Joseph and Daniel parallels

by Damien F. Mackey “Both kings accept the respective interpretations of Joseph and Daniel and recognize that God has revealed things to the young men”. Christ the King Church Taken from: http://www.christthekingkirk.org/blog/2020/8/25/comparing-daniel-and-joseph August 25, 2020 Comparing Daniel and Joseph One of the fascinating things about the Book of Daniel is how the life of Daniel mirrors that of Joseph in the Book of Genesis. There are three main parallels. Firstly, both were exiled from home at a young age. Genesis 37 tells the story of how Joseph was sold as a slave by his brothers and taken to Egypt. He seems to have been 17 when this happened (Genesis 37:2). Likewise, it appears that Daniel was a teenager when he was taken into exile in Babylon (Daniel 1:3-6). Secondly, they both have the ability to interpret dreams. In both cases, this comes to the fore when they are able to interpret the king's dream when the other experts fail. Joseph interprets Pharaoh's dream of the fat and skinny cows (Genesis 41) when the magicians of Egypt could not: So in the morning Pharaoh's spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was none who could interpret them to Pharaoh. (Genesis 41:8) This perfectly mirrors the story of Daniel 2:1-11, where the magicians of Babylon are not able to interpret Nebuchadnezzar's dream. Both dreams contain a revelation of the future which God gives to the king. Joseph says “God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do” (Genesis 41:25), while Daniel says: There is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. (Daniel 2:28). In this way, both Joseph and Daniel downplay their own abilities and give God the credit. Thirdly, both Joseph and Daniel are promoted to a position of political power. Both kings accept the respective interpretations of Joseph and Daniel and recognize that God has revealed things to the young men: And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the spirit of the gods? Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you”. (Genesis 41:38-40) Nebuchadnezzar responds in a similar way: Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face and paid homage to Daniel, and commanded that an offering and incense be offered up to him. The king answered and said to Daniel, “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.” Then the king gave Daniel high honors and many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon. (Daniel 2:46-48) Later on, in Daniel 4:8, Nebuchadnezzar also acknowledges that “the spirit of the holy gods” is in Daniel. There are a number other parallels, but with these the order varies. Both Joseph and Daniel are given new names, but Daniel is named Belteshazzar on his arrival in Babylon (Daniel 1:7), while Joseph is named Zaphenath-paneah after his promotion (Genesis 41:45). Both Joseph and Daniel have their own dreams, but Joseph's dream of wheat sheaves and stars comes when he is still in Canaan (Genesis 37:1-11), while Daniel's dreams come when he is an old man, starting in the first year of Belshazzar (Daniel 7:1). Finally, the Bible teaches us similar lessons in the stories of both men. Both focus on God's sovereignty in using these men to preserve his people during their time of exile. At the end of Joseph's story, he gives his brothers his view of their selling him into slavery: As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. (Genesis 50:20) This is not made as explicit in the Book of Daniel, but Daniel 1:21 says that Daniel “was there until the first year of King Cyrus” – that is, when the decree went out that the temple should be rebuilt (Ezra 1:1-3). In this way, Daniel himself ushers in the return from exile. The theme of God's care for his people comes to the fore in the second half of the Book of Daniel: But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever. (Daniel 7:18) Thus, there are historical parallels between the lives of Joseph and Daniel, but there are also literary parallels between the accounts: the author of the Book of Daniel is writing it in such a way as to make us think about Joseph. Joseph and Tamar comparisons The Tamar intended here is “the beautiful sister of Absalom son of David” (2 Samuel 13:1), not the Tamar of Genesis 38:11, the daughter-in-law of Judah. A parent’s favourite, given a special cloak, sold out by brothers, mocked, sexually harrassed, emerging from the desert on a spices-laden camel train, imprisoned, though much admired, capable of good management, ruling in Egypt as second only to Pharaoh. These are just some of the similarities that Tamar at the time of King David shared with Joseph. This comment presupposes my previous multi-identifications of Tamar as: “Conclusion 2: Abishag, of uncertain name, the same as Tamar (her given Hebrew name), hailing from Shunem, was hence “the Shunammite” of King Solomon’s Song of Songs. Ethnically, she may have been Egypto-Canaanite, which thought will lead to the consideration … that she was also Velikovsky’s Hatshepsut = “Queen of Sheba”.” Some of the Comparisons Joseph, beloved of his father (Genesis 37:3): “Now Israel [Jacob] loved Joseph more than any of his other sons …”, was hated by his brothers (v. 4): “When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him”. The “Shunammite” was (Song of Solomon 6:9): “… the favourite of her mother, perfect to the one who gave her birth”, but mis-treated by her brothers (1:6): “My mother’s sons [brothers] were angry with me and made me take care of the vineyards”. Joseph’s father “made an ornate robe for him” (Genesis 37:3). Tamar “was wearing an ornate robe, for this was the kind of garment the virgin daughters of the king wore” (2 Samuel 13:18). The exact same Hebrew words to describe “ornate robe”, or “coat of many colours”, are used in the case of Joseph and of Tamar, ketonet passim (כְּתֹנֶת פַּסִּים). Jacob sent Joseph to his brothers (Genesis 37:13): ‘As you know, your brothers are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I am going to send you to them’. ‘Very well’, he replied. David sent Tamar to her ‘brother’, Amnon (2 Samuel 13:7, 8): “David sent word to Tamar at the palace: ‘Go to the house of your brother Amnon and prepare some food for him’. So Tamar went …”. From “Hebron ….” (Genesis 37:14). Six of Tamar’s ‘brothers’ were born to David at “Hebron” (I Chronicles 3:1-4). Joseph asks a man at Shechem (Genesis 37:16): ‘I’m looking for my brothers. Can you tell me where they are grazing their flocks?’ Similarly the Shunammite asks her beloved (Song of Solomon 1:7): ‘Tell me, you whom I love, where you graze your flock and where you rest your sheep at midday’. Joseph’s brothers “plotted to kill him” (Genesis 37:18). Tamar was a pawn in a conspiratorial plot by Absalom and his adviser to kill Amnon. “So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the ornate robe he was wearing” (Genesis 37:23). “Tamar … tore the ornate robe she was wearing” (2 Samuel 13:19). Joseph’s brothers “looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead” (Genesis 37:25). Were they “flock of goats”-like? (Song of Solomon 4:1): ‘Your hair is like a flock of goats descending from the hills of Gilead”. “Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt” (Genesis 37:25). (I Kings 10:1, 2): “… the Queen of Sheba … came … to … Jerusalem with a very great caravan—with camels carrying spices …”. “Judah said to his brothers, ‘… after all, he is our brother’.” (2 Genesis 37:26, 27). “Her brother Absalom said to [Tamar], ‘…. Be quiet for now, my sister; he is your brother’.” (2 Samuel 13:20). “… his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver” (Genesis 37:28). “Solomon had a vineyard in Baal Hamon; he let out his vineyard to tenants. Each was to bring for its fruit a thousand shekels of silver” (Song of Solomon 8:11). “… the Ishmaelites … took [Joseph] to Egypt” (Genesis 37:28). ‘I liken you, my darling, to a mare among Pharaoh’s chariot horses’ (Song of Solomon 1:9). “Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes. He went back to his brothers and said, ‘…. Where can I turn now?’ (Genesis 37:29, 30). ‘What about me? Where could I get rid of my disgrace? And what about you? You would be like one of the wicked fools in Israel’ (2 Samuel 13:13). “Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days. All his sons and daughters came to comfort him …” (Genesis 37:34-35). “The king stood up, tore his clothes and lay down on the ground; and all his attendants stood by with their clothes torn” (2 Samuel 13:31). Given the above similarities, it would be no accident that the narrative concerning Joseph is suddenly interrupted by Genesis 38, the account of Judah and another “Tamar” who is treated with some disrespect by Joseph’s brother, Judah. “Joseph found favour in his eyes and became his personal attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned” (Genesis 39:4). “Abishag … took care of the king and waited on him …” (I Kings 1:4). “And Achitophel said to Absalom. ‘Go in unto thy father’s concubines, which he hath left to keep the palace …’ (2 Samuel 16:21). “Now Joseph was well-built and handsome …” (Genesis 39:6). “… Tamar, the beautiful sister of Absalom son of David” (2 Samuel 13:1). “… they searched throughout Israel for a beautiful young woman and found Abishag, a Shunammite” (I Kings 1:3). ‘O thou fairest among women …’ (Song of Solomon 1:8). “… Hatshepsut still described herself as a beautiful woman, often as the most beautiful of women …” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatshepsut). “… after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, ‘Come to bed with me!’” (Genesis 39:7). “In the course of time, Amnon … grabbed her and said, ‘Come to bed with me’ …” (2 Samuel 13:1, 11). {So Judah with the other Tamar ‘Come now, let me sleep with you’ (Genesis 38:16), before his having to concede: ‘She is more righteous than I …’ (v. 26) – something Amnon would fail to do in the case of the other Tamar}. “But he refused. ‘…. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?’” (Genesis 39:8, 9). ‘No, my brother!’ she said to him. ‘Don’t force me! Such a thing should not be done in Israel! Don’t do this wicked thing’ (2 Samuel 13:12). When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house’ (Genesis 39:15). “Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the ornate robe she was wearing. She put her hands on her head and went away, weeping aloud as she went” (2 Samuel 13:19). “When his master heard the story his wife told him … he was furious” (Genesis 39:19). “When King David heard all this, he was furious” (2 Samuel 13:21). “Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined’ (Genesis 39:20). “[Amnon] called his personal servant and said, ‘Get this woman out of my sight and bolt the door after her’.” (Genesis 39:17). “And Tamar lived in her brother Absalom’s house, a desolate woman” (39:20). “When two full years had passed …” (Genesis 41:1). “Two years later …” (2 Samuel 13:23).