Genesis 37 is a sad commentary on Jacob's dysfunctional family, in which
ten sons plot to kill their half-brother, eventually sell him, and then lie
to their father. However, Genesis 37 is also a commentary on God's grace
and
sovereign will.
GENESIS 37:1-2 1
Now Jacob dwelt in the land where his father was a stranger, in the land
of Canaan. 2
This is the history of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was
feeding the flock with his brothers. And the lad was with the sons of
Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives; and Joseph brought a
bad report of them to his father.
Who were "the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah"
(Genesis 37:2)?
Bilhah, the maidservant of Rachel bore Jacob's fifth and sixth sons, Dan and
Naphtali, while Zilpah, the maidservant of Leah bore Jacob's seventh and
eighth
sons, Gad and Asher (see Genesis 30:1-12).
Were Dan, Naphtali, Gad and Asher Joseph's "brothers"
(Genesis 37:2)?
Yes, but to be more precise, they were his half-brothers.
GENESIS 37:3-5 3
Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the
son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors.
4 But when his
brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers,
they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.
5 Now Joseph had a
dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more.
Who is "Israel" (Genesis 37:3)?
Jacob: And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called
Jacob, but Israel ..." (Genesis 32:28).
Why did Jacob / Israel "love Joseph more than all his"
(Genesis 37:3) other children?
Joseph
"was the son of his old age" (Genesis 37:3), but he was
also the
son of Rachel, the only wife he actually loved and willingly married (see
Genesis 29).
Why did Joseph's half-brothers hate him so much?
"Their father loved him more than" (Genesis 37:4)
he loved them; they were the sons of different mothers, all of whom were
unloved by their father; Joseph wore a flashy
"tunic of many colors" (Genesis 37:3) that they
didn't have; and Joseph talked about dreams in which they
"bowed down" to him (see below).
GENESIS 37:6-11 6 So he said to
them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed:
7 There we were,
binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood
upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my
sheaf.” 8 And
his brothers said to him, “Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you
indeed have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more for his
dreams and for his words. 9
Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and
said, “Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the
moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.”
10 So he told it to
his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him,
“What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and
your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?”
11 And his brothers
envied him, but his father kept the matter in mind.
Who did Jacob / Israel mean by "your mother" (Genesis
37:10)?
Joseph's mother Rachel already had died, so he was referring to Rachel's sister
and Joseph's stepmother Leah, whom he (Jacob) had been tricked into marrying before Rachel (see Genesis 29).
GENESIS 37:12-17 12 Then his brothers
went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem.
13 And Israel said
to Joseph, “Are not your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, I
will send you to them.” So he said to him, “Here I am.”
14 Then he said to
him, “Please go and see if it is well with your brothers and well with
the flocks, and bring back word to me.” So he sent him out of the Valley
of Hebron, and he went to Shechem. 15
Now a certain man found him, and there he was, wandering in the field.
And the man asked him, saying, “What are you seeking?”
16 So he said, “I am
seeking my brothers. Please tell me where they are feeding their
flocks.” 17
And the man said, “They have departed from here, for I heard them say,
‘Let us go to Dothan.’ ” So Joseph went after his brothers and found
them in Dothan.
Where are "Hebron, ... Shechem ... and ... Dothan"
(Genesis 37:14, 17)?
Hebron is located south of Jerusalem in southern Israel. Shechem is located
about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Hebron (past Jerusalem), and Dothan
is about 15 miles (24 kilometers) north of Shechem in central Israel. Joseph walked for three
or more days to reach his half-brothers.
GENESIS 37:18-22
18
Now when they saw him afar off, even before he came near them, they
conspired against him to kill him. 19
Then they said to one another, “Look, this dreamer is coming!
20 Come therefore,
let us now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, ‘Some
wild beast has devoured him.’ We shall see what will become of his
dreams!” 21
But Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands, and said,
“Let us not kill him.” 22
And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit
which is in the wilderness, and do not lay a hand on him” - that he
might deliver him out of their hands, and bring him back to his father.
Why didn't "Reuben" (Genesis 37:21) openly object to
their plot to kill Joseph?
As the oldest among them and the firstborn son of Jacob / Israel, Reuben had
some clout but not enough to override what appears to have been a consensus
among them - "they said to one another" (Genesis
37:19) - to kill Joseph. Given their hatred for Joseph, Reuben even may have
surmised that openly opposing their murderous plot may put his own
life in danger as well.
GENESIS 37:23-25
23 So it came to
pass, when Joseph had come to his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of
his tunic, the tunic of many colors that was on him.
24 Then they took
him and cast him into a pit. And the pit was empty; there was no water
in it. 25 And
they sat down to eat a meal. Then they lifted their eyes and looked, and
there was a company of Ishmaelites, coming from Gilead with their
camels, bearing spices, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry them down
to Egypt.
What kind of hearts did Joseph's half-brothers have?
Hard enough to sit down to enjoy "a meal"
(Genesis 37:25) together just after initiating their plot to murder their
half-brother.
Where is "Gilead" (Genesis
37:25)?
Gilead is a mountainous region east of the Jordan River and in
between the Sea of Galilee (photo) and the Dead Sea
(photo) in what is the country of Jordan
today. A caravan was returning to "Egypt"
(Genesis 37:25) from Gilead, carrying its famous "balm"
(Genesis 37:25): “Go up to Gilead and take balm, O
virgin, the daughter of Egypt ..." (Jeremiah 46:11).
GENESIS 37:26-28
26
So Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is there if we kill our
brother and conceal his blood? 27
Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be
upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh.” And his brothers
listened. 28
Then Midianite traders passed by; so the brothers pulled Joseph up and
lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty
shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt.
What did Judah remind the others about Joseph?
"He is our brother and our flesh" (Genesis
37:27).
Did Judah suddenly develop a conscience?
He suddenly saw silver shekel signs. Selling Joseph as a slave to a
passing caravan would both get rid of him and bring in
"profit" (Genesis 37:26).
Who are "Midianite traders" and "Ishmaelites" (Gensis
37:28)?
Ishmaelites were the descendents of Ishmael, the son Abram (before he was
renamed "Abraham") had with his wife's maidservant Hagar -
"So Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram named his son,
whom Hagar bore, Ishmael" (Genesis 16:15). Midianites were the
descendents of Midian, the son Abraham had with Keturah, whom he married
after his wife died: "Abraham again took a wife, and her
name was Keturah. And she bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak,
and Shuah" (Genesis 25:1-2). Ishmael and Midian were
half-brothers, so their descendents were related.
Was Joseph sold to the Midianite traders or Ishmaelites?
He was sold to the passing caravan, which had both.
GENESIS 37:29-36
29 Then Reuben
returned to the pit, and indeed Joseph was not in the pit; and he tore
his clothes. 30
And he returned to his brothers and said, “The lad is no more; and I,
where shall I go?” 31
So they took Joseph’s tunic, killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the
tunic in the blood. 32
Then they sent the tunic of many colors, and they brought it to their
father and said, “We have found this. Do you know whether it is your
son’s tunic or not?” 33
And he recognized it and said, “It is my son’s tunic. A wild beast has
devoured him. Without doubt Joseph is torn to pieces.”
34 Then Jacob tore
his clothes, put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many
days. 35 And
all his sons and all his daughters arose to comfort him; but he refused
to be comforted, and he said, “For I shall go down into the grave to my
son in mourning.” Thus his father wept for him.
36 Now the
Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and
captain of the guard.
Who wasn't part of the plot to sell off Joseph for
money?
"Reuben" (Genesis 37:29).
Who joined the plot to make Jacob think that Joseph
has been killed by a "wild beast" (Genesis 37:33)?
Reuben.
