וַיִּקְרָ֨א פַרְעֹ֣ה שֵׁם־יוֹסֵף֮ צָֽפְנַ֣ת פַּעְנֵ֒חַ֒ וַיִּתֶּן־ל֣וֹ אֶת־אָֽסְנַ֗ת בַּת־פּ֥וֹטִי פֶ֛רַע כֹּהֵ֥ן אֹ֖ן לְאִשָּׁ֑ה וַיֵּצֵ֥א יוֹסֵ֖ף עַל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃
And Pharaoh called Yosef’s name Zaphenath-paneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Poti-phera priest of On. And Yosef went out over the land of Egypt.
Bereishis Rabbah 90:4 explains the name “צפנת פענח”; the tradition that Asenath was Dinah’s daughter is preserved in Targum Jonathan on Bereishis 41:45, not in Bereishis Rabbah 90:4.
Sefaria · Bereishis Rabbah 90:4 · Sefaria · Targum Jonathan, Bereishis 41:45
צָפְנַת פַּעְנֵחַ — רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: צְפוּנוֹת מַפְרִיעַ וְנוֹחוֹת לוֹ לְאָמְרָם; רַבִּי חִזְקִיָּה: צְפוּנוֹת מַפְרִיעַ בְּדַעַת מַנִּיחַ רוּחָן שֶׁל בְּרִיּוֹת בָּהֶן; וְרַבָּנָן דּוֹרְשִׁים אֶת הַשֵּׁם בְּרָאשֵׁי תֵּבוֹת כְּתוֹאַר לְיוֹסֵף. אָסְנַת — בְּתַרְגּוּם יוֹנָתָן עַל הַפָּסוּק הִיא נִקְרֵאת בַּת דִּינָה שֶׁגִּדְּלָהּ פּוֹטִיפֶרַע.
English: Bereishis Rabbah 90:4 preserves several readings of the name Zaphenath-paneah. Targum Jonathan, independently, identifies Asenath as Dinah’s daughter who was raised in Poti-phera’s household.
On the daf / in context: These are two distinct source traditions and should not be merged into one Bereishis Rabbah citation: the Midrash interprets Yosef’s Egyptian name, while Targum Jonathan supplies the Asenath lineage.
Type of Learning: Derash on the verse (classic midrash) — not a formal named middah of the 13.
What Is Learned: Exact source attribution matters here: the name interpretation and Asenath genealogy come from different classical witnesses.