Bible Character Explorer
Patriarchal Period • c. 1915 to 1805 BC (traditional dating)
Joseph
The Dreamer Who ForgaveSold into slavery by his brothers, exalted in Egypt, and used by God to preserve his family
"But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive."
Genesis 50:20 (KJV)
Overview
Joseph is the second-to-youngest son of Jacob and the favored son of Rachel. Sold into slavery by his own brothers out of jealousy, he rose from prison to become second-in-command of Egypt under Pharaoh. His story in Genesis 37-50 is one of the longest continuous narratives in the Old Testament and demonstrates God's providence working through betrayal, suffering, and delay to preserve the covenant family through famine.
Gospel Connection
Joseph is one of the clearest Old Testament types of Christ: the beloved son sent by his father, rejected and sold by his own brothers for silver, falsely accused, and yet exalted to a position of authority through which he became the source of salvation for the very people who rejected him. Just as Joseph's brothers did not recognize him at first and later were saved through him, Israel did not recognize Jesus and will one day be saved through the one they rejected, according to Romans 11. Joseph's words, 'God meant it unto good,' anticipate Romans 8:28 and the cross itself, where the greatest evil in history became the means of the greatest good.
Discover More
See how this life points to Christ in the Gospel Connection section above.