פּוֹטִי פֶרַע (H6319) — Hebrew Lexicon

פּוֹטִי פֶרַע

𐤐𐤅𐤈𐤉 𐤐𐤓𐤏

Poti Fera

H6319 noun

SILEX Entry

Root uncertain uncertain (Egyptian loanword)

Definition

Poti-Phera, a personal name of Egyptian origin, specifically designating an individual who is described in Genesis as a prominent religious official in Egypt. The term refers to 'Potiphera,' priest of On (Heliopolis), father of Asenath, and father-in-law to Joseph. The name itself does not have a Hebrew meaning but is a transliteration of an Egyptian name, indicating a person of non-Israelite, specifically Egyptian, heritage.

Semantic Range

personal name of a high-ranking Egyptian priest, specifically priest of On; non-Israelite; father of Asenath; father-in-law of Joseph

Root / Etymology

The name פּוֹטִי פֶרַע (Poti-Pheraʻ) is of Egyptian derivation, not native to Hebrew. It corresponds to the Egyptian compound Pa-di-Pre or Pa-di-Peru, meaning 'He whom Ra (the sun god) has given' or 'Given by Ra.' The Hebrew form preserves the Egyptian structure and sound but does not carry a meaning in Hebrew itself. Root: etymology uncertain (Egyptian loan).

Historical & Contextual Notes

Poti-Phera appears only in Genesis 41:45 and 41:50 as the name of the Egyptian priest of On, to whom Pharaoh gives Asenath, his daughter, in marriage to Joseph. The Egyptian background is explicit: 'priest of On' locates him as a high-ranking religious functionary in the principal solar temple city (Heliopolis, ancient 'On'). The name, though adopted phonetically into Hebrew script, does not derive from a Hebrew root, and as such stands apart from other Egyptian names transliterated in the Hebrew Bible. In later tradition (including Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate), the name is rendered to match local pronunciation. English translations retain the transliterated form. The biblical context highlights contact and integration between Israelites and Egyptian elites during the narrative of Joseph. The term 'Jew' is anachronistic for this context and should be avoided.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of Egyptian derivation; Poti-Phera, an Egyptian; Poti-pherah.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

uncertain (Egyptian loan) (uncertain) — uncertain; Egyptian theophoric personal name

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	Occurrences
`H6319-02`	פּ֥וֹטִי	poti	`HNp`	Potiphera	Poti	3
`H6319-01`	פֶ֛רַע	fera	`HNp`	Pharaoh's	Phera	3

Occurrences in Scripture

6 total occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1
`H6319-02`	Genesis 41:45	פּ֥וֹטִי	poti	`HNp`	Poti-	Poti
`H6319-01`	Genesis 41:45	פֶ֛רַע	fera	`HNp`	phera	Phera
`H6319-02`	Genesis 41:50	פּ֥וֹטִי	poti	`HNp`	Potiphera	Poti
`H6319-01`	Genesis 41:50	פֶ֖רַע	fera	`HNp`	Pharaoh's	Phera
`H6319-02`	Genesis 46:20	פּ֥וֹטִי	poti	`HNp`	Potiphera	Poti
`H6319-01`	Genesis 46:20	פֶ֖רַע	fera	`HNp`	Potiphera	Phera

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