The majority opinion of the rabbis is that Joseph always kept in mind his father and brothers. When the steward caught up with the brothers, he seized them and searched their sacks. 9The fathers, moved by jealousy against Joseph, sold him into Egypt as a slave; but God was with him. Yusuf eventually obtains permission to marry her, she having lost none of her former beauty nor any of her first love for him. According to the Documentary Hypothesis Joseph's toy is a combination of two or more versions which were later combined into the current narrative. He persuaded them to throw Joseph into a pit and secretly planned to rescue him later. (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. The community seems to confuse quite often what is description vs prescription. What does Ex 22:16-17 tell us about the rape of Dinah in Genesis, Episode 164: Purim 2023Honor, Shame and Two Brave Queens, Episode 163: Sociology IIReligion, Weird Science, and Practical Linguistics, Episode 162 Sociology I: Groupthink, Holy/Profane and Clean/Unclean, Episode 161: The Advent of John the Baptist in Luke, Episode 160: Special Teaching #1The Advent of the Messiah in Matthew, Challenging the "Everything is Pagan" Meme Culture, Infertility, Barreness, Miscarriage, Stillbirth and Child Loss. He wept so loudly that even the Egyptian household heard it outside. During the seven years of abundance, Joseph ensured that the storehouses were full and that all produce was weighed. He then tested them further, by accusing Benjamin of theft. (7-14) Genesis 29:17. Did Jacob have 4 wives? The time of the promises to Abraham spans the generations of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. How many years overall did he work for Laban? Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. But Joseph had taken Mary to be his wife (Matthew 1:20), and there is no suggestion that her role as Joseph's wife was in any way different from the role of any other wife. 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. And after Joseph perished, the sons of Jacob took unto themselves wives. Isaac had one wife. They also discovered that all of their money sacks still had money in them, and they were dismayed. 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. [53] These come in the forms of allusions written by the Bb and Bah'u'llh. Many of these amplifications have been borrowed by rabbinical tradition. . Later, Joseph became Potiphar's personal servant, and subsequently his household's superintendent. Is the word Bible pagan? So they immediately informed the steward of what had transpired. We passed on to Zilpah, and they noticed it again Gad is Leahs son!, Very good, I smiled. Plan to Trick Jacob. Judah, too, counseled against murder and convinced the brothers to sell Joseph to a company of Ishmaelite merchants, who bought him in exchange for 20 shekels of silver. Joseph had his father embalmed, a process that took forty days. 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. Then they informed their father that the Vizier demanded that Benjamin be brought before him to demonstrate that they were honest men. It was a very large company." 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. Ephraim was one of the major northern tribes, just north of the territory of Judah. Known for: Rachel was the younger daughter of Laban and Jacob's favored wife. The family, including the Egyptians, mourned him seventy days. He even forced them to throw out their babies to die. 21 . This is great, Tyler. It is described in the Quran as the 'best of stories'. Then Joseph is summoned to interpret the dreams of Pharaoh himself. the time has come for the Israelites to be rescued from their oppressors; come up and do not cause us any further delay!" To add to the distinction within the family, in chapter thirty-seven, when Joseph goes tattling on his brothers, it specifically mentions that they are the sons of the neshe Bilhah and Zilpah. Zilpah bore Jacob his seventh and eighth sons, Gad and Asher. The Wives of Jacob's Sons (xxxiv. 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. | Bible Topics The later reunion of Joseph with Jacob (Israel), though anti-climactic after two previous reunions with his brothers, is one of the most poignant in the Bible. Great article Tyler! 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. Genesis 35:21-27 gives a list of Jacob's sons and the various woman he had them with. After Jacob's death, Joseph received the Pharaoh's permission to travel with a great caravan to Canaan in order to bury the patriarch. Through his father, he also has six half-brothers: Dan and Naphtali (whose . Joseph! Joseph was brought from prison to interpret the king's dream. Joseph's wife is considered to be an Egyptian. For example, just before his death he predicted that God would visit the children of Israel and lead them out of Egypt and into the promised land. The family prostrated before him hence the fulfilment of his dream aforetime.[52]. 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. They betrayed him by. The first mention of Ishmaelites (Yishma'elm) is in verse 25. Seeing only the powerful minister who controlled their lives and fortunes, they "bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground" (Gen. 42:6), thus fulfilling in part his earlier prophetic dream. 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. [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. 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. (Genesis 47:147:12) The family was then settled in Goshen. . 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. To Joseph, he gave a portion more of Canaanite property than he had to his other sons; land that he fought for against the Amorites. Some believe that he built the city of Memphis, and that he was instrumental in building the obelisks and pyramids. Genesis 31:38-41. When Joseph and his mother bowed to Esau (Gen. 33:7), Joseph shielded his mother with his body (Targ. His story functions as an explanation for Israel's residence in Egypt. He is presently pastor of the Evangelical Church of Archbold, Ohio. How long did Jacob in the Bible wait to marry his wife? The motif of dreams/dream interpretation contributes to a strong story-like narrative. 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 . However, it is instructive to note that only Dinah is mentioned (Genesis 30:19-21; 34:1-3; 46:15) . 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? The money they had brought was double what they had offered on the first trip. After this, his brothers plotted against him and would have killed him had not his brother Reuben intervened. Moreover, Inter. Response: We read in Genesis 41:45 that Pharaoh gave Joseph Osnat daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. The Haran controversy wrestles with the question of how long Abraham's grandson Jacob lived in Haran. They stopped at Atad where they observed seven days of mourning. Later we will learn a lot more about Joseph, because he became a very important person. Sefer ha-Yashar, section Wayiggash). During this period of famine, Joseph's brothers, except for Benjamin, also came down to Egypt to buy grain. 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). [31] However, punishment could not have been avoided because of her class status and limited public knowledge of her scheme. How many wives did Joseph have in the Bible? Joseph is 56 and Benjamin is about 40. Who was the angel of 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. 26 Leah's servant Zilpah's sons were Gad and Asher. The following morning the brothers began their journey back to Canaan. Joseph (/dozf, -sf/; Hebrew: , lit. Pharaoh was pleased with Joseph's interpretation and gave him authority to carry out the suggested policy (Gen. 41:46). These years were followed by seven years of famine "over all the face of the earth," when "all countries came into Egypt to Joseph to buy grain" (Gen. 41:56, 57; 47:13,14). He became the second most powerful man in all Egypt. Could Paul have been saying that the husband and wife need to be one (Hebrew echad) instead of limiting a man to one wife? 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. He was Rachel's firstborn and Jacob's eleventh son. The "unloved" Leah bore seven of Jacob's childrensix sons, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun, as well as a daughter, Dinah. Joseph became the slave of Potiphar a very high official in Egypt. [32], Jewish tradition holds that Joseph had his steward plant his personal silver cup in Benjamin's sack to test his brothers. Genesis 41:45 says that after Joseph interpreted the dreams of Pharaoh 45 Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnath-paaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On. 15 So Jacob went down to Egypt; and he died, he and our fathers. According to the Old Testament, Jacob was the younger twin brother of Esau, who was the ancestor of Edom . 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. Biblical context is very much important. Abravanel explains that she had accused other servants of the same crime in the past. You can also subscribe without commenting. 17:1; 1 Ne. A midrash asked, How many times was Joseph sold? Although Bilhahs and Zilpahs children ranked lower than Leahs biological children (as Joseph will prove with his behavior later on) and Rachels future children, they were officially counted as the sons of the wives, not as the sons of the concubines. 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 Vizier broke down into tears. 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. Elkannah had two women but again, one of them was barren so I suspect that Peninah was a concubine. The story of Yusuf and Zulaikha was a favorite love song in the Near East. He was present at Jacob's famous reconciliation with his brother Esau. When Rachel did not have any children, she became upset. 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. It starts with the 12 tribes and ends with the 12 gates with 12 pearls representing the tribes and the 12 kinds of fruit. When the Vizier (Joseph) appeared, they gave him gifts from their father. 14Joseph sent for his father Jacob and his whole family, seventy-five souls, to come and live in Egypt. The final group, where a transaction is made, is among the Egyptians in the same verse. Efforts to Bear Children. 3. Their relationship is first mentioned in Genesis 41:45. 14. Who was Jacob's first wife? Upon their return to Egypt with Benjamin, Joseph received them kindly and prepared a feast for them. I love reading and studying from you. How many wives did Joseph son of Jacob have? Israel. 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. Ultimately, Joseph was sold to Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh's guard (Genesis 37:36, Genesis 39:1). Edit: I have been getting some great questions so I will share my answers. (Genesis 48:122). [24] Its redaction history may have included a first "Reuben version" originating in the northern kingdom of Israel and intended to justify the domination by the "house of Joseph" over the other tribes, this was followed by a later "Judah-expansion" (chapters 38 and 49) elevating Judah as the rightful successor to Jacob, and finally various embellishments so that the novella would function as the bridge between the Genesis and the story of Moses and the Exodus.[25]. What is Jacob's new name? 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). Despite his wealth, most rabbis represent him as very modest, and was not vain of his power (Ex. Our fathers found no food. Legacy. Hope that makes sense. After correctly interpreting the dreams of Pharaoh, however, he rises to second-in-command in Egypt and saves Egypt during a famine. The cup-bearer's dream was about a vine with three branches that was budding. Her father, Jacob, saw that his family was deeply ashamed of his new granddaughter. Yet, from this answer in Quora. In one Talmudic story, Joseph was buried in the Nile river, as there was some dispute as to which province should be honored by having his tomb within its boundaries. Joseph is between 39 and 56 years old. When the Pharaoh's advisers failed to interpret these dreams, the cup-bearer remembered Joseph. 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.