She gives birth to two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. (Some people seem to think that Potiphera is the same man as Potiphar, but others think that they are completely different men with similar names. Dream a Little Dream, and Then Interpret It, Israel in Egypt: From Valued Subjects to Persecuted Minority, On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah: The Meaning of Our Miracle - Parashat Mikeitz, Association of Reform Zionists of America (ARZA). This issue came up from a discussion on an atheist blog. /p/potiphar.htm - 8k. The peasants were ignored or killed if they resisted. Joseph has one wife, Asenath the daughter of Potiphar the priest of On, whom he marries in Egypt. Is Potiphar and potiphera the same person? More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! Is it the same person? ), and a priest of On as well. 4 What happens to Joseph and Potiphars relationship? I make no apology for being an Anglican Traditionalist. The name is perhaps a deformation of Potiphera (wh. (Mark 6:20). The view that the names Potiphar and Potiphera refer to men of high rank is supported by the stela of Potiphera in Cairo Museum. Potiphera's wife is powerful in terms of class and ethnic status, less so as a married woman, but she is dependent on male complicity in the transgressive sex act. Your email address will not be published. Was he the same Ben Hur mentioned in the Bible? The names of Potiphar are deconstructed and read as Hebrew roots, rendering terms that are related to idolatry. They were the ones taken as slaves. pot'-i-far (poTiphar; compare Egyptian Potiphera (Genesis 39:1 f)): A high Egyptian official who became the master of Joseph. So Joseph went out over the land of Egypt. How did Jesus sit on the donkey and her offspring on one time in Matthew 21:5-8? Are cryptocurrencies, bitcoin, and bitpay the begining of one world government in the book of Revelation? Why did Herod like to listen to John the Baptist, who criticized Herods lifestyle? Did Joseph marry Potiphar's daughter? Josephs decision not to sleep with Potiphars wife is traditionally held up by Christian and Jewish faith communities as a model of piety. I have an issue I'd like to resolve from chapters 19 to 21 concerning the rape and murder of the Levite's concubine. Potipherah /ptfr/ was a priest of the ancient Egyptian town of On, mentioned in the Genesis 41:45 and 41:50. 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. 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). About Us. As a result of Potiphar's inappropriate male actions toward Joseph, the angel Gabriel castrated him as an act of divine justice, rendering him unable to continue such predatory activities. As for Jesus, he was probably somewhere between 12 and 19 years old when Joseph of Nazareth died. If Potiphar and Poti-phera were the same person, then either (a) the same man was both captain of the guard for Paro and a priest, or (b) he was one and then became the other later. She is the subject of many verbs and they are unusual ones for a female biblical character. 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. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Home | About | Contact | Copyright | Report Content | Privacy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap. Potiphera was a priest of Ra (the Egyptian god of the sun) who was based in On (also known as Heliopolis). 1160-1235) rejects such a reading in no uncertain terms: This is the Egyptian language, just as Nebuchadnezzar called Daniel and his associates by a name in the Aramaic language. This is (at the least) somewhat Biblically accurate. (deceased) family tree on Geni, with over 230 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. Their relationship is first mentioned in Genesis 41:45. She gives birth to two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. 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. 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 sefer here in his discussion of the name Potiphera says that there is a dispute amongst the Rabbis whether Potiphar (Bereishis/Genesis 39,1), the chief executioner of Pharaoh, and Potiphera are the same person or not.. You are a gem, Jonathan! The positions of the two men were different and held different positions in the court of Pharaoh plus their names were spelt differently. Sethite Hebrew priest of Nekheb on the Nile with authority over the palace. 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. And he gave him in marriage Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On. The story is first related in Quran 12:21-35: An Egyptian purchases Joseph and proposes to adopt him. How many wives did Joseph in the Bible have? [9] . These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Zaphnath-Paaneah (Biblical Hebrew: fna Pana, LXX: Psonthomphanch) is the name given by Pharaoh to Joseph in the Genesis narrative (Genesis 41:45). . The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Many lessons can be learned from the story of Joseph and Potiphar. If we look at Egypt in this time, there was complete disarray in th. Meaning: a priest of On / Potiphar is a shortened form of "Potiphera" in Hebrew. What is known of Potiphar after that is unclear; some sources identify him as Potipherah, an Egyptian priest whose daughter, Asenath, marries Joseph. The Pharaoh is said to have given Joseph, Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, as his wife. 45 Then Pharaoh gave Joseph a new Egyptian name, Zaphenath-paneah. 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. 1 Are Pharaoh and Potiphar the same person? Potiphar bought Joseph as a slave. Manage Settings Vote Up 30 Do you have to use flux when brazing aluminum? What is notable is the degree to which Joseph becomes an assimilated Egyptian in the process. A final question remains, however: why in the world, given their relationship thus far, would Pharaoh want Joseph to marry Potiphar's (if it is Potiphar!) Share your family tree and photos with the people you know and love. The Ar (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 . Why did Jesus associate with disreputable people? I love what you have written. Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army. Potiphar is the only Egyptian of status who would harbor a grudge against Joseph, given their prior history. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Potiphar&oldid=1142124452, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles containing Ancient Egyptian-language text, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, In art the subject is one of the most commonly shown in the, This page was last edited on 28 February 2023, at 17:07. However, we have to admit that we are speculating. By now, you have no doubt thought to yourself that Potiphera sounds a lot like Potiphar. We could learn a lesson about the mysteries of how the world works. Where was Potiphar located in the Book of Abraham? We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Asenath was the daughter of POTI PHERA, the governor of On. While this follows some early Egyptian birth naming customs, it is far from certain to be correct, and does little to clarify the biblical author's viewpoint of Joseph. It was mostly high-ranking people who were slaves. An Egyptian court official and chief of Pharaoh's bodyguard. Potiphar is possibly the same name as Potiphera (Hebrew: ) from Late Egyptian p-dj-p-r "he whom Ra has given." 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. How do you give a first aid to a drowning person? Following the custom of his Horite forefathers, Abraham had two wives. ESV. Alice C. Linsley All answers are REVIEWED and MODERATED. This is clear from Potiphera (Egyp. . Father Abraham, justified by faith, saw the promise of the Son to come and believed! 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). 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. ), and Joseph (q.v.) Technical problems? He is supposed by some to have been the same "captain of the guard" who promoted Joseph in prison, Genesis 37:36; 39:23. According to Matthew and Luke, however, Joseph was only legally his father. 2 responses ), and Joseph (q.v.) McKinlay (1995) noted that Potiphars wife is treated as an object in his masters possession (Gen 39:89), and the reason Joseph refuses is not because he doesnt want to have sex with her, but because it would violate his masters trust and be a sin against the God Yahweh. How did the spirit of God move upon the face of the waters in Genesis 1:2? 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! Alice C. Linsley This is the single extra-Biblical occurance of the name. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Not the best moment in his life, one must imagine. ( Gen. 37:36; 39:4) Potiphar purchased Joseph from the traveling Midianite merchants, and, observing what a good servant . Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army. In Genesis 39, Joseph was sold to into slavery to Potiphar, one of the pharaoh's officials. 2 o The L ord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master. Midrashic sources identify Potiphera as none other than Potiphar, Joseph's previous master.4. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. His name possibly indicates the same figure as Potiphera (Hebrew: ). . Joseph and Potiphar's Wife. Here are guidelines to help facilitate a meaningful learning experience for everyone. 6[Doubleday: New York, 1992]). Proper noun. A reader has asked whether Potiphar and Potifera might be the same person. 40 Is potiphar and potiphera the same person? The names Potiphar and Potiphera are very similar. new name, family, and occupation? His scholarship is impeccable. .". After successfully interpreting the dreams of two fellow prisoners and humbly declaring his interpretive powers as entirely derived from God, Joseph finds himself suddenly called to Pharaoh's palace to help the master of all Egypt with two problematic dreams of his own. Whats The Difference Between Dutch And French Braids? Joseph seeks protection from God who hears his prayer and turns aside their snares but Joseph is imprisoned notwithstanding his innocence. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. What happens to atoms during chemical reaction? Potiphar's wife also seems to be owned by Potiphar. phar) [shortened form of Potiphera, he whom Ra gave]. Is he the same Mark in Acts 15? (biblical) An Egyptian and captain of the guard under Pharaoh. . "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 . see) or an unsuccessful attempt to form an Egyptian name on the same lines. Pronunciation of potiphar with 3 audio pronunciations, 1 meaning, 10 translations and more for potiphar. 31 When should weight be measured? NIV - The founder of this blog, Ed Lundwall, is recovering from Covid. 45 And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphenath-paneah. Answer (1 of 7): This is an interesting question. Dedicated to Ra; i.e., to the sun-god, . The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. This is the single extra-Biblical occurance of the name. And so, Pharaoh selects the daughter of the Priest of On, a man named Potiphera. Yes, the story of the rape and dismemberment of the Levite's concubine is in all the feminist texbooks, so to speak. Citing the story of the Levite who allowed his concubine to be raped and then murdered her, this passage was one of her proof texts. But if Joseph's story teaches us anything, it is the beauty of resilience and the way life turns unexpectedly. And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar , an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmaelites, which had brought him down thither. Genealogy for Potiphar . Rashi subscribes to that opinion, and he explains why the name is slightly different in verse 45. 3 When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did . 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. They fail to recognize that most of the women named in the Bible are the daughters of ruler-priests and women of high status and influence. Vote Up Mikeitz, Genesis 41:1-44:17The Torah: A Modern Commentary, pp. 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). There are several remarkable features to this verse, creating a veritable field day for commentators and authors willing to take up the cudgel. Potiphar (his name a derivate of Potiphera meaning that he was given by Ra) was an Egyptian official, serving the Pharaoh of the Exodus, as his captain of the guard. Welcome to Sharing Culture! Your email address will not be published. 39 Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt, and l Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, m had bought him from the n Ishmaelites who had brought him down there. 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. [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. Genesis: Baker Commentary on the Old Testament Pentateuch by John Goldingay. Genesis 39:1-23, a high Egyptian official in the story of Joseph.The name is perhaps a deformation of Potiphera (wh. In Hebrew this name means nothing at all. 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. Where did the names Potiphar and Potiphera come from? Heliopolis is Biblical On and was an Ainu shrine. Why Do Cross Country Runners Have Skinny Legs? 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. I think the latter is probably true). [2] The false accusation by Potiphar's wife plays an important role in Joseph's narrative, because had he not been imprisoned, he would not have met the fellow prisoner who introduced him to Pharaoh. Josephus, Philo and many rabbinical passages concur that the two men were distinct. She was Potiphera's daughter. What happens to Joseph and Potiphar's relationship? We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Potiphar seems to be entitled chief cook (EV [Note: English Version.] (biblical) An Egyptian and captain of the guard under Pharaoh. How to say potiphar in English? In 2Kg 20:18 and Is 38:7, the word is translated as "eunuch"; and it . Feminism is grounded on the principle that women are universally oppressed by the dominant male hierarchy. Share 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. Pa-di-Para), "Whom P'Ra (sun-god) has given," and most authorities would consider Potiphar as an abbreviated form in Heb. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License; additional terms may apply.See Wiktionary Terms of Use for details. 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. 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. Asenath is mentioned in the Torah she-bi-khetav: Lit. Joseph and Asenath. 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. There were two men in the tale with similar names Potiphar and Potiphera. GENESIS through the lens of Anthropology The Lord is still with Joseph, and the prison's commander puts him in charge. What better way then to marry him into a family of aristocrats to ensure he stays in Egypt for the long run? also known as: Potipherah. . Joseph and Asenath had two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, both born during the seven years of plenty. . Asenath is the daughter of Potiphera and a wife of Joseph (41). Joseph was one of Jacobs 12 sons. An Egyptian court official and chief of Pharaoh's bodyguard. 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. His eyesight has been affected and his left POTIPHAR. When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in . 10 weeks in the hospital. Does the devil have power to make us sick? What uses graphics or pictures to help the user navigate and access programs? The commentators run wild with this possibility, but there is little ultimate agreement. According to the biblical story, Pharaoh had a dream that no one could interpret for him. However, there is nothing in the Hebrew which suggests that Potiphar was the same person as Potiphera. 20 In Egypt, Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. But this verse tells us that Poti-phera was a priest, while in 39:1 Potiphar was the captain of the guard. You will receive a link and will create a new password via email. Second, God calls His people to live . This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Potiphar is the one to whom Joseph(P) was sold and mentioned in the following verses: . TimesMojo is a social question-and-answer website where you can get all the answers to your questions. Is the devil was man, and if so will he be saved? Man depicted close to them may be Potipherah. Potiphar's wife, of course, is not to be confused with Potipherah's wife, one of the incorrect answers given. How can Jesus be both God and man at the same time? Potiphars titles, servant of Pharaoh and chief of the cooks, while not Egyptian in themselves, may well be Hebrew translations of two Egyptian titles. Maybe Potipher purchased Asenath on one slave dealing caravan and then came back through Shechem a few years later to see if he could bargain for more, whereupon he came upon Joseph's evil brothers who were ready to make a deal? The story of the encounter between Joseph and the Wife of Potiphar can be read in full in Genesis 39:6-20. They include red, bl That is a question that I am often asked. She is the mother of Manasseh and Ephraim (Gen 41:50; 46:20). Joseph was a teenager when his family had last seen him. The Spanish authority Ramban (Nachmanides, 1194-1270), expands on Rashi and the Talmudic interpretation: And I say that according to the words of our Rabbis, Potiphar was a minister to Pharaoh. Who is Ben Hur in the movie produced in 1959? In this quotation, al-abari understands the word al-Azz as the king, which gives the same impression of a mighty person, . Asenath means 'belonging to (goddess) Neith.' Potiphera was priest of On, one of the most influential offices in Egypt. The answer is actually quite logical. After Pharaoh appoints him overlord of Egypt, Joseph marries Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. In the Book of Jubilees, she is said to be given to Joseph to marry by the 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. phar) [from Egyptian, a shortened form of Potiphera]. A good answer provides new insight and perspective. What . . Analysis of the marriage and ascendancy structure of Abraham's Horite people reveals that the rulers had two wives. Others explain that the fact that the Torah uses two different names indicates that they are two different people. When he was castrated in his body, and they recognized it, and they called him "Potiphera," he was ashamed about the matter and he left his ministry, and took himself to a house of idol worship, and he became a priest for idol worship, for thus was the custom of the honored ones [to be castrated]. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Potiphera is pure Egyptian, meaning 'he whom Re gave,' and is essentially the same name as Potiphar. Required fields are marked *. "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. 40 What's vodka made from? of Potiphera. We sin against Gods honor by putting anyone or anything in Gods place. The sin of Azeez's wife becomes known in the city (Q12:30). She promised to kill her husband, so that she could marry Joseph. "It seems possible that the process of translation triggers speculation about Aseneth that the original Hebrew did not" (Kraemer, When, p.314). The first was a ha Alice C. Linsley Abraham, Moses , Samuel, and David were all Horite Hebrew as evidenced by the common marriage and ascendancy pattern Alice C. Linsley Sela was the capital of Edom. This precise situation is described by the Babylonian Talmud, Sotah 13b: And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, bought him [Joseph]. 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 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. Potiphar, Son of Horus. 1070-945 BC), but quite possibly later . 'he whom Ra gave'[1]) is a figure in the Hebrew Bible and the Quran. Rabbi Aaron D. Panken, Ph.D., serves as president of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York. The names Potiphar and Potiphera can be viewed as being one and the same, as Egyptian writing does not always indicate vowels. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Now, the student of Egypt can do some real homework regarding the time of this so-called pharaoh! Was Joseph wrong to marry the daughter of a pagan priest (Genesis 41)? Unfortunately, Potiphar's wife, who was known for her infidelities, took a liking to Joseph, and attempted to seduce him. They may or may not be the same person. O Bellinzona, Switzerland is a place of extraordinary beauty. I do believe that Potifre refers to the office of a devotee of Re however.
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