Genesis37

Genesis 37 introduces Joseph, Jacob's favored son, whose prophetic dreams of his family bowing to him ignite his brothers' intense hatred. Sent to check on them, Joseph is conspired against, stripped of his coat, and cast into a pit. Ultimately, his brothers sell him to Ishmeelite merchants for twenty pieces of silver, leading to his arrival in Egypt, while they deceive Jacob into believing Joseph was killed by a wild beast.

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The Generations of Jacob and Joseph's Favoritism

And Jacob dwelt in the land of his father’s sojournings, in the land of Canaan.

These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and he was a lad with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought the evil report of them unto their father.

Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colors.

And his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren; and they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.

Joseph's Prophetic Dreams

And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.

And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:

for, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves came round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.

And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.

And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed yet a dream; and, behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars made obeisance to me.

And he told it to his father, and to his brethren; and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?

And his brethren envied him; but his father kept the saying in mind.

Joseph Is Sent to Dothan

And his brethren went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem.

And Israel said unto Joseph, Are not thy brethren feeding the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I.

And he said to him, Go now, see whether it is well with thy brethren, and well with the flock; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.

And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou?

And he said, I am seeking my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they are feeding the flock.

And the man said, They are departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan.

The Brothers Conspire and Sell Joseph

And they saw him afar off, and before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.

And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.

Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into one of the pits, and we will say, An evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.

And Reuben heard it, and delivered him out of their hand, and said, Let us not take his life.

And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood; cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but lay no hand upon him: that he might deliver him out of their hand, to restore him to his father.

And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stripped Joseph of his coat, the coat of many colors that was on him;

and they took him, and cast him into the pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.

And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.

And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother and conceal his blood?

Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother, our flesh. And his brethren hearkened unto him.

And there passed by Midianites, merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And they brought Joseph into Egypt.

And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.

And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go?

Jacob Deceived and Mourns

And they took Joseph’s coat, and killed a he-goat, and dipped the coat in the blood;

and they sent the coat of many colors, and they brought it to their father, and said, This have we found: know now whether it is thy son’s coat or not.

And he knew it, and said, It is my son’s coat: an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt torn in pieces.

And Jacob rent his garments, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days.

And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down to Sheol to my son mourning. And his father wept for him.

And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, the captain of the guard.

Study Notes for Genesis 37

Verse 2

The phrase 'These are the generations of Jacob' (Hebrew: *toledot*) introduces the main focus of the subsequent narrative, which centers on Joseph and his role in the destiny of Israel. Joseph's 'evil report' immediately highlights the deep friction within the family.

Verse 3

The 'coat of many colours' (*kethonet passim*) was likely an ornate, long-sleeved tunic, signifying Joseph’s status as Jacob’s favored son and possibly marking him as the designated inheritor, deeply offending the older brothers.

Verse 4

The brothers’ inability to 'speak peaceably' reveals the intensity of their hatred, a direct result of Jacob’s unwise display of favoritism, which violated the principles of family unity.

Verse 5

Joseph’s dreams, while prophetic of God’s plan, were told to his brothers in a way that intensified their existing jealousy, demonstrating his youthful lack of wisdom and discretion.

Verse 7

The imagery of the sheaves bowing down clearly communicated Joseph’s future authority and dominance over his agriculturalist brothers, confirming their suspicion that he sought to rule over them.

Verse 10

Jacob rebukes Joseph publicly, yet the text notes that he 'observed the saying' (v. 11), suggesting that Jacob, having experienced prophetic dreams himself, recognized the potential divine origin of the message.

Verse 14

Jacob sends Joseph from the secure area near Hebron (site of covenant promises) to Shechem, a place previously associated with extreme violence and vengeance (Gen. 34), foreshadowing the danger Joseph would face.

Verse 19

The sarcastic title 'this dreamer' (Heb. *ba'al hachalomot*, 'master of dreams') shows their contempt for Joseph and their determination to destroy the prophetic destiny attached to him.

Verse 20

The brothers explicitly state their motive: to kill Joseph and thereby negate God’s promises revealed through the dreams. This act is a direct attempt to thwart divine sovereignty.

Verse 21

Reuben, as the eldest, attempts to prevent murder, likely motivated by a sense of familial responsibility and the hope of redeeming himself after his earlier offense against Jacob (Gen. 35:22).

Verse 25

The brothers sitting down to eat while Joseph is in the pit highlights their cold-heartedness. The appearance of the Ishmaelite traders provides the means by which God’s providential plan will proceed via Egypt.

Verse 26

Judah suggests selling Joseph, viewing it as a profitable alternative to murder. This decision, though still cruel, saves Joseph's life and sets Judah on a path toward moral development later in the narrative.

Verse 28

Joseph was sold for twenty pieces of silver, the standard price for a slave aged 5 to 20 (Exod. 21:32). The terms 'Midianites' and 'Ishmeelites' are used interchangeably, referring generally to nomadic trading caravans of the region.

Verse 29

Reuben’s distress upon finding the pit empty demonstrates that he was not involved in the sale and feared the repercussions of not fulfilling his self-appointed role as Joseph's protector.

Verse 34

Rending clothes and wearing sackcloth were common ancient Near Eastern signs of intense mourning. Jacob's grief is exacerbated by the false belief that his favorite son suffered a violent death.

Verse 35

Jacob's refusal to be comforted and his declaration that he will mourn until he goes down into the grave (*Sheol*) reflects the depth of his despair and the devastating impact of the brothers’ deceit.

Verse 36

This verse concludes the chapter, establishing Joseph's new identity as a slave in the house of Potiphar, an Egyptian official, thereby setting the physical and political stage for the next phase of the narrative.

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Genesis37

The Generations of Jacob and Joseph's Favoritism

Joseph's Prophetic Dreams

Joseph Is Sent to Dothan

The Brothers Conspire and Sell Joseph

Jacob Deceived and Mourns

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