Joseph
Hebrew originJoseph is Jacob and Rachel's firstborn son; sold to Egypt in Genesis 37, made governor in Genesis 41, tests his brothers in Genesis 43-44, and in Genesis 45 reveals himself and sends them to bring Jacob to Goshen.
- Meaning
- May Yahweh add another son for me · Zaphenath-Paneah — Egyptian name given by Pharaoh
- Occupation
- Shepherd · Slave · Steward · Interpreter · Chancellor · Governor of Egypt
- First mention
- Genesis 30:22
Family
Parents
Jacob
Jacob is Isaac's second-born twin; in Genesis 45 his sons report that Joseph is …
Rachel
Rachel is Laban's younger daughter and Jacob's beloved wife; Genesis 35 records …
Siblings
Reuben
Reuben is Jacob and Leah's firstborn son; in Genesis 37 he intervenes to save Jo…
Simeon
Simeon is Jacob and Leah's second son; detained in Egypt when his brothers first…
Levi
Levi is Jacob and Leah's third son; with Simeon he avenges Dinah by slaughtering…
Judah
Judah is Jacob and Leah's fourth son; in Genesis 43 he pledges himself as surety…
Dan
Dan is Jacob's fifth son, born through Rachel's slave-girl Bilhah; Rachel names …
Naphtali
Naphtali is Jacob's sixth son, born through Rachel's slave-girl Bilhah; Rachel n…
Gad
Gad is Jacob's seventh son, born through Leah's slave-girl Zilpah; Leah names hi…
Asher
Asher is Jacob's eighth son, born through Leah's slave-girl Zilpah; Leah names h…
Issachar
Issachar is Jacob and Leah's fifth son directly, born after God heard Leah follo…
Zebulun
Zebulun is Jacob and Leah's sixth son directly; Leah names him hoping Jacob will…
Dinah
Dinah is Jacob and Leah's daughter; Genesis 34 recounts her violation by Shechem…
Benjamin
Benjamin is Jacob and Rachel's youngest son; in Genesis 43-44 he travels to Egyp…
Esau
Esau is Isaac's firstborn twin, also called Edom and ancestor of the Edomites; G…
Scripture references
- Genesis 30:22
Then God remembered Rachel; he heard her and opened her womb.
- Genesis 30:23
She conceived and gave birth to a son, and said, 'God has taken away my disgrace!'
- Genesis 30:24
She named him Joseph, saying, 'May Yahweh add another son for me!'
- Genesis 30:25
When Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, 'Release me and let me go home to my own country.
- Genesis 33:2
He put the slave-girls and their children in front, with Leah and her children following, and Rachel and Joseph behind.
- Genesis 33:7
Finally Rachel and Joseph came up and bowed low.
- Genesis 35:24
The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.
- Genesis 37:2
Joseph was seventeen years old. As he was young, he was shepherding the flock with his brothers, with the sons of his father's wives, Bilhah and Zilpah; and Joseph brought his father bad reports about them.
- Genesis 37:5
Now Joseph had a dream, and he repeated it to his brothers, who then hated him more than ever.
- Genesis 37:9
He had another dream which he recounted to his brothers. 'Look, I have had another dream,' he said. 'There were the sun, the moon and eleven stars, bowing down to me.'
- Genesis 37:24
and catching hold of him, threw him into the well. The well was empty, with no water in it.
- Genesis 37:28
Now some Midianite merchants were passing, and they pulled Joseph out of the well. They sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver, and these men took Joseph to Egypt.
- Genesis 37:36
Meanwhile the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials and commander of the guard.
- Genesis 39:1
Now Joseph had been taken down into Egypt. Potiphar the Egyptian, one of Pharaoh's officials and commander of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there.
- Genesis 39:4
he was pleased with Joseph and made him his personal attendant; and his master put him in charge of his household, entrusting him with all his possessions.
- Genesis 39:9
How could I do anything so wicked, and sin against God?'
- Genesis 39:12
she caught hold of him by his tunic and said, 'Sleep with me.' But he left the tunic in her hand, took to his heels and got out.
- Genesis 39:20
Joseph's master had him arrested and committed to the gaol where the king's prisoners were kept. And there in gaol he stayed.
- Genesis 39:22
The chief gaoler put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners in the gaol, making him responsible for everything done there.
- Genesis 40:4
The commander of the guard assigned Joseph to them to attend to their wants, and they remained in custody for some time.
- Genesis 40:8
'Are not interpretations God's business?' Joseph asked them. 'Tell me about them.'
- Genesis 40:12
'This is what it means,' Joseph told him. 'The three branches are three days.
- Genesis 40:18
Joseph replied as follows, 'This is what it means: the three trays are three days.
- Genesis 40:14
But be sure to remember me when things go well with you, and keep faith with me by kindly reminding Pharaoh about me, to get me out of this house.
- Genesis 40:15
I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews in the first place, and even here I have done nothing to warrant being put in the dungeon.'
- Genesis 41:14
Then Pharaoh had Joseph summoned, and they hurried him from the dungeon. He shaved and changed his clothes, and presented himself before Pharaoh.
- Genesis 41:16
'Not I,' Joseph replied to Pharaoh, 'God will give Pharaoh a favourable answer.'
- Genesis 41:25
Joseph said to Pharaoh, 'Pharaoh's dreams are one and the same: God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is going to do.
- Genesis 41:40
You shall be my chancellor, and all my people shall respect your orders; only this throne shall set me above you.'
- Genesis 41:45
Pharaoh named Joseph Zaphenath-Paneah, and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph began to journey all over Egypt.
- Genesis 41:51
Joseph named the first-born Manasseh, 'Because', he said, 'God has made me completely forget my hardships and my father's House.'
- Genesis 41:52
He named the second Ephraim, 'Because', he said, 'God has made me fruitful in the country of my misfortune.'
- Genesis 41:57
People came to Egypt from all over the world to get supplies from Joseph, for the famine had grown severe throughout the world.
- Genesis 43:16
When Joseph saw Benjamin with them he said to his chamberlain, 'Take these men into the house. Slaughter a beast and prepare it, for these men are to eat with me at midday.'
- Genesis 43:27
He greeted them pleasantly, asking, 'Is your father well, the old man you told me of ? Is he still alive?'
- Genesis 43:30
Joseph hurried out; so strong was the affection he felt for his brother that he wanted to cry. He went into his room and there he wept.
- Genesis 43:32
He was served separately; so were they, and so were the Egyptians who ate in his household, for the Egyptians could not take food with Hebrews; Egyptians have a horror of doing so.
- Genesis 44:1
Then Joseph instructed his chamberlain as follows: 'Fill these men's sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each man's money in the mouth of his sack.
- Genesis 44:2
And put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one's sack as well as the money for his rations.' He did as Joseph had instructed.
- Genesis 44:4
They had gone only a little way from the city, when Joseph said to his chamberlain, 'Away now and follow those men. When you catch up with them, say to them, "Why have you repaid good with evil?
- Genesis 44:15
'What do you mean by doing this?' Joseph asked them. 'Did you not know that a man such as I am is a reader of omens?'
- Genesis 44:17
'I could not think of doing such a thing,' he replied. 'The man in whose possession the cup was found shall be my slave, but you can go back unhindered to your father.'
- Genesis 45:1
Then Joseph could not control his feelings in front of all his retainers, and he exclaimed, 'Let everyone leave me.' No one therefore was present with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers,
- Genesis 45:4
Then Joseph said to his brothers, 'Come closer to me.' When they had come closer to him he said, 'I am your brother Joseph whom you sold into Egypt.
- Genesis 45:9
'Return quickly to your father and tell him, "Your son Joseph says this: 'God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me without delay.
- Genesis 45:10
You will live in the region of Goshen where you will be near me, you, your children and your grandchildren, your flocks, your cattle and all your possessions.
- Genesis 45:14
Then throwing his arms round the neck of his brother Benjamin he wept; and Benjamin wept on his shoulder.
- Genesis 45:22
To each and every one he gave new clothes, and to Benjamin three hundred shekels of silver and five changes of clothes.
- Genesis 45:23
And to his father he sent ten donkeys laden with the best that Egypt offered, and ten she-donkeys laden with grain, bread and food for his father's journey.