Joseph

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Pronunciations

Joseph (JOH-sif) listen
Yosef (yoh-SEF) listen

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Definitions

  • n. The first son of Jacob and Rachel; his father’s favorite son.

Example Sentences

  • "For some reason, as a kid I would read this story and assumed that everything that Joseph did was okay since multiple times the bible mentions how Joseph finds favor with God." (source)

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Languages of Origin

  • Textual Hebrew

Etymology

  • יוֹסֵף 'lit. (God) shall add'

      • Who Uses This

      • Religious: Jews who are engaged in religious observance and have some Jewish education
      • Non-Jews: (words that have spread outside of Jewish networks)

      Regions

      • North America

      Dictionaries

      • The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words, by Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic, (Philadelphia, 2001).

      Alternative Spellings

      Yoseph, Yosef

Notes

  • "[Jacob] was sold into slavery in Egypt by his jealous brothers and became a confidant of the pharaoh. Joseph’s story is told in the Book of Genesis." (JPS)

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