Women in the Bible – Asenath – Egyptian Wife of Joseph

Women in the Bible – Asenath – Egyptian Wife of Joseph

Genesis 41:45-52 (ESV)

And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphenath-paneah. And he gave him in marriage Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On. So Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.

Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt. During the seven plentiful years the earth produced abundantly, and he gathered up all the food of these seven years, which occurred in the land of Egypt, and put the food in the cities. He put in every city the food from the fields around it. And Joseph stored up grain in great abundance, like the sand of the sea, until he ceased to measure it, for it could not be measured.

Before the year of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph. Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, bore them to him. Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh. “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s house.” The name of the second he called Ephraim, “For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”

After being sold into slavery and taken to Egypt, Joseph found himself in a unique position: in command of all of Egypt. Pharaoh was so appreciative that he gave Joseph a wife: Asenath. Asenath was the daughter of an Egyptian priest. I’m sure this made for an interesting mix of faith in their household.

On was a center for worshipping the sun god, Ra. The high priest of On was considered “Seer of Seers” among the Egyptian people. Asenath was a treasure given to Joseph. Her name is of Egyptian origin and means "gift of the sun-god". She became a gift to Joseph. She bore two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. There is not much more mentioned of her in scripture. Her legacy, however, endured.

The two sons born to Asenath became part of Israel’s history. When the nation of Israel was delivered from Egypt about 400 years after Joseph God changed some things regarding their makeup. Until this time they were divided into twelve tribes, the twelve sons of Jacob (who became Israel). While giving the law the tribe of Levi was chosen to be a priesthood to serve in temple worship. In order to keep the number of tribes at twelve God instructed Moses to replace Joseph with two representatives: Ephraim and Manasseh.

Asenath is never mentioned again, but there are still those that identify as being from the tribes of Israel led by her two sons.

Women in the Bible – Anna the Prophetess – Who Prophesied About Jesus at the Temple of Jerusalem

Women in the Bible – Anna the Prophetess – Who Prophesied About Jesus at the Temple of Jerusalem

Luke 2:36-38 (ESV) And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

The next Women of the Bible is our first in the New Testament. It also happens to be one of my favorite people in scripture. Her name is Anna. The name comes from a Hebrew word, which means “favored.” She lived her whole life for a single encounter: an encounter with Jesus, the Messiah.

Her life began like most Hebrew women. She was taught the law and the prophets. Anna knew about the promised Messiah. She believed that He would come and deliver Israel. She married as a virgin, but her husband died seven years after they were married. Apparently she had no children, so after she was widowed as a young woman Anna committed her life to service at the temple. Her days and nights were filled with prayer and fasting. She knew her God, and longed for the Promise that the prophets had said would come.

Her once-in-a-lifetime encounter came when she was eighty-four years old. Most Jewish girls married young; sometimes as early as thirteen. After seven years of marriage, Anna may have been serving in the temple for over sixty years. Imagine sixty years of fasting and prayer, day and night. Clearly she was well acquainted with her God. It was no wonder that He would use her to bless His own Son.

After Jesus was born it was Jewish custom to bring Him to the Temple to be circumcised. When Mary and Joseph entered the temple that day no one had to tell Anna who they were. She knew it was the Christ. After Simeon had spoken words over Jesus, Anna began to give thanks to God, and began telling others that their Redemption had finally arrived. The Messiah was born! Jesus, Son of David, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, had come to earth. Anna was there to welcome Him.

What about you? Would you be willing to spend sixty years of your life in service to God, denying yourself the human pleasures that most enjoy, just for one encounter with the King of Kings? Anna did.

Women in the Bible – Aholibamah – Daughter of Anah, One of Esau's Wives.

Women in the Bible – Aholibamah (or Oholibamah) – Daughter of Anah, One of Esau's Wives.

Genesis 36:2-24 (ESV) Esau took his wives from the Canaanites: Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, Oholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite, and Basemath, Ishmael’s daughter, the sister of Nebaioth. And Adah bore to Esau, Eliphaz; Basemath bore Reuel; and Oholibamah bore Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These are the sons of Esau who were born to him in the land of Canaan.

Then Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the members of his household, his livestock, all his beasts, and all his property that he had acquired in the land of Canaan. He went into a land away from his brother Jacob. For their possessions were too great for them to dwell together. The land of their sojournings could not support them because of their livestock. So Esau settled in the hill country of Seir. (Esau is Edom.)

These are the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites in the hill country of Seir. These are the names of Esau’s sons: Eliphaz the son of Adah the wife of Esau, Reuel the son of Basemath the wife of Esau. The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz. (Timna was a concubine of Eliphaz, Esau’s son; she bore Amalek to Eliphaz.) These are the sons of Adah, Esau’s wife. These are the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These are the sons of Basemath, Esau’s wife. These are the sons of Oholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon, Esau’s wife: she bore to Esau Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.

These are the chiefs of the sons of Esau. The sons of Eliphaz the firstborn of Esau: the chiefs Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz, Korah, Gatam, and Amalek; these are the chiefs of Eliphaz in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Adah. These are the sons of Reuel, Esau’s son: the chiefs Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah; these are the chiefs of Reuel in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Basemath, Esau’s wife. These are the sons of Oholibamah, Esau’s wife: the chiefs Jeush, Jalam, and Korah; these are the chiefs born of Oholibamah the daughter of Anah, Esau’s wife. These are the sons of Esau (that is, Edom), and these are their chiefs.

This is the most unusual name to me. The next Women in the Bible we consider is Aholibamah, or Oholibamah as is most commonly used. The name comes from the Hebrew word ʾoholîbāmâ which means “tent of (the) height.” All we know of her is that she married Esau. That should qualify her for some kind of award right there! Esau, the twin brother of Jacob, was a rough character. He was a man’s man, a hunter, a farmer. He also had a temper.

She was a blessing to Esau by giving him three sons: Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. We never hear anything of these three in scripture. Every time Oholibamah is referenced they mention her mother, and her mother’s father, but never her father. This could imply that she was illegitimate. Rarely do you see just a mother mentioned in a lineage. Even if the father is deceased he is still mentioned. Because of this, Esau would not have received a dowry with his wife. It also could mean that Oholibamah’s mother came to live with them. Regardless of these things Esau’s “tent was increased” when he took her as his wife.

Raising three boys in any culture is a challenge. Raising them as a nomadic people had to be very difficult. We don’t know the outcome of all of this. We know Esau eventually made peace with Jacob. Hopefully this change of heart in Esau was also experienced by his wives, and Oholibamah.

Women in the Bible – Ahlai – Daughter of Sheshan

Women in the Bible – Ahlai – Daughter of Sheshan

1 Chronicles 2:31-35 (ESV) The son of Appaim: Ishi. The son of Ishi: Sheshan. The son (KJV says children) of Sheshan: Ahlai. The sons of Jada, Shammai’s brother: Jether and Jonathan; and Jether died childless. The sons of Jonathan: Peleth and Zaza. These were the descendants of Jerahmeel. Now Sheshan had no sons, only daughters, but Sheshan had an Egyptian slave whose name was Jarha. So Sheshan gave his daughter in marriage to Jarha his slave, and she bore him Attai.

This may be one of the saddest stories I’ve read in scripture in quite a while. It’s the history of Ahlai, the next Women in the Bible we will consider. It is sad to me, mainly because my Western mind does not understand the customs of her day.

Ahlai’s father was Sheshan, a descendent of Kind David. The lineage we read in 1 Chronicles 2 is filled with “sons”. Ahlai is simply listed as “children” of Sheshan, not daughter. Her name comes from the Hebrew word ʾaḥlāy and means “wishful”. Having a son meant everything to a father in those days. We don’t know if that is why Sheshan named his daughter “wishful”, but he certainly wanted a son.

Ahlai lived her life as an only child, a daughter, in a man’s world. She knew the reality of her situation, and that life would most likely not go well for her. Because her father had no sons, he did something similar to the scheme Abram and Sarai tried by having Abram father Ishmael through Sarai’s handmaid, Hagar. Sheshan gave Ahlai to his Egyptian slave for a wife. It did result in a son, but at what price? Instead of allowing his daughter to “marry up” with a potential dowry he chose to give her to his slave.

My Western mind does not understand all of this. I have to believe that Ahlai remained wishful. Perhaps she was able to love her husband. By giving birth to a son her name was included in the Bible. That’s more than most in her day.

Women in the Bible – Ahinoam – King David's Wife, Mother of Amnon

Women in the Bible – Ahinoam – King David's Wife, Mother of Amnon

1 Samuel 25:43 (ESV) David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel, and both of them became his wives.

1 Samuel 27:3 (ESV) And David lived with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, and David with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail of Carmel, Nabal’s widow.

1 Samuel 30:5 (ESV) David’s two wives also had been taken captive, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel.

1 Samuel 30:18-20 (ESV) David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and David rescued his two wives. Nothing was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken. David brought back all. David also captured all the flocks and herds, and the people drove the livestock before him, and said, “This is David’s spoil.”

2 Samuel 2:2 (ESV) So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel.

2 Samuel 3:2 (ESV) And sons were born to David at Hebron: his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam of Jezreel;

1 Chronicles 3:1-9 (ESV) These are the sons of David who were born to him in Hebron: the firstborn, Amnon, by Ahinoam the Jezreelite; the second, Daniel, by Abigail the Carmelite, the third, Absalom, whose mother was Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur; the fourth, Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith; the fifth, Shephatiah, by Abital; the sixth, Ithream, by his wife Eglah; six were born to him in Hebron, where he reigned for seven years and six months. And he reigned thirty-three years in Jerusalem.

These were born to him in Jerusalem: Shimea, Shobab, Nathan and Solomon, four by Bath-shua, the daughter of Ammiel; then Ibhar, Elishama, Eliphelet, Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet, nine. All these were David’s sons, besides the sons of the concubines, and Tamar was their sister.

The next Women in the Bible we will look at is Ahinoam, wife of King David. We saw last time that her name means “brother of pleasantness.” This is not the same woman that was married to King Saul, even though they have the same name.

Ahinoam was married to David during some volatile years that led up to him reigning as king over Judah, and then Israel. She was the mother of David’s first born, a son named Amnon. Ahinoam was taken captive at one point, along with David’s other wife at the time. But David pursued the captors and recovered his family and all of their possessions. This tells me two things: David loved his family, and his family loved David. This would certainly cause a stronger bond to develop between them.

David’s first-born son by Ahinoam, Amnon, would cause much shame to come to his family. He raped his half-sister, Tamar, and was later killed by Tamar’s brother, Absalom. I cannot imagine what life must have been like for this family. Constantly under attack by enemies both inside and outside of Israel, being taken hostage by enemies of David, and the struggle for power in King David’s latter years, I’m sure all of took a toll on the peace in this home. Yet, we see David remain steadfast in his faith in God. Psalm 23 declares, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want …”

1 Samuel 30:6 (ESV) And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.

How blessed Ahinoam was to have been married to a man who went to the Lord for answers regarding his family!

We do not hear much about Ahinoam beyond her relationship to David. However, knowing what we know about David one can only imagine that she must have been a strong woman, emotionally, to endure all that she did as the wife of one ascending to the throne of a relatively new governmental structure over Israel. David would become only the second king to reign over Israel. She raised a son amidst all of this turmoil. However, the generational sins of David came to Amnon. It was his lust that brought him an untimely death.