how many wives did joseph son of jacob have how many wives did joseph son of jacob have

Despite his wealth, most rabbis represent him as very modest, and was not vain of his power (Ex. This tendency, although greatly diminished, was followed throughout late antiquity, the Medieval Era, and into the Reformation. Abraham then died at 175 years of age (25 . It served a specific societal function within a context that no longer exists (much like the need for Levirate marriage). Full Bible Timeline - section on the life of Jacob. The majority opinion of the rabbis is that Joseph always kept in mind his father and brothers. Charles L. Zimmerman holds the B. Some of those women were also married to friends of his.Nov 11, 2014 popularly referred to as a "coat of many colors." Joseph is regarded by Muslims as a prophet (Qur'an, suras vi. '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 . 2. He withdrew to his chambers and wept. }. In Hebrew Joseph means: increaser. Jacob became greatly distressed, feeling deprived of successive sons: Joseph, Simeon, and (prospectively) Benjamin. 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. 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 is 56 and Benjamin is about 40. The Bible tells us twice that Jacob had daughters. He was Rachel's firstborn and Jacob's eleventh son. After they mentioned a younger brother at home, the Vizier (Joseph) demanded that he be brought to Egypt as a demonstration of their veracity. 23 Leah's sons were Reuben (Jacob's first-born), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. 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. Knowing that his brothers would come to buy grain, Joseph gave orders that nobody should be permitted to enter until he had given in writing his own and his father's names. Both were met by angels at various times (Gen. R. 84:6; Num. He worked under the Egyptian official Potiphar but was freed and became the chief adviser (vizier) to the Egyptian Pharaoh. When he returned, the Vizier took Simeon and bound him as a hostage. God blessed Leah with a firstborn son named Reuben. Jacob's sons, including Joseph, are listed at the end of this page. Tap the title above, next to the arrow, to go to thatlesson with a link back to thispage. It was a very large company." Joseph was made a ruler over Egypt second to Pharoah. His story is told in . 24 Rachel's sons were Joseph and Benjamin. God punished him, therefore, by setting against him Potiphar's wife (Gen. R. 87:3). ), and as recently as the reign of Pharaoh Merneptah about 1200 B.C.E. [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. So they named this spot Abel Mizraim. 139a; Gen. R. 94:25). Upon their return to Egypt, the steward of Joseph's house received the brothers. It is later mentioned in Genesis 41:50 that before the years of famine, Joseph had two sons with Asenath. 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. 20-21). 17:1; 1 Ne. Did Jacob have 4 wives? What happens when a man is required to take his dead brothers wife, if he is already married Deut 25:5? arose that night, and took his two wives, his two maidservants1 and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards. They were directed into the province of Goshen and Joseph readied his chariot to meet his father there. Not only did Joseph resemble his father in appearance, but the main incidents of their lives were parallel. 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. [46], In the Bible, Joseph discloses himself to his brethren before they return to their father the second time after buying grain. The Pharaoh is said to have given Joseph, Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, as his wife. When the Vizier (Joseph) appeared, they gave him gifts from their father. 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. 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. Because the 12 sons of Jacob became the 12 tribesGod's covenantal peoplethe 12 stones on the high priest's breastplate of course represent God's promise to them ( Genesis 28:12-15 ). The Haran controversy wrestles with the question of how long Abraham's grandson Jacob lived in Haran. After he had washed his face, he came out and, controlling himself, said, 'Serve the food'" (Gen 43:30-32). Joseph prospered in Potiphar's household and was eventually made head of the servants. You are my Guardian in this world and in the Hereafter. Cause me to die as a Muslim and join me with the righteous" (Qur'an 12:101). [21] After questioning them, he accused them of being spies. Pseudo-Jonathan to Gen. 1:26). [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. 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). He became the second most powerful man in all Egypt. Sefer ha-Yashar, section Wayiggash). JOSEPH. 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. Potiphar believed that Joseph was incapable of such an act and petitioned Pharaoh to spare his life. Joseph was 11th of 12 sons of a wealthy nomad Jacob and his second wife Rachel. In Genesis 29:31-30:24 the birth . How many sons did Jacob have with bilhah? Required fields are marked *, nine = 27 .hide-if-no-js { 4) Judah was the next. . His brothers did not understand his spirituality and saw him as a threat. We can have a conquering faith in Jesus though we are tested by many tribulations. Joseph's brothers were motivated by fear. Isaac and Rebecca's son Jacob was sent there to avoid the wrath of his brother Esau. Leah. It was because of his virtue that the children of Israel passed over the Red Sea and the Jordan dry-shod (Gen. R. 84). An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and he said; "Take Mary home as your wife.". Who was the angel of Joseph is represented as a perfectly righteous man (tzadik gamur) and as the counterpart of his father Jacob. yosef] to me another son." (Gen. 30:24) He was born in Padan-aram when Jacob was about 90 years old. 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. His prophetic powers are sited as an example of "faith" in Hebrews 11:22. 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). When Rachel had successfully provided Jacob with an heir, Leah felt her position was tenuous. Loads of love from me my sister Wisdom Speaks. How many children did Jacob have? His estranged brothers later reunited with him when they came to Egypt to buy grain during a famine, and thus Joseph became the central figure to lead the children of Israel (Jacob) during their course of exile in Egypt. The levirate marriage was for the purpose of providing a woman with offspring and so if a man was already married, he could still perform the levirate function and she would be provided for with her dead husbands share of the inheritance, which then belongs to her son (or daughter, because the Torah also says that if a man dies and has only daughters they can inherit so that his name and inheritance will not pass from Israel). 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. [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. 119a; comp. He is the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Joseph. 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. 36). . They shall be on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren. Edit: I have been getting some great questions so I will share my answers. Jacob's wife, were Joseph and Benjamin. In the second year of famine,[20] Joseph's half brothers were sent to Egypt to buy goods. The musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is about Joseph's story. Josephus claims that Potiphar fell for his wife's, Josephus refers to Potipherah (or Petephres) as the priest of, Josephus has Joseph meeting his father Jacob in, Last edited on 28 February 2023, at 10:50, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, "Strong's Hebrew Concordance - 622. asaph", "Strong's Hebrew Concordance - 3254. yasaph", "Strong's Hebrew Concordance - 6847. Jacob is 147 years old. The Egyptians would not dine with Hebrews at the same table, as doing so was considered loathsome, thus the sons of Israel were served at a separate table (Genesis 43:1644:34). We think of it differently, because we simply cannot imagine a maidservant being willing or even eager to consent to such an arrangement but when we look at it in terms of the times you will see a poor woman who was a servant, probably sold by her impoverished father to Labans family because he had no money to get her married off not out of coldness but because if he died without seeing her provided for her only options were starvation or prostitution; she was resigned to perhaps never marrying, or if she did it would be to another servant, to give birth to servants. Then Joseph is summoned to interpret the dreams of Pharaoh himself. 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. Joseph's story is recounted in some detail in the New Testament, during Saint Stephen's speech before the Sandhedrin in Acts 7. 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! 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. Rachel is his mom, one of them gasped. When Jacob calls his wives to him in Gen thirty-one only Leah and Rachel are named. The first group identified, are Joseph's brothers when Judah brings up the idea of selling Joseph in verses 26 and 27. 14 Then Joseph sent and called his father Jacob and all his relatives to him, seventy-five people. And after Joseph perished, the sons of Jacob took unto themselves wives. Both women had a crisis of identity Rachel wasnt a mother and Leah wasnt really a wife in her own eyes. The favoritism Israel showed Joseph and the plot against him by his brothers were divine means of getting him into 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. 15 So Jacob went down to Egypt; and he died, he and our fathers. is devoted to him, the only instance in the Quran in which an entire chapter is devoted to a complete story of a prophet. Esau took a third wife to please his father Isaac (Genesis 28:6-9). [42] Joseph is said to have been extremely handsome, which attracted his Egyptian master's wife to attempt to seduce him. 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. Efforts to Bear Children. He wanted to know if they would be willing to risk danger in order to save their half brother Benjamin. Thus, Israel was able to bless the Pharaoh. Taking 130 and subtracting it from Joseph's age of 39 means Jacob was 91 when Joseph was born. As for kings - marriages were largely about political alliances (especially with . From the various midrashim, a wondrous story emerges: You see, when Shechem abducted Dinah, she became pregnant with his child. He went into his private room and wept there. 5:26; Jacob 1:2, 18-19). He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's wives. According to the Old Testament, Jacob was the younger twin brother of Esau, who was the ancestor of Edom . (Gen. 30:24) He was born in Padan-aram when Jacob was about 90 years old. Although they had betrayed him in the past, Joseph greeted them . (Genesis 30:24).[10][11]. So Genesis 30 is what I was teaching my boys yesterday morning. So they immediately informed the steward of what had transpired. In the Qur'an a whole chapter (sura xii) is devoted to Joseph; and Islamic commentators add many details to this "best of stories.". In his father's house, Joseph is the favored son: "Israel (another name for Jacob) loved Joseph more than all his sons since he was a child of his old age" (Genesis 37:3). Then Israel called all of his sons in and prophesied their blessings or curses to all twelve of them in order of their ages. Certain rabbis declared that Joseph was ready to yield to his mistress, but that his father's image suddenly appeared to him and called him to his duty (Sotah 36b; Gen. R. 87:9). The story of Joseph also inspired the popular autobiographical song "Coat of Many Colors," written and recorded early in the career of country icon. Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah, and this made Leah sad. 2. 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. After relaying his prophecies, Israel died. 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). 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?. Joseph was born the 11 th of 12 sons to his father Jacob. The Wives of Jacob's Sons (xxxiv. Conversations that Christians Must Have#MeToo and #BLM, Episode 82: Mark Part 24Cosmic Encounters 3The Woman with the Issue of Blood. Joseph then told him that the queen, who was about to be delivered of a child, would give birth to a son, but that at the same time another of the king's sons, two years of age, would dieall of which came to pass exactly as Joseph predicted. R. 14:16). Upon stopping to speak to her, he discovers Zulaikha, who has been left in misery at the death of her husband. As a result, he was envied by his half-brothers. I think Ill stick with my one wife (Staci) of 23 years. Muslim theologians, especially of the Sufi tradition, use this story to symbolize the spiritual love between God and the soul. 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. 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. Answer (1 of 10): If you are talking about Jacob (Israel)'s son Joseph, then he had one wife. Who was Leah's 4th son? (obviously would not happen to a wife). The steward put them at ease, telling them not to worry about the money, and brought out their brother Simeon. In the sixth year, Asenath bore two children to Joseph: Manasseh and Ephraim. which references passages that point to Jacob having "daughters" (plural, more than one) such as Genesis 37:34-35. 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 Joseph understood what they were saying and removed himself from their presence because he was caught in emotion. Joseph is regarded as a saint by several Christian churches, including the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, which commemorates him as a patriarch on March 31. The Hebrew word translated as "tender" means "soft, delicate, or lovely.". 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. 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 caused a stir amongst the brothers. Moreover, Inter. More rabbinical literature has been generated concerning him than any of the other sons of Jacob, and he is also a significant figure in Islamic tradition. The historicity of Joseph's story is debated, with dates ranging from an early estimate beginning around 2000 B.C.E. 1. 17As the time of the promise drew near, the promise that God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt. 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. 84, xl. 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. 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. Israel. 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. At last Rachel was able to have a child. I think some translators/editors have erred when they separate the two sections. Scripture doesn't tell us much about Asenath, the wife of Joseph, the son of Jacob. Bilhah, they replied. 1) Reuben was Jacob's firstborn. The Persian poet Firdowsi wrote an epic on this subject. A fourth group in verse 36 is named in Hebrew as mdanm that is properly identified as Medanites. 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. Bible References: Rachel's story is told Genesis 29:6-35:24, 46:19-25, 48:7 . I pray you will be preserved by our maker. The money they had brought was double what they had offered on the first trip. Confronting Pseudo-archaeological memes Pt 4: Was Byblos the Goddess of Writing? He brought them closer and relayed to them the events that had happened and told them not to fear, that what they had meant for evil, God had meant for good. When the Pharaoh's advisers failed to interpret these dreams, the cup-bearer remembered Joseph. Joseph is mentioned in the New Testament as an example of faith (Hebrews 11:22). Joseph (/dozf, -sf/; Hebrew: , lit. [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]. These were the 11 sons that were born to Jacob when he lived with Rachel's father Laban. 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 . Ultimately, Joseph was sold to Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh's guard (Genesis 37:36, Genesis 39:1). God richly bless you my sis. Joseph became the slave of Potiphar a very high official in Egypt. Deceptively, Joseph also ordered the steward to put his silver cup in Benjamin's sack. Rather, he requested to be carried to the land of Canaan to be buried with his forefathers. Ephraim was one of the major northern tribes, just north of the territory of Judah. Pharaoh was pleased with Joseph's interpretation and gave him authority to carry out the suggested policy (Gen. 41:46). When Rachel did not have any children, she became upset. Answer (1 of 13): There are thirteen persons in the Bible who bear the name Joseph. Short answer: Jacob worked 7 years for Laban before he married his two wives, Leah and Rachel.Long answer: Jacob worked 7 years to pay . 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. 'He shall add';[1] Standard: Ysef, Tiberian: Ysp; alternatively: ,[2][3] lit. During the seven years of abundance, Joseph ensured that the storehouses were full and that all produce was weighed. 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. The story of Joseph or Yusuf as it is told in Arabic literature has the same general outlines as the Biblical narrative; but in the Arabic account there is a wealth of accessory detail and incident. "Give me children, or I shall die," she says to Jacob (Genesis 30:1). Joseph is also extolled by the rabbis for being a prophet, and for supporting his brothers. Joseph's sons Manasseh and Ephraim were born before the years of famine. When the famine came, it was so severe that people from surrounding nations came to Egypt to buy bread. The first mention of Ishmaelites (Yishma'elm) is in verse 25. Nice going! Full Bible Timeline - section on the life of Jacob. Jacob was tricked into polygamy (Genesis 29:20-30) and later received two additional wives bringing the grand total of four wives (Genesis 30:4, 9). He was the first of the two sons of Jacob and Rachel (Jacob's twelfth child and eleventh son). Jacob's favoritism for Joseph made his half-brothers so jealous that they were ready to murder him (see Genesis 37). 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. Joseph was fully trusted by his master, Potiphars wife took a fancy to Joseph, but he refused to sin with her. Joseph's own remains were reportedly taken by Moses with the Israelites during the Exodus (Exodus 13:19) and later buried at Shechem (Joshua 24:32). The words do not share the same lemma and so are unrelated. [28] Impressed with Joseph's interpretations, Pharaoh appoints him as second-in-command (Gen 41:41). 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). "All Pharaoh's officials accompanied himthe dignitaries of his court and all the dignitaries of Egyptbesides all the members of Joseph's household and his brothers and those belonging to his father's household Chariots and horsemen also went up with him. How many children did Mary have after Jesus? He also equipped a considerable army, with which he marched to help the Ishmaelites against the Tarshishites (Gen. R. 90:5). . As for kings marriages were largely about political alliances (especially with David who was shoring up support with the various tribes as well as maintaining his connection with Sauls royal line), except for Solomon, who was. I put up the white board and I was marking out the family tree of the patriarchs. The family, including the Egyptians, mourned him seventy days. 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.