Anecdote of Joseph

·     Anecdote of Joseph.

The Bible: The chapters between 37 and 50 in The Book of Genesis in Old Testament (489 sentences in 14 chapters) tell the period between the childhood and death of Joseph. 

 

Qur’an: The ayahs between 4 and 102 in the surah which has the name of the prophet give information about the life and personality of Joseph.

The Bible: The chapter starts with the fact that while Joseph was shepherding the flock with his brothers when he was seventeen years old, he was awarded with a long robe with sleeves as he brought a bad report of his brothers to their father. [1] 

Qur’an: The very beginning of the surah emphasises that “the best of stories” are told and the aim is to enlighten Joseph. [2]

The Bible: Two dreams of Joseph are told. In the earlier one while Joseph and his eleven brothers were binding sheaves in the field, suddenly Joseph’s sheaf rose and stood upright; then the brothers’ sheaves gathered around it, and bowed down to his sheaf. In the latter one the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to him. He told the first one to his brothers and the second one both to his brothers and to his father. [3]  

Qur’an: The first one isn’t mentioned at all. Joseph tells his dream about the sun, the moon, and eleven stars to his father. [4]

 

The Bible: “But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him, and said to him, ‘What kind of dream is this that you have had? Shall we indeed come, I and your mother and your brothers, and bow to the ground before you? So his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.” [5]

Qur’an: When Joseph tells his dream to his father, Jacob, he kindly warns him and said:  "O my son, do not relate your vision to your brothers or they will contrive against you a plan.” [6]

The Bible: Jacob sends his son Joseph to Shechem where his brothers are pasturing the flock. These sentences make reader think that Jacob doesn’t care about his son. [7]  

Qur’an: His brothers ask the permission of their father to take their brother Joseph with them but Jacob worries about him. [8]

 

The Bible: When his brothers bring back Joseph’s bloody robe, Jacob says “a wild animal has devoured him”[9], this sentence implies that he is ready to accept what had happened to Joseph. [10]

Qur’an: Jacob doesn’t want to believe what his brothers say about Joseph. [11]

 

The Bible: Joseph was put into prison as he didn’t testify against his master’s wife and then left his garment and fled and ran outside.[12]

 

Qur’an: While Joseph is running away, his shirt is torn from the back and his truthfulness is proved after a witness from her family testifies. [13]

 

The Bible: The gossips of the women of the city and the fact that the wife of al-'Azeez introduced Joseph to them aren’t mentioned at all. 

Qur’an: The wife of al-'Azeez threatens Joseph with imprisonment if he won’t do what she orders.[14]

 

The Bible: Joseph interprets the dreams of Pharaoh in his presence.[15]

 

Qur’an: Joseph first tells the dream of the king to his friend in the jail, the one who was freed, and the he is taken to the presence of the king. [16]

 

The Bible: When Joseph asked his brothers to bring their youngest brother, Benjamin, he put them in prison for three days saying: “as Pharaoh lives, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here! Let one of you go and bring your brother … or else, as Pharaoh lives, surely you are spies.” [17]

Qur’an: Joseph furnishes his brothers with a lot of supplies and says: “Bring me a brother of yours from your father… But if you do not bring him to me, no measure will there be [hereafter] for you from me, nor will you approach me." Therefore, he doesn’t imprison some of his prison and swear on the life of Pharaoh. [18]

The Bible: It is stated that Joseph talks to his brothers with the help of a translator. [19]

 

Qur’an: There isn’t any information about a language problem. 

The Bible: When nine brothers (Simeon is in the prison and Benjamin is with his father) want Benjamin from their father, one of them (Reuben – the first son of Jacob) says: “You may kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you.” After the bizarre dialogues between Jacob and his sons. Benjamin is sent back with the bail of Judah. [20]

Qur’an: Brothers give a promise by Allah that they will bring Benjamin back and Jacob advices his sons with full commitment to Allah. [21]

The Bible: When Joseph comes together with his brothers, he has to sit separately from them as Egyptians could not eat with the Hebrews (according to the management rules of Egypt) and although he hasn’t known who Joseph is yet, Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. [22]

Qur’an: No sign of privilege or libation is seen.

The Bible: It is indicated that the silver cup, which is put into Benjamin’s sack, is the cup from which master or Joseph drank and by which Joseph tells fortune. After the dialogues between the brothers on finding the cup in Benjamin’s sack, Joseph cannot wait any longer to introduce himself. [23]

 

Qur’an: It mentions that when their youngest brother (Benjamin) is taken by Joseph they question themselves on the way back home; that they tell their father that Benjamin is arrested after a theft but Jacob doesn’t satisfy so that he sent them back to find out about Joseph and Benjamin. Consequently at their third visit with the same purpose Joseph confessed that he is actually their brother. [24]

The Bible: It declares that Joseph makes his father and his brothers come to Egypt with the offer of Pharaoh.[25]

 

Qur’an: It tells the facts that Joseph sends his shirt to his father and his sons jestingly apologize from their father. The happy ending is told affectively. [26]

 

The Bible: Through the end of the story Jacob states that he doesn’t want to be buried in Egypt by saying “If I have found favour with you” and the fact that Joseph blesses Ephraim ahead of Manasseh on purpose.[27]

 

Qur’an: Whereas at the very beginning of the surah the aim of informing in the best way is emphasized, at the end “lesson and reason” are underlined. 

The Bible: It is informed that Jacob lived for one hundred and forty-seven years and Joseph died, being one hundred and ten years old.[28]

 

Qur’an: Neither Jacob’s nor Joseph’s age is mentioned. 

Yusuf Ulucan

translation : H. Neslihan Demiriz

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[1] Genesis: 37 / 2 – 4

[2] Yusuf (12): 3

[3] Genesis: 37 / 5 – 9

[4] Yusuf (12): 4

[5] Genesis: 37 / 10 – 11

[6] Yusuf (12): 5

[7] Genesis: 37/13 – 14

[8] Yusuf (12): 12 – 13

[9] In the books about the history of prophets written by Muslim scholars claim that when the bloody shirt of the Joseph was given to Jacob, he examined it and said “What a kind wolf it was, he ate my son but didn’t touch his shirt.”

[10] Genesis:37 / 31 – 33

[11] Yusuf (12): 18

[12] Genesis:39 / 12 – 20

[13] Yusuf (12): 25 – 29

[14] Yusuf (12): 32

[15] Genesis: 41 / 17 – 36

[16] Yusuf (12): 47 – 50

[17] Genesis: 42 / 15 – 17

[18] Yusuf (12): 59 – 60

[19] Genesis:42 / 23

[20] Genesis: 42 / 36 – 43 / 14

[21] Yusuf (12): 63 – 67

[22]Genesis: 43 / 32 – 34

[23] Genesis: 44 / 2 – 45 / 3

[24] Yusuf (12): 80 – 90

[25] Genesis: 45 / 17 – 18

[26] Yusuf (12): 93 – 100

[27] Genesis: 47 / 29 – 48 / 19

[28] Genesis: 47 / 28, 50 / 26