Genesis

by Anonymous
Joseph is Rachel and Jacob’s first son, granted to Rachel by God after many years of barrenness. Joseph becomes Jacob’s favorite son, and his brothers envy him bitterly for this. Joseph makes matters more difficult by telling his brothers about his dreams, in which they are subservient to him. One day, Joseph’s brothers throw him into a pit and then sell him to a caravan of traders, who carry him to Egypt. There, Joseph is sold to Pharaoh’s captain of the guard, Potiphar. In Egypt, God makes Joseph successful—Potiphar places Joseph in charge of his household. After Joseph is falsely accused of attempted rape by Potiphar’s wife, he even finds success in jail, being put in charge of the other prisoners. After Joseph is the only one who can interpret Pharaoh’s dreams, Joseph is placed in charge of Egypt’s affairs, storing up grain for the predicted years of famine. When Joseph’s brothers journey to Egypt in search of grain, they don’t recognize their newly elevated brother. Joseph at first pretends not to recognize them, either, and demands that the youngest brother, Benjamin, be brought to him from Canaan. Once he is, Joseph finally reveals his identity and convinces his brothers to get Jacob and move the entire family to Goshen, where he will provide for them for the duration of the famine. When Joseph dies, he promises his brothers that God will someday lead their people from Egypt back to Canaan, and he arranges for his bones to be carried there.

Joseph Quotes in Genesis

The Genesis quotes below are all either spoken by Joseph or refer to Joseph. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
God, Humanity, and Creation Theme Icon
).

Chapter 30 Quotes

When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she envied her sister; and she said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I shall die!” Jacob became very angry with Rachel and said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?” […]

Then God remembered Rachel, and God heeded her and opened her womb. She conceived and bore a son, and said, “God has taken away my reproach”; and she named him Joseph, saying, “May the Lord add to me another son!”

Related Characters: Rachel (speaker), Jacob (Israel) (speaker), Leah, Joseph, God/the LORD God
Page Number and Citation: 30:1–2, 22–24
Explanation and Analysis:

Chapter 37 Quotes

[Joseph’s brothers] said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits; then we shall say that a wild animal has devoured him, and we shall see what will become of his dreams.” […] So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the long robe with sleeves that he wore; and they took him and threw him into a pit. […] When some Midianite traders passed by, they drew Joseph up, lifting him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt.

Related Characters: Joseph
Page Number and Citation: 37:19–28
Explanation and Analysis:

Chapter 44 Quotes

Now therefore, when I come to your servant my father and the boy is not with us, then, as his life is bound up in the boy's life, when he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die; and your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to Sheol. For your servant became surety for the boy to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I will bear the blame in the sight of my father all my life.’ Now therefore, please let your servant remain as a slave to my lord in place of the boy; and let the boy go back with his brothers. For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I fear to see the suffering that would come upon my father.”

Related Characters: Judah (speaker), Joseph, Benjamin, Jacob (Israel)
Page Number and Citation: 44:30–34
Explanation and Analysis:

Chapter 48 Quotes

When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him; so he took his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head. Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father! Since this one is the firstborn, put your right hand on his head.” But his father refused, and said, “I know, my son, I know; he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great. Nevertheless his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations.”

Related Characters: Joseph (speaker), Jacob (Israel) (speaker), Ephraim, Manasseh
Page Number and Citation: 48:17–19
Explanation and Analysis:

Chapter 50 Quotes

Realizing that their father was dead, Joseph's brothers said, “What if Joseph still bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong that we did to him?” […] Then his brothers also wept, fell down before him, and said, “We are here as your slaves.” But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid! Am I in the place of God? Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today. So have no fear; I myself will provide for you and your little ones.” In this way he reassured them, speaking kindly to them.

Related Characters: Joseph (speaker), God/the LORD God
Page Number and Citation: 50:15–21
Explanation and Analysis:

Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die; but God will surely come to you, and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” So Joseph made the Israelites swear, saying, “When God comes to you, you shall carry up my bones from here.” And Joseph died, being one hundred ten years old; he was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt.

Related Characters: Joseph (speaker), Isaac, Abram (Abraham), God/the LORD God, Jacob (Israel)
Related Symbols: Land
Page Number and Citation: 50:24–26
Explanation and Analysis:
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Joseph Character Timeline in Genesis

The timeline below shows where the character Joseph appears in Genesis. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 30
Covenants and Faith in God’s Promises Theme Icon
The Role of Women Theme Icon
Finally, God remembers Rachel, and Rachel conceives at last. She names her son Joseph, saying, “May the LORD add to me another son.” (full context)
Mistrust, Disobedience, and Death Theme Icon
After Joseph’s birth, Jacob asks Laban to release him from service, so that he can return to... (full context)
Chapter 33
Covenants and Faith in God’s Promises Theme Icon
...household with the maids in front, followed by Leah and her children, and Rachel and Joseph in the rear. Jacob walks in front, bowing seven times before Esau. But Esau runs... (full context)
Chapter 37
Covenants and Faith in God’s Promises Theme Icon
...settles in the land of Canaan, where his father Isaac had lived. When Israel’s son Joseph is 17 years old, he works alongside the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah as a... (full context)
Mistrust, Disobedience, and Death Theme Icon
Covenants and Faith in God’s Promises Theme Icon
One day, Joseph dreams that he and his brothers were binding sheaves in the field, and his brothers’... (full context)
Mistrust, Disobedience, and Death Theme Icon
Covenants and Faith in God’s Promises Theme Icon
On another day, Israel sends Joseph to check on his brothers, who are pasturing the flock near Shechem. When his brothers... (full context)
Chapter 39
Covenants and Faith in God’s Promises Theme Icon
In Egypt, Joseph, despite having been bought by Potiphar as a slave, becomes very successful, because God is... (full context)
Chapter 40
Covenants and Faith in God’s Promises Theme Icon
Sometime later, Pharaoh throws two of his officials—the chief cupbearer and chief baker—into prison, where Joseph is put in charge of them. One night, both officials have troubling dreams, which they... (full context)
Covenants and Faith in God’s Promises Theme Icon
...his head, and the top basket contained various baked goods for Pharaoh, which birds ate. Joseph says that the three baskets represent three days, and that after three days have passed,... (full context)
Chapter 41
Covenants and Faith in God’s Promises Theme Icon
...wise men for an interpretation, but nobody can help him. However, the chief cupbearer remembers Joseph and tell Pharaoh about him. Joseph is immediately brought from prison to hear Pharaoh’s dreams.... (full context)
Covenants and Faith in God’s Promises Theme Icon
Joseph advises Pharaoh to set a wise man over Egypt’s affairs, as well as overseers to... (full context)
Covenants and Faith in God’s Promises Theme Icon
In the meantime, Joseph has two sons, whom he names Manasseh (because God has made him forget his hardship)... (full context)
Chapter 42
Mistrust, Disobedience, and Death Theme Icon
...get home, they tell Jacob everything that’s happened. Jacob is distraught that, after having lost Joseph and now Simeon, he’s being asked to surrender Benjamin, too. He refuses to send Benjamin... (full context)
Chapter 43
Covenants and Faith in God’s Promises Theme Icon
When the brothers reach Egypt again and Joseph sees Benjamin among them, he orders a feast to be prepared. Bemused at the invitation,... (full context)
Chapter 44
Mistrust, Disobedience, and Death Theme Icon
Covenants and Faith in God’s Promises Theme Icon
After the feast, Joseph tells his steward to fill the men’s sacks with food, return their money, and also... (full context)
Chapter 45
Mistrust, Disobedience, and Death Theme Icon
Covenants and Faith in God’s Promises Theme Icon
After hearing Judah’s plea, Joseph can no longer contain himself. He orders everyone but his brothers to leave the room,... (full context)
Covenants and Faith in God’s Promises Theme Icon
When Pharaoh hears that Joseph’s brothers have come, he personally invites Jacob and the brothers’ households to move to Egypt... (full context)
Chapter 46
Mistrust, Disobedience, and Death Theme Icon
Covenants and Faith in God’s Promises Theme Icon
...of him. Moreover, he will be with Jacob and make sure that when he dies, Joseph’s hand will close his eyes. So the house of Jacob—70 people in total—journey to Egypt. (full context)
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Joseph meets his family’s caravan in Goshen, and he weeps on Jacob’s neck for a long... (full context)
Chapter 47
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As Joseph has said, Pharaoh allows Joseph’s brothers to settle in Goshen as shepherds. Joseph also presents... (full context)
Mistrust, Disobedience, and Death Theme Icon
Covenants and Faith in God’s Promises Theme Icon
...nothing left to give, so they sell their land and themselves in exchange for food. Joseph gives seed to the people and instructs them to sow the land; four-fifths of the... (full context)
Chapter 48
Mistrust, Disobedience, and Death Theme Icon
Covenants and Faith in God’s Promises Theme Icon
When Joseph hears that Jacob is dying, he takes his sons Manasseh and Ephraim and visits his... (full context)
Chapter 49
Covenants and Faith in God’s Promises Theme Icon
Joseph also receives a long blessing—he will be fruitful, made strong by “the Mighty One of... (full context)
Chapter 50
Covenants and Faith in God’s Promises Theme Icon
Weeping, Joseph kisses his father’s face. He orders the physicians to embalm Jacob, which takes 40 days,... (full context)
Mistrust, Disobedience, and Death Theme Icon
Covenants and Faith in God’s Promises Theme Icon
After Jacob dies, Joseph’s brothers fear that he will bear a grudge against them and avenge himself. So they... (full context)
Mistrust, Disobedience, and Death Theme Icon
Covenants and Faith in God’s Promises Theme Icon
Joseph lives for 110 years, seeing several generations of offspring. Before he dies, he tells his... (full context)