Genesis 41 · Verse 45

Genesis 41:45

And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnath–paaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Poti–pherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.
Genesis 41:45, King James Version

Genesis 41:45 in other translations

BSBPharaoh 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.
WEBPharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphenath-Paneah. He gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On as a wife. Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.
ASVAnd Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphenath-paneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath, the daughter of Poti-phera priest of On. And Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.
YLTand Pharaoh calleth Joseph's name Zaphnath-Paaneah, and he giveth to him Asenath daughter of Poti-Pherah, priest of On, for a wife, and Joseph goeth out over the land of Egypt.
DARBYAnd Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnath-paaneah, and gave him as wife Asnath the daughter of Potipherah the priest in On. And Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.
BBEAnd Pharaoh gave Joseph the name of Zaphnath-paaneah; and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Poti-phera, the priest of On, to be his wife. So Joseph went through all the land of Egypt.
WebsterAnd Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnath-paaneah; and he gave him for a wife Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah priest of On: and Joseph went over all the land of Egypt.

What does Genesis 41:45 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
45. Zaphnath-paaneah--variously interpreted, "revealer of secrets"; "saviour of the land"; and from the hieroglyphics, "a wise man fleeing from pollution"--that is, adultery. gave him to wife Asenath, the daughter of--His naturalization was completed by this alliance with a family of high distinction. On being founded by an Arab colony, Poti-pherah, like Jethro, priest of Midian, might be a worshipper of the true God; and thus Joseph, a pious man, will be freed from the charge of marrying an idolatress for worldly ends. On--called Aven (Eze 30:17) and also Beth-shemesh (Jr 43:13). In looking at this profusion of honors heaped suddenly upon Joseph, it cannot be doubted that he would humbly yet thankfully acknowledge the hand of a special Providence in conducting him through all his checkered course to almost royal power; and we, who know more than Joseph did, cannot only see that his advancement was subservient to the most important purposes relative to the Church of God, but learn the great lesson that a Providence directs the minutest events of human life.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 45 Zaphnath-paaneah - The meaning of this title is as little known as that of abrech in the preceding verse. Some translate it, The revealer of secrets; others, The treasury of glorious comfort. St. Jerome translates the whole verse in the most arbitrary manner. Vertitque nomen ejus, et vocavit eum, lingua Aegyptiaca, Salvatorem mundi. "And he changed his name, and called him in the Egyptian language, The savior of the world." None of the Asiatic versions acknowledge this extraordinary gloss, and it is certainly worthy of no regard. The Anglo-Saxon nearly copies the Vulgate: And named him in Egyptian, The healer of the world. All the etymologies hitherto given of this word are, to say the least of them, doubtful. I believe it also to be an Egyptian epithet, designating the office to which he was now raised; and similar to our compound terms, Prime-Minister, Lord Chancellor, High-Treasurer, Chief Justice, etc. Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah - There is no likelihood that the Poti-pherah mentioned here is the same as the Potiphar who had purchased Joseph, and, on the false accusations of his wife, cast him into prison. 1. The Scripture gives no intimation that they were one and the same person. 2. Poti-pherah had children, and Potiphar was an eunuch; See Clarke on Gen 37:36 (note); for though eunuchs often kept women, there is no proof that they had any issue by them. Priest of On - For the signification of the word כהן cohen or priest, See Clarke on Gen 14:18 (note). On is rendered Heliopolis (the city of the sun) by the Septuagint and Anglo-Saxon; and it is very likely that this Poti-pherah was intendant of that nome or province, under Pharaoh. Joseph went out over all the land - No doubt for the building of granaries, and appointing proper officers to receive the corn in every place, as Dr. Dodd has very properly conjectured.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 41:33-45

Joseph gave good advice to Pharaoh. Fair warning should always be followed by good counsel. God has in his word told us of a day of trial before us, when we shall need all the grace we can have. Now, therefore, provide accordingly. Pharaoh gave Joseph an honourable testimony. He is a man in whom the spirit of God is; and such men ought to be valued. Pharaoh puts upon Joseph marks of honour. He gave him such a name…

Read the full comment on Genesis 41:33-45 →

Genesis 41:45 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיִּקְרָ֨אvai.yik.Ra'and he calledH7121
פַרְעֹ֣הfar.'OhPharaohH6547
שֵׁם\־shem-[the] name ofH8034
יוֹסֵף֮yo.SefJosephH3130
צָֽפְנַ֣תtza.fe.NatZaphenath-H6847
פַּעְנֵחַ֒pa'.ne.aChPaneahH6847
וַיִּתֶּן\־vai.yi.ten-and he gaveH5414
ל֣וֹloto <the> him
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
אָֽסְנַ֗ת'a.se.NatAsenathH621
בַּת\־bat-[the] daughter ofH1323
פּ֥וֹטִיPo.tiPoti-H6319
פֶ֛רַעFe.ra'-pheraH6319
כֹּהֵ֥ןko.Hen[the] priest ofH3548
אֹ֖ן'onOnH204
לְאִשָּׁ֑הle.'i.Shahto a wifeH802
וַיֵּצֵ֥אvai.ye.Tze'and he went outH3318
יוֹסֵ֖ףyo.SefJosephH3130
עַל\־'al-overH5921
אֶ֥רֶץ'E.retz[the] land ofH776
מִצְרָֽיִם\׃mitz.Ra.yimEgyptH4714

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Genesis 41:45

  • Genesis 46:20

    And unto Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, which Asenath the daughter of Poti–pherah priest of On bare unto him.

  • Ezekiel 30:17

    The young men of Aven and of Pi–beseth shall fall by the sword: and these cities shall go into captivity.

  • Exodus 2:16

    Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock.

  • Acts 11:28

    And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Cesar.

  • Luke 2:1

    And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Cesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.

  • Genesis 14:18

    And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.

  • 2 Samuel 20:26

    And Ira also the Jairite was a chief ruler about David.

  • 2 Samuel 8:18

    And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over both the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were chief rulers.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Zaphnath-paaneah.Which in Coptic signifies a revealer of secrets, or, the man to whom secrets are revealed. Jerome says this name signified in Egyptian, {Savatorem mundi,} "the Saviour of the world;" and {Psotem-phaneh,} in Coptic, is certainly "salvation of the world," from [SOT,] for [soteria ,] salvation, {em,} the sign of the genitive case, and [PHENEH], world. If this interpretation be correct, Pharaoh must have meant Egypt by the world, or which Joseph might be justly termed the Saviour. We know that the Romans called their empire {Universis Orbis-Orbis Terrarum,} "all the world:" the Chinese say the same of their empire at the present day, and the phrase is used in the East: Nadir Shah is described on his coins as "Conqueror of the World," i.e., Persia. See the same phraseology applied to Syria, Palestine, etc.
Lu 2:1; Ac 11:28
priest of. or, prince.
14:18; Ex 2:16; *marg:
2Sa 8:18; 20:26; *Heb:
On.
46:20; Eze 30:17
Aven.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Genesis 41:44

    And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.

  • Genesis 41:45

    And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnath–paaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Poti–pherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.

  • Genesis 41:46

    And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.

Read all of Genesis 41

Genesis 41:45 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y llamó Faraón el nombre de José, Zaphnath-paaneah; y dióle por mujer á Asenath, hija de Potipherah, sacerdote de On. Y salió José por toda la tierra de Egipto.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et le Pharaon appela le nom de Joseph Tsaphnath-Pahnéakh; et il lui donna pour femme Asnath, fille de Poti-Phéra, sacrificateur d’On. Et Joseph parcourut le pays d’Égypte.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und der Pharao gab Joseph den Namen: Zaphnath-Pahneach, und gab ihm Asnath, die Tochter Potipheras, des Priesters von On, zum Weibe. Und Joseph zog aus in das Land Ägypten.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Vertitque nomen ejus, et vocavit eum, lingua ægyptiaca, Salvatorem mundi. Deditque illi uxorem Aseneth filiam Putiphare sacerdotis Heliopoleos. Egressus est itaque Joseph ad terram Ægypti