How many children did Mary and Joseph have? How did the spirit of God move upon the face of the waters in Genesis 1:2? The names Potiphar and Potiphera can be viewed as being one and the same, as Egyptian writing does not always indicate vowels. So, "If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck . Genesis: Baker Commentary on the Old Testament Pentateuch by John Goldingay. 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. "Poti-phera" is the Hebrew rendering of the Egyptian "P'-di-p'-R'" = "He whom Ra [e., the sun-god] gave." This name has not . Did Joseph of Egypt have more than one wife? 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. While there is not much in the way of biblical evidence for such a reading, such fascinating and playful interpretation helps heighten Joseph's climb to fame, even as it further lowers the status of the evil Potiphar in response to his prior sin in mistreating Joseph. Is Potiphar and potiphera the same person? Genesis 39:1-23, a high Egyptian official in the story of Joseph.The name is perhaps a deformation of Potiphera (wh. Joseph's marriage to his daughter seems to go against the Old Testament directive not to intermarry with pagans (Deuteronomy 7:3; Nehemiah 13:27). I read one commentary, which says yes, (including Rashi) and another, which says no. The medieval Sefer HaYashar, a commentary on the Torah, gives Potiphar's wife's name as Zuleikha, as do many Islamic traditions - thus the Persian poem called Yusuf and Zulaikha from Jami's Haft Awrang "Seven thrones". In 2Kg 20:18 and Is 38:7, the word is translated as "eunuch"; and it . Report What is notable is the degree to which Joseph becomes an assimilated Egyptian in the process. The Gospel of Luke says Mary is a virgin betrothed to Joseph, while the Gospel of Matthew says Jesuss virginal conception happens before Mary lives with Joseph in his house, because, in a Jewish wedding, by being betrothed to a man, the woman is already his wife, yet she does not start living in his house until the . What . However, now we believe that Mary and Joseph were both in their teens when Jesus was born, around sixteen and eighteen respectively. At one time, Joseph was assumed to be elderly when he married Mary. In this quotation, al-abari understands the word al-Azz as the king, which gives the same impression of a mighty person, . Unfortunately, Josephs relationship is irrevocably damaged when Potiphars wife falsely accuses Joseph of trying to rape her, resulting in Josephs imprisonment. Matthew Miller These Genesis stories were written, not by Moses, but by the Patriarchs pre-dating Moses. - 100 Bible Stories On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 40 What's vodka made from? This is clear from Potiphera (Egyp. Potiphar's wife's revenge; Syrophoenician Woman . H e lived in Egypt, and his daughter Asenath became Joseph's wife (Gen. 41:45). He was Joseph's master for a time and, it appears, was a man of wealth. The Pharaoh is said to have given Joseph, Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, as his wife. 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. Yet both the biblical text and the way the text is transmitted in traditional Judaism may suggest otherwise. In Hebrew, "officer" is (saris), the captain of the guard is (sar tabbach).According to HALOT (The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament), saris means high official eunuch. Rabbi Aaron D. Panken, Ph.D., serves as president of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York. 45 Then Pharaoh gave Joseph a new Egyptian name, Zaphenath-paneah. see) or an unsuccessful attempt to form an Egyptian name on the same lines. After Pharaoh appoints him overlord of Egypt, Joseph marries Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. 4 What happens to Joseph and Potiphars relationship? a high-born, aristocratic Egyptian woman, the daughter of Potiphera, a priest of On. His name in Hebrew is a shortened version of Potiphera, which means "he whom Ra gave.". 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. However, we have to admit that we are speculating. The Ar Answer (1 of 7): This is an interesting question. Poti-Pherah means he whom Ra (the sun God) gave. Was John the Baptist conceived via an immaculate conception? A good answer provides new insight and perspective. Asked May 07 2020 More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! 5 Where was Potiphar located in the Book of Abraham? In Genesis 37 Joseph is seventeen years of age; when he gets out of prison in 41,30 he is thirty years old. He was responsible for the personal protection of the Egyptian King, his family and court; as well as presiding over the Royal Prison. Potiphera. What happened to Potiphar after that is unclear; some sources identify him as Potipherah, an Egyptian priest whose daughter, Asenath, marries Joseph. The answer is actually quite logical. Report, May 11 2016 Lost your password? Zulaika is the name given to the wife of Potiphar in Jewish and Muslim scripture. Verse 45 says, "Pharaoh . Pleasecontact the AskTheRabbi Support team. Does God gives us political leaders or do we vote them by choice? He names his firstborn son Manasseh (Genesis 41:51) to thank God for helping him forget the troubles of his past; he is physically unrecognizable to his brothers (42:8), perhaps because he may look like an Egyptian; and he swears by Pharaoh (42:15), who is not only his boss, but also an Egyptian deity. Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related. 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. eyeli Todays free book is The Bible and Archaeology by Frederic G. Kenyon, Midrashic sources identify Potiphera as none other than Potiphar, Joseph's previous master.4. Our team has collected thousands of questions that people keep asking in forums, blogs and in Google . Josephus, Philo and many rabbinical passages concur that the two men were distinct. Are cryptocurrencies, bitcoin, and bitpay the begining of one world government in the book of Revelation? And he gave him in marriage Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On. How is Zygospore different from the Sporangiophore in fungi? (Since the midrash assumes that Potiphar is the same as Poti-phera, father to Asenath, Potiphar's wife would have been Asenath's mother, a kind of Mrs. Robinson figure [as . When forty years of age, Joseph married a woman called Melcha or Escha by some, Salome by others; they lived forty-nine years together and had six children, two daughters and four sons, the youngest of whom was James (the Less, the Lords brother). Asked May 10 2016 Rashi: Potiphera - This is Potiphar, and he is called Potiphera because he was castrated, since he bought Joseph to sleep with him. Some scholars think this could be the same person as Potiphar. 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. Their relationship is first mentioned in Genesis 41:45. Please ensure your answer MEETS all our guidelines. In Gen 39 the seductress is the wife of Potiphar. Now I admit that I make some assumptions. Analysis of the marriage and ascendancy structure of Moses' family reveals the distinctive pattern of the Horite ruler-priest caste. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. It is mentioned in Isaiah 16:1 and 2 Kings 14:7. . Vote Up (Mark 6:20). An Egyptian court official and chief of Pharaoh's bodyguard. And the commentators who interpreted that this is the sacred tongue [Hebrew], it is a wonder how Pharaoh could have called [him] by a name in the sacred tongue! During the reign of Akhenaton when sun worship was the . (biblical) An Egyptian and captain of the guard under Pharaoh. So Joseph went out over the land of Egypt. For Joseph to refuse Potiphar's wife was for him to honour his owner Potipharand to dishonour God, his true master. /p/potiphar.htm - 8k. There is no reason to change the ph to f to suit your purpose. [3], Joseph and Potiphar's Wife by Ludovico Cigoli, Guercino, Joseph and Potiphar's Wife, 1649, Joseph and Potiphar's Wife by Bartolom Esteban Perez Murillo, Joseph and Potiphar's Wife by Jean-Baptiste Nattier, Joseph and Potiphar's Wife, by Guido Reni 1631, Joseph and Potiphar's Wife by Rembrandt, 1634. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Josephs Egyptian wife. I think the latter is probably true). I love what you have written. There is no further information about Potiphar or his wife. Joseph, in the Old Testament, son of the patriarch Jacob and his wife Rachel. ALSO SEE. This is your one-stop encyclopedia that has numerous frequently asked questions answered. If Potiphar's daughter is now marrying Joseph, Potiphar will be forced to support him. But the former title 'cook' may be . Josephs decision not to sleep with Potiphars wife is traditionally held up by Christian and Jewish faith communities as a model of piety. What are the physical state of oxygen at room temperature? The LORD was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. NLT. He is the maternal grandfather of the Israelite patriarchs Manasseh and Ephraim. His eyesight has been affected and his left Asenath was the daughter of POTI PHERA, the governor of On. I was also going on a hunch about the LXX, which appears not to distinguish between the two names. Sounds intriguing. Vote Up The stela is certainly an interesting lead. 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. Asenath was the daughter of POTI PHERA, the governor of On. What is the difference between a tunic and a cloak? She requested from Joseph to teach her the word of his God and that she and her husband would change to his God if Joseph did her wish. Why did Herod like to listen to John the Baptist, who criticized Herods lifestyle? All answers are REVIEWED and MODERATED. Anyway, this man was a priest, a man who honored pagan God's. Potiphar and Poti-Perah are definitely two different people. Each of these views finds Scriptural support for its position: the three-wife opinion relies on Gen. 2022 - 2023 Times Mojo - All Rights Reserved Is it the same person? It is difficult to tie Potiphar or Joseph accurately to a particular pharaoh or time period. "It seems possible that the process of translation triggers speculation about Aseneth that the original Hebrew did not" (Kraemer, When, p.314). When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in . They take this story out of context and use it as propaganda. Now, the student of Egypt can do some real homework regarding the time of this so-called pharaoh! Joseph has one wife, Asenath the daughter of Potiphar the priest of On, whom he marries in Egypt. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. According to the Hebrew Bible, Potipherah ( / ptfr /, Hebrew: P fera) was a priest of the ancient Egyptian town of On, [1] mentioned in the Genesis 41:45 and 41:50. (He is known as Potipherah in the KJV, Poti-Pherah in the NKJV and Potiphera in the NIV.) 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. appears in the Judaeo-Christian Old Testament and in the Koran. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Sela probably was not a major site i A fresco at Erebuni Fortress in Armenia (8th Century BC) She gives birth to two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. The names of Potiphar are deconstructed and read as Hebrew roots, rendering terms that are related to idolatry. On was a city in northern Egypt noted for worship of the Sun God.