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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. He wanted to know if they would be willing to risk danger in order to save their half brother Benjamin. 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. He then tested them further, by accusing Benjamin of theft. How many children did Jacob have? He was the son of Leah, Jacob's first wife. 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? 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). 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. 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 . Although they had betrayed him in the past, Joseph greeted them . Joseph was the first son of Rachel and Jacob, and the 11th of Jacob's 12 sons (Genesis 30:22-24). : > 1. It is later mentioned in Genesis 41:50 that before the years of famine, Joseph had two sons with Asenath. yosef] to me another son." (Gen. 30:24) He was born in Padan-aram when Jacob was about 90 years old. 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. Now Jacob had twelve sons. 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. We can have a conquering faith in Jesus though we are tested by many tribulations. ", "The bones of Joseph which the children of Israel had brought up from the land of Egypt, they buried at Shechem in the plot of ground that Jacob had purchased from the sons of Hamor". Joseph ordered the steward to go after the brothers and to question them about the "missing" silver cup. Jacob lives in Egypt for seventeen years after his arrival (Genesis 47:28). The shrine called Joseph's Tomb in Nablus/Shechem is traditionally considered to be his tomb. 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. [b] Upon imprisoning Joseph, the brothers saw a camel caravan carrying spices and perfumes to Egypt, and sold Joseph to these merchants. Our President, Mr . A fourth group in verse 36 is named in Hebrew as mdanm that is properly identified as Medanites. He also equipped a considerable army, with which he marched to help the Ishmaelites against the Tarshishites (Gen. R. 90:5). }. The majority of modern scholars agree that the Joseph story is a Wisdom novella constructed by a single author and that it reached its current form in the 5th century BCE at the earliest. (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. 34), and a whole chapter Yusuf (sura xii.) . According to another tradition, Joseph placed the gold and silver in three hidden treasuries, of which one was discovered by the Israelite villain Korah; one by the Roman Antoninus, son of Severus; and one yet undiscovered, which is being kept for the righteous in the future world (Pes. Sefer ha-Yashar, section Wayiggash). As a result, he was envied by his half-brothers. 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). This mandate lasted until the days of Moses (Genesis 47:2031). [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. 3. J. M. Sel. "[43] The story has a lot in common with the biblical narrative, but with certain differences. He withdrew to his chambers and wept. 10God saved Joseph from all his afflictions, and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Tap the title above, next to the arrow, to go to thatlesson with a link back to thispage. 16Their remains were brought back to Shechem, and laid in the tomb that Abraham, for a price in silver, purchased from the children of Hamor in Shechem. (Acts 7:14-16). Yet, from this answer in Quora. He worked under the Egyptian official Potiphar but was freed and became the chief adviser (vizier) to the Egyptian Pharaoh. 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. [15] Both men had dreams, and Joseph, being able to interpret dreams, asked to hear them. 17:1; 1 Ne. [46], In the Bible, Joseph discloses himself to his brethren before they return to their father the second time after buying grain. (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. Joseph would have been approximately six years old . After he had washed his face, he came out and, controlling himself, said, 'Serve the food'" (Gen 43:30-32). Moses threw a pebble into the water there and cried out: "Joseph! 23 Leah's sons were Reuben (Jacob's first-born), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. | The Hub 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). (Genesis 46:134). I pray you will be preserved by our maker. We passed on to Zilpah, and they noticed it again Gad is Leahs son!, Very good, I smiled. Elkannah had two women but again, one of them was barren so I suspect that Peninah was a concubine. His death does not change the familys obligation towards her. 25 Rachel's servant Bilhah's sons were Dan and Naphtali. He then gave his blessing upon all of his sons, and the blessing he gave to Joseph was the greatest of all: Joseph's sons Ephraim and Manasseh multiplied to become two separate tribes of Israel. New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article "-Genesis 41:45. 14 Then Joseph sent and called his father Jacob and all his relatives to him, seventy-five people. 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). These are the generations of Jacob. Who was the wife of Joseph son of Jacob? A midrash asked, How many times was Joseph sold? Joseph's brothers were motivated by fear. An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and he said; "Take Mary home as your wife.". Then Israel called all of his sons in and prophesied their blessings or curses to all twelve of them in order of their ages. In Genesis 29:31-30:24 the birth of twelve of Jacob's children is recorded. Joseph correctly predicted their futures: one would be reinstated in his post while the other would be executed. 'He shall add';[1] Standard: Ysef, Tiberian: Ysp; alternatively: ,[2][3] lit. Joseph is represented as a perfectly righteous man (tzadik gamur) and as the counterpart of his father Jacob. 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' Joseph's sons Manasseh and Ephraim were born before the years of famine. The word until speaks of a change to the first action . 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. Bilhah, they replied. 84, xl. Now why? Rav Huna adds one more sale by concluding that after the Medanites sold him to the Egyptians, a fifth sale occurred when the Egyptians sold him to Potiphar. So Joseph supplied them Egyptian transport wagons, new garments, silver money, and twenty additional donkeys carrying provisions for the journey. John 10:30) is hen and the word used by Paul in those instances is mia. The sons of Leah; Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, and Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun: Genesis 29:32-35 And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me [26][27] The plot begins by showing Joseph as a dreamer; this leads him into trouble as, out of jealousy, his brothers sell him into slavery. In the Yahwist version Joseph is sold to Ismaelites, while in the Elohist (E) narrative it is Midianites who buy him. selling him to an Ishmaelite trade caravan. When Rachel did not have any children, she became upset. The children of Israel remembered their oath, and when they left Egypt during the Exodus, Moses took Joseph's bones with him. He interpreted the dream as seven years of abundance followed by seven years of famine, and advised the Pharaoh to store surplus grain. 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. However, it is instructive to note that only Dinah is mentioned (Genesis 30:19-21; 34:1-3; 46:15) . He is Jacob's favorite (Genesis 37:3). In Jewish tradition, Joseph was the progenitor of the northern tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, named for his two sons. 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. When the steward caught up with the brothers, he seized them and searched their sacks. [35] This tendency is represented in John Chrysostom who said that Joseph's suffering was "a type of things to come",[36] Caesarius of Arles who interpreted Joseph's famous coat as representative of the diverse nations who would follow Christ,[37] Ambrose of Milan who interpreted the standing sheaf as prefiguring the resurrection of Christ,[38] and others. When they were brought to Joseph's house, they were apprehensive about the returned money in their money sacks. They commemorate him on the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers (two Sundays before Christmas) and on Holy and Great Monday (Monday of Holy Week). 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. [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. The "seven lean years" has been taken to refer to a Middle Eastern famine documented at that time. He kept the sacred records after Nephi (see 1 Ne. Is Polygamy Really Biblical? (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. Moreover, Inter. Both were born after their mothers had been barren for a long time. The family, including the Egyptians, mourned him seventy days. God punished him, therefore, by setting against him Potiphar's wife (Gen. R. 87:3). When the Pharaoh's advisers failed to interpret these dreams, the cup-bearer remembered Joseph. He wept so loudly that even the Egyptian household heard it outside. In the Qur'an a whole chapter (sura xii) is devoted to Joseph; and Islamic commentators add many details to this "best of stories.". 4) Judah was the next. This caused a stir amongst the brothers. ), and as recently as the reign of Pharaoh Merneptah about 1200 B.C.E. How many years overall did he work for Laban? He is the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Joseph. 2. . Jacob, before he died, blessed each of his sons and two of his grandsons, the two sons of Joseph. (Genesis 37:35, Common English Bible). 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. Simeon had six sons, all of whom migrated to Egypt (Gen. xlvi. After the events of (Gen Ch. "Pharaoh called Joseph by the name Tzafnat-Pa'neach and gave him as his wife Asenath the daughter of Poti-Fera priest of On. Upon their return to Egypt, the steward of Joseph's house received the brothers. Abravanel explains that she had accused other servants of the same crime in the past. When Joseph and his mother bowed to Esau (Gen. 33:7), Joseph shielded his mother with his body (Targ. [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]. 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. Plan to Trick Jacob. Joseph interpreted this dream as the cup-bearer being restored as cup-bearer to the Pharaoh within three days. Then he brought the brothers into the house of Joseph and received them hospitably. From the various midrashim, a wondrous story emerges: You see, when Shechem abducted Dinah, she became pregnant with his child. the time has come for the Israelites to be rescued from their oppressors; come up and do not cause us any further delay!" How many wives did Joseph son of Jacob have? Hope that makes sense. You can also subscribe without commenting. She became angry and told lies about him, so he was put in jail. But you'd be wrong. Jacob's family travel to Egypt to escape the famine, and it is through him that they are given leave to settle in the Land of Goshen (the eastern part of the Nile Delta). And as it was budding, its blossoms came out and they produced grapes. 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. It also includes the marvelous story and time of Jacob's son Joseph (Genesis 35-50). Jacob with Ephraim and Manasseh. [5], In rabbinic tradition, he is considered the ancestor of a second Messiah called "Mashiach ben Yosef", who will wage war against the forces of evil alongside Mashiach ben David and die in combat with the enemies of God and Israel. Christian Apologetics & Intelligence Ministry, Tyler Dawn How Many Wives did Jacob Have? Your email address will not be published. Unaware of this secondary intention, the others obeyed him first. Is the word Bible pagan? Who was Leah's 4th son? Bible References: Rachel's story is told Genesis 29:6-35:24, 46:19-25, 48:7 . Pharaoh was pleased with Joseph's interpretation and gave him authority to carry out the suggested policy (Gen. 41:46). Laws of Hammurabi: [144] If a man take a wife and this woman give her husband a maid-servant, and she bear him children, but this man wishes to take another wife, this shall not be permitted to him; he shall not take a second wife. Esau took a third wife to please his father Isaac (Genesis 28:6-9). God richly bless you my sis. During this period of famine, Joseph's brothers, except for Benjamin, also came down to Egypt to buy grain. Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah, and this made Leah sad. And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. 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. Upon their return to Egypt with Benjamin, Joseph received them kindly and prepared a feast for them. Of all the sons, Joseph was preferred by his father, who gave him a "long coat of many colors". The first born of this union is still his firstborn even after he marries another woman, loves her, and has children with her. As Jacob's favorite son, he received from his father a coat of many colors, which made his brothers jealous to . As the king's appointed viceroy, Joseph built himself a magnificent palace, placing in it a great number of slaves. When he regained control of himself, he returned and ordered a meal to be served. The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills. | Bible Topics What about the Ethiopian woman that Moses took as a wife in Numbers 12:1? So Genesis 30 is what I was teaching my boys yesterday morning. He then sent them away with grain, retaining Simeon as a hostage (Gen. 42:1-25), while ordering them not to return without Benjamin, the only one of his brothers born of Joseph's own mother, Rachel. The story tells of two servants of Pharaoh's household who were in jail with Joseph and asked him to interpret their dreams. The genealogy of Jesus in the New Testament traces Jesus' ancestry lineally, from Abraham to David, and then from David to Jesus. 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. [32], Jewish tradition holds that Joseph had his steward plant his personal silver cup in Benjamin's sack to test his brothers. [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. Abraham married Sarah, who was his niece; Isaac married Rebekah, who was his first cousin once removed; and Jacob married Leah and Rachel, who were his first cousins. After this, his brothers plotted against him and would have killed him had not his brother Reuben intervened. Your email address will not be published. The following morning the brothers began their journey back to Canaan. 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. Joseph was 11th of 12 sons of a wealthy nomad Jacob and his second wife Rachel. Jacob also had some daughters, but the Bible gives the name of only one of them. Israel is another name for Jacob as, son of Isaac as. is devoted to him, the only instance in the Quran in which an entire chapter is devoted to a complete story of a prophet. Joseph prospered in Potiphar's household and was eventually made head of the servants. If Jacob, Joseph, and Joseph's two sons are added, then the total number is seventy (46:27). I smiled. 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. As we progress through the stories about Jacob and his family, you will notice that his wives are respectfully addressed by name while Bilhah and Zilpah are repeatedly called, the maidservants. Culturally, they were never elevated to the level of either Leah or Rachel and they probably never expected to be. His brothers' jealousy grew when Joseph told them of his two dreams (Gen. 37:11) in which all the brothers, as well as his parents, bowed down to him. 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. 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. Through his father, he also has six half-brothers: Dan and Naphtali (whose . 24 Rachel's sons were Joseph and Benjamin. Joseph had his father embalmed, a process that took forty days. On top of all this, Leah had stopped bearing children perhaps because Jacob was no longer performing his legal obligations to continue to provide her with marital relations (at one point, she actually had to buy a night with him from her sister). She told Jacob, "Here is my maid Bilhah. He is presently pastor of the Evangelical Church of Archbold, Ohio. She then had three more sons: Simeon, Levi and Judah. arose that night, and took his two wives, his two maidservants1 and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. Joseph named his eldest Manasseh ('to forget' in Hebrew) because "God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father's household," while his younger son was named Ephraim ('to be fruitful') "because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering." (Genesis 41 . The first mention of Ishmaelites (Yishma'elm) is in verse 25. Joseph interpreted this dream as the baker being hanged within three days and having his flesh eaten by birds. [6], The Bible offers two explanations of the name Ysf: first it is compared to the Hebrew root (-s-p), meaning "to gather, remove, take away":[7] "And she conceived, and bore a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach" (Genesis 30:23);[8] Ysf is then identified with the similar root (y-s-p), meaning "to add":[9] "And she called his name Joseph; and said, The LORD shall add to me another son."