Genesis 41:50

50 And before the time of need, Joseph had two sons, to whom Asenath, the daughter of Poti-phera, priest of On, gave birth.

Genesis 41:50 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 41:50

And unto Joseph were born two sons
The word for "born" is singular; hence Ben Melech conjectures that they were twins: and this was before the years of famine came;
or "the year of famine" ^F17; the first year: which Asenath, the daughter of Potipherah priest of On, bare unto him;
which is observed, to show that he had them by his lawful wife; whom the Targum of Jonathan wrongly again makes the daughter of Dinah, and her father prince of Tanis, the same with Zoan; whereas this was "On" or "Heliopolis", a very different place; so Artapanus says ^F18, that Joseph married the daughter of the priest of Heliopolis, by whom he had children; and another Heathen writer ^F19 mentions their names, Ephraim and Manesseh.

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FOOTNOTES:

F17 (berh tnv) "annus famis", Tigurine version, Pagninus, Montanus, Drusius; "annus (primus) famis", Schmidt.
F18 Apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 9. c. 23. p. 429.
F19 Polyhistor. apud ib. p. 424.

Genesis 41:50 In-Context

48 And Joseph got together all the food of those seven years, and made a store of food in the towns: the produce of the fields round every town was stored up in the town.

49 So he got together a store of grain like the sand of the sea; so great a store that after a time he gave up measuring it, for it might not be measured.

50 And before the time of need, Joseph had two sons, to whom Asenath, the daughter of Poti-phera, priest of On, gave birth.

51 And to the first he gave the name Manasseh, for he said, God has taken away from me all memory of my hard life and of my father's house.

52 And to the second he gave the name Ephraim, for he said, God has given me fruit in the land of my sorrow.