Before he died, he made the children of Israel swear that when they left the land of Egypt they would take his bones with them, and on his death his body was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt. Biblical context is very much important. 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. 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. A midrash asked, How many times was Joseph sold? 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. Others consider the story a semi-independent novella, which has been independently added to the biblical record. Legacy. Esau took a third wife to please his father Isaac (Genesis 28:6-9). 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. [49] When Jacob learned their story after their return, he wept in grief till he lost his eyesight because of sorrow. Isaac had one wife. 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. Jacob therefore let the wolf go. Esau. The merchants, meanwhile, brought Joseph to Egypt, where he was sold to Potiphar, an "officer of Pharaoh's, and captain of the guard" (Gen. 37:36). 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). How many Josephs are there in the Bible? - Quora 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. Joseph became the slave of Potiphar a very high official in Egypt. Plan to Trick Jacob. 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. Unbeknownst to them, Joseph had also returned their money to their money sacks (Genesis 42:128). 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. Genesis 31:38-41. She has seen her sister Leah bear Jacob three sons (presumably within three years), and can no longer take the pain of being the barren wife. In Genesis 29:31-30:24 the birth of twelve of Jacob's children is recorded. 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 . (notice that she is given the same treatment as a wife but is not a wife), [147] If she have not borne him children, then her mistress may sell her for money. I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction; the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble. The brothers were frozen and could not utter a word. Joseph interpreted this dream as the cup-bearer being restored as cup-bearer to the Pharaoh within three days. Then Israel called all of his sons in and prophesied their blessings or curses to all twelve of them in order of their ages. Particularly galling is Jacob's reaction to Rachel the wife whom he loves deeply when she cannot become pregnant. His father then remarked, "Now let me die, since I have seen your face, because you are still alive." 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. How Many Brothers Did Joseph Have? - Answers On Web 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. 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. Joseph's wife is considered to be an Egyptian. When the steward caught up with the brothers, he seized them and searched their sacks. The majority opinion of the rabbis is that Joseph always kept in mind his father and brothers. Nice going! The Hebrew word translated as "tender" means "soft, delicate, or lovely.". Her name was Dinah. When the Pharaoh's advisers failed to interpret these dreams, the cup-bearer remembered Joseph. 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? This is great, Tyler. Thank you for your VERY well done teaching. The steward found the cup in Benjamin's sack - just as he had planted it the night before. So Genesis 30 is what I was teaching my boys yesterday morning. I am a fifty-something-year-old Bible teacher, wife of twenty-eight years to Mark, and mom of adult twin sons. Isaac and Rebecca's son Jacob was sent there to avoid the wrath of his brother Esau. 12 Sons of Jacob - Who They Were + Importance - Christianity.com The Problems Produced by the Polygamy of the Patriarchs I pray you will be preserved by our maker. Jacob lived in the land of his father's sojournings, in the land of Canaan. . In the Qayyumu'l-Asma', the Bb refers to Bah'u'llh as the true Joseph and makes an analogous prophecy regarding Bah'u'llh suffering at the hands of his brother, Mrz Yahy. 21-22; comp. He even instructed them to take his bones with them. His story functions as an explanation for Israel's residence in Egypt. The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills. Joseph's sons Manasseh and Ephraim were born before the years of famine. 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. One tradition holds that Jacob's other children came into the world only for Joseph's sake. 4. 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. Home 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. The first group identified, are Joseph's brothers when Judah brings up the idea of selling Joseph in verses 26 and 27. Joseph was the first son of Rachel and Jacob, and the 11th of Jacobs 12sons, Joseph was sold by his brothers into slavery in Egypt, Joseph became the slave of Potiphar a very high official in Egypt. 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. 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. genesis - Did Jacob have more than one daughter? - Biblical Elkannah had two women but again, one of them was barren so I suspect that Peninah was a concubine. How many children did Mary and Joseph have? He is presently pastor of the Evangelical Church of Archbold, Ohio. 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. [21] After questioning them, he accused them of being spies. When Rachel did not have any children, she became upset. He was present at Jacob's famous reconciliation with his brother Esau. 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. When he. (Gen 50:7-9). [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. After bearing Judah, Leah stopped bearing children for a . (Genesis 45:128), Thus, Jacob (also known as Israel) and his entire house of seventy[22] gathered up with all their livestock and began their journey to Egypt. Mary and Joseph ended up in Bethlehem where the birth took place. When they met, they embraced each other and wept together for quite a while. : > 1. (Genesis 50:1521), Joseph lived to the age of 110, living to see his great-grandchildren. Josephs ability to interpret dreams got him out of jail and into great favour with Pharoah. Who Are the Sons of Jacob? Importance of the 12 - Bible Study Tools 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. His prophetic powers are sited as an example of "faith" in Hebrews 11:22. 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. The baker's dream was about three baskets full of bread for the Pharaoh, and birds were eating the bread out of those baskets. In the second dream, the sun (father), the moon (mother), and eleven stars (brothers) bowed to Joseph himself. What about the Ethiopian woman that Moses took as a wife in Numbers 12:1? Genesis 35:21-27 gives a list of Jacob's sons and the various woman he had them with. In Egypt, Joseph's character was antithetical to that of all the other slaves. The motif of dreams/dream interpretation contributes to a strong story-like narrative. It starts with the 12 tribes and ends with the 12 gates with 12 pearls representing the tribes and the 12 kinds of fruit. Rabbah l.c). '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 . (obviously would not happen to a wife). Joseph was 11th of 12 sons of a wealthy nomad Jacob and his second wife Rachel. which references passages that point to Jacob having "daughters" (plural, more than one) such as Genesis 37:34-35. . 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). When Rachel had successfully provided Jacob with an heir, Leah felt her position was tenuous. 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. 2) Simeon was next, and he was also a son of Leah. [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." Joseph settled Jacob's growing clan with Pharaoh's blessing in the Land of Goshen (Gen. 47:29). Joseph's story is recounted in some detail in the New Testament, during Saint Stephen's speech before the Sandhedrin in Acts 7. Joseph! I think some translators/editors have erred when they separate the two sections. [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. 42-45), Jacob, his sons, and all of his descendants moved to Egypt to be with Joseph. After the (presumed) death of Joseph, we read, "All of his [Jacob's] sons and daughters got up to comfort him . [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]. 17:1; 1 Ne. Their relationship is first mentioned in Genesis 41:45. 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. They were rapacious, while Joseph never enjoyed anything that was not his (Zeb. Elkannah had two women but again, one of them was barren so I suspect that Peninah was a concubine. Charles L. Zimmerman holds the B. And after Joseph perished, the sons of Jacob took unto themselves wives. Thus, Israel was able to bless the Pharaoh. 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. 17As the time of the promise drew near, the promise that God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt. How many wives did Joseph son of Jacob have? Jacob also had some daughters, but the Bible gives the name of only one of them. Because Joseph the Dreamer predicts the future by analyzing dreams, alternative Jewish tradition claims that he practiced divination using this silver cup as the steward charged[33] and as Joseph himself claimed in Genesis 44:15.[34]. Your email address will not be published. In Genesis 29:31-30:24 the birth . [c] Thereafter the guilty brothers painted goat's blood on Joseph's coat and showed it to Jacob, who therefore believed Joseph had died (Genesis 37:1235). Joseph Born in the wilderness, he was the youngest son in the family. What the Bible says about Jacob's Favoritism for Joseph 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 named him Joseph. [47] But in Islam they returned leaving behind Benjamin because the mizzen bowl of the king was found in his bag. Joseph was the favorite son of his father, who made him a richly ornamented coat. Why Did Jacob Wrestle With An Angel? - FAQS Clear [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. This also created rivalries between their sons. 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. 4) Judah was the next. Both were hated by their brothers. The cup-bearer's dream was about a vine with three branches that was budding. Potiphar believed that Joseph was incapable of such an act and petitioned Pharaoh to spare his life. The twelve sons of Jacob (Israel) from oldest to youngest were as follows. 38). Rather, he requested to be carried to the land of Canaan to be buried with his forefathers. Genesis 24-36: The Covenant Line Continues with Isaac and Jacob 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). He forgave them and sent for Jacob and the entire household to come to Egypt. When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel commanded him to do. [32], Jewish tradition holds that Joseph had his steward plant his personal silver cup in Benjamin's sack to test his brothers. 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 . People just cherry pick with the descriptions to determine prescriptives without studying out the matter. Sign me up for that! They stopped at Atad where they observed seven days of mourning. As a result, he was envied by his half-brothers. Life of Jacob | Full-Bible-Timeline [28] Impressed with Joseph's interpretations, Pharaoh appoints him as second-in-command (Gen 41:41). The Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod commemorates him as a patriarch on 31 March. Christian Apologetics & Intelligence Ministry, Tyler Dawn How Many Wives did Jacob Have? Jacob's daughters, like too many Bible women, often go unnamed, are mentioned only in passing, or both. Yet, from this answer in Quora. Judah (left) talking to Tamar (right) (1606-1669), by Rembrandt. (Genesis 47:147:12) The family was then settled in Goshen. In Canaan, Rachel gave birth to Jacob's final son, Benjamin, but, tragically, she died in childbirth. 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. Her maid Bilhah is ancestor of two more ( Gen 35:25; Gen 46:23-24). She told Jacob, "Here is my maid Bilhah. 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. He was Rachel's firstborn and Jacob's eleventh son. 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). Jacob's Sons and the 12 Tribes of Israel | Bible Story - JW.ORG 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). 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. God blessed Leah with a firstborn son named Reuben. 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.". How many wives did Joseph have in the Bible? - Quora He could not control himself any longer and so he sent the Egyptian men out of the house. The story of Joseph also inspired the popular autobiographical song "Coat of Many Colors," written and recorded early in the career of country icon. (Genesis 30:24).[10][11]. 2:1; 2 Ne. He worked under the Egyptian official Potiphar but was freed and became the chief adviser (vizier) to the Egyptian Pharaoh. 84, xl. [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. How many children did Mary have after Jesus? How old was Benjamin when Joseph was sold into slavery? - JesusAlive.cc in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards. The musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is about Joseph's story. }. He went into his private room and wept there. Who was Leah's 4th son? At their first meeting, the brothers did not recognize him. The sons by Leah (Jacob's first wife) were: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun. Joseph occupies a very important place in Rabbinical literature, and no patriarch was the subject of so many Midrashic traditional narratives. display: none !important; The remaining brothers returned to their father in Canaan, and told him all that had transpired in Egypt. Jacob had twelve sons | Bibleview Tap the title above, next to the arrow, to go to thatlesson with a link back to thispage. The family prostrated before him hence the fulfilment of his dream aforetime.[52]. When we look at Jacobs situation, the >description< of it and how much sorrow and dysfunction followed, it's not for us to overlook all that and consider it as a prescription to do to our own family! Joseph was the first son of Rachel and Jacob, and the 11th of Jacob's 12 sons (Genesis 30:22-24). Bilhah, they replied. It served a specific societal function within a context that no longer exists (much like the need for Levirate marriage). A. degree from Wheaton College, and the B. D. and Th. They were directed into the province of Goshen and Joseph readied his chariot to meet his father there. The warden put Joseph in charge of the other prisoners,[14] and soon afterward Pharaoh's chief cup-bearer and chief baker, who had offended the Pharaoh, were thrown into the prison. Upon their return to Egypt with Benjamin, Joseph received them kindly and prepared a feast for them. Edit: I have been getting some great questions so I will share my answers. 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 Information much needed for understanding context. Is Polygamy Really Biblical? The following morning the brothers began their journey back to Canaan. 'He shall add';[1] Standard: Ysef, Tiberian: Ysp; alternatively: ,[2][3] lit. We passed on to Zilpah, and they noticed it again Gad is Leahs son!, Very good, I smiled. Tap a Lookup below to generate a list oflessons. When Jacob calls his wives to him in Gen thirty-one only Leah and Rachel are named. [48] Similarly, the eldest son of Jacob had decided not to leave the land because of the oath taken to protect Benjamin beforehand. After this, his brothers plotted against him and would have killed him had not his brother Reuben intervened. This makes Jesus related to Adam, both as the son of God and . Joseph is regarded by Muslims as a prophet (Qur'an, suras vi. Israel. well, that did go well. According to the Documentary Hypothesis Joseph's toy is a combination of two or more versions which were later combined into the current narrative. And as it was budding, its blossoms came out and they produced grapes. In fact, this is all we learn about her: Genesis 41:45: "Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah and gave . [h] It had been over twenty years since Joseph had last seen his father. What does religion have to say about artificial intelligence? - Los But Judah pleaded for Benjamin, offering himself as a slave instead. Then he brought the brothers into the house of Joseph and received them hospitably. She gives birth to two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. His favourite, Joseph, walked closely with God, heard from Him and had great discernment. Afterward, Joseph's family personally met the Pharaoh of Egypt. Leah was "Tender Eyed". 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. Bah' commentaries have described these as metaphors with the garment implying the recognition of a manifestation of God. Joseph understood what they were saying and removed himself from their presence because he was caught in emotion. In icons, he is sometimes depicted wearing the nemes headdress of an Egyptian vizier. When the famine came, it was so severe that people from surrounding nations came to Egypt to buy bread. 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. 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. 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?. These are the generations of Jacob. Judah appealed to the Vizier begging that Benjamin be released and that he be enslaved in his stead, because of the silver cup found in Benjamin's sack. The "unloved" Leah bore seven of Jacob's childrensix sons, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun, as well as a daughter, Dinah. The "seven lean years" has been taken to refer to a Middle Eastern famine documented at that time. . 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. Simeon had six sons, all of whom migrated to Egypt (Gen. xlvi. Who is Dans mom? I asked. However, it is instructive to note that only Dinah is mentioned (Genesis 30:19-21; 34:1-3; 46:15) . 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! This was the legal world and social context of the time of the Patriarchs. 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. Loads of love from me my sister Wisdom Speaks. (clearly, the reference to a second wife shows that the concubine is not a wife), [145] If a man take a wife, and she bear him no children, and he intend to take another wife: if he take this second wife, and bring her into the house, this second wife shall not be allowed equality with his wife. The Pharaoh is said to have given Joseph, Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, as his wife. Confronting Pseudo-archaeological memes Pt 4: Was Byblos the Goddess of Writing? Though Manasseh was the older brother, Jacob placed his right hand on Ephraim, the younger, and gave him the greater blessing. Rachel: Bible | Jewish Women's Archive Known for: Rachel was the younger daughter of Laban and Jacob's favored wife. 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.