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Joseph was the first son of Rachel and Jacob, and the 11th of Jacob's 12 sons (Genesis 30:22-24). 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. 14. Who was Jacob's first wife? SIMEON - JewishEncyclopedia.com 84, xl. Jacob's sons, including Joseph, are listed at the end of this page. Scripture doesn't tell us much about Asenath, the wife of Joseph, the son of Jacob. 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. Habakkuk 3:7, in a paralellism (a literary device where something is said twice, slightly differently, in such a way as to equate two concepts), says this of Cushan. [54], This article is about the Joseph of the Book of Genesis. In the time of the Exodus, Serah, daughter of Asher, showed Moses where the coffin was sunk. Joseph Born in the wilderness, he was the youngest son in the family. Genesis 35:23 The sons of Leah were Reuben the firstborn of Jacob Joseph, in the Old Testament, son of the patriarch Jacob and his wife Rachel. At that time Moses was born (Acts 7:17-19). The first mention of Ishmaelites (Yishma'elm) is in verse 25. How long did Jacob in the Bible wait to marry his wife? Rachel: Bible | Jewish Women's Archive Who Was Asenath - The Wife to Joseph in the Bible - Crosswalk.com But like everything else, modern context is not Biblical context we dont think the same way or have the same needs and therefore we dont live the same way; we certainly dont have the same expectations. (Genesis 50:2226). What does religion have to say about artificial intelligence? - Los Abraham had one wife, and then only took a concubine when she was still barren at 80; he took a second wife only after the death of his first. Joseph (Genesis) - Wikipedia Joseph is commemorated as one of the Holy Forefathers in the Calendar of Saints of the Armenian Apostolic Church on 26 July. He went into his private room and wept there. 20 And to Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On, bore to him. They thought that the missed transaction would somehow be used against them as way to induct them as slaves and to confiscate their possessions. Jacob's favoritism for Joseph made his half-brothers so jealous that they were ready to murder him (see Genesis 37). Tap the title above, next to the arrow, to go to thatlesson with a link back to thispage. Particularly galling is Jacob's reaction to Rachel the wife whom he loves deeply when she cannot become pregnant. Answer and Explanation: Joseph has one wife, Asenath the daughter of Potiphar the priest of On, whom he marries in Egypt. He admonished and forgave them, he sent also his garment which healed the patriarch's eyes as soon as it was cast unto his face. 19The new king took advantage of our people, and mistreated our fathers. 18A new Pharaoh arose in Egypt, who knew nothing of Joseph. After he had washed his face, he came out and, controlling himself, said, 'Serve the food'" (Gen 43:30-32). 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. Her maid Bilhah is ancestor of two more ( Gen 35:25; Gen 46:23-24). Is Potiphar and potiphera the same person? - TimesMojo This tendency, although greatly diminished, was followed throughout late antiquity, the Medieval Era, and into the Reformation. Ephraim was one of the major northern tribes, just north of the territory of Judah. [28] Impressed with Joseph's interpretations, Pharaoh appoints him as second-in-command (Gen 41:41). Jacob had twelve sons | Bibleview [53] These come in the forms of allusions written by the Bb and Bah'u'llh. Upon stopping to speak to her, he discovers Zulaikha, who has been left in misery at the death of her husband. , romanized: Rl, lit. 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. Both the term "Joseph" and the term "Ephraim" were also frequently used by the biblical writers to refer to the norther tribes generally or to the later northern kingdom, usually called Israel. Since in the Bible, unlike in later Jewish law, ethnic identity is determined by the father, the fact that their mother is not an Israelite does not affect their status . [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. 1. 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. Finally, after 20 years of marriage, they were blessed with twin boys, Jacob and Esau. [32], Jewish tradition holds that Joseph had his steward plant his personal silver cup in Benjamin's sack to test his brothers. What Does the Bible Say About How Many Wives Did Joesph Have Before He 2. In the Qur'an a whole chapter (sura xii) is devoted to Joseph; and Islamic commentators add many details to this "best of stories.". Convinced of his brothers' repentance and overcome with emotion, Joseph finally revealed himself to them. 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. Josephs ability to interpret dreams got him out of jail and into great favour with Pharoah. 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. 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. So Joseph was reunited with his family, Stephen provided a brief summary of Josephs Story, Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath, daughter Her name was Dinah. I put up the white board and I was marking out the family tree of the patriarchs. 8, 10). This article incorporates text from the 19011906 Jewish Encyclopedia, a publication now in the public domain. Though Manasseh was the older brother, Jacob placed his right hand on Ephraim, the younger, and gave him the greater blessing. They were rapacious, while Joseph never enjoyed anything that was not his (Zeb. Here, their lamentation was so great that it caught the attention of surrounding Canaanites who remarked "This is a deep mourning of the Egyptians." He then tested them further, by accusing Benjamin of theft. Joseph! 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. Home This would not be a true case of polygamy, because his intention was not to have two wives, but to provide for his sister-in-law it was considered a mitzvah towards the dead brother as well as to the woman to refuse to do this for her at her request would be to deprive her of her rights within the family. In the second year of famine,[20] Joseph's half brothers were sent to Egypt to buy goods. How many wives did Abraham have? Elkannah had two women but again, one of them was barren so I suspect that Peninah was a concubine. Who Are the Sons of Jacob? Importance of the 12 - Bible Study Tools Joseph was fully trusted by his master, Potiphars wife took a fancy to Joseph, but he refused to sin with her. 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 was then summoned. He was also the first born of his mother Rachel, whom his father loved more than any of his wives and made Joseph Jacob's favorite son (Genesis 29-30:24; Genesis 37:1-4). 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. 4) Judah was the next. Both were met by angels at various times (Gen. R. 84:6; Num. Joseph saw and inquired of Benjamin, and was overcome by emotion but did not show it. Joseph and Asenath. An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and he said; "Take Mary home as your wife.". [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]. He stored up in Egypt all the gold and silver of the world, and it was carried away by the Israelites when they left Egypt. 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 and Joseph Timeline - Bible Study According to the Midrash, Joseph would have been immediately executed by the sexual assault charge against him by Potiphar's wife. Joseph would have been approximately six years old . Isaac, the son of Abraham , was married to Rebecca for many years before being blessed with children. well, that did go well. 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. The reason that Joseph selected Simeon may have been that the latter was the eldest after Reuben, who was spared by Joseph in return for his interference on Joseph's behalf many years before (Gen. xxxvii. 3. 14Joseph sent for his father Jacob and his whole family, seventy-five souls, to come and live in Egypt. In the sixth year, Asenath bore two children to Joseph: Manasseh and Ephraim. 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. 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. Response: We read in Genesis 41:45 that Pharaoh gave Joseph Osnat daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. 42-45), Jacob, his sons, and all of his descendants moved to Egypt to be with Joseph. Isaac had one wife. Muslim theologians, especially of the Sufi tradition, use this story to symbolize the spiritual love between God and the soul. | Fact Sheet Index Indeed, he blessed Joseph's sons before all the rest. Joseph's story is recounted in some detail in the New Testament, during Saint Stephen's speech before the Sandhedrin in Acts 7. Although they had betrayed him in the past, Joseph greeted them . He kept the sacred records after Nephi (see 1 Ne. Prophets of Allah - Prophet Jacob: 'Honourable and the son of the Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. ASENATH, mysterious wife of Joseph of Egypt - Women In The Bible Your email address will not be published. Others consider the story a semi-independent novella, which has been independently added to the biblical record. The Bible tells us twice that Jacob had daughters. The Hebrew word translated as "tender" means "soft, delicate, or lovely.". : > 1. The scene is a fitting resolution to Jacob's own drama, in which his father, Isaac, had been old and blind when Jacob himself deceived deceived him in order to obtain his blessing, meant for Esau. 5:26; Jacob 1:2, 18-19). 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). Thank you. Jacob's wife, were Joseph and Benjamin. 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. The shrine called Joseph's Tomb in Nablus/Shechem is traditionally considered to be his tomb. For Jacob however, a time came when his parents urged him to leave Canaan . Abravanel explains that she had accused other servants of the same crime in the past. (Genesis 37:35, Common English Bible). Posted by Tyler Dawn | Nov 19, 2015 | Biblical Context Studies, Women's issues | 6 |, (Note: Yes, I do understand that it is actually called polygyny when a man has multiple wives, and polygamy can be either male or female but for purposes of using a familiar term to everyone I am simplifying this by calling it polygamy). 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. Some rabbis, however, charged Joseph with vanity, saying that, even before being sold, he took too much pains with his personal appearance (Gen. R. 84:7), and that he continued to do so as ruler over Potiphar's house, forgetting his father, who was mourning over his disappearance. .". Biblical context is very much important. The historicity of Joseph's story is debated, with dates ranging from an early estimate beginning around 2000 B.C.E. The steward put them at ease, telling them not to worry about the money, and brought out their brother Simeon. Jacob also had some daughters, but the Bible gives the name of only one of them. As for kings - marriages were largely about political alliances (especially with . [50] He thus charged his sons to go and inquire about Joseph and his brother and despair not of God's mercy. (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. arose that night, and took his two wives, his two maidservants1 and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. Joseph was the favorite son of his father, who made him a richly ornamented coat. Later, Joseph became Potiphar's personal servant, and subsequently his household's superintendent. The sons by Leah (Jacob's first wife) were: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun. They shall be on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren. The Wives of Jacob's Sons (xxxiv. The story of Yusuf and Zulaikha was a favorite love song in the Near East. Yet, from this answer in Quora. Afterward, Joseph's family personally met the Pharaoh of Egypt. [31] However, punishment could not have been avoided because of her class status and limited public knowledge of her scheme. 13. [42] Joseph is said to have been extremely handsome, which attracted his Egyptian master's wife to attempt to seduce him. Answer (1 of 10): If you are talking about Jacob (Israel)'s son Joseph, then he had one wife. Moreover, Inter. Full Bible Timeline - section on the life of 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. The story concludes by Joseph praying, "My lord you have indeed bestowed upon me of the sovereignty and taught me something of the interpretation of dreams- the (only) creator of heavens and the earth! The majority opinion of the rabbis is that Joseph always kept in mind his father and brothers. genesis - Did Jacob have more than one daughter? - Biblical [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. 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. Joseph would have been approximately six years old when his family returned from Haran to Canaan. [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]. One opinion holds that the Holy Spirit dwelt in Joseph from his childhood until his death (Pirke R. El. Rather, he requested to be carried to the land of Canaan to be buried with his forefathers. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Jacob is between 130 and 147 years old. The baker's dream was about three baskets full of bread for the Pharaoh, and birds were eating the bread out of those baskets. After being beaten by his brethren, Joseph was thrown by Simeon into a pit, among serpents and scorpions; but Joseph prayed to God and the reptiles retired to their holes (Targ. They were directed into the province of Goshen and Joseph readied his chariot to meet his father there. Their relationship is first mentioned in Genesis 41:45. The account of the birth of Jacob's children is found in Genesis 2930, 35. Then he revealed to the Hebrews that he was in fact their brother, Joseph. When the steward caught up with the brothers, he seized them and searched their sacks. (Genesis 47:2731), Later, Joseph came to visit his father having with him his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. Jacob's partiality to Rachel was the source of a great deal of hostility and scheming among Jacobs's wives and concubines (see Genesis 30). We passed on to Zilpah, and they noticed it again Gad is Leahs son!, Very good, I smiled. Bah' commentaries have described these as metaphors with the garment implying the recognition of a manifestation of God. And Jo. Life of Jacob | Full-Bible-Timeline When he. 12 Sons of Jacob - Who They Were + Importance - Christianity.com Yes and No. Hope that makes sense. I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction; the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble. How Far Did Jacob Travel To Paddan Aram - BikeHike You are my Guardian in this world and in the Hereafter. Christian Apologetics & Intelligence Ministry, Tyler Dawn How Many Wives did Jacob Have? After Joseph rejected the attempts of Potiphar's wife to seduce him, she accused him of attempted rape, and he was cast into the state prison (Gen. 39:40), where he became the most trusted inmate and remained for at least two years. Jacob's Journey to Egypt - Apologetics Press 21 . Genesis 31:38-41 - Biblical Chronology Studies - Google The Bible states that this name was given to Jacob as by God later in his life: "And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed." (Genesis 32:28 . I want to point out something obvious about Joseph's wife Asenath I think many of us have a tendency to skip over without giving it much thought. Am happy to have read this. 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. 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. There is much confusion about the word Cush in Scripture the first being that it does not actually refer to Ethiopia at all but instead a region more in the Sudan. Joseph interpreted this dream as the cup-bearer being restored as cup-bearer to the Pharaoh within three days. So if someone is pushing polygamy, know that according to Paul (an expert in the Law and in the Scriptures) they have disqualified themselves for leadership rendering their opinion merely an opinion. (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. 5. Nice going! 36). The steward found the cup in Benjamin's sack - just as he had planted it the night before. R. 14:16). The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills. A. degree from Wheaton College, and the B. D. and Th. 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. Israel. Abraham had one wife, and then only took a concubine when she was still barren at 80; he took a second wife only after the death of his first. They may have been: (1) the sons of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Joseph (the most natural inference); (2) sons of the Mary named in Mark 15:40 as "mother of James and Joses", whom Jerome identified with the wife of Clopas and sister of Mary the mother of Jesus; or (3) sons of Joseph by a former marriage. Joseph's sons born in Egypt by Asenath, daughter of Potipherah, Priest In Canaan, Rachel gave birth to Jacob's final son, Benjamin, but, tragically, she died in childbirth. 24 Rachel's sons were Joseph and Benjamin. R. 1:7). Did Jacob have 4 wives? Joseph is also extolled by the rabbis for being a prophet, and for supporting his brothers. Required fields are marked *, nine = 27 .hide-if-no-js { Joseph correctly predicted their futures: one would be reinstated in his post while the other would be executed. [a] When Joseph was seventeen years old, he shared with his brothers two dreams he had had: in the first dream, Joseph and his brothers gathered bundles of grain, of which those his brothers gathered, bowed to his own. Joseph disguised his identity and devised a plot to bring the rest of the family to him: He accused them of being spies and imprisoned them for three days. Simeon in Apocryphal and Rabbinical Literature). Joseph was made a ruler over Egypt second to Pharoah. After bearing Judah, Leah stopped bearing children for a . Joseph likely also has this status because he is the eldest child of Jacob's favorite (deceased) wife, Rachel . The composition of the story can be dated to the period between the 7th century BCE and the third quarter of the 5th century BCE, which is roughly the period to which scholars date the Book of Genesis. 12Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, so he sent our fathers there for the first time. To Joseph he declared: Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall. Joseph was called into his father's house and Israel pleaded with his son that he not be buried in Egypt. She became angry and told lies about him, so he was put in jail. Judah is the fourth son of the patriarch Jacob and his first wife, Leah: his full brothers are Reuben, Simeon and Levi (all older), and Issachar and Zebulun (younger), and he has one full sister, Dinah. The following morning the brothers began their journey back to Canaan. In the second dream, the sun (father), the moon (mother), and eleven stars (brothers) bowed to Joseph himself. Through his father, he also has six half-brothers: Dan and Naphtali (whose . www.simplybible.com Copyright Ron Graham 2001 2018, "the ten thousands of Ephraim and the thousands of Manasseh", "By faith Joseph, when he was dying, said confidently that the children of Israel would leave Egypt. (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. She was no longer the mother of all of Jacobs children Rachel had a child now and she was the one who was truly regarded, by Jacob, as his wife. Leah. Unaware of this secondary intention, the others obeyed him first. Did You Know Jacob Had Daughters Too? - CBE International Ultimately, Joseph was sold to Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh's guard (Genesis 37:36, Genesis 39:1). He worked under the Egyptian official Potiphar but was freed and became the chief adviser (vizier) to the Egyptian Pharaoh. In addition to honoring him, there was a strong tendency in the patristic period to view his life as a typological precursor to Christ. This makes Jesus related to Adam, both as the son of God and . ), and as recently as the reign of Pharaoh Merneptah about 1200 B.C.E. In the ancient Near East, according to the laws of many of the surrounding nations, a woman had two years to bear a child to her husband and if she didnt, she could legally be divorced. 18:7, 19; 2 Ne. When they flee Laban in chapter thirty-two, verse twenty-two specifically mentions two wives and two female servants, and again in thirty-three verse one, Leah and Rachel are named, along with the two female servants. In chapter thirty-five, after Rachels death, Reuben is specifically stated to have had sexual relations with his fathers concubine. '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 . Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. He was the son of Leah, Jacob's first wife. Full Bible Timeline - section on the life of Jacob. 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 Hub Confronting Pseudo-archaeological memes Pt 4: Was Byblos the Goddess of Writing? What the Bible says about Jacob's Favoritism for Joseph If Jacob, Joseph, and Joseph's two sons are added, then the total number is seventy (46:27). 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.