These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. In Parshat Miketz, Genesis 41, the pharaoh gave Joseph the daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On, to marry. But if Joseph's story teaches us anything, it is the beauty of resilience and the way life turns unexpectedly. Potiphar's wife, who was known for her infidelities, took a liking to Joseph, and attempted to seduce him. Wherever Joseph was, God was at work in his life in ways Joseph could not have understood at the time. What is the story of Joseph and Potiphar? This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. ESV. Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License; The supreme ruler of ancient Egypt; a formal address for the sovereign seat of power as personified by the 'king' in an institutional role of Horus son of Osiris; often used by metonymy for Ancient Egyptian sovereignty. 2 The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. In the Bible, Pharaoh honors Joseph by giving him as a wife Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest from the city of On (LXX: Heliopolis; Gen 41:45). This is (at the least) somewhat Biblically accurate. Zulaika is the name given to the wife of Potiphar in Jewish and Muslim scripture. The 13 New Testament books written by Paul (the epistles) make no reference to him at all, nor does the Gospel of Mark, the first of the Gospels. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Sethite Hebrew priest of Nekheb on the Nile with authority over the palace. 267283;The Torah: A Women's Commentary, pp. Earth's history. I love what you have written. Is it easy to get an internship at Microsoft? He then came before Pharaoh and told him that his dream meant there would be seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt followed by seven years of famine. Joseph and Potiphar: The Named, the Neutered, and the Neutralized, Dr. Panken's excellent commentary on the naming, neutering, and neutralizing of Joseph's father-in-law Potiphar opens the door for us to ask, what becomes of Joseph with. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. In another early text, The History of Joseph the Carpenter, which was composed in Egypt between the 6th and 7th centuries, Christ himself tells the story of his step-father, claiming Joseph was 90 years old when he married Mary and died at 111. It is later mentioned in Genesis 41:50 that before the years of famine, Joseph had two sons with Asenath. When Joseph refused her advances, and ran off, leaving his outer vestment in her hands, she retaliated by falsely accusing him of trying to rape her, and Potiphar had Joseph imprisoned. Community answers are sorted based on votes. Playing on the similarity between ufeir'o ("mutilated him") and the last two syllables of Potiphera, the Talmud crafts a bizarre tale that serves two narrative purposes: first, it portrays Potiphar as a sexual predator, thus recasting the entire interaction between Potiphar's wife and Joseph in Genesis 39. He was Joseph's master for a time and, it appears, was a man of wealth. I don't buy it. There were two men in the tale with similar names Potiphar and Potiphera. The Egyptian's wife endeavours to seduce Joseph but he was preserved from her enticements. On, the equivalent of the Greek Heliopolis, neighboring the Eastern Delta or Goshen, later the site of the Hebrews' settlement, was the center of sun worship. One has already been given in Exod 2,21 which describes Moses marriage with Zipporah, the daughter of a priest of Midian, who bears him two sons, Gershom and Eliezer (Exod 2,22; 18,3). The universally acceptable interpretation of Potiphera is that it is from the Egyptian Pa-di-Pre, "the gift of the (god) Re," a well-known type of name (Pa-di-DEITY), and in fact attested just once on a stela in Cairo Museum, attributed to the 21st Dynasty (=ca. Where was Potiphar located in the Book of Abraham? I make no apology for being an Anglican Traditionalist. Which Teeth Are Normally Considered Anodontia. There should be no special quality attached to any name including Potiphar. When Joseph refused her advances, and ran off, leaving his outer vestment in her hands, she retaliated by falsely accusing him of trying to rape her, and Potiphar had Joseph imprisoned. The Eastern Orthodox Church, which names Josephs first wife as Salome, holds that Joseph was a widower and betrothed to Mary, and that references to Jesus brothers were children of Joseph from a previous marriage. In the Book of Jubilees, she is said to be given to Joseph to marry by Pharaoh, a daughter of Potiphar, a high priest of Heliopolis, with no clarification as to whether or not this Potiphar is the same Potiphar whose wife falsely accused Joseph of attempting to rape her. ), and Joseph (q.v.) The LORD was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. If Potiphar's daughter is now marrying Joseph, Potiphar will be forced to support him. Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. H e lived in Egypt, and his daughter Asenath became Joseph's wife (Gen. 41:45). . All rights reserved. Why Cant You Mount A Horse From The Right Side? Potiphar (/ptfr/ POT-if-r; Hebrew: .mw-parser-output .script-hebrew,.mw-parser-output .script-Hebr{font-family:"SBL Hebrew","SBL BibLit","Taamey Ashkenaz","Taamey Frank CLM","Frank Ruehl CLM","Ezra SIL","Ezra SIL SR","Keter Aram Tsova","Taamey David CLM","Keter YG","Shofar","David CLM","Hadasim CLM","Simple CLM","Nachlieli",Cardo,Alef,"Noto Serif Hebrew","Noto Sans Hebrew","David Libre",David,"Times New Roman",Gisha,Arial,FreeSerif,FreeSans}/, Modern:Pfar, Tiberian:Ppar/Ppr; from Late Egyptian: p-dj-p-r, lit. Name of an Egyptian officer. What is notable is the degree to which Joseph becomes an assimilated Egyptian in the process. The Torah in which the story appears (see also the Bible and the Quran), was the earliest written of the three: c. 600 BC during the Babylonian Exile. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Potiphar is the captain of Pharaoh's guard who is said to have purchased Joseph as a slave and, impressed by his intelligence, makes him the master of his household. 22 How much is barca in debt? I was also going on a hunch about the LXX, which appears not to distinguish between the two names. This Hannukah, let's celebrate our freedom by recognizing that remaining true to ourselves and engaging in our communities doesn't have to be an either/or choice. It's a site that collects all the most frequently asked questions and answers, so you don't have to spend hours on searching anywhere else. This issue came up from a discussion on an atheist blog. First, we can grapple with a few potential readings of Joseph's newly bestowed Egyptian name, Zaphenath-paneah. Vote Up Why didnt Abraham bargain with God when it came to Isaac being offered as a burnt offering like he did when it came to Sodom and Gomorrah? However, we have to admit that we are speculating. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. The word came to be used metonymically for the Egyptian king under the New Kingdom (starting in the 18th dynasty, 15391292 bce), and by the 22nd dynasty (c. Egypt was continually governed, at least in part, by native pharaohs for approximately 2500 years, until it was conquered by the Kingdom of Kush in the late 8th century BC, whose rulers adopted the traditional pharaonic titulature for themselves. 39 Now Joseph was taken down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites wh Their relationship is first mentioned in Genesis 41:45. Share This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. What can we learn from the account of Potiphars wife? it is clear that Potiphar was a powerful person . gave [Joseph] Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife." The priest of On led the worship of the Egyptian sun god. GENESIS through the lens of Anthropology Asenath More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! Asenath is the daughter of Potiphera and a wife of Joseph (41). MIKETZ Genesis 41:45 Pharaoh gave Asenath to Joseph for a wife. He was the father of Asenath, who was given to Joseph as his wife by Pharaoh, (41:45) and who bore Joseph two sons: Manasseh and Ephraim. The supreme ruler of ancient Egypt; a formal address for the sovereign seat of power as personified by the 'king' in an institutional role of Horus son of Osiris; often used by metonymy for Ancient Egyptian sovereignty. The name Potiphar is written slightly different (no final ayin and written as one word) but means the same as Potiphera. Further support for my reading of the narrative of Joseph and Potiphar's wife comes when we set this story alongside the narrative that precedes it that of Judah . There is no definitive answer to your question! In Genesis 39, Joseph was sold to into slavery to Potiphar, one of the pharaoh's officials. Noun. 2 responses Believers and non-believers can see it as an illustration of the need to keep trying and persevere. With the Torah's focus on family dynamics, it is rather odd that we learn, then, of Joseph's marriage in one short and strange verse (Genesis 41:45): Pharaoh called Joseph Zaphenath-paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera priest of On, as a wife; thus Joseph came to be in charge of the land of Egypt. Does God gives us political leaders or do we vote them by choice? Azeez believes Joseph and condemns his wife. Is he the same Mark in Acts 15? However, I will be Joseph, in the Old Testament, son of the patriarch Jacob and his wife Rachel. . see) or an unsuccessful attempt to form an Egyptian name on the same lines. 'he whom Ra gave'[1]) is a figure in the Hebrew Bible and the Quran. 45 Then Pharaoh gave Joseph a new Egyptian name, Zaphenath-paneah. Rabbi Aaron D. Panken, Ph.D., serves as president of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York. Not the best moment in his life, one must imagine. Report 3 When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did . Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.Morbi adipiscing gravdio, sit amet suscipit risus ultrices eu.Fusce viverra neque at purus laoreet consequa.Vivamus vulputate posuere nisl quis consequat. A reader has asked whether Potiphar and Potifera might be the same person. Pronunciation of potiphar with 3 audio pronunciations, 1 meaning, 10 translations and more for potiphar. These Genesis stories were written, not by Moses, but by the Patriarchs pre-dating Moses. An Egyptian court official and chief of Pharaoh's bodyguard. What is notable is the degree to which Joseph becomes an assimilated Egyptian in the process. The higher the vote, the further up an answer is. Unfortunately, Potiphars wife, who was known for her infidelities, took a liking to Joseph, and attempted to seduce him. The Book of Abraham, included in the Pearl of Great Price, one of the standard works of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and by churches of the Latter Day Saint movement, refers to a Potiphar`s Hill in Egypt (Abraham 1:10, 20). A good answer provides new insight and perspective. Perhaps this is a cautionary tale for those of us whose names were shortened, whose appearance is adjusted, and whose lifestyles are tailored to fit into a perceived American ideal. an apologist for the Anglican Way of Christianity. Is the devil was man, and if so will he be saved? Thank you for subscribing to emails from ReformJudaism.org! Such a fantastic accusation on Rashi's part is surely surprising, but he comes by it honestly. http://www.allsaintsorthodox.org/pastor/bio.php. Build your family tree online . "the written Torah."The Bible; the Pentateuch; Tanakh (the Pentateuch, Prophets and Hagiographia) Torah as "the daughter of Poti-phera" (Gen. 41:45), who was married to Joseph in Egypt. What happened to Potiphar after that is unclear; some sources identify him as Potipherah, an Egyptian priest whose daughter, Asenath, marries Joseph. In the Old Testament she is described simply as Potiphars wife, her name being given only in the Koran. dedicated to Ra; i.e., to the sun-god, the Egyptian to whom the Ishmaelites sold Joseph ( Genesis 39:1).He was "captain of the guard", i.e., chief, probably, of the state police, who, while they formed part of the Egyptian army, were also largely employed in civil duties ( 37:36; marg., "chief of the executioners").Joseph, though a foreigner, gradually gained his confidence, and . . . The founder of this blog, Ed Lundwall, is recovering from Covid. What follows is a general consideration of beauty as the Good. This is clear from Potiphera (Egyp. Now, the student of Egypt can do some real homework regarding the time of this so-called pharaoh! Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Does the devil have power to make us sick? see) or an unsuccessful attempt to form an Egyptian name on the same lines. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. my: Tracing the Hand of Moses in Genesis Josephs decision not to sleep with Potiphars wife is traditionally held up by Christian and Jewish faith communities as a model of piety. Share daughter? . Everything we know about Saint Joseph, the husband of Mary and the foster father of Jesus, comes from the Bible, and mentions of him are underwhelming. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxe8Gddnlsg. Potiphera. The line of tradition that might be the most readily coherent with the marriage patterns shown by your overall research on the "Ancestors of God" is the one that says Asenath was actually the daughter of Dinah, and because she was not wanted, she got sold into slavery in her youth, just like Joseph did. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". 40 Is potiphar and potiphera the same person? The sin of Azeez's wife becomes known in the city (Q12:30). Please enter your email address. Should the explanation in Genesis on how God created plants before the sun affect the understanding of creation? According to the documentary hypothesis, the story of Potiphar and his wife is credited to the Yahwist source, and stands in the same place that the stories of the butler and the baker and Pharaoh's dreams stand in the Elohist text. At various stages of his life, Joseph was a slave, a prisoner, and a national leader. Genealogy for Potiphar . Required fields are marked *. We sin against Gods honor by blaspheming God or perjuring ourselves. Josephs dreams first get him into trouble, but his ability to understand them leads him to be chosen by the Pharaoh and to save the world. Why did Jesus associate with disreputable people? The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. We could learn a lesson about the mysteries of how the world works. appears in the Judaeo-Christian Old Testament and in the Koran. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in . . His name in Hebrew is a shortened version of Potiphera, which means "he whom Ra gave.". We are blessed to live in a country that does not demand we change who we are and what we believe in order to fit in. Things are certainly starting to look up. What . Share a high-born, aristocratic Egyptian woman, the daughter of Potiphera, a priest of On. Among many others, two mainstream commentators, Rashi and his grandson Rashbam (Rabbi Samuel ben Meir, France, 1080-1160) duke it out thus: Rashbam: Potiphera - According to the straightforward meaning, this is not Potiphar. (deceased) family tree on Geni, with over 230 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. The story of Zuleika, wife of Potiphar (q.v. (biblical) An Egyptian and captain of the guard under Pharaoh. As for Jesus, he was probably somewhere between 12 and 19 years old when Joseph of Nazareth died. Potiphar is the one to whom Joseph(P) was sold and mentioned in the following verses: . pot'-i-far (poTiphar; compare Egyptian Potiphera (Genesis 39:1 f)): A high Egyptian official who became the master of Joseph. Second, God calls His people to live . Verse 45 says, "Pharaoh . Asenath means 'belonging to (goddess) Neith.' Potiphera was priest of On, one of the most influential offices in Egypt. Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related. In another early text, The History of Joseph the Carpenter, which was composed in Egypt between the 6th and 7th centuries, Christ himself tells the story of his step-father, claiming Joseph was 90 years old when he married Mary and died at 111. Lost your password? Potiphar, Pot'i-phar. Who is potiphera in the In the Book of Jubilees, she is said to be given to Joseph to marry by Pharaoh, a daughter of Potiphar, a high priest of Heliopolis, with no clarification as to whether or not this Potiphar is the same Potiphar whose wife falsely accused Joseph of attempting to rape her. new name, family, and occupation? Continue with Recommended Cookies. Yet both the biblical text and the way the text is transmitted in traditional Judaism may suggest otherwise. Rashi subscribes to that opinion, and he explains why the name is slightly different in verse 45. Genesis 37:36 And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, the captain of the guard