Joseph, Son of Israel and Rachel: From Potiphar's House to a Coffin in Egypt

Who Joseph was, and when he lived

Joseph is the son of Israel and Rachel, a man of the patriarchal era whose life Ussher, Annals of the World (1650), dates as born 1745 BC, died 1635 BC (110 years). He is one of the most heavily documented persons in Scripture: some 197 verses across 54 passages, from his first mention at Genesis 30:24 to his name appearing as late as Revelation. Genesis carries the bulk of it, 137 verses, but his name also stands in Exodus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 1 Chronicles, Psalms, Ezekiel, Amos, Obadiah, Zechariah, and then in John, Acts, Hebrews and Revelation. His brothers and sister are Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Dinah and Benjamin. His wife is Asenath; his sons are Manasseh and Ephraim.

In Potiphar's house

The first extended scene we have in full puts him inside an Egyptian household. "Joseph found favor in his sight. He ministered to him, and Potiphar made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand. From the time that he made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, Yahweh blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake" (Genesis 39:4-7). The master trusted him so completely that "He didn't concern himself with anything, except for the food which he ate." Then the same passage turns: "Joseph was well-built and handsome. After these things, his master's wife set her eyes on Joseph; and she said, 'Lie with me.'" How he came into that house is recorded at Genesis 39:1-2, and what followed the demand at Genesis 39:20-22, along with Genesis 37:28-29 and Genesis 40:3-4, Genesis 40:8-9 and Genesis 40:22-23.

Brought out of the dungeon

"Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon. He shaved himself, changed his clothing, and came in to Pharaoh" (Genesis 41:14-17). Pharaoh had heard that this man could interpret dreams, and Joseph's answer refuses the credit: "It isn't in me. God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace." What Pharaoh then did with him is set down at Genesis 41:41-42 and Genesis 41:44-46.

Bread when all the land was famished

"The seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread, and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, 'Go to Joseph. What he says to you, do'" (Genesis 41:54-57). The same passage adds that the famine covered the surface of the earth, that Joseph opened all the store houses and sold to the Egyptians, and that all countries came into Egypt, to Joseph, to buy grain. His administration continues at Genesis 41:49-51 and Genesis 47:11-12, Genesis 47:14-17.

His brothers, and the fear in his house

When his brothers came the second time, "The men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and got up, went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph." Seeing Benjamin, he ordered a meal prepared. But the men read the summons as a trap: "The men were afraid, because they were brought to Joseph's house; and they said, 'Because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time, we're brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, attack us, and seize us as slaves, along with our donkeys'" (Genesis 43:15-19). That fear belongs in the account and should not be tidied away. The dealings that produced it are recorded at Genesis 42:3-4, Genesis 42:6-9, Genesis 43:24-26, Genesis 44:14-15 and Genesis 45:3-4; the quoted material before us names no sin of Joseph, and I will not invent one for him.

Goshen, and seventy souls

"The sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt, were two souls. All the souls of the house of Jacob, who came into Egypt, were seventy... Joseph prepared his chariot, and went up to meet Israel, his father, in Goshen. He presented himself to him, and fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while. Israel said to Joseph, 'Now let me die, since I have seen your face, that you are still alive'" (Genesis 46:27-31). Judah went ahead to show the way. Further family scenes stand at Genesis 45:16-17, Genesis 45:26-28, Genesis 46:19-20, Genesis 48:1-3, Genesis 48:8-9, Genesis 48:11-13, Genesis 48:17-18, Genesis 50:1-2, Genesis 50:7-8, Genesis 50:14-17, with Exodus 1:5-6 and 1 Chronicles 5:1-2.

One hundred ten years

"Joseph lived in Egypt, he, and his father's house. Joseph lived one hundred ten years. Joseph saw Ephraim's children to the third generation. The children also of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were born on Joseph's knees." Dying, he spoke of a promise he would not see: "I am dying, but God will surely visit you, and bring you up out of this land to the land which he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob." He bound the children of Israel by oath: "you shall carry up my bones from here." And then, plainly, "So Joseph died, being one hundred ten years old, and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt" (Genesis 50:22-26). The land his sons received is spoken of at Joshua 17:1-2 and Joshua 17:16-17.

Where we are not told

The dossier lists no unknowns, and its quoted passages tell us only Asenath's name as his wife. What lay between the scenes, and what he thought as he handled his brothers, the quoted text does not say.

The line the New Testament draws

His name is not left in Genesis. It is taken up in Acts 7:9, Acts 7:13-14 and Acts 7:18; it stands among those commended for faith in Hebrews 11:21-22, where his dying word about his bones is remembered as faith and not merely as burial arrangement; it is attached to a place in John 4:5, in the Gospel where the Christ walks; and it is named again among the sealed tribes in Revelation 7:8. The man who said "God will surely visit you" is thus carried by the New Testament into the story of that visitation and into the last book of it.