And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, [are] mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.
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.
And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada [was over] both the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David's sons were chief rulers.
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Commentary for Genesis 41:50
Genesis 41:50 is a verse from the Old Testament that captures a significant moment in the life of Joseph, a key figure in the Book of Genesis. The historical context of this verse is set during Joseph's time in Egypt, where he has risen to a position of power as the Pharaoh's second-in-command, having successfully interpreted the Pharaoh's dreams and devised a plan to store grain in preparation for seven years of famine.
Themes present in this verse include:
1. **Fulfillment**: Joseph's marriage to Asenath and the subsequent birth of his two sons represent the fulfillment of his life in Egypt, despite his earlier trials, which included being sold into slavery by his brothers and later being imprisoned unjustly.
2. **Divine Providence**: The birth of Joseph's sons before the years of famine underscores the theme of divine providence, as God blesses Joseph with a family in the midst of his successful efforts to save Egypt and the surrounding regions from starvation.
3. **Integration and Identity**: Joseph's marriage to Asenath, an Egyptian woman and the daughter of a pagan priest, illustrates his integration into Egyptian society. Despite this, Joseph maintains his Hebrew identity, as evidenced by the naming of his sons, which reflects his faith in God and his acknowledgment of God's goodness to him.
4. **Prophetic Narrative**: The names Joseph gives to his sons—Manasseh, meaning "causing to forget," and Ephraim, meaning "fruitful" or "double fruit"—reflect his interpretation of his life experiences. Manasseh's name signifies Joseph's ability to forget his past troubles, while Ephraim's name indicates the fruitfulness God has granted him in the land of his affliction.
5. **Transition**: This verse marks a transition in Joseph's story from his rise to power to the impending famine, which will eventually lead to the reunification with his estranged family when they come to Egypt seeking food.
In summary, Genesis 41:50 is a verse that encapsulates Joseph's successful establishment in Egypt, both in terms of his political influence and personal life, setting the stage for the next chapters of his story, which will involve the testing of his brothers and the eventual reconciliation of the family. It reflects themes of fulfillment, divine providence, integration, prophetic insight, and transition, all within the broader narrative of God's guidance in the life of Joseph.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
Strong's Number: H3130 There are 193 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: יוֹסֵף Transliteration: Yôwçêph Pronunciation: yo-safe' Description: future of יָסַף; let him add (or perhaps simply active participle adding); Joseph, the name of seven Israelites; Joseph. Compare יְהוֹסֵף.
Strong's Number: H3205 There are 403 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: יָלַד Transliteration: yâlad Pronunciation: yaw-lad' Description: a primitive root; to bear young; causatively, to beget; medically, to act as midwife; specifically, to show lineage; bear, beget, birth(-day), born, (make to) bring forth (children, young), bring up, calve, child, come, be delivered (of a child), time of delivery, gender, hatch, labour, (do the office of a) midwife, declare pedigrees, be the son of, (woman in, woman that) travail(-eth, -ing woman).
Strong's Number: H8147 There are 647 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: שְׁנַיִם Transliteration: shᵉnayim Pronunciation: shen-ah'-yim Description: dual of שֵׁנִי; feminine שְׁתַּיִם; two; also (as ordinal) twofold; both, couple, double, second, twain, [phrase] twelfth, [phrase] twelve, [phrase] twenty (sixscore) thousand, twice, two.
Strong's Number: H1121 There are 3654 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: בֵּן Transliteration: bên Pronunciation: bane Description: from בָּנָה; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.); [phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, [idiom] came up in, child, colt, [idiom] common, [idiom] corn, daughter, [idiom] of first, [phrase] firstborn, foal, [phrase] very fruitful, [phrase] postage, [idiom] in, [phrase] kid, [phrase] lamb, ([phrase]) man, meet, [phrase] mighty, [phrase] nephew, old, ([phrase]) people, [phrase] rebel, [phrase] robber, [idiom] servant born, [idiom] soldier, son, [phrase] spark, [phrase] steward, [phrase] stranger, [idiom] surely, them of, [phrase] tumultuous one, [phrase] valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.
Strong's Number: H8141 There are 647 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: שָׁנֶה Transliteration: shâneh Pronunciation: shaw-neh' Description: (in plural or (feminine) שָׁנָה; from שָׁנָה; a year (as a revolution of time); [phrase] whole age, [idiom] long, [phrase] old, year([idiom] -ly).
Strong's Number: H7458 There are 88 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: רָעָב Transliteration: râʻâb Pronunciation: raw-awb' Description: from רָעֵב; hunger (more or less extensive); dearth, famine, [phrase] famished, hunger.
Strong's Number: H935 There are 2307 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: בּוֹא Transliteration: bôwʼ Pronunciation: bo Description: a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of applications); abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat, [phrase] employ, (cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be fallen, fetch, [phrase] follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war), grant, [phrase] have, [idiom] indeed, (in-) vade, lead, lift (up), mention, pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, [idiom] (well) stricken (in age), [idiom] surely, take (in), way.
Strong's Number: H621 There are 2448 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: אָסְנַת Transliteration: ʼÂçᵉnath Pronunciation: aw-se-nath' Description: of Egyptian derivation; Asenath, the wife of Joseph; Asenath.
Strong's Number: H1323 There are 499 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: בַּת Transliteration: bath Pronunciation: bath Description: from בָּנָה (as feminine of בֵּן); a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively); apple (of the eye), branch, company, daughter, [idiom] first, [idiom] old, [phrase] owl, town, village.
Strong's Number: H6319 There are 3 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: פּוֹטִי פֶרַע Transliteration: Pôwṭîy Pheraʻ Pronunciation: po-tee feh'-rah Description: of Egyptian derivation; Poti-Phera, an Egyptian; Poti-pherah.
Strong's Number: H3548 There are 653 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: כֹּהֵן Transliteration: kôhên Pronunciation: ko-hane' Description: active participle of כָּהַן; literally one officiating, a priest; also (by courtesy) an acting priest (although a layman); chief ruler, [idiom] own, priest, prince, principal officer.
Strong's Number: H204 There are 79 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: אוֹן Transliteration: ʼÔwn Pronunciation: one Description: or (shortened); אֹן; of Egyptian derivation; On, a city of Egypt; On.