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

He was Rachel's firstborn and Jacob's eleventh son. Half of Manasseh's tribe settled east of the Jordan, while the other half settled west of it. Could Paul have been saying that the husband and wife need to be one (Hebrew echad) instead of limiting a man to one wife? Required fields are marked *, nine = 27 .hide-if-no-js { Thus, Israel was able to bless the Pharaoh. 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). We passed on to Zilpah, and they noticed it again Gad is Leahs son!, Very good, I smiled. In the Elohist version it is Rueben intervenes on Joseph's behalf, while in the Yahwist version it is Judah that saves him. pseudo-Jonathan). Despite his wealth, most rabbis represent him as very modest, and was not vain of his power (Ex. Not only did Joseph resemble his father in appearance, but the main incidents of their lives were parallel. According to the biblical account, Joseph was the son of Jacob by Rachel, the patriarch's favorite wife (Gen. 30:23, 24), who, on the occasion of Joseph's birth, said, "The Lord shall add [Heb. The Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod commemorates him as a patriarch on 31 March. 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). : > 1. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's wives. 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. Joseph was then summoned. Some believe that he built the city of Memphis, and that he was instrumental in building the obelisks and pyramids. M. degrees from Grace Theological Seminary. The children of Israel remembered their oath, and when they left Egypt during the Exodus, Moses took Joseph's bones with him. Jacob became greatly distressed, feeling deprived of successive sons: Joseph, Simeon, and (prospectively) Benjamin. (Genesis 30:24).[10][11]. pseudo-Jonathan), protecting her from the lustful eyes of Esau (Gen. R. 78:13). Jacob also had some daughters, but the Bible gives the name of only one of them. 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. The historicity of Joseph's story is debated, with dates ranging from an early estimate beginning around 2000 B.C.E. The sons by Leah (Jacob's first wife) were: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun. Joseph's brothers were motivated by fear. 15So Jacob moved down into Egypt, and lived there till he died, as did our fathers. These are the generations of Jacob. 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 . yosef] to me another son." (Gen. 30:24) He was born in Padan-aram when Jacob was about 90 years old. 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. How many years overall did he work for Laban? The steward put them at ease, telling them not to worry about the money, and brought out their brother Simeon. [h] It had been over twenty years since Joseph had last seen his father. At the age 30, Joseph married Asenath, the daughter of the priest of Heliopolis. 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. Modern critics have made various estimates of the historical worth of these narratives of Joseph. In Canaan, Rachel gave birth to Jacob's final son, Benjamin, but, tragically, she died in childbirth. 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. 119a; comp. 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 stored up in Egypt all the gold and silver of the world, and it was carried away by the Israelites when they left Egypt. The story of Yusuf and Zulaikha was a favorite love song in the Near East. The steward found the cup in Benjamin's sack - just as he had planted it the night before. Mary and Joseph ended up in Bethlehem where the birth took place. Here, their lamentation was so great that it caught the attention of surrounding Canaanites who remarked "This is a deep mourning of the Egyptians." When they met, they embraced each other and wept together for quite a while. However there are two separate lands related to the epithet Cush. Kusiteand Kusan are both used and they are spelled almost exactly the same the only difference being a tav vs a nun at the end of the word. 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). She became angry and told lies about him, so he was put in jail. Biblical context is very much important. In the Qur'an a whole chapter (sura xii) is devoted to Joseph; and Islamic commentators add many details to this "best of stories.". One opinion holds that the Holy Spirit dwelt in Joseph from his childhood until his death (Pirke R. El. He comforted them and their ties were reconciled. He had fallen ill and lost most of his vision. Taking 130 and subtracting it from Joseph's age of 39 means Jacob was 91 when Joseph was born. Joseph was 11th of 12 sons of a wealthy nomad Jacob and his second wife Rachel. Joseph is regarded by Muslims as a prophet (Qur'an, suras vi. Tap the title above, next to the arrow, to go to thatlesson with a link back to thispage. 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 . The name of Reuben's wife is 'Ad 1 and the name of Simeon's wife is 'Adb'a, a Canaanite; 1 and the name of Levi's wife is Mlk, 2 of the daughters of Aram, of the seed of the sons of Terah; and the name of Judah . God blessed Leah with a firstborn son named Reuben. Zilpah bore Jacob his seventh and eighth sons, Gad and Asher. 4) Judah was the next. In the Bible, the name Joseph was first mentioned as the eleventh son of Jacob, and the Joseph was called into his father's house and Israel pleaded with his son that he not be buried in Egypt. 13. Great article Tyler! She named him Joseph. (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. I have questioned this over the years, but didnt understand the cultural context as well as you have laid out. 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 did very well with Gods help. 23 Leah's sons were Reuben (Jacob's first-born), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. Why did Jacob go to paddan? 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. Joseph was the first son of Rachel and Jacob, and the 11th of Jacob's 12 sons (Genesis 30:22-24). After the events of (Gen Ch. Tap the title above, next to the arrow, to go to thatlesson with a link back to thispage. According to Josephus, Reuben tied a cord around Joseph and let him down gently into the pit. Indeed, he blessed Joseph's sons before all the rest. Yet, from this answer in Quora. 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. I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction; the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble. 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). Indeed the name Potiphar may even be a version of Merenptah's name (Poti = Ptah, Phar = Pharaoh). Moses threw a pebble into the water there and cried out: "Joseph! Moses followed Joseph's pattern in rising from slavery to a position of royal favor in the court of the pharaohs, and would later lead the Israelites out of Egypt and back to the land of Canaan. 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. Both women had a crisis of identity Rachel wasnt a mother and Leah wasnt really a wife in her own eyes. 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. Elkannah had two women but again, one of them was barren so I suspect that Peninah was a concubine. He is presently pastor of the Evangelical Church of Archbold, Ohio. "[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. 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). .". Joseph, in the Old Testament, son of the patriarch Jacob and his wife Rachel. The Wives of Jacob's Sons (xxxiv. 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 children did Jacob have? 2) Simeon was next, and he was also a son of Leah. JOSEPH. The brothers were frozen and could not utter a word. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. As Joseph had foreseen, seven years of plenty came, during which he stored up a great abundance of grain in granaries built for the purpose. (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. And Jo. Ephraim was one of the major northern tribes, just north of the territory of Judah. The brothers conferred amongst themselves speaking in Hebrew, reflecting on the wrong they had done to Joseph. 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). New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article The Gadites would later be described as, "brave warriors, ready for battle and able to handle the shield and spear. They commemorate him on the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers (two Sundays before Christmas) and on Holy and Great Monday (Monday of Holy Week). 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. [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]. Josephs ability to interpret dreams got him out of jail and into great favour with Pharoah. I think some translators/editors have erred when they separate the two sections. Genesis 35:21-27 gives a list of Jacob's sons and the various woman he had them with. What does Ex 22:16-17 tell us about the rape of Dinah in Genesis, Episode 164: Purim 2023Honor, Shame and Two Brave Queens, Episode 163: Sociology IIReligion, Weird Science, and Practical Linguistics, Episode 162 Sociology I: Groupthink, Holy/Profane and Clean/Unclean, Episode 161: The Advent of John the Baptist in Luke, Episode 160: Special Teaching #1The Advent of the Messiah in Matthew, Challenging the "Everything is Pagan" Meme Culture, Infertility, Barreness, Miscarriage, Stillbirth and Child Loss. I think Ill stick with my one wife (Staci) of 23 years. As a result, he was envied by his half-brothers. Abraham then died at 175 years of age (25 . 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. The money they had brought was double what they had offered on the first trip. 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. R. 14:16). 14 Facts About Esau Everyone Should Know. The word used by for echad in the LXX (Septuagint, the authorized Greek translation of the Tanach OT) and the NT (ie. 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. 139a; Gen. R. 94:25). These were Jacob's sons who were born to him while he . Afterward, Joseph's family personally met the Pharaoh of Egypt. In Hebrew Joseph means: increaser. And as it was budding, its blossoms came out and they produced grapes. [47] But in Islam they returned leaving behind Benjamin because the mizzen bowl of the king was found in his bag. Then they informed their father that the Vizier demanded that Benjamin be brought before him to demonstrate that they were honest men. Answer (1 of 13): There are thirteen persons in the Bible who bear the name Joseph. 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. 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). . The cupbearer took this opportunity to inform the king of Joseph's gift and recommended his services. Joseph was born the 11 th of 12 sons to his father Jacob. "-Genesis 41:45. 5 Bibliography. How long did Jacob in the Bible wait to marry his wife? 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. An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and he said; "Take Mary home as your wife.". This caused a stir amongst the brothers. 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. ), and as recently as the reign of Pharaoh Merneptah about 1200 B.C.E. Through his father, he also has six half-brothers: Dan and Naphtali (whose . 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. 10God saved Joseph from all his afflictions, and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. lol does it come with a jetted jacuzi tub? He is presently pastor of the Evangelical Church of Archbold, Ohio. . Joseph Born in the wilderness, he was the youngest son in the family. Sefer ha-Yashar, section Wayiggash). 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? Then he brought the brothers into the house of Joseph and received them hospitably. However, they agreed to be escorted back to Egypt. 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 after Joseph perished, the sons of Jacob took unto themselves wives. The cup-bearer's dream was about a vine with three branches that was budding. [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's sons Manasseh and Ephraim were born before the years of famine. The community seems to confuse quite often what is description vs prescription. Joseph was brought from prison to interpret the king's dream. 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. However, it is instructive to note that only Dinah is mentioned (Genesis 30:19-21; 34:1-3; 46:15) . "Pharaoh called Joseph by the name Tzafnat-Pa'neach and gave him as his wife Asenath the daughter of Poti-Fera priest of On. 'Yahweh shall add'; Standard: Yhsef, Tiberian: Yhsp;[4] Arabic: , romanized:Ysuf; Ancient Greek: , romanized:Isph) is an important figure in the Bible's Book of Genesis. 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. Christian Apologetics & Intelligence Ministry, Tyler Dawn How Many Wives did Jacob Have? Then he prepared a great ceremonial journey to Canaan leading the servants of the Pharaoh, and the elders of the houses Israel and Egypt beyond the Jordan River. Loaded with knowledge and wisdom. 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?. He forgave them and sent for Jacob and the entire household to come to Egypt. [45] Joseph is thrown into a well, and was taken as a slave by a passing caravan. The coffin thereupon floated up (Ex. He is also a type of manly beauty; so that one often finds the expression "a second Joseph," meaning one extraordinarily beautiful. 3) Levi was the third of Jacob and Leah's children. [49] When Jacob learned their story after their return, he wept in grief till he lost his eyesight because of sorrow. When Rachel did not have any children, she became upset. So they immediately informed the steward of what had transpired. When he. The motif of dreams/dream interpretation contributes to a strong story-like narrative.