Joseph

Also known as: Zaphnathpaaneah · Family: Jacob household · Role: son · First appears: Genesis 30

Joseph, also known as Zaphnathpaaneah, was born to Rachel and Jacob after God opened Rachel’s womb. He was one of Jacob’s twelve sons, alongside Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. In Genesis 37, Jacob marked him out among his children with a coat of many colours and sent him to check on his brothers and their flocks. At Dothan, his brothers stripped him and cast him into a pit; Reuben prevented his killing, but Judah persuaded them to sell him, and he was carried into Egypt and sold to Potiphar. Jacob believed Joseph had been devoured and mourned him for many days.

In Egypt, Potiphar bought Joseph and made him overseer over his house, while God blessed the household for Joseph’s sake. After Potiphar imprisoned him, God showed him mercy and gave him favour with the prison keeper, who entrusted the prisoners and the work of the prison to him. Joseph interpreted the dreams of the chief butler and chief baker, and later God revealed through him that seven years of plenty would be followed by seven years of famine. Pharaoh brought him from the dungeon, appointed him over Egypt beneath the throne, and gave him Asenath as a wife. Before the famine, Asenath bore him Manasseh and Ephraim, and Joseph gathered and stored Egypt’s food before opening the storehouses when the famine came.

When his brothers came for grain, Joseph recognized them while they did not recognize him. He detained them, bound Simeon, and required Benjamin to come; when Benjamin arrived, Joseph welcomed the brothers to dine and gave Benjamin a portion five times larger than the others. He placed a silver cup in Benjamin’s sack and declared him his servant, but Judah offered himself in Benjamin’s place. Joseph then revealed his identity, saying, “for God did send me before you to preserve life.” He invited Jacob and the household to Goshen, sent provisions and gifts to Jacob and Benjamin, and reunited with Jacob, embracing him and weeping. Joseph gave Jacob and his brothers a possession in Egypt’s best land, managed the famine for Pharaoh, and swore to carry Jacob out of Egypt for burial.