In brief
Asenath is an Egyptian woman, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. Pharaoh gives her to Joseph as his wife when he raises him over the whole land of Egypt, when Joseph is thirty years old. Before the years of famine, she bears him two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, who will become two tribes of Israel. The Bible names her only three times and records none of her words, yet she is the mother of two tribes of God's people.
What does the name Asenath mean?
Asenath bears an Egyptian name, which is generally linked to an expression meaning belonging to Neith, an Egyptian goddess; this meaning remains a hypothesis. The Bible does not explain the name and presents her only as the “daughter of Potiphera priest of On” (Genesis 41:45).
The story of Asenath
Given as a wife to Joseph
Genesis 41:41-46After Joseph explains Pharaoh's dreams, Pharaoh puts him in charge of the whole land of Egypt. He gives him his ring, garments of fine linen, a gold chain and a new name, Zaphenath-Paneah. He also gives him Asenath as a wife, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. Joseph is thirty years old at this time.
Two sons before the famine
Genesis 41:50-52During the years of plenty, before the famine begins, Asenath bears two sons to Joseph. Joseph names the first Manasseh, because God has made him forget all his toil, and the second Ephraim, because God has made him fruitful in the land of his affliction. For Joseph, these births are a sign of God's comfort.
Mother of two tribes
Genesis 46:20; 48:5When Jacob goes down to Egypt with his family, the list of his descendants recalls that Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph in the land of Egypt, borne by Asenath. Later, Jacob declares that these two grandsons will be his, like Reuben and Simeon: the sons of an Egyptian woman take their place among the tribes of Israel.
What Asenath teaches us
- God can comfort and make fruitful even in the middle of a land of trial, as he did for Joseph through the birth of his sons.
- The Bible says very little about Asenath, yet God wove her into the story of his people: no life is insignificant in his eyes.
- The sons of an Egyptian woman become tribes of Israel, a sign that God's grace crosses the boundaries between peoples.
- When the biblical text is silent, it is better to respect its silence than to fill the gaps with imagined stories.
Key verses
Pharaoh gives Joseph an Egyptian name and an Egyptian wife, the daughter of a priest of On. Joseph is fully established in his new position, but the rest of the story shows that he remains attached to the God of his fathers.
Joseph names his second son Ephraim: “For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.” The names of Asenath's sons express Joseph's gratitude toward God.
Jacob blesses the sons of Asenath and Joseph, and makes their names a formula of blessing for all Israel. He places Ephraim, the younger, before Manasseh, the elder.
Frequently asked questions
Who was Asenath in the Bible?
Asenath was an Egyptian woman, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. Pharaoh gave her to Joseph as his wife when he placed him at the head of Egypt (Genesis 41:45). She was the mother of Manasseh and Ephraim, born before the years of famine. The Bible records neither her words nor her death.
What does the name Asenath mean?
It is an Egyptian name. It is generally linked to an expression meaning belonging to Neith, an Egyptian deity, but this meaning is not certain. The Bible does not comment on the name; it emphasizes instead the names Joseph gives his sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, which express his gratitude toward God.
Where can I find Asenath's story in the Bible?
Asenath appears in only three verses: Genesis 41:45, where Pharaoh gives her to Joseph, Genesis 41:50, which reports the birth of her two sons, and Genesis 46:20, in the list of Jacob's descendants. The context is found in Genesis chapters 41 to 48.