Bible Characters · Patriarchs
Joseph
Sold by his brothers into Egypt, and raised by God to rule the country and keep his whole family alive through the famine.
The facts, as Scripture gives them
- Lived
- Died at 110 years (Genesis 50:26). Dates not given in Scripture.
- Region
- Canaan with his father, then Egypt from the age of seventeen. (Genesis 37:1-2; Genesis 41:41)
- The name
- Rachel named him Joseph, saying, may the LORD add to me another son. (Genesis 30:24)
- Work
- Overseer of Potiphar's house, then ruler over the land of Egypt under Pharaoh. (Genesis 39:4; Genesis 41:40-41)
Key verses
And the LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, serving in the household of his Egyptian master.
Genesis 39:2 (BSB)
As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this—to preserve the lives of many people.
Genesis 50:20 (BSB)
What they did
- Dreamed of the sheaves and of the sun, moon and eleven stars bowing down to him. (Genesis 37:5-11)
- Sold by his brothers to traders and taken down to Egypt. (Genesis 37:28)
- Refused Potiphar's wife, was falsely accused, and was put in prison. (Genesis 39:7-20)
- Interpreted Pharaoh's dreams of plenty and famine, and was set over the land of Egypt at thirty. (Genesis 41:25-46)
- Tested his brothers, then revealed himself: I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. (Genesis 42:6-24; Genesis 45:3-7)
- Brought his father and the whole family down to Goshen, and provided for them through the famine. (Genesis 46:28-34; Genesis 47:11-12)
- Forgave his brothers: what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good. (Genesis 50:15-20)
Family
- Father
- Jacob (Genesis 37:3)
- Mother
- Rachel (Genesis 30:22-24)
- Spouse
- Asenath (Genesis 41:45)
- Siblings
- Reuben (Genesis 35:22-26); Simeon (Genesis 35:22-26); Levi (Genesis 35:22-26); Judah (Genesis 35:22-26); Dan (Genesis 35:22-26); Naphtali (Genesis 35:22-26); Gad (Genesis 35:22-26); Asher (Genesis 35:22-26); Issachar (Genesis 35:22-26); Zebulun (Genesis 35:22-26); Dinah (Genesis 30:21); Benjamin (Genesis 35:24)
- Children
- Manasseh (Genesis 41:51); Ephraim (Genesis 41:52)
Connected to
- Jacob: His father, who loved him more than his other sons (Genesis 37:3)
- Judah: His brother, who offered himself in Benjamin's place (Genesis 44:18-34)
- Pharaoh: The king who raised him over Egypt (Genesis 41:40-41)
- Potiphar: His first master in Egypt (Genesis 39:1-4)
Mentioned in
Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 1 Chronicles, Psalm, Ezekiel, Amos, Obadiah, Zechariah, John, Acts, Hebrews, Revelation.
Every reference (197)
Genesis 30:24 · Genesis 30:25 · Genesis 33:2 · Genesis 33:7 · Genesis 35:24 · Genesis 37:2 · Genesis 37:3 · Genesis 37:5 · Genesis 37:13 · Genesis 37:17 · Genesis 37:23 · Genesis 37:28 · Genesis 37:29 · Genesis 37:31 · Genesis 37:33 · Genesis 39:1 · Genesis 39:2 · Genesis 39:4 · Genesis 39:5 · Genesis 39:6 · Genesis 39:7 · Genesis 39:10 · Genesis 39:20 · Genesis 39:21 · Genesis 39:22 · Genesis 40:3 · Genesis 40:4 · Genesis 40:6 · Genesis 40:8 · Genesis 40:9 · Genesis 40:12 · Genesis 40:16 · Genesis 40:18 · Genesis 40:22 · Genesis 40:23 · Genesis 41:14 · Genesis 41:15 · Genesis 41:16 · Genesis 41:17 · Genesis 41:25 · Genesis 41:39 · Genesis 41:41 · Genesis 41:42 · Genesis 41:44 · Genesis 41:45 · Genesis 41:46 · Genesis 41:49 · Genesis 41:50 · Genesis 41:51 · Genesis 41:54 · Genesis 41:55 · Genesis 41:56 · Genesis 41:57 · Genesis 42:3 · Genesis 42:4 · Genesis 42:6 · Genesis 42:7 · Genesis 42:8 · Genesis 42:9 · Genesis 42:14 · Genesis 42:18 · Genesis 42:23 · Genesis 42:25 · Genesis 42:36 · Genesis 43:15 · Genesis 43:16 · Genesis 43:17 · Genesis 43:18 · Genesis 43:19 · Genesis 43:24 · Genesis 43:25 · Genesis 43:26 · Genesis 43:30 · Genesis 44:2 · Genesis 44:4 · Genesis 44:14 · Genesis 44:15 · Genesis 45:1 · Genesis 45:3 · Genesis 45:4 · Genesis 45:9 · Genesis 45:16 · Genesis 45:17 · Genesis 45:21 · Genesis 45:26 · Genesis 45:27 · Genesis 45:28 · Genesis 46:4 · Genesis 46:19 · Genesis 46:20 · Genesis 46:27 · Genesis 46:28 · Genesis 46:29 · Genesis 46:30 · Genesis 46:31 · Genesis 47:1 · Genesis 47:5 · Genesis 47:7 · Genesis 47:11 · Genesis 47:12 · Genesis 47:14 · Genesis 47:15 · Genesis 47:16 · Genesis 47:17 · Genesis 47:20 · Genesis 47:23 · Genesis 47:26 · Genesis 47:29 · Genesis 48:1 · Genesis 48:2 · Genesis 48:3 · Genesis 48:8 · Genesis 48:9 · Genesis 48:11 · Genesis 48:12 · Genesis 48:13 · Genesis 48:15 · Genesis 48:17 · Genesis 48:18 · Genesis 48:21 · Genesis 49:22 · Genesis 49:26 · Genesis 50:1 · Genesis 50:2 · Genesis 50:4 · Genesis 50:7 · Genesis 50:8 · Genesis 50:14 · Genesis 50:15 · Genesis 50:16 · Genesis 50:17 · Genesis 50:19 · Genesis 50:22 · Genesis 50:23 · Genesis 50:24 · Genesis 50:25 · Genesis 50:26 · Exodus 1:5 · Exodus 1:6 · Exodus 1:8 · Exodus 13:19 · Numbers 1:10 · Numbers 1:32 · Numbers 13:11 · Numbers 26:28 · Numbers 26:37 · Numbers 27:1 · Numbers 32:33 · Numbers 34:23 · Numbers 36:1 · Numbers 36:5 · Numbers 36:12 · Deuteronomy 27:12 · Deuteronomy 33:13 · Deuteronomy 33:16 · Joshua 14:4 · Joshua 16:1 · Joshua 16:4 · Joshua 17:1 · Joshua 17:2 · Joshua 17:14 · Joshua 17:16 · Joshua 17:17 · Joshua 18:5 · Joshua 18:11 · Joshua 24:32 · Judges 1:22 · Judges 1:23 · Judges 1:35 · 2 Samuel 19:20 · 1 Kings 11:28 · 1 Chronicles 2:2 · 1 Chronicles 5:1 · 1 Chronicles 5:2 · 1 Chronicles 7:29 · Psalm 77:15 · Psalm 78:67 · Psalm 80:1 · Psalm 81:5 · Psalm 105:17 · Ezekiel 37:16 · Ezekiel 37:19 · Ezekiel 47:13 · Ezekiel 48:32 · Amos 5:6 · Amos 5:15 · Amos 6:6 · Obadiah 1:18 · Zechariah 10:6 · John 4:5 · Acts 7:9 · Acts 7:13 · Acts 7:14 · Acts 7:18 · Hebrews 11:21 · Hebrews 11:22 · Revelation 7:8
Review status: in-theological-review. Every Contend profile passes a human theological review against the Statement of Faith before it is published as approved teaching. This profile is in that queue. Sources: Scripture quotations are from the Berean Standard Bible (public domain), verified verse by verse. Name and reference data: STEP Bible (TIPNR), Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0.