Genesis 41:45 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphenath-paneah. And he gave him in marriage Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On. So Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.

NIV: Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt.

NASB: Then Pharaoh named Joseph Zaphenath-paneah; and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.

CSB: Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-paneah and gave him a wife, Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest at On. And Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt.

NLT: Then Pharaoh gave Joseph a new Egyptian name, Zaphenath-paneah. He also gave him a wife, whose name was Asenath. She was the daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On. So Joseph took charge of the entire land of Egypt.

KJV: And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnathpaaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.

NKJV: And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnath-Paaneah. And he gave him as a wife Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On. So Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.

In extraordinarily quick fashion, Joseph's has gone from an imprisoned slave (Genesis 40:1–4) to second in command of all of Egypt under Pharaoh (Genesis 41:38–41). That role included clothing, jewelry, and other symbols associated with such power (Genesis 41:42–44). Further, Pharaoh will take two actions meant to fully assimilate this Hebrew into Egyptian culture. Likely, Pharaoh wanted to remove any obstacles to Joseph's authority in the land, including the possibility that Egyptians might not want to take orders from a foreign slave.

Thus, Pharaoh gives Joseph an Egyptian name: Zaphenath-paneah. Scholars are divided about exactly what this might mean. Common suggestions are variations of "the god is speaking, he is alive," or something like "revealer of secrets." The exact details of the new name are not as important as its purpose: making Joseph sound like he belonged in Egypt.

Next, Pharaoh arranged for Joseph to be married into a powerful Egyptian family. The city of On was a center of sun worship, and Joseph's new father-in-law Potiphera was a priest of On. His sudden wife's name was Asenath. Scripture tells us very little about her, or her relationship with Joseph. We know she gives birth to two children, Manasseh and Ephraim, who will be important later in Israel's history (Genesis 41:50–52; 46:20).

Now with the authority, position, and placement in Egyptian life, Joseph begins his reign as a ruler over Egypt. His first step, as one might expect, is to tour and visit the land. This is described using a Hebrew word meaning "exiting," or "proceeding." Joseph "went out" and began his duties.

Genesis 41:37–57 describes Joseph's sudden and breathtaking rise to power. Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt, is convinced that God's Spirit is with Joseph, after seeing him interpret dreams and offer sound advice. He appoints Joseph to be the second most powerful man in the nation. His main task is to prepare for the devastating famine to come. Pharaoh gives to Joseph his own signet ring, along with a new Egyptian name and wife. Joseph sets about to use Pharaoh's authority to gather and store massive amounts of grain. This stockpile, built during the seven years of abundance can then be accessed when the famine strikes (Genesis 47:13–26).

Joseph's status in Genesis 41 begins as "forgotten Hebrew prison slave" and ends as "the second most powerful man in Egypt." The cupbearer from the previous chapter finally mentions Joseph two years later, when Pharaoh is troubled by dreams which wise men can't interpret. Joseph reveals the meaning of the dreams: seven years of abundance will be followed by seven years of great famine in the land. Pharaoh, recognizing that God's Spirit is with Joseph, makes him second in command over the entire nation and tasks him with preparing for the famine.

Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers (Genesis 37:24–28). He then excelled in his work for an Egyptian official, only to be falsely accused and imprisoned (Genesis 39:20). There, he accurately interpreted dreams for servants of the Egyptian ruler (Genesis 40:20–22). Unfortunately, the restored cupbearer failed to mention Joseph, leaving him in prison for two more years (Genesis 40:23). A series of disturbing dreams leads to Joseph's audience with Pharaoh. This, in turn, leads to Joseph becoming the second most powerful man in the nation. The following chapters emphasize Joseph's reunion with his family. Details about his administration of food during the famine are recorded in Genesis 47:13–26.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.