern tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, named for his two sons. Answer (1 of 13): There are thirteen persons in the Bible who bear the name Joseph. 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). Particularly galling is Jacob's reaction to Rachel the wife whom he loves deeply when she cannot become pregnant. | Fact Sheet Index The Wives of Jacob's Sons (xxxiv. 20-21). - sacred-texts.com Rachel had the perfectly acceptable legal recourse in those days to provide her husband with a surrogate, and according to the laws of the surrounding nations, any child borne by the concubine would be counted as coming from her which is exactly why Rachel, and not Bilhah, named the boys. 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. Full Bible Timeline - section on the life of Jacob. Who is Dans mom? I asked. "[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. The shrine called Joseph's Tomb in Nablus/Shechem is traditionally considered to be his tomb. Why Were the Sons of Jacob Chosen to Be the 12 Tribes of Israel? The money they had brought was double what they had offered on the first trip. Now we get to your verse if he sends her away and she has provided him with children despite the fact that he hates her he cannot treat her sons with contempt when it comes time to give the inheritance. Joseph likely also has this status because he is the eldest child of Jacob's favorite (deceased) wife, Rachel . (Genesis 50:1521), Joseph lived to the age of 110, living to see his great-grandchildren. How movie 'Shakespeare in Love' almost fell apart when original star When the Vizier (Joseph) confronted them about the silver cup, he demanded that the one who possessed the cup in his bag become his slave. In analyzing Genesis Chapter 37, there are five different Hebrew names used to describe five different groups of people involved in the transaction of selling Joseph, according to Rabbi Judah and Rav Huna. Thank you for your VERY well done teaching. This is great, Tyler. The story of Yusuf and Zulaikha was a favorite love song in the Near East. [49] When Jacob learned their story after their return, he wept in grief till he lost his eyesight because of sorrow. However, Joseph was displeased that his father's right hand was not on the head of his firstborn, so he switched his father's hands. They returned with a wolf, but when Jacob began to reproach the beast for its cruelty, the wolf answered, in human language, that she had not committed the crime, and that she herself was searching for her lost cub. Zilpah bore Jacob his seventh and eighth sons, Gad and Asher. 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. Now why? In the time of the Exodus, Serah, daughter of Asher, showed Moses where the coffin was sunk. I have written six books on the ancient Near Eastern and First Century context of Scripture, including a family curriculum series. When he returned, the Vizier took Simeon and bound him as a hostage. He brought them closer and relayed to them the events that had happened and told them not to fear, that what they had meant for evil, God had meant for good. Response: We read in Genesis 41:45 that Pharaoh gave Joseph Osnat daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. [h] It had been over twenty years since Joseph had last seen his father. I think Ill stick with my one wife (Staci) of 23 years. Lehi's Family Tree - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints In Genesis 29:31-30:24 the birth . In the second dream, the sun (father), the moon (mother), and eleven stars (brothers) bowed to Joseph himself. Confronting a Devastating Doctrine: Are Children Is Hand Washing Commanded? Did You Know Jacob Had Daughters Too? - CBE International Jacob's Journey to Egypt - Apologetics Press He is presently pastor of the Evangelical Church of Archbold, Ohio. Deut 21:15 says that if a man has two wives, one loved and one unloved that he cannot disinherit the child of the unloved wife doesnt this say that men can have two wives? Confronting Pseudo-archaeological memes Pt 4: Was Byblos the Goddess of Writing? Joseph's half-brothers were jealous of him; (Genesis 37:1820) wherefore, in Dothan, most of them plotted to kill him, with the exception of Reuben,[12][13] who suggested to have Joseph thrown into an empty cistern, intending to rescue Joseph himself. Thus, "Joseph gathered up all the money that was in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the grain which they bought.". Well, thats what I thought for many years as well and it was no wonder I was looking through a lens colored by modern movies, television shows, and ten years spent living in uber-Mormon southern Idaho. [51] The remaining verses describe the migration of Jacob's family to Egypt and the emotional meeting of Jacob and his long lost son, Joseph. In the Yahwist version Joseph is sold to Ismaelites, while in the Elohist (E) narrative it is Midianites who buy him. Taking 130 and subtracting it from Joseph's age of 39 means Jacob was 91 when Joseph was born. Efforts to Bear Children. Then they informed their father that the Vizier demanded that Benjamin be brought before him to demonstrate that they were honest men. Bah' commentaries have described these as metaphors with the garment implying the recognition of a manifestation of God. [21] After questioning them, he accused them of being spies. The true faith in Jesus Christ stands the test and wins victory. He is the favourite son of the patriarch Jacob, and his jealous brothers sell him into slavery in Egypt, where he eventually ends up incarcerated. Joseph Born in the wilderness, he was the youngest son in the family. How many wives did Joseph have in the Bible? 4. Manasseh, Ephraim are between 19 and 26. Bible History - Jacob's Family - Esau -12 sons - Joseph - GOD's WAR PLAN Elkannah had two women but again, one of them was barren so I suspect that Peninah was a concubine. 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. Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah, and this made Leah sad. 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). (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. At last Rachel was able to have a child. Jacob and His 12 Sons - Life, Hope & Truth Yes and No. Joseph settled Jacob's growing clan with Pharaoh's blessing in the Land of Goshen (Gen. 47:29). When the Pharaoh's advisers failed to interpret these dreams, the cup-bearer remembered Joseph. I smiled, and told them to listen again. A fourth group in verse 36 is named in Hebrew as mdanm that is properly identified as Medanites. When they met, they embraced each other and wept together for quite a while. 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. The Story of Joseph | My Jewish Learning 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. 2. 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). But you'd be wrong. Joseph In The Old Testament: Bible Character Profile And Study The story of Joseph's near seduction by his master's wife bears a marked similarity to the Egyptian story of the Tale of Two Brothers, which was popular at the time of Pharaoh Seti II. 1653. Simeon in Apocryphal and Rabbinical Literature). Jacob | Hebrew patriarch | Britannica What the Bible says about Jacob's Favoritism for Joseph 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.