Two Blessed Boys
There was no tribe of Joseph in ancient Israel because there were actually two tribes. According to Genesis chapter 41, while in Egypt, Joseph took a wife named Asenath who bore him two sons. They were given the names Manasseh and Ephraim.
Out of Hardship Comes Fruitfulness
Joseph chose these names for his sons because they described his own personal situation. Although the explanations of these two names are found in all English Bibles, they only really make sense when read in the original Hebrew. The name Manasseh מְנַשֶּׁה is based on a Hebrew root nashah that means to forget. Joseph explains that “God has made me forget (nasheni) my hardships.” Ephraim אֶפְרָיִם is based on a Hebrew root parah that means fertile. Joseph explains that “God has made me fruitful (hifrani) in the land of my affliction.”
Dive Into the Word of the Lord
When he was sold into slavery by his brothers, Joseph suffered for many years in Egypt. But God blessed him with good fortune, and he rose to prominence. With the birth of his two sons, he could forget the hardships of the past and look ahead to a bright future of fertility. Enroll today to our live online Biblical Hebrew courses to further unlock the meanings within the original Hebrew Bible.