who are the brothers of joseph in the bible

Joseph and His Brothers

• Reuben (meaning He has seen my misery -- because Leah knew she wasn’t Jacob’s true love)
• Simeon
• Levi
• Judah
• Issachar
• Zebulon

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How many brother did Joseph have in the Bible?

Most of the brothers (Simeon, Levi, Zebulun, Issachar, Dan, Gad, Asher and Naphtali) blend together in Genesis. But there are three stand-outs worth a second look: Reuben, Judah, and Benjamin.

Who were the brothers that sold Joseph?

And there passed by Midianites, merchants; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver.

Who is the sister of Joseph in the Bible?

Dinah is first mentioned in Genesis 30:21 as the daughter of Leah and Jacob, born to Leah after she bore six sons to Jacob.

Which brother was not present when Joseph sold?

When Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes. He went back to his brothers and said, "The boy isn't there!

Are there two Josephs in the Bible?

Dutripon's Latin Bible concordance (Paris 1838) identified 16 people named Joseph in the Bible, 9 of whom featured in the New Testament: Joseph I. Joseph (Genesis). Eleventh son of the patriarch Jacob from his wife Rachel, and the brother of Benjamin.

Who are the 11 brothers of Joseph?

Reuben (half-brother)Simeon (half-brother)Levi (half-brother)Judah (half-brother)Dan (half-brother)Naphtali (half-brother)Gad (half-brother)Asher (half-brother)More items...

Who was Joseph's first wife?

SalomeThe Eastern Orthodox Church, which names Joseph's 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.

What is the name of Joseph wife?

AsenathPortrayal. First mentioned in Genesis 41:45, Asenath is said to be the wife of Joseph and the mother of his sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.

What did Jacob's brothers do to Joseph?

His brothers plotted against him, threw him in an empty well, and later sold him as a slave to some traveling Midianites. Applying animal blood to his “ornate robe,” they returned home and made Jacob believe his son had been killed by wild animals. In the meantime, Joseph was taken to Egypt and sold to the captain of the guard, Potiphar, ...

What are the themes of Joseph and his brothers?

In the story of Joseph and his brothers, we see the themes of forgiveness, the father-son bond, sibling rivalry, brotherly love, God’s sovereignty, and God’s greater good in times of suffering. Just like Joseph, we are called to forgive those who have offended us and see life’s experiences as part of God’s plan to help us serve others.

Why did Israel love Joseph more than any of his other sons?

In Genesis 37:3–4 we read, “Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate robe for him. When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.”. The same passage also discusses two dreams Joseph ...

Why did Joseph send word to the entire family?

Joseph sent word for the entire family to join them in Egypt until after the famine. Later, when their father, Jacob, died, Joseph’s brothers feared that Joseph would take revenge against them for their prior treatment of him. They came to Joseph and begged for his forgiveness, appealing to a request their father had made before he died ...

Who interpreted the dreams of Pharaoh's servants?

While in prison, Joseph accurately interpreted the dreams of two of Pharaoh’s servants, who were also incarcerated. Later, Pharaoh had a disturbing dream no one could interpret. One of the servants Joseph had previously helped then suggested to Pharaoh that Joseph could interpret the dream.

Who was Joseph sold to?

In the meantime, Joseph was taken to Egypt and sold to the captain of the guard, Potiphar, as a household slave. Joseph was later falsely accused of attempting to rape Potiphar ’s wife and thrown into prison.

Did Joseph and Benjamin know they were spies?

They did not recognize Joseph, now twenty years older, and he treated them harshly, pretending that he thought they were spies. Joseph kept one brother in prison until the others brought their youngest brother, Benjamin, back to Egypt to prove they were not spies. They brought Benjamin with them on a return trip, and, ...

Who was Joseph's brother?

Much later, she also gave birth to Joseph’s only full brother Benjamin, whom Jacob also loved a great deal. But all was not well. As Joseph grew older, it did not go unnoticed that Jacob greatly favored young Joseph. Joseph was a confident, Godly young man and didn’t hesitate to tell his brothers of a dream that seemed to flaunt his supreme destiny.

Where is the story of Joseph and his half brothers?

This is the story of Joseph and his older half brothers. Their entire story is found in Genesis 29-50 . Reuben (meaning He has seen my misery -- because Leah knew she wasn’t Jacob’s true love) Rachel, who was Jacob’s true love, was distraught that she could not give him children.

What was the name of the land that God promised Abraham's descendants?

Joseph returned to Canaan, the Promised Land that God proclaimed for all of Abraham’s descendants. We can see in the list below how important this family of sons has been to produce some of the greatest people in the history of Christianity. The sons are listed first, with the descendants following: Reuben ----- none.

Who was Abraham's grandson?

Joseph and his brothers were the ancestors of the 12 Tribes of Israel. From them and their descendants came the entire nation of Israel. Jacob was Abraham’s grandson.

Why did God send Jesus?

God, the Father, sent His only Son to satisfy that judgment for those who believe in Him. Jesus, the creator and eternal Son of God, who lived a sinless life, loves us so much that He died for our sins, taking the punishment that we deserve, was buried, and rose from the dead according to the Bible.

Who sent Joseph to seek his brothers?

One day, Jacob sends Joseph to seek his brothers who are tending sheep. When he finally encounters them, having been directed by a stranger on the road, they fall upon him, take his special coat and throw him in a pit. Reuben, however, makes a secret plan to rescue Joseph and bring him back to their father.

Where did Yaakov settle?

Now Yaakov was settled in the land where his father had sojourned, the land of Canaan.

Why did Joseph's half brothers make him a slave?

His brothers have just sold him to these men who are on their way to Egypt. There Joseph will be made a slave. Why have his half brothers done this bad thing? It is because they are jealous of Joseph.

What did Joseph's brothers say in his dreams?

Now one day when Joseph’s older brothers are taking care of their father’s sheep, Jacob asks Joseph to go and see how they are getting along. When Joseph’s brothers see him coming, some of them say: ‘Let’s kill him!’.

How did Jacob's father show favor to Joseph?

Their father Jacob liked Joseph very, very much. He showed him favor by having a beautiful long coat made for him. When his 10 older brothers saw how much Jacob loved Joseph, they began to be jealous and to hate Joseph.

What did Judah say to his half brothers?

Judah says to his half brothers: ‘Let’s sell him to the Ishʹma·el·ites.’. And that’s what they do. They sell Joseph for 20 pieces of silver.

What does Jacob see when he sees a wild animal that killed Joseph?

Jacob sees that it is. ‘A wild animal must have killed Joseph,’ he cries. And that is just what Joseph’s brothers want their father to think. Jacob is very, very sad. He weeps for many days. But Joseph is not dead. Let’s see what happens to him where he is taken.

How many brothers did Joseph have?

Joseph, the son of Jacob, had 11 brothers: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin. According to the book of Genesis, the12 brothers are the patriarchs of the 12 tribes of Israel that bear their names. Genesis describes Joseph as the favorite son of his father Jacob.

Why did Joseph's brothers go to Egypt?

Genesis describes Joseph as the favorite son of his father Jacob. Joseph's brothers were jealous of him and sold him into slavery to a caravan bound for Egypt. Many years later, the brothers were sent to Egypt to beg for food due to a great famine.

What did the brothers ask Joseph to do?

The brothers sent a message to Joseph asking him to have mercy on them. Joseph relied and placated them.

Who sold Joseph to?

Joseph was sold in Egypt to Potiphar captain of the guard of Pharoah. Joseph was successful in his duties so Potiphar put him in charge of his whole estate.

Why did Esau have a grudge against Jacob?

41 So Esau bore a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him; and Esau said to himself, The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob. The brothers sent a message to Joseph asking him to have mercy on them. Joseph relied and placated them.

How many half brothers did Joseph have?

Birth and family. Joseph, son of Jacob and Rachel, lived in the land of Canaan with ten half-brothers, one full brother, and at least one half-sister. He was Rachel's firstborn and Jacob's eleventh son. Of all the sons, Joseph was preferred by his father, who gave him a "long coat of many colors ".

What did the guilty brothers do to Joseph?

Thereafter the guilty brothers painted goat's blood on Joseph's coat and showed it to Jacob, who therefore believed Joseph dead ( Genesis 37:12–35 ).

Why did Joseph not have an affair with Potiphar's wife?

Joseph had good reasons not to have an affair with Potiphar's wife: he did not want to abuse his master's trust; he believed in the sanctity of marriage; and it went against his ethical, moral and religious principles taught to him by his father Jacob. According to the Midrash, Joseph would have been immediately executed by the sexual assault charge against him by Potiphar's wife. Abravanel explains that she had accused other servants of the same crime in the past. Potiphar believed that Joseph was incapable of such an act and petitioned Pharaoh to spare his life. However, punishment could not have been avoided because of her class status and limited public knowledge of her scheme.

How many children did Asenath have?

In the sixth year, Asenath bore two children to Joseph: Manasseh and Ephraim. When the famine came, it was so severe that people from surrounding nations came to Egypt to buy bread. The narrative also indicates that they went straight to Joseph or were directed to him, even by the Pharaoh himself ( Genesis 41:37–57 ).

Why did Joseph the Dreamer use a silver cup?

Since Joseph and Benjamin were born from Rachel, this test was necessary to reveal if they would betray Benjamin as they did with Joseph when he was seventeen. Because Joseph the Dreamer predicts the future by analyzing dreams, alternative Jewish tradition claims that he practiced divination using this silver cup as the steward charged and as Joseph himself claimed in Genesis 44:15.

How old was Joseph when he had his first dream?

When Joseph was seventeen years old he had two dreams that made his brothers plot his demise. In the first dream, Joseph and his brothers gathered bundles of grain, of which those his brothers gathered, bowed to his own. In the second dream, the sun (father), the moon (mother), and eleven stars (brothers) bowed to Joseph himself.

What does the name Yosef mean in the Bible?

Etymology. The Bible offers two explanations of the name Yosef: first it is compared to the word asaf from the root /'sp/, "taken away": "And she conceived, and bore a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach"; Yosef is then identified with the similar root /ysp/, meaning "add": "And she called his name Joseph; and said, ...

What is the story of Joseph in the Bible?

The Bible Story of Joseph, from the Book of Genesis, is one of heroic redemption and forgiveness. Joseph was the most loved son of his father, Israel, given the famous robe of many colors. When Joseph reported having dreams of his brothers, and even the stars and moon, bowing before him, their jealousy of Joseph grew into action. The brothers sold him into slavery to a traveling caravan of Ishmaelites who took him to Egypt and sold him to Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh's guard.

How does Joseph test the character of his brothers?

Joseph then tests the character of his brothers by placing a silver cup in the sack of Benjamin and falsely accusing him of theft. When Judah offers to stay in place of Benjamin, Joseph knows that his character has changed and reveals that he is their brother.

What blessing did Potiphar have?

The blessing of the LORD was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. 6 So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.

What does Joseph interpret in the dreams of Pharaoh?

With God's help, Joseph interprets the dreams of two prisoners, predicting that one of them will be reinstated but the other put to death. Joseph then interprets the dreams of the Pharaoh, which anticipate seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. Pharaoh recognizes Joseph's God-given ability and prompts his promotion to ...

Why did Joseph tell the people to bring their father and his entire household to Egypt?

He told them to bring their father and his entire household into Egypt to live in the province of Goshen because there were five more years of famine left. Joseph supplied them with Egyptian transport wagons, new garments, silver, and twenty additional donkeys carrying provisions for the journey.

What did Jacob tell his sons to do with Benjamin?

He accuses them of being spies and tells them to return with Benjamin or he will not sell them grain. The ongoing famine forces Jacob to reluctantly send his sons back to Egypt with Benjamin, and they are unexpectedly invited to dine at Joseph's house.

What is the life of Joseph?

The life of Joseph gives a testament of the sovereignty and grace of God for those who live faithfully and righteously. Despite being sold into slavery by his brothers, Joseph remained faithful and trusted in God to deliver him from tribulation.