Man living at the time of the Patriarchs
Potiphera, the priest of On (Heliopolis), whose daughter Asenath was given to Joseph as a wife by Pharaoh.
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Also known as Poti-pherah
Potiphera was an Egyptian priest of On, also known as Heliopolis, a city known for its worship of the sun god Ra. He is mentioned in Gen.41.45 and 50, where he is identified as the father of Asenath, the woman given to Joseph as a wife by Pharaoh. This event occurred after Joseph had interpreted Pharaoh's dreams and was elevated to a high position in the Egyptian court. The marriage to Asenath, the daughter of a prominent priest, was a sign of Joseph's newfound status and power in Egypt. In Gen.46.20, it is mentioned that Asenath bore Joseph two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, who would later become the ancestors of two of the twelve tribes of Israel. The fact that Joseph married the daughter of an Egyptian priest highlights the cultural and religious differences between the Israelites and the Egyptians, and it also foreshadows the future challenges the Israelites would face in maintaining their distinct identity in a foreign land.
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3 verses in 1 book · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H6319
Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-paneah, and he gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph took charge of all the land of Egypt.
Before the years of famine arrived, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.
Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph in the land of Egypt by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.
Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.