From Abraham to Joseph
When children first learn the story of Joseph, they often remember the colorful coat, the dreams, and Joseph ruling in Egypt. But Joseph’s story didn’t begin in Egypt—it began in Canaan. Joseph was part of a family God had been working through for generations.
Understanding Joseph’s family tree helps children see the bigger picture of the Bible and how biblical characters fit together.
Joseph’s Family Tree
Joseph was the son of Jacob, who was also called Israel. Jacob was the son of Isaac, and Isaac was the son of Abraham. The story of Abraham’s family begins in Genesis 12 and continues through chapter 50.
So Joseph’s family line goes:
Abraham → Isaac → Jacob → Joseph
These four generations are an important part of God’s story in the Old Testament. This family would one day grow into the nation of Israel, the children of Israel.
Abraham
Abraham was the beginning of this family’s story.
God called Abraham to leave his homeland and promised to make him into a great nation. God also promised that through Abraham, all the families of the earth would be blessed.
Abraham had a son named Isaac, the son God had promised to give him and his wife Sarah. Isaac was a miracle child and a child of the covenant God made with Abraham.
Isaac
Isaac married Rebekah, and they had twin sons: Esau and Jacob.
Jacob would become the father of twelve sons who would eventually become the twelve tribes of Israel. Esau also became the father of twelve sons.
Jacob
Jacob’s name was later changed by the Lord to Israel.
Jacob had twelve sons, but Joseph held a special place in his father’s heart. He was the first son born to his beloved Rachel. Genesis tells us that Jacob loved Joseph more than his other sons and gave him a special robe.
Rachel was not Jacob’s only wife. He was first tricked into marrying Leah, Rachel’s sister. Later, Jacob had sons through Rachel’s servant, Bilhah, and Leah’s servant, Zilpah.
Joseph’s brothers, born to Leah, Bilhah, and Zilpah, became jealous of him. Their jealousy increased when Joseph told them about dreams that seemed to show that one day they would bow down to him.
Their jealousy eventually led them to sell Joseph as a slave.
Joseph
Joseph was taken as a slave to Egypt, far away from his family.
Although Joseph experienced years of difficulty, God was with him. Joseph eventually became a powerful leader in Egypt. As a leader, he was able to help save many people from famine, including his own family.
Joseph’s story eventually brought Jacob and his entire family to Egypt.
What began with one family would eventually grow into the nation of Israel as they lived in Egypt.
Who Were Joseph’s Brothers?
Joseph was one of Jacob’s twelve sons.
His brothers were:
- Reuben
- Simeon
- Levi
- Judah
- Dan
- Naphtali
- Gad
- Asher
- Issachar
- Zebulun
- Joseph
- Benjamin
Benjamin was Joseph’s only full brother. Joseph and Benjamin were both sons of Rachel, Jacob’s beloved wife.
The other brothers were Joseph’s half-brothers, born to Jacob’s other wife, Leah, and to Bilhah and Zilpah.
This family relationship becomes especially important when Joseph sees his brothers again in Egypt.
Joseph and Benjamin
Joseph and Benjamin shared a special connection.
Both were sons of Jacob and Rachel. Rachel died after giving birth to Benjamin.
Years later, when Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt looking for food during the famine, Joseph recognized them, but they did not recognize him.
Benjamin was not with them during their first visit.
Joseph eventually asked them to bring their youngest brother, Benjamin, to Egypt. This created a difficult situation for Jacob because he was afraid something might happen to Benjamin too.
The story shows just how deeply family relationships shaped Joseph’s life.
Why Does Joseph’s Family Tree Matter?
Joseph’s family tree is more than a list of names.
It helps children understand that the Bible is about real people who lived in history.
Joseph was not an isolated character. His story connects back to Abraham and Isaac and forward to the twelve tribes of Israel. His story is one part of the big picture of the Bible.
When children understand these connections, names in the Bible begin to have meaning and become more relatable.
Instead of seeing Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph as four unrelated Bible characters, they can see them as four generations in the same family.
And that makes the story of Joseph easier to remember.
A Simple Way to Teach Joseph’s Family Tree
Try drawing the family tree with your children.
Start with:
Abraham
↓
Isaac
↓
Jacob (Israel)
↓
Joseph
Then add Jacob’s other sons around Joseph.
You can even have your children draw a small stick figure for each person. Older children can use mind maps to chart the family tree.
Drawing the family tree gives everyone something visual to connect with the story of Joseph’s family.
Remember the Big Picture
Before you teach about Joseph, give your kids the context of his life. Talk about his family and the importance of who they were. Then the story of Joseph will take on a deeper dimension. Teach his family tree.
Abraham → Isaac → Jacob → Joseph → the family of Israel
Learning biblical characters and their family ties is one of the beautiful things about studying the Bible chronologically. Children begin to see how the people, places, and events of Scripture fit together.
Joseph’s story is part of a much bigger story. It is a story of God working through generations.
