Byline: Dec. 18, 2009–4:00 PM
41:45 וַיִּקְרָא פַרְעֹה שֵׁם־יוֹסֵף צָפְנַת פַּעְנֵחַ — Pharaoh then gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-paneah — Like other foreigners, Joseph assumes an Egyptian name so that he would better fit in Pharaoh’s court and be better accepted by the Egyptian people. The meaning of this Egyptian name is remains unclear and the certainty of its meaning has eluded scholars since the time of the Septuagint and rabbinic tradition.
For example, the some early exegetes think the name means, “revealer of secrets” [1]. More correctly, R. David Kimchi and Ibn Ezra (ca. 13th century) observe that Zaphenath-paneah is really an Egyptian name. Some suggest that the name Zaphenath-paneah is a Hebrew transcription of an Egyptian name meaning “the god speaks and he lives.” [2]
Professor Kenneth Kitchen, points out that Zaphenath-paneah was originally Zat-en-aph, for in ancient Egyptian was pronounced Djed(u)en-ef (‘he who is called’). This point, he asserts, is a familiar phrase to all Egyptologists. Furthermore, it is an example of where the letters ‘t’ and ‘p,’ became reversed. Such orthography illustrates the common (but unintentional) practice whenever difficult words and names are transferred from one language into another. A Hebrew scribe most likely slipped into the use of a common Semitic root zaphan while writing zaphenat, for the unfamiliar vocalization of Joseph’s Egyptian name. The second part of the name, “Paneah,” may be derived from the Egyptian word, “aneah” ankh or ankhu (signifying ‘is alive’). The initial “Pa” or “Pi,” corresponds to the Egyptian word Ipi or Ipu. Therefore, “Zaphenath pa’aneah” means, “he who is called Anakh.”[3]
Lastly, Yoshiyuki Muchiki proposes yet another possible rendering, “My provision is god, the living one.” [4]
[1] See Onkelos, Rashi, Septuagint and Josephus’ Antiquities 2:6:1. Kimchi also suggests, “Revealtor Occuti” – “revealer of hidden things.”
[2] Other suggestions worthy of consideration: In the Septuagint, we find: Ψονθομφανηχ (Psonthomphantech), “the one who furnishes the nourishment of life” or “healer of the world” (Vulgate). Some scholars propose that in the Coptic language, it signifies a “revealer of secrets,” or, “the man to whom secrets are revealed,” or, “The man who knows all things” (Vergote). This name may also mean “The Nourisher of the Two Lands, the Living One”; or possibly, “savior-of-the-world, or -land”; or “sustainer of life” (Albright) In any case, the name suggests that it was through Joseph life in Egypt had been preserved
[3] K.A. Kitchen, “On the Reliability of the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2003), 345-346.
[4] Yoshiyuki Muchiki, Egyptian Proper Names and Loanwords in North West Semitic (Society of Biblical Literature Dissertation Series 173) Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1999, pp. xxv, 326-327.
I heard somewhere it is a corruption of the Egyptian for “breadgiver of life” or some such thing. Like other Egyptian names (Moses, for example), it shows that the Exodus narrative was not a mere fairy tale, even if it wasn’t a huge Cecil B. DeMille style thing.
the name means: The one who has Godlike wisdom
The is an interesting theory from Joseph Davidodvidts that explains that Zaphenat-Paneah could actually result from an mistake of translation of an Egyptian writing to celebrate Amenophis son of Hapou who’s wold be the character who inspired Joseph in the bible. http://www.davidovits.info/284/the-lost-fresco-and-the-bible-my-new-book-in-french
Zaphernath was a real person named Sobeknacht – see;
http://blog.damowords.co.uk/?p=1463
Pls, can any one inform me what Pharaohs name he was? I appreciate any one can sent me a ling regarding this subject kps
I am not a Rabbi or Old Testament scholar, but I am studying Latin. As I was reading Genesis 41 and Joseph’s new name, Zaphenath-paneah, I immediately thought the name had something to do with bread. The Latin word for bread is “panis.” Later in the passage, we see the famine, yet Egypt still had bread. The people cried out for bread, and Pharoah sent them to Joseph. Somewhere along the line, the Romans may have understood this word and it’s relationship to bread, thus adopting it into their language.
The story of Joseph is the story of your Maschiach, it is an allegory. If Joseph’s Egytian name means “Revealer of Secrets”, let this secret be revealed to you. There are also scholars who believe this Egyptian name means “The Salvation of the World”. Nothing HaShem does is an accident. May you be blessed.
http://www.jonahministries.com.au/attachments/File/WHY_JOSEPH_2012_COMPLETE.pdf
I’m not sure Prof. Kitchen was correct. Nobody knows exactly when the /d/ in the word “Dd” dropped out of pronunciation but surely by the New Kingdom. In Late Demotic the word is written just “z” and it survives into Coptic as “je”. IF the word were there in the first element of Joseph’s Egyptian name, I would suspect “za” much rather than “zat”!
Joseph’s Egyptian wife’s name was ASENATH which is incorporated into Joseph’s Egyptian name: ZAphENATH
The Ankh is the ancient Egyptian symbol for life. Ankh, in this case, refers to the living One-God (eg. AnkhAton-AkenAton). That is why in Hebrew we generically call God, Adonai (ATONAI) or our ONE GOD. Tzaphnat= Hebrew/Egyptian for the follower of the North (Tzaphon) Star. This is because it is a CONSTANT (for navigation). The name simply means THE FOLLOWER OF THE LIVING ONE GOD.
I hope this helps the perplexed.
The Ankh is the ancient Egyptian symbol for life/life giver. Ankh, in this case, refers to the living/life giving One-God (eg. AnkhAton-AkenAton). That is why in Hebrew we generically call God, Adonai (ATONAI) or our ONE GOD. Tzaphnat= Hebrew/Egyptian for the follower of the North (Tzaphon) Star. This is because it is a CONSTANT (for navigation). The name simply means THE FOLLOWER OF THE LIVING/LIFE GIVING ONE GOD.
I hope this helps the perplexed.
Zaphenath means seven
Dear Alex , you have made an excellent point .
Usually that was the case in Egypt and it does simplify the matter somewhat . Perhaps it was the male equivalent of Asenath in Ancient Egyptian plus paaneah . So maybe the priest of victuals or bread which may stand for the word Food as it the Bread of Life .
What do you think about that hypothesis ?