Joseph's Wife in the Bible and Her Significance

The Bible mentions several women who were wives of men named Joseph, with the most prominent being Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Asenath, the wife of Joseph son of Jacob.

Mary, the wife of Joseph of Nazareth, is central to the New Testament narrative. She was a virgin pledged to be married to Joseph, who was of the house of David ^[3]. Joseph was a man from the tribe of Judah ^[1]. The angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would be the mother of the promised Messiah ^[2]. Joseph, described as a "just man," was initially unwilling to expose Mary to public disgrace when he discovered her pregnancy, but an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, instructing him to take Mary as his wife ^{[4, 17]}. Joseph obeyed, taking Mary into his home ^[4].

The nature of the marriage between Mary and Joseph has been a subject of theological discussion. Augustine of Hippo emphasized that there was a true marriage between them, even though they maintained a perpetual abstinence from carnal relations ^[6]. He argued that the marital bond is not broken by such an agreement, but rather strengthened by mutual consent and devotion ^[6]. Augustine also addressed the apparent contradiction of Christ being called the "Son of David" through Joseph, despite Joseph not being Jesus' biological father. He explained that the Gospel accounts, which state Joseph was Mary's husband and that Mary was a virgin, reconcile these points, affirming Christ's lineage from David through Joseph's legal connection to Mary ^{[7, 13]}. Thomas Aquinas, a scholastic theologian, further elaborated on the concept of marriage, stating that its perfection lies in the inseparable union of souls, which was present in the union of Mary and Joseph ^[8].

Another significant Joseph in the Bible is Joseph, the son of Jacob, whose wife was Asenath. Joseph was the elder of Jacob's two sons by Rachel ^[5]. After Joseph rose to power in Egypt, Pharaoh gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, as his wife ^[11]. This marriage completed Joseph's naturalization into Egyptian society ^[11]. Some interpretations suggest that Potiphera, like Jethro, might have been a worshipper of the true God, thereby freeing Joseph from the charge of marrying an idolatress for worldly gain ^[11].

The Old Testament Joseph is also known for his steadfastness against temptation, particularly with Potiphar's wife. The Babylonian Talmud repeatedly highlights Joseph's refusal to commit adultery with Potiphar's wife, stating that he would not "lie by her" or "be with her" ^{[9, 10, 12, 15, 16]}. This is interpreted as Joseph's refusal of a worldly transgression that would have eternal consequences, implying that such a sin would accompany him into the World-to-Come ^{[9, 10, 12, 15, 16]}. This narrative underscores Joseph's moral integrity.

In the broader context of Jacob's family, Joseph's mother, Rachel, was Jacob's most beloved wife, and Joseph was her only child at the time of Jacob's return from Haran ^[14]. Jacob showed particular affection for Joseph, making him a "long garment with sleeves" ^[5]. This favoritism contributed to the jealousy of his half-brothers ^[5].

Sources

STEPBible TIPNR “Biblical proper name: [email protected]=G2501G — Mary's husband living at the time of the New Testament (refs: #A man from the tribe of Judah living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Mat.1.16; )”
Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Mary — Hebrew Miriam. (1.) The wife of Joseph, the mother of Jesus, called the "Virgin Mary," though never so designated in Scripture (Matt. 2:11; Acts 1:14). Little is known of her personal history. Her genealogy is given in Luke 3. She was of the tribe of Judah and the lineage of David (Ps. 132:11; Luke 1:32). She was connected by marriage with Elisabeth, who was of the lineage of Aaron (Luke 1:36). While she resided at Nazareth with her parents, before she became the wife of Joseph, the angel Gabriel announced to her that she was to be the mother of the promised M”
Luke “to a virgin pledged to be married to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. -- Luke 1:27”
Matthew “Matthew 1:24 (BBE) — And Joseph did as the angel of the Lord had said to him, and took her as his wife;”
Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Joseph — Remover or increaser. (1.) The elder of the two sons of Jacob by Rachel (Gen. 30:23, 24), who, on the occasion of his birth, said, "God hath taken away [Heb. asaph] my reproach." "The Lord shall add [Heb. yoseph] to me another son" (Gen. 30:24). He was a child of probably six years of age when his father returned from Haran to Canaan and took up his residence in the old patriarchal town of Hebron. "Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age," and he "made him a long garment with sleeves" (Gen. 37:3, R.V. marg.),”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 5: Augustine — Anti-Pelagian — CHAP. 12 [XI.]--MARRIAGE DOES NOT CANCEL A MUTUAL VOW OF CONTINENCE; THERE WAS TRUE WEDLOCK BETWEEN MARY AND JOSEPH; IN WHAT WAY JOSEPH WAS THE FATHER OF CHRIST. (part 1): But God forbid that the nuptial bond should be regarded as broken between those who have by mutual consent agreed to observe a perpetual abstinence from the use of carnal concupiscence. Nay, it will be only a firmer one, whereby they have exchanged pledges together, which will have to be kept by an especial endearment and concord,--not by the voluptuous links of bodies, but by the vol”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 4: Augustine — Anti-Manichaean, Anti-Donatist — BOOK XXIII. (part 7): in Mary herself, so that the flesh of Christ, although produced from a virgin, still owed its origin to David's seed. But as, in fact, both statements are made by one and the same writer, who informs us both that Joseph was the husband of Mary and that the mother of Christ was a virgin, and that Christ was of the seed of David, and that Joseph is in the list of Christ's progenitors in the line of David, those who prefer the authority of the sacred Gospel to that of heretical fiction must conclude that Mary was not ”
theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Third Part (Tertia Pars), Of the Espousals of the Mother of God, Art. 2: Article: Whether there was a true marriage between Mary and Joseph? I answer that, Marriage or wedlock is said to be true by reason of its attaining its perfection. Now perfection of anything is twofold; first, and second. The first perfection of a thing consists in its very form, from which it receives its species; while the second perfection of a thing consists in its operation, by which in some way a thing attains its end. Now the form of matrimony consists in a certain inseparable union of s”
Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Avodah Zarah 5a.5: Rabbi Elazar says: The transgression is tied to him like a dog and does not leave him, as it is stated with regard to Joseph and Potiphar’s wife: “And he did not listen to her, to lie by her, or to be with her” (Genesis 39:10). This teaches that Joseph refused “to lie by her” in this world, which would have meant that he would have had “to be with her” in the World-to-Come.”
Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Avodah Zarah 153b.9:5: Rabbi Elazar says: The transgression is tied to him like a dog and does not leave him, as it is stated with regard to Joseph and Potiphar’s wife: “And he did not listen to her, to lie by her, or to be with her” (Genesis 39:10). This teaches that Joseph refused “to lie by her” in this world, which would have meant that he would have had “to be with her” in the World-to-Come.”
Genesis (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Genesis 41:45: 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) ”
Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Sotah 3b.14: Rabbi Elazar says: The transgression is chained to him and accompanies him like a dog, as it is stated concerning Joseph’s refusal to commit adultery with the wife of Potiphar: “That he listened not to her, to lie by her, or to be with her” (Genesis 39:10), which is understood to mean: If he would agree “to lie by her” in this world, the result would be that he would have “to be with her” forever, as the transgression would accompany him to the World-to-Come.”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 4: Augustine — Anti-Manichaean, Anti-Donatist — BOOK XXIII. (part 6): have made it so prominent as he does, when he says to Timothy, "Remember that Christ Jesus, of the seed of David, rose from the dead, according to my gospel."(4) And he carefully enjoins believers to regard as accursed whoever preaches another gospel contrary to this. 8. This assailant of the holy Gospel need find no difficulty in the fact that Christ is called the Son of David, though He was born of a virgin, and though Joseph was not His real father; while the genealogy is brought down by the evangelist Matthew, ”
Genesis (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Genesis 33:2: And he put the handmaids and their children foremost,.... In the first division, as being less honourable and less beloved by him: and Leah and her children after; still according to the degree of honour and affection due unto them; Leah being a wife that was imposed and forced upon him: and Rachel and Joseph hindermost; being most beloved by him, and therefore most careful of them; Rachel being his principal and lawful wife, and who had the greatest share in his affection, and Joseph his only child by her.”
Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Sotah 99a.6:14: Rabbi Elazar says: The transgression is chained to him and accompanies him like a dog, as it is stated concerning Joseph’s refusal to commit adultery with the wife of Potiphar: “That he listened not to her, to lie by her, or to be with her” (Genesis 39:10), which is understood to mean: If he would agree “to lie by her” in this world, the result would be that he would have “to be with her” forever, as the transgression would accompany him to the World-to-Come.”
Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Sotah 99b.6:14: Rabbi Elazar says: The transgression is chained to him and accompanies him like a dog, as it is stated concerning Joseph’s refusal to commit adultery with the wife of Potiphar: “That he listened not to her, to lie by her, or to be with her” (Genesis 39:10), which is understood to mean: If he would agree “to lie by her” in this world, the result would be that he would have “to be with her” forever, as the transgression would accompany him to the World-to-Come.”
Matthew (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Matthew 1:19: Then Joseph her husband,.... To whom she had been betrothed, and who was her husband, and she his wife according to the Jewish law, Deu 22:23 though not yet come together, being a just man, observant of the law of God, particularly that which respected adultery, being wholly good and chaste, like the Patriarch of the same name; a character just the reverse of that which the Jews give him, in their scandalous (b) book of the life of Jesus; where, in the most malicious manner, they represent him as an unchaste and an unrighteous person: and not willing to make her ”

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