In brief
The Pharaoh of Joseph’s time is the king of Egypt described in Genesis 40 to 50, in the age of the patriarchs. The Bible does not give his name. Troubled by two dreams no one can explain, he brings Joseph out of prison. He recognizes the Spirit of God in him, sets him over the whole land, and later welcomes Jacob and his family into the land of Goshen. We remember a pagan king whom God uses to save his people.
What does the name Pharaoh of Joseph's Time mean?
Pharaoh is not a personal name but the title of Egypt’s kings; it is generally linked to an Egyptian expression meaning great house, which first referred to the royal palace. The Bible does not give this king’s personal name, and his historical identity remains debated.
The story of Pharaoh of Joseph's Time
The King and His Officers
Genesis 40:1-23Pharaoh is angry with his chief cup bearer and his chief baker and has them put in prison, where Joseph is held. On his birthday, he gives a feast, restores the cup bearer to his post and hangs the baker, exactly as Joseph had announced when he interpreted their dreams.
Two Troubling Dreams
Genesis 41:1-8Two years later, Pharaoh dreams of seven fat cattle devoured by seven thin cattle, then of seven healthy heads of grain swallowed by seven thin heads blasted by the east wind. In the morning, his spirit is troubled. He summons all the magicians and wise men of Egypt, but no one can interpret his dreams.
Joseph Before Pharaoh
Genesis 41:9-32The cup bearer finally remembers Joseph, whom Pharaoh has hastily brought out of prison. Joseph refuses any glory: “It isn’t in me. God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.” He announces seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine, and declares that God has shown the king what he is about to do.
A Man in Whom Is the Spirit of God
Genesis 41:37-45Pharaoh asks his servants: “Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?” He sets Joseph over his house and over the whole land of Egypt, gives him his signet ring, robes of fine linen and a gold chain. He names him Zaphenath-Paneah and gives him Asenath as a wife.
Go to Joseph
Genesis 41:55-57When famine strikes Egypt, the people cry to Pharaoh for bread. The king answers: “Go to Joseph. What he says to you, do.” He places full trust in the man whom God has raised up. From every country, people then come to Egypt to buy grain.
Welcoming Jacob’s Family
Genesis 47:1-10Hearing that Joseph’s brothers have arrived, Pharaoh invites them to settle in Egypt with their father. He receives five of the brothers and grants them the land of Goshen. Then Jacob is presented to the king, and the old patriarch blesses Pharaoh twice before withdrawing.
Jacob’s Mourning
Genesis 50:4-7When Jacob dies, Joseph asks permission to go and bury him in Canaan, as he promised his father. Pharaoh answers: “Go up, and bury your father, just like he made you swear.” Pharaoh’s servants and the elders of the land of Egypt even go up with Joseph for the funeral.
Test your knowledge
What Pharaoh of Joseph's Time teaches us
- God governs history and can speak even to a king who does not know him, in order to carry out his plans.
- Recognizing the wisdom God gives someone, even a foreign former prisoner, is a sign of humility.
- Joseph’s waiting was not wasted: at the time God had set, a single audience changed his life.
- Kindness toward God’s people opens the door to blessing, as when Jacob blessed Pharaoh.
Key verses
Before the most powerful king of his day, Joseph refuses to take credit. He gives the wisdom to God alone, and this testimony prepares Pharaoh’s recognition.
Pharaoh, a pagan king, discerns the Spirit of God in Joseph. He then entrusts the whole land of Egypt to a former Hebrew slave, keeping only the throne above him.
The psalmist rereads the history: it was God who led Joseph, and the king who freed him and then made him lord over his house was carrying out Yahweh’s plan.
This Pharaoh’s favor does not outlast his reign. A new king, who did not know Joseph, will oppress Israel. The goodwill of the powerful passes, while God’s faithfulness remains.
Sermons about Pharaoh of Joseph's Time
Frequently asked questions
Which Pharaoh knew Joseph?
The Bible does not give the name of the king of Egypt who raised Joseph to power. It simply calls him Pharaoh, the title of Egyptian rulers. Several historical identifications have been proposed, without consensus. The biblical account is less interested in his identity than in how God used him to save Joseph and his family.
Why did Pharaoh trust Joseph?
No one among Egypt’s magicians and wise men had been able to explain his dreams. Joseph explains them by attributing everything to God, and proposes a wise plan to face the famine. Pharaoh sees in him a man with the Spirit of God (Genesis 41:38-39) and entrusts the whole land to him.
Where can I find this Pharaoh’s story in the Bible?
He appears in Genesis 40 to 50: the prison of the cup bearer and the baker (chapter 40), his dreams and Joseph’s rise (chapter 41), the invitation to Jacob’s family (chapter 45), the welcome in Goshen (chapter 47) and the permission to bury Jacob in Canaan (chapter 50).