Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Genesis 41:50 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 50. 50And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah priest of On bare unto him.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
Before the famine, Asenath bears Joseph two sons. The timing places family formation within the abundant years and introduces the names through which Joseph interprets God's help amid his suffering.
Read It With
- Genesis 41:37–57
Read verses 45 and 50–52. Asenath was named as Joseph's wife, is named again as the sons' mother, and Joseph explains each son's name in relation to God, toil, affliction, and fruitfulness.
Why This Verse Appears Here
The sons' birth before the famine creates space to interpret Joseph's personal life alongside his public administration.
Read Genesis 41:50–52 together
Why these verses belong together: Asenath bears two sons before the famine and Joseph interprets both names through God's help amid toil and affliction.
Verse 50. 50 And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah priest of On bare unto him.
Verse 51. 51 And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house.
Verse 52. 52 And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.
What Remains True
Family members should be recognized as persons within God's work, not reduced to props in another person's success story.
How It Can Shape Life
- When telling a family story, name each person's real contribution and avoid inventing thoughts or consent that the record does not provide.
Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read Genesis 41:37–57 — Joseph Rises to Govern EgyptSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? very strong
Where care is needed
Asenath's pregnancy experience, consent, beliefs, and emotions are not narrated.
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Displayed text, appointment, investiture, administration, names, famine, dream fulfillment, later transactions, and sons' later role.
Exact location: Genesis 41:37–57; 37:5–11; 42:1–9; 47:13–26; 48:1–22 in the pinned standardized 1769 KJV
Open source ↗hebrew text morphology and lemma data
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible — Genesis
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible Project
Open Scriptures, Version 2.2 released 2021; repository inspected 2026
Supports: Divine-spirit wording, difficult rule and acclamation terms, Egyptian names, abundance idiom, Manasseh and Ephraim wordplays, totalizing scope, stores, and sales.
Exact location: WLC Genesis 41:37–57, especially vv. 38, 40, 42–45, 47–57
Open source ↗Translation and textual notes
NET Bible — Genesis with translators' notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, Digital edition accessed 2026
Supports: Translation alternatives, authority, investiture, Abrek, names and On, abundance idiom, name wordplays, famine scope, and distribution wording.
Exact location: NET Genesis 41 notes for vv. 37–57, especially vv. 38, 40, 42–45, 47, 51–57
Open NET Genesis 41 ↗