Joseph

Joseph (Heb. Yosef, “he adds”) is the firstborn of Jacob by Rachel and the eleventh of Jacob’s twelve sons. His father’s favoured status — the famous coat of many colours — and a pair of grain-sheaf and star dreams provoke his older brothers to envy. At 17 they sell him to a passing caravan of Ishmaelite traders for 20 shekels of silver, and he is carried to Egypt (Gen.37.28). There he serves in the household of Potiphar, captain of Pharaoh’s guard, is falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife, and is thrown into prison, where he correctly interprets the dreams of Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker. Two years later he is summoned to interpret Pharaoh’s own dreams of seven fat and seven lean cows, predicting seven years of plenty and seven of famine. Pharaoh appoints him at 30 as vizier over all Egypt (Gen.41.40–46). When the famine reaches Canaan his brothers come twice to buy grain; on the second visit Joseph reveals himself in tears (Gen.45.1–8), and the whole family of seventy settles in Goshen. Before he dies at 110 Joseph extracts a promise that his bones be carried back to the promised land (Gen.50.25), a promise fulfilled at the exodus (Exo.13.19) and again at Shechem (Jos.24.32). His life is the great Old Testament example of providential reversal: “Ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good” (Gen.50.20).