Lexical Definition

‎פּוֹטִי פֶרַע‎ Pôwṭîy Pheraʻ (po-tee feh'-rah) Potiphera ^N:N-M-P
of Egyptian derivation

Poti-pherah.

• § Poti-pherah = "he whom the Ra gave"
• Poti-Phera, an Egyptian

1) an Egyptian, priest of On, father of Asenath, the wife whom Pharaoh gave to Joseph

Extended Information

• A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.41.45
• father of: Asenath (אָסְנַת)

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎פּוֺטִי פֶ֫רַע‎ proper name, masculine priest of On, Joseph's father-in-law (Egyptian P°-di°-p°-R±, i.e. he whom the Ra gave, see Sethe^{De aleph prosthetico in ling. aeg. (1892), 31}; Dr in Hastings^DB); — Gen 41:45; Gen 41:50 (E), Gen 46:20 (P), Πετεφρης, A Πετρεφης.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References

Profile

Male • Father of Asenath • Egyptian priest, father-in-law of Joseph

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.

• A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.41.45;
• only referred to as Potiphera פּוֹטִי פֶרַע;
• father of Asenath אָסְנַת.

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 Genesis 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 Genesis 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.

All entries for Potiphera: פּוֹטִי פֶרַע

Related Profiles:

• Asenath (child)