Joseph Quotes

“From the lowest depths of his jail cell, Joseph identifies himself for the first time with forefathers, reconnecting to his heritage despite being cut off from his family for years. Despite living in a foreign land alone amidst a foreign people, Joseph declares that he has remained true to his people’s core values. One of those values is gratitude, and for the first time Joseph acknowledges that his talents are God-given rather than earned. He has ended up in prison because of unwavering gratitude to a human master who selflessly cared for him, a devotion that mirrors his gratitude to the Divine Master. In this terrible low moment, Joseph sounds fulfilled for the first time in his life, as the principled decision to accept imprisonment provides an uplifting sense of purpose. With renewed appreciation for God’s care, Joseph challenges his fellow inmates to reject backstabbing pagan deities whose flaring egos drive them to relentlessly pursue self-aggrandizement at the expense of others. As humans naturally emulate the characteristics of their deities, Joseph prefers an ethical and compassionate Divine Mentor.”
― Mohamad Jebara, The Life of the Qur'an: From Eternal Roots to Enduring Legacy

“But Joseph staring down at the two of them didn't smile. Mary noticed this and said Joseph what's the matter you don't look happy it's a fine baby look at its chubby hands why don't you smile? And Joseph said there's a light around the head of our baby a shine that is soft like moonlight. Mary nodded as if she weren't a bit surprised and said I think there must be a light like that around the heads of all newborn babies they're so fresh from heaven. And Joseph said in a kind of sick voice as if he had suddenly lost something there's a light around your head too Mary.”
― Dalton Trumbo, Johnny Got His Gun

“Jesus Christ typified by Joseph, the beloved of his father, sent by his father to see his brethren, etc., innocent, sold by his brethren for twenty pieces of silver, and thereby becoming their lord, their saviour, the saviour of strangers, and the saviour of the world; which had not been but for their plot to destroy him, their sale and their rejection of him.

In prison Joseph innocent between two criminals; Jesus Christ on the cross between two thieves. Joseph foretells freedom to the one, and death to the other, from the same omens. Jesus Christ saves the elect, and condemns the outcast for the same sins. Joseph foretells only; Jesus Christ acts. Joseph asks him who will be saved to remember him, when he comes into his glory; and he whom Jesus Christ saves asks that He will remember him, when He comes into His kingdom.”
― Blaise Pascal, Pensées

“All day had been flooding with rain; we could not go to church, so Joseph must needs get up a congregation in the garret; and, while Hindley and his wife were basked downstairs before a fire … Heathcliff, myself and the unhappy plough-boy were commanded to take out Prayer-books and mount - we were ranged in a row, on a sack of corn, groaning and shivering, and hoping that Joseph would shiver too, so that he might give us a short homily for his own sake. A vain idea!”
― Emily Brontë

“He tears down my handiwork, boxes my ears, and croaks: ' ''T' maister nobbut just buried, and Sabbath nut oe'red, und t' sahnd uh't gospel still i' yer lugs, and yah darr be laiking! shame on ye! sit ye dahn, ill childer! they's good books enough if ye'll read 'em; sit ye dahn, and think uh yer sowls!”
― Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights

“Sometimes, when we face difficulty and trouble, it may look like it will never end. It will carry on forever. Yet, God is faithful. And when we are anchored in Him, He will bring us through. King David, one of the most anointed leaders and commanders in the Bible and Joseph, who ended up in an Egyptian prison, are but two examples of how God causes all things to work together for good in our lives, when we love Him and are called by Him according to His purpose Romans 8: 28-30.”
― Paddick Van Zyl, This Stormy Life

“Chapter 1: Genesis 37

9 And [he] dreamt again – a different dream – and [he] told it to his brothers, and [he] said, “Behold: [I] dreamt a dream again, and behold: The Sun and the Moon, and eleven stars [were] prostrating [themselves] to me. 10 And [he] told [the dream] to his father and to his brothers, and [he] rebuked him – his father – and [he] said to him, “What [is] this dream that [you] dreamt? Will [we most assuredly] come – I, and your mother, and your brothers – to prostrate [ourselves] to you to the ground?” 11 And [they were] jealous of him – his brothers – and his father guarded the matter [in his heart].”
― Daniel Azariah, Yosef: The Story of Joseph

“Chapter 1: Genesis 37

12 And [they] went – his brothers – to shepherd the flock of their father in Shechem. 13 And Israel said to Yosef (Joseph), “Are not your brothers shepherding in Shechem? Go and [I] will send you to them.” And [he] said to him, “Behold: [here] I [am]!”
― Daniel Azariah, Yosef: The Story of Joseph

“Chapter 1: Genesis 37

14 And [he] said to him, “Go, please, see [to] the peace of your brothers, and [to] the peace of the flock, and return to me a word, and [he] sent him from the valley of Ḥevron (Hebron), and [he] came to Shechem. 15 And a man found him, and behold: [He was] mistakenly [wandering] in the field, and [he] asked him – the man – saying, “What [do you] request [to find]?”

16 And [he] said, “My brothers I request [to find] – Say, please, to me: Where [are] they shepherding?”

17 And [he] said – the man – “[They] journeyed from this [place] because [I] heard [them] saying, '[We] will go to Dothan.'” And [he] went – Yosef (Joseph) – after his brothers, and [he] found them in Dothan.”
― Daniel Azariah, Yosef: The Story of Joseph

“Chapter 1: Genesis 37

18 And [they] saw him from afar, and before [he] came close to them [they] plotted [against] him to put him to death. 19 And [they] said – [each] man to his brothers – “Behold: The possessor of the dreams – this one comes! 20 And now: Come and [let's] kill him, and [we] will cast him in[to] one of the ground-pits, and [we] will say, 'An evil living [creature] ate him', and [we] will see what will be [of] his dreams!”
― Daniel Azariah, Yosef: The Story of Joseph

“Chapter 1: Genesis 37

21 And Reuven (Reuben) heard and [he] saved him from their hand, and [he] said, “[We] will not hit him [killing his] soul!” 22 And [he] said to them – Reuven (Reuben) – “Don't spill blood! Cast him to this ground-pit that [is] in the desert, and a hand do not send [forth] against him!” in order [to] save him from their hand [in order] to return him to his father.”
― Daniel Azariah, Yosef: The Story of Joseph

“Chapter 1: Genesis 37

23 And [it] was when Yosef (Joseph) came to his brothers, and [they] stripped Yosef (Joseph) [of] his tunic – the striped tunic – that [was] upon him. 24 And [they] took him, and [they] cast him to the ground-pit, and the ground-pit [was] empty – there [was] not within it water.”
― Daniel Azariah, Yosef: The Story of Joseph

“Chapter 1: Genesis 37

25 And [they] sat to eat bread, and [they] lifted [up] their eyes, and [they] saw, and behold: A caravan of Ishmaelites [was] coming from Gil'ad and their camels bearing spices, and balsam, and myrrh going to bring down to Mitzraim (Egypt). 26 And Yehudah (Judah) said to his brothers, “What gain [is there] that [we] will kill our brother and [by our] covering [up] his blood? 27 Come, and [let's] sell him to the Ishmaelites, and our hand [let] not be [up]on him because [he is] our brother – our flesh [and blood] he [is].” And [they] heard – his brothers – [and heeded].”
― Daniel Azariah, Yosef: The Story of Joseph

“Chapter 1: Genesis 37

28 And [they] passed – Midianite people (merchants) – and [they] pulled, and [they] raised Yosef (Joseph) from the ground-pit, and [they] sold Yosef (Joseph) to the Ishmaelites for twenty [pieces of] silver, and [they] brought Yosef (Joseph) to Mitzraim (Egypt). 29 And [he] returned – Reuven (Reuben) – to the ground-pit, and behold: There [was] no Yosef (Joseph) in the ground-pit, and [he] tore his clothes.

30 And [he] returned to his brothers, and [he] said, “The child [is] not there! And I – where do I go?!” 31 And [they] took the tunic of Yosef (Joseph), and [they] slaughtered a hairy-goat, and [they] dipped the tunic in the blood.”
― Daniel Azariah, Yosef: The Story of Joseph

“Favor is a special status or privilege that could granted to someone, You can call it supernatural fragrance that attracts unsolicited help.”
― Damola Treasure Okenla

“We can either go through a situation or grow through a situation, the choice is ours. Joseph is an excellent example to emulate (Genesis 37~50)”
― Paddick Van Zyl

“We are trapped by our biology, stunted by our psychology, and, as a result, must wrap ourselves in mythology (the formulaic, fictional stories of our time) in order to squelch the thoughts concerning our impending mortality.”
― R. Wallace Smith, Insignificant Miracle In Between

“Had Joseph been released when he pleaded for the Chief Butler to help him, he would have been working for the Butler and NOT for Pharaoh. Joseph would have been waiting on the Butler instead of Egypt waiting on him. We need to learn to trust God, trust the process, and be patient. God's plans are higher and more generous than our own.”
― Shaun Brooks

“Joseph also had to learn to forgive. A very tough lesson indeed. His brothers treated him like an animal and sold him for gain. He was insulted and falsely accused in Egypt. Yet, he chose to forgive his accusers and God exalted him to a high position over his accusers. If he had held onto his hurts and offenses, he would not have been able to deliver the nation. Forgiveness always opened the door to God’s blessing and favor. Joseph was in a place (the pit) where he had to beg for bread but God promoted him to the top (the palace) to give bread unto those (his brothers) that came to beg from him. Had he not been tested and proven worthy by God for this new position, pride would have been his downfall. But God’s Spirit kept him humble and also pliable in the hands of God.

Eight People, Eight Life Lessons - Paddick Van Zyl”
― Paddick Van Zyl

“Thus framed the first narrative lacuna, the first release of communal tears, in this storied journey is that the oppressive Pharaoh did not know Joseph. What it is about Joseph that this Pharaoh—only the latest in a succession of Pharaohs within the political institution—did not know is unclear and unstated. But far as epistemological amnesia screams for narrative and interpretive attention. His amnesia is corrosive to the communal and interpret of existence of the Hebrews. And it is from that abyss that the exodus-motif begins to birth Exodus-story.”
― Kenneth N Ngwa, Let My People Live: An African Reading of Exodus

“A vida espiritual que José nos mostra, não é um caminho que explica, mas um caminho que acolhe. Só a partir deste acolhimento, desta reconciliação, é possível intuir também uma história mais excelsa, um significado mais profundo. Parecem ecoar as palavras inflamadas de Job, quando, desafiado pela esposa a rebelar-se contra todo o mal que lhe está a acontecer, responde: "Se recebemos os bens da mão de Deus, não aceitaremos também os males?" (Job 2, 10).”
― Papa Francisco

“A vida de cada um de nós pode recomeçar miraculosamente, se encontrarmos a coragem de viver segundo aquilo que nos indica o Evangelho. E não importa se tudo parece ter tomado já uma direção errada, e se algumas coisas já são irreversíveis. Deus pode fazer brotar flores no meio das rochas. E mesmo que o nosso coração nos censure de qualquer coisa, Ele "é maior que o nosso coração e conhece tudo" (1 Jo 3, 20).”
― Papa Francisco

“Reaparece aqui o realismo cristão, que não deita fora nada do que existe. A realidade, na sua misteriosa persistência e complexidade, é portadora dum sentido da existência com as suas luzes e sombras. É isto que leva o apóstolo Paulo a dizer: "Sabemos que tudo contribui para o bem daqueles que amam a Deus" (Rm 8, 28). E Santo Agostinho acrescenta: tudo, "incluindo aquilo que é chamado mal". Nesta perspectiva global, a fé dá significado a todos os acontecimentos, sejam eles felizes ou tristes.”
― Papa Francisco

“Se a primeira etapa de toda a verdadeira cura interior é acolher a própria história, ou seja, dar espaço no nosso íntimo até mesmo àquilo que não escolhemos na nossa vida, convém acrescentar outra característica importante: a coragem criativa. Esta vem ao de cima sobretudo quando se encontram dificuldades. Com efeito, perante uma dificuldade, pode-se estacar e abandonar o campo, ou tentar vencê-la de algum modo. Às vezes, são precisamente as dificuldades que fazem sair de cada um de nós recursos que nem pensávamos ter.”
― Papa Francisco

“Se em determinadas situações, parece que Deus não nos ajuda, isso não significa que nos tenha abandonado, mas confia em nós com aquilo que podemos projetar, inventar, encontrar.”
― Papa Francisco

“O Filho do Todo-Poderoso vem ao mundo, assumindo uma condição de grande fragilidade. Necessita de José para ser defendido, protegido, cuidado e criado. Deus confia neste homem, e o mesmo faz Maria que encontra em José aquele que não só Lhe quer salvar a vida, mas sempre A sustentará a Ela e ao Menino.”
― Papa Francisco

“Uma família onde falte o trabalho está mais exposta a dificuldades, tensões, fraturas e até mesmo à desesperada e desesperadora tentação da dissolução. Como poderemos falar da dignidade humana sem nos empenharmos para que todos, e cada um, tenham a possibilidade dum digno sustento?”
― Papa Francisco

“Now this was interesting. The innkeeper surmised that this pregnancy could have been out of wedlock, especially if the family were unwilling to take them in at such a crucial stage. But it was not of his business, and as long as he would get money out of the deal, he could not afford to have an opinion.”
― Emmanuel Onimisi, The Faces of Christmas

“Joseph offers us a pure example of manhood through strength and humility. He protected and guided the Holy Family on a perilous journey, accepting the forthcoming challenges but never seeking recognition.”
― Allene vanOirschot

“While Joseph's brothers made a pile
Joseph suffered for a while
That while did not seem a lengthy season
With no design, no rhyme or reason

The brothers did not care a bit
That Joseph languished in a pit
They showed no sorrow for his plight
They cared not for the wrong or right

But, God was there, behind the cloud
He does not shout His plan aloud
The path through pit and prison led
For Joseph to the nation's head

Not then did Joseph weep or groan
Each step was leading to a throne
The starving brothers soon behold
A ruler with a chain of gold

They wept, and each his breast did smite
Before one sold to Ishmalite
Their brother, with the power of death
Each man fell down with baited breath

Forgiving, Joseph understood
Yee meant for evil, God meant for good

He did not leave me, or forsake
He knew each step I had to take
My shepherd, led by pastures green
No other way could there have been

For me, I proved that He is God
Endured the dark, and kissed the rod
Take this example from His word
And follow on to know the Lord

Now, through darksome glass we see
But oh, the glory yet to be”
― Leonard Ravenhill, Revival God's Way