- I. BEGINNING OF THE WORLD (parashot 1-2)
- II. STORY OF ABRAHAM (3-5)
- III. STORY OF ISAAC (6)
- IV. STORY OF JACOB (7-8)
- V. STORY OF JOSEPH (9-12)
See my post When is a chapter not a chapter? where I have talked about ways of dividing up the text of Genesis, including the traditional (Jewish) portions (I also refer to them there, at the end, as sections). Of these there are twelve in Genesis. In the above division into five narrative cycles, each cycle consists of one or more parashot as shown. It can be seen that the cycles are of quite unequal length: the longest is V (Joseph) which takes up four sections, followed by II (Abraham) with three, and the shortes cycle is III (Isaac) which is covered in a single section.
Below I am going to list the "stories" (omitting the tol'dot, or genealogies, and other such lists, which probably merit a separate study in their own right but which are very short on dramatic content), grouped into the above five cycles and listed in order, with thumbnail plot summaries, and listing topics and themes in each, which I will refer to in a future blog post.
I. THE BEGINNING (1-2)
·
Creation: How God built the sky and the land (1:1 - 2:4a)
God creates heaven and earth in six days and rests on the seventh.
Topics: blessings
Themes: God as creator
Paradise lost: Adam and Eve (2:4b - 3:24)
God
makes Adam, plants a garden and places him in it, makes animals and
woman, and gives the humans instructions. The snake tempts them to
disobey. They are punished and expelled from the garden.
Themes: God as creator, sins (disobedience)
First brothers: Cain, Abel and Seth (4:1-26)
Eve has two sons, a farmer and a shepherd. Cain kills Abel out of jealousy. Cain is banished. Adam and Hava have another son.
Topics: (monuments and) sacrifices, favouritism
Themes: sibling rivalry, crime (murder)
··
Noah's ark: The big flood (6:9 - 9:17)
The
world is full of sin. God destroys all life yet saves it through a
single good man, Noah, who obeys his instructions to build an ark and
collect specimens of all the animals. At last the flood subsides. God
promises not to repeat such mass destruction and gives the rainbow as a
sign of this covenant.
Topics: livestock, (monuments and) sacrifices, blessings
Themes: God's covenants, sin and destruction
A drunkard's indiscretion: The story about Noah and his sons after the flood (9:18-29)
Noah gets drunk and exposes himself. The brothers cover him.
Themes: sibling rivalry
A great "tower" is built. God confounds their languages and they disperse.
Themes: sin and destruction
II. ABRAHAM (3-5)
···
Time to move: God talks to Abram (12:1-9)
God
blesses Abram and tells him to go with his family to a land that he
will show him, promising to make him a great nation. Abram obeys and
reaches Canaan, where he builds an altar and travels the length of the
land (north to south).
Topics: monuments and sacrifices, blessings
Themes: God's covenants, migration
Abram
and his wife Saray sojourn in Egypt because of a famine. Saray is
mistaken for his sister and taken into the Pharaoh's court, and Abram
acquires much livestock. The Pharaoh later realises that they are
married, but the situation is clarified and Abram is sent away with all
his possessions.
Topics: livestock
Themes: migration, neighbourly relations, deception
Abram
and his nephew Lot decide to separate to avoid conflicts between their
growing flocks. Abram lets Lot decide and he chooses the Jordan plain,
and settles in Sodom. After he has left, God repeats his promise to give
the land around him to Abram.
Topics: livestock, family quarrels
Themes: God's covenants, migration
Abram
takes part in a war in alliance with several kings, and they are
victorious. In a conversation with Malki-Tzedek, he declines to take any
of the spoils for himself.
Themes: not messing with the locals, neighbourly relations and pacts
God
tells Abram he will make his progeny as numerous as the stars in the
sky, promises that he will have children yet (although Saray is old and
barren) and tells Abram to perform a sacrifice. Abram does, falls into a
stupor, and God tells him his future and that of his offspring, and
says that all the land around them will be for his descendants.
Topics: monuments and sacrifices, blessings
Themes: God's covenants, sterility and continuity
Saray,
who has no children, tells Abram to sleep with her maid Hagar. When
Hagar gets pregnant, Saray and Hagar fall out, and Hagar runs away, but
an angel tells her to go back, and promises that her son Ishmael's
descendants will become great, so she does, and Ishmael is born. Hagar
calls God "El Roi".
Topics: the wilderness, blessings, rank among wives
Themes: God's covenants, God's names
God
announces himself to Abram as El-Shadday, and again tells him he will
be the father of "a host of nations", but insists that all the males
must be circumcised as a sign of their covenant. He changes Abram's name
to Abraham
Topics: blessings
Themes: God's covenants, God's names, name changes, circumcision
Saray's
name is changed to Sarah. God tells Abram that Sarah will have a son
and he, not Ishmael, will inherit his promise to Abraham, although
Ishmael will also have many descendants. Abraham has all the males in
his household circumcised, including Ishmael.
Topics: children in old age
Themes: God's covenants, sterility and continuity, name games (Abraham smiles, yitzxaq), name changes, circumcision
Themes: God's covenants, sterility and continuity, name games (Abraham smiles, yitzxaq), name changes, circumcision
····
A prediction: When Sarah laughed (18:1-15)When three men, sent by God, pass by his tent, Abraham rushes to invite them to stay and eat. They forecast that in a year's time Sarah will have a child, even though they are old. From the entrance to the tent, Sarah hears and laughs. She is chided by God for it, for "nothing is too difficult for YHWH."
Topics: hospitality, children in old age
Themes: sterility and continuity, name games (yitzxak)
Disaster: The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (18:16 - 19:26)
God reveals to Abraham that he will destroy the towns of Sodom and Gomorrah because of their evil ways. Abraham pleads insistently that if there are any innocent people there he should spare them from destruction. God agrees and moves along. Reaching Sodom, the angels encounter Lot who invites them to lodge with him and they accept. That night the people of the town come after the visitors, and Lot tries to defend them. The people are struck blind, and the angels urge Lot to leave with his family. When they leave the town God tells Lot to escape to the hills, but Lot asks to be allowed to stay in the nearby town of Tzoar. In the morning fire rains on Sodom and Gomorrah and they are wiped out. In their flight, Lot was told they must not look back, but his wife looks and is turned to salt.
Topics: hospitality
Themes: sin and destruction, not messing with the locals, sins (sodomy)
While Abraham sees the smoking ruins of Sodom and Gomorrah from afar, Lot and his two daughters, panicked, run into the hills and find shelter in a cave. The older daughter, believing that there are no other men left in the world, tells the younger one they must get their father drunk and sleep with him in order to ensure the continuity of the race. This they both proceed to do. They each have a son, naming them Moab ("from father") and Ben-Ami ("son of my people") respectively.
Topics: genealogy
Themes: sterility and continuity, name games
Abraham moves to Gerar. King Abimelech thinks Sarah is his sister and sends for her. God tells the king in a dream that he's making a big mistake. In the dream, Abimelech protests that he didn't know and that it isn't too late yet. God replies that he knows that, and that's why he's warning him. The next day the king summons Abraham and reprimands him. Abraham makes his excuses for concealing the fact that they were married. Abimelech pays him off with extravagant gifts and sends him packing, and in return he and his court are spared from divine punishment.
Topics: livestock
Themes: migration, neighbourly relatons and pacts, dreams, deception
Sarah becomes pregnant and gives birth to their son Isaac (amid more punning relating to laughter). Further conflict ensues between the mothers of Abraham's two children, which culminates in Hagar being sent away with her son. Wandering in the wilderness, she runs out of water and prepares for the worst, when an angel materialises, points out a well she hadn't noticed, and forecasts that Ishmael is to "become a great nation". Ishmael lived in the desert and married an Egyptian.
Topics: the wilderness, wells, rank among wives and siblings
Themes: God's covenants, sibling rivalry, migration
Abraham complains to king Abimelech that the wells he dug have been expropriated from him. As a result of these negotiation they swear a pact; Abraham gives Abimelech seven ewes, and plants a tree. The place is named Beer-Sheba, with the expected name play. God is this time called El ‛Olam.
Topics: wells
Themes: neighbourly relations and pacts, God's names, name games
God
asks Abraham to make a sacrifice of his son Isaac. Abraham sets out to
the place God has told him with Isaac, two servants and an ass. They
reach the place, Abraham builds an altar, and when he is about to kill
Isaac, an angel tells him not to hurt his son, for now he knows that
Abraham will hold back nothing from God. A ram appears and is sacrificed
instead. Abraham names the place YHWH-yir'e. The angel promises that Abraham will be blessed for his obedience. Abraham returns to Beer-Sheba.
Topics: monuments and sacrifices, blessings
Themes: name games, tests
/
The cave at Machpelah: Abraham buries Sarah (23:1-20)When Sarah passes away, Abraham buys a piece of land from the locals ("Hittites"), and a detailed account follows of the purchase. It is a field near Mamre which contains the Machpelah Cave, which is sold to Abraham by Ephron son of Zoar for four hundred silver shekels.
Topics: burial
Themes: neighbourly relations and pacts
An
aging Abraham is worried that Isaac shouldn't marry a local Canaanite
girl. He sends his trusted servant Eliezer on a mission to Padan-Aram,
in the "old country", where his relative Laban lives, to find a bride
for Isaac and bring her back to Canaan. Eliezer is concerned the girl
may not wish to come back with him. Abraham gives him full istructions:
if she won't come, so be it, but on no account is Isaac to go back to
Padan-Aram, since God has promised that his offspring will inherit the
land of Canaan. Off Eliezer goes with some camels. When he reaches a
well at Padan-Aram he prays to God to give him a sign, and God obliges
by having the first girl he asks for some water to drink offer to water
his camels too. When Eliezer learns that she is none other than Rebecca,
Laban's sister, he knows his prayer has been heard. He tells his story
to Rebecca, who runs home to tell Laban, who comes running out to invite
Eliezer into his home. At dinner Eliezer retells the whole story yet
again for the benefit of his hosts who haven't heard it yet, and he
concludes with a request for him to be allowed to take Rebecca back to
Canaan with him to marry his master Isaac. Laban says Rebecca must be
asked if she wishes to go, and she does. Laban blesses Rebecca and they
leave. They arrive back, Isaac and Rebecca meet and the match is
consumed.
Moving on: How Abraham and Ishmael ended up (25:1-18)
Topics: livestock, wells, faithful servants, hospitality, blessings
Themes: migration
A
miscellany of facts about Abraham and Ishmael's last days and their
wives and offspring. Abraham remarried but left everything to Isaac. He
was buried by Sarah in Machpelah by Ishmael and Isaac.
Topics: genealogy, burial, rank among (wives and) siblings
Themes: sibling (rivalry)
III. ISAAC (6)
·/
Esau and Jacob are born (25:19-34)
After
a period of sterility, Isaac's wife Rebecca has a difficult pregnancy,
and gives birth to twins "fighting in the womb". Esau, red and hairy, is
born first but is followed straight away by Jacob, described almost
comically as "holding on to Esau's heel" (a pun to explain his name).
God forecasts to Rebecca that they will be two nations but the older
will serve the younger. Esau, who is Isaac's favourite, turns into a
hunter, whereas Jacob is quite the opposite, a stay-in-the-tent type who
likes to cook, and Rebecca's pet. One day Esau comes home from the
hunt, famished, to find Jacob stirring the stew and begs for "some of
that red stuff". Jacob serves him a bowl, and charges him his
birthright. Esau is silly enough to reply: "Deal."
Yet another misunderstanding: Isaac goes to Gerar (26:1-35)
Topics: favouritism, rank among (wives and) siblings
Themes: sibling rivalry
Like
father like son (unless the same story has been duplicated with
variations of detail): Isaac, after being warned by God not to go to
Egypt and blessed and told that his descendants will be more numerous
than the stars in the sky, moves to Gerar on account of another famine -
and fails to mention that Rebecca is his wife, and King Abimelech, who
is still ruling (and doesn't have a very good memory?), understanding
them to be brother and sister, is scandalized one day to see them doing
things through the window. (Am I wrong or is there something slightly
Punch-and-Judy-ish about this situation?) Abimelech protests: "She's
your sister!" and Isaac says: "Oh no she isn't! She's my wife!"
Abimelech is understandably annoyed but they make up. Isaac, following
in his father's footsteps again, does very well for himself there
economically, but gets into a row over rights to wells (the same ones
his father had dug), and Abimelech, finding his presence a destablizing
factor, asks Isaac politely to leave. Isaac goes to Beer-Sheba, God
appears and blesses him, Isaac builds an altar and "invoked YHWH by
name". And digs a well. Abimelech comes to see Isaac there and proposes
they make a mutual non-aggression pact. They both took an oath, and
Abimelech went back to Gerar, and the next day they struck water in the
well. And that's why it's called Beer-Sheba. Around this time Esau
married two Hittite women, a fact which gave Isaac and Rebecca great tsores.
A stolen blessing: Jacob tricks Isaac (27:1-45)
Topics: wells, monuments (and sacrifices), blessings
Themes: neighbourly relations and pacts, name games, deception
Isaac
tells Esau: "I am old, I may die at any time, I want to bless you. Go
hunt some venison and let's have a good meal, then I'll bless you."
Rebecca overhears the conversation and talks Jacob into impersonating
his brother so as to rob him of his blessing. They act out this mad
plan, and it works: Isaac blesses Jacob thinking that he's Esau (forgot
to mention he's blind). Then in comes Esau, only to find his blessing
has been stolen by this little brother. Furious, he swears revenge, and
Rebecca, now fearful, tells Jacob to run away to his uncle Laban.
Escape: Jacob flees to Laban's house (27:46 - 28:9)
Topics: favouritism, blessings, rank among (wives and) siblings
Themes: sibling rivalry, migration, deception
Rebecca sets the stage for Jacob's escape by kvetshing to Isaac about Esau having married a couple of shikses,
warning that Jacob will end up doing the same if they aren't careful.
So Isaac has the idea of sending Jacob over to Laban's place for a
while, and Rebecca probably tells him: "You're a genius!" Isaac summons
Jacob, and forbidding him to go marrying Canaanites, blesses him one
last time and dispatches him to Padan-Aram. In a footnote to the main
plot line, Esau, realising his own blunder, tries to fix things by
adding one of Ishmael's daughters to his harem.
Topics: blessings
Themes: sibling rivalry, migration, not messing with the locals
IV. JACOB (7-8)
··/
Gateway to heaven: Jacob's dream and promise (28:10-22)Stopping along the way at sunset, Jacob places a stone under his head, goes to sleep and has a dream in which he sees stairs leading up to heaven. God speaks to Jacob in the dream and makes the usual promises: his descendants will be many and spread far and wide; God will protect him always and will not abandon him until this is done. Jacob awakes and is much moved by the thought that he has spent the night at the gateway to heaven. In the morning he sets up the stone as a pillar, and calls the place the House of God (Bet-El). Jacob then makes a solemn promise of his own: to keep faith with God and pay back a tenth of everything he receives.
Topics: monuments (and sacrifices), blessings
Themes: God's covenants, name games, dreams
A family visit: Jacob gets to Haran (29:1-17)
Jacob completes his eastward journey and comes to a well where shepherds are gathered. The well is covered by a large stone which must be moved to water the flocks. Jacob makes small talk with the shepherds and learns that Laban is well. Along comes Laban's shepherd daughter Rachel, whom Jacob emotionally embraces, she runs home to tell Laban and Laban comes out to invite Jacob into their home. A month passes and Laban offers Jacob a salary for his help with the flocks. Laban has two daughters: Leah the tender-eyed, and Rachel who is very good-looking.
Topics: livestock, wells, hospitality
Themes: migration
Jacob offered to work for Laban for seven years in exchange for Rachel's hand in marriage, to which Laban readily agreed. When the time came, Laban duped Jacob into marrying Leah instead. A disgruntled Jacob received the explanation that the younger daughter could not marry before her older sister, but no problem as he could have them both. After waiting a week for the sense of decorum, Jacob got his Rachel and gave Leah the cold shoulder. Jacob continued to work for another seven years.
Topics: rank among wives and siblings
Themes: sibling rivalry, deception
In his infinite wisdom, God compensated Leah by letting her conceive while Rachel couldn't get pregnant. Leah had four sons and gave them meaningful names (Reuben 'Look! A son!', Simeon 'God heard me', Levi 'attachment'?, Judah 'gratitude'). Exasperated, Rachel finally tells Jacob to at least make her maid Bilhah pregnant, and Jacob obliges, producing two sons whose names also mean something (Dan 'judgment' and Naphtali 'victory'). Not to be outdone, Leah sends Jacob to bed with her maid Zilpah too, and two more sons ensue (Gad 'lucky' and Asher 'fortunate').
Topics: rank among wives and siblings
Themes: sibling rivalry, name games
The duda root (30:14-24)
One day Reuben found some dudaim growing and brought them home to his mother Leah. (Note: Although uncertain, these are traditionally identified as mandrakes and were popularly thought to have aphrodisiac or some such properties.) Rachel asks Leah to let her have some. They strike a deal: Leah gets to have sex with her husband and in return Rachel will get some of the dudas. The upshot was that Leah had two more sons with Jacob (Issachar 'payment' and Zebulun 'present'), and even a daughter for extra measure (Dina). And Rachel at last gives Jacob a child (Joseph, either 'removal' or 'addition').
Themes: sterility and continuity, name games
Goats and sheep (30:25-42)
Jacob would like to return to Canaan now, and he broaches the subject of a monetary settlement with Laban. Rather than a direct payment, Jacob asks to receive whatever animals have unusual markings on them. Laban agrees, and thereupon has his sons remove all the speckled, spotted and streaked animals from the flocks and keep them at a distance. Not to be outdone, however, Jacob sets going a special breeding program which will work to his benefit.
Topics: livestock
Themes: deception
A family meeting: Jacob and his wives have a talk (30:43 - 31:16)
As Jacob's wealth grows, he learns that his local cousins are turning against him. God then tells Jacob to return to his father's country. Out in the fields, Jacob holds a meeting with his wives and voices complaints about their father. He tells them about a dream in which an angel told him to go back to Canaan. The women express their support for him and urge him to obey God's command. They gather up their children, property and flocks and set off towards Canaan.
Topics: livestock, family quarrels
Themes: migration, dreams
Nearly caught: Laban's gods (31:17-42)
Sending his family ahead on the camels, Jacob lags behind with the animals and other possessions. While this was going on, Laban only got wind a few days later because he was away shearing the sheep. In his absence, Rachel had grabbed hold of the family idols ("gods") and is carrying them with her, unbeknownst to Jacob. Soon they are well on their way into the Gilead hill country. When Laban hears of their flight he and his men race after them, but given their headstart it takes Laban a week to catch up, and God appears to Laban in a dream warning him not to speak to Jacob "for good or bad". At last Laban reaches them and sets up camp beside theirs. He oes over to Jacob's family's camp, where he berates Jacob for stealing away without a proper goodbye and then accuse Rachel of having stolen his gods. Jacob, who knows nothing of the theft, is incensed by Laban's accusation and challenges him to search his camp, which Laban's men do. Rachel craftily outwits her father by hiding the gods in the camel's cushion on which she sits, and claims she cannot get off her camel for reasons of decorum as it is her time of the month. Now Jacob considers himself the injured party and they continues to argue.
Topics: family quarrels
Themes: deception, crime (theft)
Peace talks: Jacob and Laban's pact (31:43 - 32:3)
Laban proposes they make peace, since they are, after all, family. They make a stone mound to commemorate their pact, which is named. Jacob swears by the Fear of Isaac (another name of God). Jacob makes a sacrifice. The next morning, Laban takes his leave. Jacob names the place Two Camps.
Topics: monuments and sacrifices
Themes: neighbourly relations and pacts, God's names, name games
···/
Appeasement: Jacob's gifts to Esau (32:4-22)Jacob "inboxes" Esau in Seir (formerly called "sending messengers") to say: I'm back. A message comes back saying: "Your message has been seen. He's coming. With 400 men." That last bit makes Jacob slightly nervous for some reason, so first of all he splits his camp into two halves to cut his losses if worst comes to worst. Then he prays. Finally, he organises a parade of numerous goats, sheep, camel, cows, bulls and donkeys, which he orders his servants to lead in blocks with space between each group, and any time Esau asks them what's going on as they're filing past they are to answer that Jacob is just behind them. And this is a present to you. This was intended to put Esau in a better mood by the time Jacob reached Esau.
Topics: livestock, family quarrels
Themes: God's covenants, sibing rivalry
Jacob becomes Israel (32:23-33)
During the night he sends his wives and children ahead, and tarries behind on his own. Then "a man" comes and fights with Jacob all night, and dislocates his hip. Jacob knows he is an angel and demands to be blessed; in response, the angel changes Jacob's name to Israel because he has striven with gods (yisra El). Jacob/Israel then asks: "What's your name?" but his adversary evades the question. The story ends with another pun about the name of the place, Peniel or Penuel ('face of God'), and an explanation about Jewish dietary laws.
Topics: blessings
Themes: name games, name changes
Jacob and Esau meet (33:1-20)
Esau reaches where Jacob is waiting. His family disperse for safety. Jacob approaches Esau, bowing repeatedly. But Esau runs over to Jacob and hugs and kisses him. Esau asks him what all this is about, and assures Jacob he doesn't need his gifts, but Jacob pleads with him to accept them anyway. Esau suggests they should travel together but Jacob declines with a plausible excuse. So Esau goes back to Seir and Jacob journeys to Sukot, where he stops and erects huts for the animals, whence the place's name (sukkot means 'huts'). From there he carries on to Shechem. Jacob builds an altar and names it 'El the God of Israel'.
Topics: family quarrels
Themes: name games
Dina's story (34:1-31)
While at the town of Shechem, one day when Jacob and Leah's daughter Dina went out, a local young man also called Shechem takes it into his head to abduct her, rape her, fall in love with her and ask to marry her (apparently in that order). So Shechem's father Hamor went to see Jacob to talk about it, and there was a big row. Jacob and his sons are outraged, but Hamor suggests it would be to their mutual advantage to agree to accept intermarriage between the two communities. Jacob's sons come up with a counter-proposal: "On one condition," they say: "only if you circumcise all your males." It is a ruse. Shechem and Hamor agree, talk the population into it, and they all get circumcised at the same time. While they are all still unrecovered, Simeon and Levi walk into the town armed with swords and massacre all the males, including Shechem and Hamor, and rescue Dina. Then their other brothers go in and plunder the whole town, even capturing the wives and children. Jacob doesn't seem too pleased about this, fearing retribution from his more numerous neighbours. "Serves them right for treating our sister like a whore", they retort.
Themes: not messing with the locals, neighbourly relations and pacts, deception, crime (rape), circumcision
Bethel revisited (35:1-15)
God tells Jacob to go to Bet-el, the place where he had had a vision while fleeing from Esau, and build an altar there. Jacob tells all his family to hand over their foreign gods and any other trinkets, which he buries. Jacob names the altar he builds El-bet-El 'God of the House of God'. An obituary appears for Rachel's nurse Debora who dies and is buried there. God appears to Jacob and tells him he is no longer to be called Jacob, but Israel, and announces himself as El-Shaday, and proceeds to bless Jacob and renew his promise. Jacob sets up a monument and (again) names the place House of God "because God spoke to him there".
Topics: monuments and sacrifices, faithful servants, burial, blessings
Themes: God's covenants, God's names, name games, name changes
Good news and bad news: a birth and a death (35:16-20)
Then on the road from Bet-El to Efrat, Rachel goes into labour and it doesn't go well. Her second son and Jacob's youngest, Benyamin, is born and Rachel names him 'son of my affliction', and then she dies. Jacob buried her there and erected a monument to her.
Topics: monuments (and sacrifices), burial
Themes: name games
Wrap-up: Children of Israel (35:21-29)
Further along in their journey, Jacob learns that his son Reuben has had sex with Bilha, Jacob's concubine. The we have a quick run-down of Jacob's twelve sons. Jacob goes to see his father Isaac in Mamre. When Isaac passes away he is buried there by his two sons.
Topics: burial
V. JOSEPH (9-12)
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Joseph's story: The dreamer (37:1-11)Joseph, Jacob's favourite son, receives a gift of a striped shirt from his father. He is given to having strange dreams which seem to predict his own glorious future. His elder brothers can't stand him, and even his father starts to wonder about him.
Topics: favouritism, rank among siblings, children in old age
Themes: sibling rivalry, dreams
Joseph's older brothers have taken the flocks to pasture in Shechem, a good distance away. After some time has passed Jacob decides to send young Joseph on an errand to see how his brother are doing. In Shechem he finds out they have moved on to Dothan. His brothers catch sight of him on his way to them and conspire to do away with him. Initially they plan to kill him but end up throwing him into an empty pit and then selling him to passing traders on their way to Egypt.
Topics: livestock
Themes: sibling rivalry, crime (kidnapping, fratricide)
With Joseph out of the way, the brothers stain his striped shirt, which they have previously removed, in the blood of an animal and take it back to Jacob, who identifies it and infers that Joseph has been killed by a wild animal.
Themes: deception
"And now for something completely different": the story of Joseph is temporarily interrupted at the conclusion of Act I, as Speiser puts it (but for comic relief??) with the telling of a separate little story about Judah's daughter-in-law Tamar, a Canaanite. This story involves an ancient custom, called levirate, whereby in order to avoid the extinction of a family line if a husband dies one of his brothers is required to marry the widow and give her offspring who will be counted as heirs of the deceased brother. One of Judah's sons marries Tamar and dies, a second son (Onan) then marries her but avoids giving her offspring (whence the term Onanism), and dies also as a punishment from God. Judah has one more son but is afraid of losing him too so he asks Tamar to wait until the boy is old enough. Tamar realises that she is never going to have her right to marry again fulfilled and carries out a very tricky ruse to get Judah to give her what she deserves: she disguises herself and poses as a prostitute, gets Judah to have sex with her, is impregnated by him, holds some objects of his ransom so he will come looking for her and finally reveals to him who she is and claims inheritance rights; Judah admits that he is in the wrong and the matter is settled amicably.
Themes: [sterility and] continuity, deception
Joseph's story: Joseph chez Potiphar (39:1-23)
Meanwhile back in Egypt, Joseph is sold to the Pharaoh's employee, Potiphar, who quickly gains trust in him and puts him in charge of his own household. A good-looking young man, Joseph falls into a trap. Potiphar's wife lusts after him, and when Joseph loyally refuses her advances, she turns against him and through lies gets Joseph put into the prison on Potiphar's compound. But Joseph again falls into the jailer's good books and gets put in charge of the other prisoners. Thus a pattern emerges, despite all the calamities that happen to him, God is on Joseph's side and he always comes out on top.
Joseph's story: Interpreter of dreams (40:1-23)
Still in Potiphar's jail, Joseph displays a talent for interpreting dreams. Pharaoh's cup-bearer and baker, who have both been sent to jail by an irate Pharaoh, have disconcerting dreams one night, and Joseph tells their meaning: the cup-bearer is going to get his job back, and the baker is going to be executed. Three days later, as Joseph predicted, these things happen. The cup-bearer promises he will put in a good word for Joseph with Pharaoh but he forgets, and Joseph continues to languish in prison.
Still in Potiphar's jail, Joseph displays a talent for interpreting dreams. Pharaoh's cup-bearer and baker, who have both been sent to jail by an irate Pharaoh, have disconcerting dreams one night, and Joseph tells their meaning: the cup-bearer is going to get his job back, and the baker is going to be executed. Three days later, as Joseph predicted, these things happen. The cup-bearer promises he will put in a good word for Joseph with Pharaoh but he forgets, and Joseph continues to languish in prison.
Themes: dreams
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Joseph's story: Pharaoh's dreams (41:1-13)One morning Pharaoh is very concerned about what two dreams he had that night could possibly mean, and none of the kingdom's wise men can tell him. Pharaoh's embarrassed cup-bearer suddenly remembers his encounter with Joseph in jail, and tells Pharaoh how Joseph had correctedly predicted his fate and that of the unfortunate baker.
Topics: livestock
Themes: dreams and their interpretation
Joseph's story: The meaning of Pharaoh's dreams (41:14-38)
Joseph is summoned and without hesitation he tells Pharaoh the meaning of both dreams: seven years of plenty will be followed by seven years of famine. He also advises Pharaoh about what he should do about it. He must locate a very wise man and put him in charge of all Egypt, and grain should be stored in all the cities throughout the years of plenty, to be distributed to the people in the time of hunger which will follow. Pharaoh is impressed.
Joseph is summoned and without hesitation he tells Pharaoh the meaning of both dreams: seven years of plenty will be followed by seven years of famine. He also advises Pharaoh about what he should do about it. He must locate a very wise man and put him in charge of all Egypt, and grain should be stored in all the cities throughout the years of plenty, to be distributed to the people in the time of hunger which will follow. Pharaoh is impressed.
Themes: dreams and their interpretation
Joseph's story: Pharaoh puts him in charge (41:39-52)
Pharaoh takes Joseph's advice but appoints Joseph himself to run the programme across all of Egypt, giving him great power. Joseph gets to work touring the country and giving instructions. He is given an Egyptian name and marries an Egyptian woman called Asenat, with whom he has two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
Pharaoh takes Joseph's advice but appoints Joseph himself to run the programme across all of Egypt, giving him great power. Joseph gets to work touring the country and giving instructions. He is given an Egyptian name and marries an Egyptian woman called Asenat, with whom he has two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
Joseph's story: The brothers arrive (41:53 - 42:14)
As Joseph predicted, seven years of plenty are followed by a great famine which also affects Canaan, and Jacob sends his sons down to Egypt where he has heard that there is grain available. Only the youngest son, Benjamin (Joseph's only full brother), stays behind because he is Jacob's favourite, as the only remaining son of Rachel, and he is afraid of losing him. In Egypt the brothers have an interview with Joseph himself, but they don't recognise him although he recognises them. He accuses them of being spies. Protesting their innocence, they tell him about their family, but Joseph pretends not to believe them.
As Joseph predicted, seven years of plenty are followed by a great famine which also affects Canaan, and Jacob sends his sons down to Egypt where he has heard that there is grain available. Only the youngest son, Benjamin (Joseph's only full brother), stays behind because he is Jacob's favourite, as the only remaining son of Rachel, and he is afraid of losing him. In Egypt the brothers have an interview with Joseph himself, but they don't recognise him although he recognises them. He accuses them of being spies. Protesting their innocence, they tell him about their family, but Joseph pretends not to believe them.
Themes: deception, tests
Joseph's story: The brothers are tested (42:15-38)
To test whether their story is true, Joseph tells his brothers he will hold in Egypt all but one of them who must go back home and bring their little brother of whom they have spoken. He puts them all in jail for three days, then summons them again and modifies his proposal: only one brother need stay in Egypt and the rest are to go back home, but must come back with Benjamin if they want to redeem their brother. The brothers despair because they know Jacob won't want to part with Benjamin, and they start to think they are being punished for the sins they committed with their brother Joseph. Unbeknownst to them, Joseph is eavesdropping; they believe he is an Egyptian and don't dream that he can understand their language. He is overcome with emotion and turns away so that they will not see his tears. Joseph imprisons Simeon and sends the others on their way with the provisions they have purchased, but has the money they have paid for them placed in the sacks. They find the money when they interrupt their journey to stop somewhere for the night. When they reach home they tell Jacob all about their eventful trip. Jacob expresses his consternation: first Joseph was killed (he believes), now Shimon is a prisoner, and even Benjamin is under threat.
To test whether their story is true, Joseph tells his brothers he will hold in Egypt all but one of them who must go back home and bring their little brother of whom they have spoken. He puts them all in jail for three days, then summons them again and modifies his proposal: only one brother need stay in Egypt and the rest are to go back home, but must come back with Benjamin if they want to redeem their brother. The brothers despair because they know Jacob won't want to part with Benjamin, and they start to think they are being punished for the sins they committed with their brother Joseph. Unbeknownst to them, Joseph is eavesdropping; they believe he is an Egyptian and don't dream that he can understand their language. He is overcome with emotion and turns away so that they will not see his tears. Joseph imprisons Simeon and sends the others on their way with the provisions they have purchased, but has the money they have paid for them placed in the sacks. They find the money when they interrupt their journey to stop somewhere for the night. When they reach home they tell Jacob all about their eventful trip. Jacob expresses his consternation: first Joseph was killed (he believes), now Shimon is a prisoner, and even Benjamin is under threat.
Joseph's story: Back to Egypt (43:1-15)
They
use up the provisions they had bought and the famine continues. They
will need to go back to Egypt to buy more food, but they have been
warned that they must bring Benjamin. Jacob resists letting him go but
finally gives in as their situation is desparate; Judah promises to
bring him back safely.
Joseph's story: Joseph meets Benjamin (43:16-29)
Upon their arrival back in Egypt with Benjamin, Joseph has the brothers brought into his residence. They are apprehensive and talk to Joseph's steward, offering to return money they had found in their sacks. He tells them not to worry about it. Simon is produced, and upon Joseph's arrival at the house, they lay out the gifts they have brought for him. He asks them how their father is, and speaks kindly to Benjamin.
Upon their arrival back in Egypt with Benjamin, Joseph has the brothers brought into his residence. They are apprehensive and talk to Joseph's steward, offering to return money they had found in their sacks. He tells them not to worry about it. Simon is produced, and upon Joseph's arrival at the house, they lay out the gifts they have brought for him. He asks them how their father is, and speaks kindly to Benjamin.
Topics: hospitality
Joseph's story: Another test (43:30 - 44:17)
Joseph hurries away to his own room to weep privately, then washes his face and re-enters the room, and they eat. He has generous portions served, but gives special preference to Benjamin. He gives his steward instructions to fill their bags with grain and to put their money back again, and to place his silver cup in Benjamin's sack. They set off on their donkeys, and soon after they have left the city he has his servant run after them to search them for the cup, which is found among Benjamin's things. They are all brought back to town, and Joseph proposes to keep Benjamin there and send the rest of them home.
Joseph hurries away to his own room to weep privately, then washes his face and re-enters the room, and they eat. He has generous portions served, but gives special preference to Benjamin. He gives his steward instructions to fill their bags with grain and to put their money back again, and to place his silver cup in Benjamin's sack. They set off on their donkeys, and soon after they have left the city he has his servant run after them to search them for the cup, which is found among Benjamin's things. They are all brought back to town, and Joseph proposes to keep Benjamin there and send the rest of them home.
Topics: favouritism
Themes: deception, tests
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Joseph's story: Judah pleads with Joseph (44:18-34)
Judah
speaks for the brothers and makes a moving speech and a plea to Joseph,
still unaware that he is their lost brother. He respectfully reminds
Joseph that it was his idea that they should bring their youngest
brother with them, against their will because he is their father's
youngest child who is especially dear to him and it will break his heart
if anything happens to the youngster or they return home without him.
Judah finishes by begging Joseph to let him remain as his servant in
lieu of Benjamin, because, he says, "How can I present myself to my
father and tell him that the boy is no longer with them? It will send
him to the grave!"
Joseph's story: Joseph reveals his identity (45:1-15)
As the story reaches its climax, Joseph dramatically sends all his staff out of the room to give them privacy, then reveals his identity, weeping so loudly that it can be heard "in all of Egypt and even in the Pharaoh's house". He sobs: "I am Joseph!! Does my father still live?" The brothers are stunned, and he tells them to come closer to him, then makes his speech. "I am the brother whom you sold to Egypt. Don't feel bad! It wasn't you, it was God who sent me here so that I could save the country from famine. It was all meant to be! And thanks to God's designs, I can also save all of you from hunger. Hurry home and tell my father: Joseph is alive. Bring him here, I will give you all land to settle in the region of Goshen where there is room for your flocks and your cattle. I will look after you here and get through the five years of famine still to come."
As the story reaches its climax, Joseph dramatically sends all his staff out of the room to give them privacy, then reveals his identity, weeping so loudly that it can be heard "in all of Egypt and even in the Pharaoh's house". He sobs: "I am Joseph!! Does my father still live?" The brothers are stunned, and he tells them to come closer to him, then makes his speech. "I am the brother whom you sold to Egypt. Don't feel bad! It wasn't you, it was God who sent me here so that I could save the country from famine. It was all meant to be! And thanks to God's designs, I can also save all of you from hunger. Hurry home and tell my father: Joseph is alive. Bring him here, I will give you all land to settle in the region of Goshen where there is room for your flocks and your cattle. I will look after you here and get through the five years of famine still to come."
Topics: livestock
Themes: migration
Joseph's story: Pharaoh invites Jacob and his sons to Egypt (45:16-28)
When
Pharaoh hears that Joseph's brothers have come, he instructs Joseph to
tell his brothers to load up with food and return to Canaan, and bring
the whole family over and he will give them the best Egypt has to offer.
He will even send carts over with them to help carry all their
belongings over. And so they did. Arriving home, the sons give Jacob the
news that Joseph is alive and all his fortunes. Once he was convinced
it was the truth, Jacob says with joy: "My son is alive, and I will lay
eyes on him again before I die."
Joseph's story: Jacob and his sons set out for Egypt (46:1-27)
Jacob/Israel stops along the way to make sacrifices to the God of his father at Beersheba. God, appearing to Jacob in a vision, tells him not to worry, because God will accompany him to Egypt and make his descendants a great people. "I will be there with you, I will bring you home when you die, and Joseph's hand will close your eyes." And so they all came to Egypt: seventy people in all (they are listed), with all their livestock and belongings.
Jacob/Israel stops along the way to make sacrifices to the God of his father at Beersheba. God, appearing to Jacob in a vision, tells him not to worry, because God will accompany him to Egypt and make his descendants a great people. "I will be there with you, I will bring you home when you die, and Joseph's hand will close your eyes." And so they all came to Egypt: seventy people in all (they are listed), with all their livestock and belongings.
Topics: genealogy, livestock, monuments and sacrifices, blessings
Themes: God's covenants, migration
Joseph's story: Arrival (46:28-34)
Jacob sends a messenger ahead to tell Joseph that he is coming to Goshen, and Joseph meets him there. They hug, weep, and Jacob says: "Now I can die because I have seen you and I know you are alive." Joseph explains to his family that he is going to arrange for them to meet Pharaoh, and when he asks them about their occupation they are to tell him that they are animal herders. That way they can stay in Goshen, because Egyptians don't like to mix with animal herders.
Jacob sends a messenger ahead to tell Joseph that he is coming to Goshen, and Joseph meets him there. They hug, weep, and Jacob says: "Now I can die because I have seen you and I know you are alive." Joseph explains to his family that he is going to arrange for them to meet Pharaoh, and when he asks them about their occupation they are to tell him that they are animal herders. That way they can stay in Goshen, because Egyptians don't like to mix with animal herders.
Topics: livestock
Themes: migration, not mixing with the locals, neighbourly relations and pacts
Joseph's story: The children of Israel in Egypt (47:1-12)
A delegation of the family goes to speak to Pharaoh and the interview is held. It goes well and they are granted the right to take up residence in Goshen. Jacob also has an audience with Pharaoh. Joseph looks after everyone and they weather the period of famine.
A delegation of the family goes to speak to Pharaoh and the interview is held. It goes well and they are granted the right to take up residence in Goshen. Jacob also has an audience with Pharaoh. Joseph looks after everyone and they weather the period of famine.
Topics: livestock, hospitality
Themes: migration, neighbourly relations and pacts
Joseph's story: Joseph governs (47:13-27)
Both
Egypt and Canaan are hit hard by famine. Selling the stores of grain to
the population, Joseph collects all the country's money and brings it
to Pharaoh. When there was no money left people started clamouring for
food, for they had nothing. Joseph accepts their livestock as payment,
and distributes food to help people get through the year. The next year
comes round and people no longer have animals left to barter for food,
so they start to sell all they have: their own labour and their land. In
this way Joseph concentrated ownership of all the land in Pharaoh's
hands. He institutes an economic system in which people will be provided
with seed to sow and must give a fifth of their product to Pharaoh in
payment; the rest is theirs to consume or plant. An exception is made
for the priests because their land has already been ceded to them by
Pharaoh. The children of Israel remained in Egypt and were fruitful and
multiplied.
Topics: livestock
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Jacob asks to be buried in Canaan (47:28-31)
Jacob
lives in Egypt for several years. When he was approaching the end of
his life he asks Joseph to promise him he will bury him in Canaan.
Topics: burial
Jacob blesses Joseph and his sons (48:1-22)
Having
been told that his father's health was failing, Joseph went to see him
and took his two sons, Manasseh and Ephaim, with him. Jacob blesses
Joseph, and adopts his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, as his own,
making them his heirs. Then Jacob, who can no longer see, asks for the
two young men to be brought to him. Although Joseph has placed his
oldest son, Manasseh, on Jacob's right hand side, Jacob places his right
hand on his younger brother Ephraim's head by crossing his arms, and so
he gives them his blessing. When Joseph saw that Jacob had placed his
right hand on Ephraim's head he thought he had got mixed up, so he tried
to correct him. "No father," he says, "this one is the eldest." "I know, son, I know," repliles Jacob, "but the younger one is going to become greater than his brother."
Topics: blessings, rank among (wives and) siblings
Themes: (sterility and) continuity
Jacob foretells the fortunes of the Israelite tribes (49:1-27)
Jacob summons all his sons so that he can foretell the fortune of each, or rather of the tribes they represent.
Jacob summons all his sons so that he can foretell the fortune of each, or rather of the tribes they represent.
Topics: genealogy
Before dying Jacob asks his sons to bury him in the cave of Machpela where his father and grandfater were buried. The grieving Joseph had his father's body embalmed Egyptian style, a process which took forty days, and his father was mourned for seventy days before Joseph sent word to Pharaoh to say he was taking his father back to Canaan to fulfil his last request. A large group went with them. After crossing the Jordan they held a memorial service. The local Canaanites were impressed by the solemnity of the funeral, and thinking they were Egyptians called the place thereafter Abel-Mitzraim ("Egyptian mourning"). Jacob's sons bury their father at Machpela.
Topics: burial
Themes: name games
Joseph forgives his brothers (50:14-21)
Joseph and his brothers returned to Egypt. Now, with Jacob no longer alive, the brothers started to worry that Joseph would take revenge on them for what they had done to him years before. They went to talk to Joseph and told him that Jacob had instructed them to tell Joseph that he wished for him to forgive them for the injustice they had done. This caused Joseph to weep. The brothers offered to let him dispose of them as his servants. Joseph replied: "Do not worry. I am not God. You may have had evil intentions towards me but God other ideas, and thanks to what you did we are all alive now. Relax!"
Joseph and his brothers returned to Egypt. Now, with Jacob no longer alive, the brothers started to worry that Joseph would take revenge on them for what they had done to him years before. They went to talk to Joseph and told him that Jacob had instructed them to tell Joseph that he wished for him to forgive them for the injustice they had done. This caused Joseph to weep. The brothers offered to let him dispose of them as his servants. Joseph replied: "Do not worry. I am not God. You may have had evil intentions towards me but God other ideas, and thanks to what you did we are all alive now. Relax!"
Themes: sibling rivalry
Joseph lived with his family and lived to see his sons' grandchildren. On his deathbed, he told his relatives: "After I day God will look after you, and he will take you back from Egypt to the land that God promised your ancestors Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He asked for his bones to be taken back to the land of Canaan.
Topics: burial
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