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

Yes and No. Joseph had good reasons not to have an affair with Potiphar's wife: he did not want to abuse his master's trust; he believed in the sanctity of marriage; and . Biblical context is very much important. ", "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". 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. Although they had betrayed him in the past, Joseph greeted them . 17:1; 1 Ne. 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. Tap the title above, next to the arrow, to go to thatlesson with a link back to thispage. ), and as recently as the reign of Pharaoh Merneptah about 1200 B.C.E. Rabbah l.c). 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. 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 ). 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. At this time, Joseph's father was 147 years old and bedridden. The musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is about Joseph's story. He was Rachel's firstborn and Jacob's eleventh son. in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards. 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. Edit: I have been getting some great questions so I will share my answers. (Genesis Rabbah 84:22). [48] Similarly, the eldest son of Jacob had decided not to leave the land because of the oath taken to protect Benjamin beforehand. 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 . This family, with its sordid history of deceit, jealousy, and . After identifying the Hebrew names, Rabbi Judah claims that Joseph was sold four times: First his brothers sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites (Yishma'elm), then the Ishmaelites sold him to the Midianite traders (shm midyanm srm), the Midianite traders to the Medanites (mdanm), and the Medanites into Egypt. Judah is the fourth son of the patriarch Jacob and his first wife, Leah: his full brothers are Reuben, Simeon and Levi (all older), and Issachar and Zebulun (younger), and he has one full sister, Dinah. Both were met by angels at various times (Gen. R. 84:6; Num. R. 14:16). To Joseph, he gave a portion more of Canaanite property than he had to his other sons; land that he fought for against the Amorites. Israel. Nice going! pseudo-Jonathan). 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.". [45] Joseph is thrown into a well, and was taken as a slave by a passing caravan. Such a blessing as always sis. Jacob's other children are between 56 and 63. The family prostrated before him hence the fulfilment of his dream aforetime.[52]. .". Am happy to have read this. , romanized: Rl, lit. For the New Testament Joseph, see, Another possible translation is "coat with long sleeves" (. . Joseph, in the Old Testament, son of the patriarch Jacob and his wife Rachel. However, Joseph was displeased that his father's right hand was not on the head of his firstborn, so he switched his father's hands. He is also a type of manly beauty; so that one often finds the expression "a second Joseph," meaning one extraordinarily beautiful. I put up the white board and I was marking out the family tree of the patriarchs. Joseph's sons Manasseh and Ephraim were born before the years of famine. 2:1; 2 Ne. Joseph's story is recounted in some detail in the New Testament, during Saint Stephen's speech before the Sandhedrin in Acts 7. 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. Esau took a third wife to please his father Isaac (Genesis 28:6-9). Angered by his running away from her, she made a false accusation of rape, and thus assured his imprisonment[d] (Genesis 39:120). (Genesis 37:35, Common English Bible). In addition to honoring him, there was a strong tendency in the patristic period to view his life as a typological precursor to Christ. I love reading and studying from you. No, he had two (and not by his choosing) wives and two concubines four women to whom he was connected through children. Later we will learn a lot more about Joseph, because he became a very important person. Jacob's favoritism for Joseph made his half-brothers so jealous that they were ready to murder him (see Genesis 37). [21] After questioning them, he accused them of being spies. 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. 13. Thus, Joseph was indeed a "child of Isaac's old age" (Gen 37:3). During the seven years of abundance, Joseph ensured that the storehouses were full and that all produce was weighed. When Joseph's half-brothers reached home after selling him, Jacob ordered them to arm themselves and capture the beast that had supposedly killed Joseph. Then the Hebrew phrase shm midyanm srm in verse 28 describes Midianite traders. The money they had brought was double what they had offered on the first trip. 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). R. 1:7). 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. After correctly interpreting the dreams of Pharaoh, however, he rises to second-in-command in Egypt and saves Egypt during a famine. 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). 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 The first group identified, are Joseph's brothers when Judah brings up the idea of selling Joseph in verses 26 and 27. 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 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. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. There are numerous mentions of Joseph in Bah' writings. It also includes the marvelous story and time of Jacob's son Joseph (Genesis 35-50). 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). The story tells of two servants of Pharaoh's household who were in jail with Joseph and asked him to interpret their dreams. What is a forbidden marriage in the Bible? Legacy. pseudo-Jonathan), protecting her from the lustful eyes of Esau (Gen. R. 78:13). [31] However, punishment could not have been avoided because of her class status and limited public knowledge of her scheme. After they had consumed all of the grain that they brought back from Egypt, Jacob told his sons to go back to Egypt for more grain. This tendency, although greatly diminished, was followed throughout late antiquity, the Medieval Era, and into the Reformation. 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. What happens when a man is required to take his dead brothers wife, if he is already married Deut 25:5? Joseph likely also has this status because he is the eldest child of Jacob's favorite (deceased) wife, Rachel . So Joseph supplied them Egyptian transport wagons, new garments, silver money, and twenty additional donkeys carrying provisions for the journey. Families desperately needed heirs, and the dyadic social identity of a woman depended on her being not only a wife, but also a mother it simply didnt matter if your husband loved you best, if you had no children Rachel knew that (so did Sarah, Rebekah, Hannah and Elizabeth). From the various midrashim, a wondrous story emerges: You see, when Shechem abducted Dinah, she became pregnant with his child. In Egypt, Joseph's character was antithetical to that of all the other slaves. 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. display: none !important; The sons by . Who was the angel of He Was the Son of Isaac. He was the first of the two sons of Jacob and Rachel (Jacob's twelfth child and eleventh son). So they named this spot Abel Mizraim. Elkannah had two women but again, one of them was barren so I suspect that Peninah was a concubine. (7-14) Genesis 29:17. The true faith in Jesus Christ stands the test and wins victory. 4. . 3. Leah was "Tender Eyed". Zulaikha is the wife of Kitfir (the Biblical Potiphar), through whose accusations Yusuf is thrown into prison. Joseph was sold by his brothers into slavery in Egypt (Genesis 37). Unbeknownst to them, Joseph had also returned their money to their money sacks (Genesis 42:128). Bah' commentaries have described these as metaphors with the garment implying the recognition of a manifestation of God. The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him: But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob (From thence is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel), Even by the God of your father who shall help thee; and by the Almighty who shall bless thee With blessings of heaven above, Blessings of the deep that lieth under, Blessings of the breasts and of the womb. Then Israel called all of his sons in and prophesied their blessings or curses to all twelve of them in order of their ages. Half of Manasseh's tribe settled east of the Jordan, while the other half settled west of it. 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. He is presently pastor of the Evangelical Church of Archbold, Ohio. Isaac, the son of Abraham , was married to Rebecca for many years before being blessed with children. Jacob therefore let the wolf go. The Pharaoh honored their stay and even proposed that if there were any qualified men in their house, then they may elect a chief herdsman to oversee Egyptian livestock. The steward found the cup in Benjamin's sack - just as he had planted it the night before. Joseph was born the 11 th of 12 sons to his father Jacob. Who is Dans mom? I asked. Joseph would have been approximately six years old . [h] It had been over twenty years since Joseph had last seen his father. She then had three more sons: Simeon, Levi and Judah. How many children did Mary have after Jesus? The eleventh son of Jacob and elder of the two sons Rachel (Genesis 30:23, 24). Jacob had 12 sons, at Hebron. 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. The Persian poet Firdowsi wrote an epic on this subject. 1653. Ephraim was one of the major northern tribes, just north of the territory of Judah. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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? Confronting a Devastating Doctrine: Are Children Is Hand Washing Commanded? According to most rabbinical authorities, Joseph's coffin was sunk in the Nile (Targ. (Genesis 30:24).[10][11]. (Genesis 50:2226). After the events of (Gen Ch. 10God saved Joseph from all his afflictions, and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. It was after this that Isaac married Rebekah and Abraham took Keturah as a wife (possibly a concubine) (see Genesis 24 and 25:1). [15] Both men had dreams, and Joseph, being able to interpret dreams, asked to hear them. It starts with the 12 tribes and ends with the 12 gates with 12 pearls representing the tribes and the 12 kinds of fruit. Joseph is 56 and Benjamin is about 40. Is the word Bible pagan? 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. Indeed, he blessed Joseph's sons before all the rest. When Rachel did not have any children, she became upset. "[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. selling him to an Ishmaelite trade caravan. What is Jacob's new name? It was because of his virtue that the children of Israel passed over the Red Sea and the Jordan dry-shod (Gen. R. 84). Convinced of his brothers' repentance and overcome with emotion, Joseph finally revealed himself to them. 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). Simeon had six sons, all of whom migrated to Egypt (Gen. xlvi. Upon their return to Egypt, the steward of Joseph's house received the brothers. 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. In Hebrew Joseph means: increaser. This was Joseph's full brother, Benjamin. At last Rachel was able to have a child. And after Joseph perished, the sons of Jacob took unto themselves wives. 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). To sum up, true Biblical (as well as ancient Near Eastern) polygamy (having more than one wife on purpose) was really limited to Kings, and that was historically for the purpose of creating alliances and safety for the kingdom. 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. Joseph became the slave of Potiphar a very high official in Egypt. Deut 21:15 says that if a man has two wives, one loved and one unloved that he cannot disinherit the child of the unloved wife doesnt this say that men can have two wives? Then Israel laid his left hand on the eldest Mannasseh's head and his right hand on the youngest Ephraim's head and blessed Joseph. Soon, the family took up residence in the town of Bethel and later moved to Hebron. 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. Answer (1 of 13): There are thirteen persons in the Bible who bear the name Joseph. Why did Jacob go to paddan? 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. The community seems to confuse quite often what is description vs prescription. He is Jacob's favorite (Genesis 37:3). [53] These come in the forms of allusions written by the Bb and Bah'u'llh. What Leah knew was that her husband, although she had given him many sons, had no regard for her Jewish tradition even states that Jacob moved to Bilhahs tent after the death of Rachel (I dont think he ever got over that anger from the morning after the wedding).