25 Details About the Life of Joseph -- 'A' to 'Z' Quiz

Answer: Asenath

The correct answer is Asenath, but not much is known about her as she is mentioned in passing reference. According to Genesis 46:20, she was the mother of Manasseh and Ephraim. At this time, Joseph was the second most powerful man in Egypt, surpassed by only the Pharaoh. As a result, Asenath would have been one of the most influential women in Egypt.

Answer: Benjamin

Benjamin is the correct answer. However, the child was originally called Ben-Oni, according to Scripture. Genesis 35:18 in the NKJV Bible states Rachel, "...as her soul was departing (for she died), that she called his name Ben-Oni; but his father called him Benjamin." Ben-Oni means 'son of my trouble' while Benjamin means 'son of my right hand'. Benjamin would become a founder of one of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Answer: His father

According to Genesis 37:3, the coat was made by Joseph's father Jacob, also known as Israel. (The KJV uses the term 'Coat of Many Colors' while the NKJV uses 'Tunic of Many Colors'. Meanwhile, the NIV uses the term 'Ornate Robe of Many Colors'.)

According to Scripture, Jacob made the coat because he loved Joseph more than all his children. Here's how Genesis 37:3-4 reads in the NKJV: "Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him."

Apart from the fact the coat featured "many colors", no further details are given in Scripture.

Answer: Their sheaves bowing to his sheaf

Joseph dreamed the sheaves of his eleven brothers would bow down to his sheaf. In other words, he would rule over them -- and this is exactly what eventually happened.

Here's how Genesis 37:5-8, in the NKJV, tells of Joseph's dream: "Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more. So he said to them, 'Please hear this dream which I have dreamed: There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf.'

"And his brothers said to him, 'Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?' So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words."

The chapter goes on to tell of Joseph having another dream. In the second dream "the sun, the moon and eleven stars bowed down" to him.

According to Genesis 37:10, Joseph was not only rebuked by his eleven brothers, but also by his father Jacob, when he told them about his second dream.

Answer: For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.

According to Genesis 41:52, Ephraim means "For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction." In other words, Joseph was enjoying immense fruitfulness, this even though he arrived in Egypt as a slave. Not much is known about Ephraim as he is largely mentioned in passing reference. Chapter 48 of Genesis tells of Ephraim being blessed by his grandfather Jacob.

Answer: Canaan

Jacob and Joseph's eleven brothers lived in Canaan. The area is described in Genesis 10:19 in the NKJV: "...the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon as you go toward Gerar, as far as Gaza; then as you go toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha." Eventually, the Israelites would return to live in Canaan following an exodus out of Egypt and forty years of wandering in the wilderness, Scripture states.

Answer: Goshen

Goshen is the correct answer. According to Wikipedia, Goshen was in the eastern Delta region of Israel, near the mouth of the Nile. Wikipedia states that in Biblical times the area was "the best land in Egypt, suitable for both crops and livestock."

Answer: Dinah

Dinah is the correct answer. Dinah's name does not appear in any of the passages involving Joseph's story, however. She is best known for being defiled by Shechem with Simeon and Levi responding by going on a ruthless killing spree and murdering every adult male in the city where Shechem lived. The account is told in Genesis 34.

Answer: Interpreting dreams

Interpreting dreams, without question, was Joseph's special God-given talent.

It is well known Joseph interpreted dreams for the Pharaoh and for this reason he was released from prison and promoted to the second most powerful position in Egypt. However, before Joseph was released from prison, Scripture tells of him interpreting the dreams for two prisoners. According to Genesis 40, Joseph successfully interpreted the dreams for the Pharaoh's butler and baker, two men who were imprisoned with Joseph. (In the NIV, they are described as the cupbearer and the baker.)

The chief butler's dream is told in Genesis 40:9-11. Here's how he describes his dream in the NKJV: "'Behold, in my dream a vine was before me, and in the vine were three branches; it was as though it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and its clusters brought forth ripe grapes. Then Pharaoh's cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand.'"

Meanwhile, Genesis 40:16-17, quotes the chief baker telling of his dream: "'I also was in my dream, and there were three white baskets on my head. In the uppermost basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, and the birds ate them out of the basket on my head.'"

Joseph told the chief butler his dream meant he would be set free by the Pharaoh within three days and the chief baker was told his dream meant be would be beheaded and his body impaled on a pole.

And sure enough, both events came to pass, according to Genesis 40:20-23.

Answer: Jealous

Make no mistake about it. Joseph's eleven brothers were extremely jealous of him. In fact, they were so jealous they planned his murder. After discussing the matter in more detail, they ended up selling him to a band of Midianite traders who took Joseph to Egypt and sold him into slavery.

They were jealous of him for a number of reasons. They resented the fact their father Jacob clearly loved him more than the other eleven boys in the family. Joseph had told them about his dreams in which he would rule over them and this irritated them even more. Then there was the coat of many colors which seemed to be the straw that broke the camel's back.

Answer: Reuben

Reuben is the correct answer. After discussion about killing Joseph, Reuben convinced his brothers to try a different approach and put the 'little dreamer' in a pit. According to Genesis 37:22, Reuben wanted to free Joseph later and take him back to their father Jacob. The chapter goes on to tell of Judah convincing his brothers to sell Joseph to a group of Midianite traders and when Reuben returned to the pit it was empty.

Answer: Laban

Laban is the correct answer. There's no disputing the fact he was shrewd and devious. Laban got fourteen years of labor out of Jacob, largely by tricking him. Jacob agreed to work for seven years for Laban if he could marry his younger daughter Rachel. However, at the end of seven years, Laban gave Jacob his older daughter Leah in marriage, saying "it is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one." So, Jacob agreed to work an additional seven years for Rachel's hand.

It's a case of what goes around, comes around. After all, Jacob was a master deceiver as he had duped his elderly father Isaac into giving him his blessing over his twin brother Esau, as per Genesis 27:1-40. After this incident, Jacob ended up fleeing as Esau plotted to kill him.

Answer: Manassah

Manassah is the correct answer. According to Genesis 41:51, Manassah means "For God made me forget all my toil and all my father's house." Not much is known about Manassah as he is largely mentioned in passing reference. Chapter 48 of Genesis tells of Manassah being blessed by his grandfather Jacob.

Answer: Zaphnath-Paaneah

Zaphnath-Paaneah is the name the Pharaoh gave Joseph. According to notes in the NKJV Study Bible, Zaphenath-Paneah probably means 'The God Speaks and Lives'. Genesis 41:45 also states Asenath, the daughter of Piotiphera, priest of On, became his wife. According to verse 46, Joseph was 30 years old at the time. For the record, Zaphenath-Paneah contains fifteen letters and one hyphen, making it one of the longest names in the Old Testament and the New Testament.

Answer: 110

Joseph was one hundred and ten years old when he died, according to Scripture. No details are given about the cause of his death. Before his death, Joseph took a vow from the children of Israel pledging to "carry up my bones from here."

Answer: Seven fat cows and seven emaciated cows. Seven good heads of grain and seven blighted heads.

According to Genesis 41, the Pharaoh had two dreams. In the first dream, he told Joseph he saw seven fat cows and seven emaciated cows. Then in the second dream, he said he saw seven good heads of grain and seven blighted heads. The Pharaoh was troubled because no one could apparently tell him what his dreams meant. The Pharaoh's chief butler had served time in prison with Joseph and told the Pharaoh Joseph had successfully interpreted a dream for him. As a result, Joseph was called upon to interpret the two dreams for the Pharaoh.

Genesis 41:25-28, in the NKJV, tells of Joseph's interpretation: "Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, 'The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do: The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads are seven years; the dreams are one. And the seven thin and ugly cows which came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty heads blighted by the east wind are seven years of famine. This is the thing which I have spoken to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do'."

Scripture goes on to tell of Joseph's interpretation being accurate and the Pharaoh promoting him to the second highest position in Egypt.

Answer: False

There is no record of a queen traveling to Egypt to salute Joseph. It's possible, but if it did happen, it's definitely not recorded in Scripture. What's more, Genesis doesn't even have 51 chapters. The book ends at 50:26 telling of Joseph's death.

Incidentally, a Queen Candace of Ethiopia is mentioned in Acts 8:27 in the New Testament. The chapter tells of Philip converting the Ethiopian eunuch to Christianity. According to Scripture, the eunuch was a man of "great authority" under the queen.

Answer: True

Rachel is the correct answer. According to Scripture, she stole the household gods of her father Laban, as per the 31st chapter of Genesis. Verse 19 tells of Rachel stealing the household gods after her husband Jacob had a quarrel with her father.

Verses 34-35, in the NIV Bible, tells what happened when Laban went looking for his missing items: "Now Rachel had taken the household gods and put them inside her camel's saddle and was sitting on them. Laban searched through everything in the tent but found nothing. Rachel said to her father, 'Don't be angry, my lord, that I cannot stand up in your presence; I'm having my period.' So he searched but could not find the household gods."

In the NKJV, Rachel is quoted as saying she cannot stand up "for the manner of women is with me".

By the way, Jacob would be the very FIRST thief in the Bible in the sense he stole his father's blessing from Esau.

Answer: Benjamin

The silver cup was planted in a sack belonging to Benjamin, Joseph's younger full-brother. After their departure, Joseph assigned his steward to pursue the caravan and check it for stolen items. Joseph's other half brothers were highly distraught when a silver cup was found in Benjamin's sack because they knew their elderly father wouldn't be able to deal with the loss of him after the so-called death of Joseph.

During their visits, the brothers did not recognize Joseph. They simply saw him as the second in command in Egypt, not as their long-lost brother. Eventually, Joesph revealed his true identity to them and after complete amazement they agreed to return to Canaan to get Jacob and take him to Egypt to see Joseph. The end result is the Israelites became permanent residents of Egypt for about 400 years.

Answer: Thirteen years

It took Joseph thirteen years to ascend from slave boy to Number Two in command in Egypt. According to Genesis 37:2, he was seventeen years old when sold into slavery. Meanwhile, Genesis 41:46 states he was thirty years old when the Pharaoh made him the second most powerful man in the land.

Answer: Unwavering

Joseph was definitely unwavering. Despite the major setbacks he was dealt, he kept pressing ahead. Never once does Scripture mention him becoming depressed or disconsolate. Continually he was given lemons and continually he created lemonade. The story of Joseph is a major success story, seldom seen through history.

Answer: He would bury Jacob in the land of his fathers

According to Genesis 47, Joseph made a vow to his father that when he died he would take his bones and bury them in Canaan, the land of his fathers.

Here's how Genesis 47:27-31, in the NKJV, tells of the vow:
"So Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions there and grew and multiplied exceedingly. And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the length of Jacob's life was one hundred and forty-seven years. When the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, 'Now if I have found favor in your sight, please put your hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me. Please do not bury me in Egypt, but let me lie with my fathers; you shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place.' And he said, 'I will do as you have said.' Then he said, 'Swear to me.' And he swore to him. So Israel bowed himself on the head of the bed."

Answer: Attempted rape

According to Scripture, Potiphar's wife (no name is given) attempted to seduce Joseph and when she was spurned, she accused him of trying to force himself onto her.

Joseph fled after the woman attempted to lure him into bed with her, and he left behind his cloak. Shortly afterward, the woman produced Joseph's clothing to Potiphar, citing it as proof Joseph had attempted to make sport of her. Joseph would end up being tossed in prison as a result.

It's interesting to note this was the second time Joseph had ended up in deep trouble and a piece of clothing was front and center. When he was sold into slavery, his bloodied coat of many colors was shown to Jacob as proof Joseph had been killed by a wild beast. In the second incident, in which he is falsely accused of attempted rape, Potiphar's wife produced Joseph's cloak to serve as proof of his guilt.

Answer: 17

Going by by Genesis 37:2, Joseph was seventeen years old. By the time you read down to Verse 10, the account swings over to talk about the brothers betraying Joseph. After discussing a plan to kill him, they opt to sell him to a group of Midianite traders. Joseph would end up being a slave in Egypt and after serving time in prison for a crime he didn't commit, he would end up being the second in command in his new country.

Answer: True

True. According to Genesis 30:20, Zebulun was the sixth son of Jacob and Leah. However, not much is known about him as he is mentioned in passing reference. According to Genesis 46:14, Zebulun had three sons -- Sered, Elon, and Jahleel. In the 49th chapter of Genesis, when Jacob issues his last words to his sons, he states: "Zebulun shall dwell by the haven of the sea; he shall become a haven for ships, and his border shall adjoin Sidon."