Genesis 41:50

50 Before the years of famine arrived, Asenath the daughter of Potiphera, priest of Heliopolis, gave birth to two sons for Joseph.

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 He collected all of the food during the seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt, and stored the food in cities. In each city, he stored the food from the fields surrounding it.

49 Joseph amassed grain like the sand of the sea. There was so much that he stopped trying to measure it because it was beyond measuring.

50 Before the years of famine arrived, Asenath the daughter of Potiphera, priest of Heliopolis, gave birth to two sons for Joseph.

51 Joseph named the oldest son Manasseh,"because," he said, "God has helped me forget all of my troubles and everyone in my father's household."

52 He named the second Ephraim,"because," he said, "God has given me children in the land where I've been treated harshly."

Footnotes

• [a]. Heb On