Joseph was tested by Yahweh through the pharoah’s wife to see if he would sin, and while Joseph stayed true to his beliefs, he was later on accused of advancing on her. Joseph was tested and put through suffering and almost faced exile and death but justice prevailed in the end. Joseph ended up rising up to a high position of power in Egypt, and saved many people from famine. From a theological perspective, Yahweh in the Old Testament is hard, but fair. This teaches that Yahweh isn't a cruel God, but one that allows tests of faith and if you're like Joseph, you will be redeemed for having that faith. Yahweh teaches a just world, where justice is always served, even if it’s delayed sometimes.

Annotation by: Samuel Godinho CC License: CC- BY-NC Tag: #SP2025-LIT211

I find the religious tension within the poem to be very interesting. The narrator and Beowulf frequently reference God and divine justice, but the poem still upholds Paganism and pagan ideals like fate and blood vengeance. This also shows the transitional period in which it was written, showing a cultural tug of war with the merging of old beliefs and emerging Christian values. The original poem shows many pagan values but once it was transcribed and translated it took on more Christian characteristics. This is an example of how religious values influenced this text.