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Genesis 37

This chapter marks the beginning of the story of Joseph, the son of Jacob, who is favored by his father but envied and hated by his brothers. Genesis 37 presents Joseph's early life, including his dreams of future greatness, and the unfolding tension between him and his brothers, which leads to their plot to get rid of him. This narrative sets the stage for Joseph's journey to Egypt, which will play a pivotal role in the story of the Israelites.

Genesis 37:1-3 (NKJV)
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.
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.

Jacob is living in Canaan, the land promised to his descendants. The focus shifts to Joseph, who at the age of 17 is shepherding with his brothers, particularly the sons of Jacob’s concubines. Joseph reports negatively about them, possibly highlighting the tension already present in the family. Jacob’s preferential treatment of Joseph is made clear by his special gift—a tunic of many colors—an extravagant garment signifying Jacob’s deep affection for him. This favoritism sets the stage for the animosity between Joseph and his brothers.

Genesis 37:4 (NKJV)
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.

The brothers, aware of their father’s favoritism, grow to hate Joseph. Their resentment runs so deep that they cannot even speak to him kindly. This lack of peace within the family exacerbates the existing divisions and foreshadows the more serious conflict that will soon arise between Joseph and his brothers.

Genesis 37:5-8 (NKJV)
5 Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more.
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.

Joseph’s dream, in which his brothers’ sheaves bow down to his sheaf, intensifies their hatred. The dream is a symbolic prophecy, hinting at Joseph’s future rise to power. However, the way Joseph shares the dream suggests a lack of tact, and his brothers interpret it as arrogance. Their response is immediate hostility, not only to the dream but to the idea of Joseph ruling over them. This dream only deepens the rift between them.

Genesis 37:9-11 (NKJV)
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.

In the second dream, Joseph sees the sun, moon, and eleven stars bowing to him, representing his family. Even Jacob, though fond of Joseph, rebukes him for suggesting that his entire family, including his parents, would bow to him. Despite the rebuke, Jacob keeps the dream in mind, pondering its meaning. Meanwhile, Joseph’s brothers move from hatred to envy, adding another layer of tension to the family dynamics.

Genesis 37:12-14 (NKJV)
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.

Jacob sends Joseph to check on his brothers who are grazing the flock in Shechem, a place previously known for violence (Genesis 34). This errand seems innocent, but it will trigger a series of events leading to Joseph’s departure from the family. Joseph’s obedience and eagerness to please his father is evident, and he willingly embarks on the journey from Hebron to Shechem.

Genesis 37:15-17 (NKJV)
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.

Joseph, unable to locate his brothers, is found by a man who points him in the direction of Dothan. This seemingly random encounter highlights God’s providence in guiding Joseph to exactly where he needs to be. Joseph’s determination to fulfill his father’s request is evident as he persists in his search despite the challenges, a trait that will later be crucial in his rise to leadership.

Genesis 37:18-20 (NKJV)
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!”

Seeing Joseph approach, his brothers immediately conspire to kill him, mocking him as “this dreamer.” Their anger and jealousy have reached a murderous level, and they plot to eliminate him and his dreams of future power. By disposing of him, they believe they can prevent the fulfillment of the prophetic dreams. Their plan to throw him into a pit and lie about his fate reveals their cold, calculated hatred.

Genesis 37:21-24 (NKJV)
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.
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.

Reuben, the eldest brother, steps in to prevent the murder, suggesting that they throw Joseph into a pit instead of shedding his blood. His plan is to rescue Joseph later and return him to their father. However, his intervention is only partially successful. The brothers agree not to kill Joseph, but they strip him of his special tunic—an act symbolizing their rejection of Jacob’s favoritism—and throw him into an empty pit. The pit, being dry, indicates that there is no immediate danger of drowning, but Joseph is left to suffer in isolation.

Genesis 37:25-28 (NKJV)
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.
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.

After throwing Joseph into the pit, the brothers coldly sit down to eat. They spot a caravan of Ishmaelites (also called Midianites) passing by, and Judah suggests selling Joseph to them instead of killing him. This way, they can rid themselves of Joseph without bloodshed, while also profiting from the sale. The brothers agree, and Joseph is sold for twenty shekels of silver, the typical price for a slave. This transaction foreshadows Joseph’s future as a slave in Egypt, where he will face further trials but ultimately rise to a position of power.

Genesis 37:29-30 (NKJV)
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?”

Reuben, who had intended to rescue Joseph, returns to the pit only to find him gone. In anguish, he tears his clothes, a traditional expression of grief. Reuben is devastated because, as the eldest, he feels personally responsible for Joseph’s safety and fears his father’s reaction. His exclamation, “Where shall I go?” reveals his deep distress, knowing that he cannot face Jacob without his beloved son.

Genesis 37:31-32 (NKJV)
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?”

The brothers devise a cruel deception to cover up their crime. They kill a goat and dip Joseph’s tunic in its blood, intending to make it appear as though Joseph had been killed by a wild animal. They send the bloodied tunic to their father, asking him to identify it. Their plan is heartless, showing how far they are willing to go to hide their betrayal, and they leave Jacob to draw the conclusion they want him to believe.

Genesis 37:33-35 (NKJV)
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.

Jacob immediately recognizes the tunic and, as the brothers had planned, assumes Joseph has been killed by a wild animal. He is overwhelmed with grief and tears his clothes, mourning deeply for his son. Despite the efforts of his family to console him, Jacob refuses to be comforted, expressing a profound sorrow that he believes will last until his own death. His mourning is intense and lasting, a reflection of how deeply he loved Joseph and the irreplaceable loss he feels.

Genesis 37:36 (NKJV)
36 Now the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.

Meanwhile, Joseph’s journey continues as the Midianite traders sell him in Egypt to Potiphar, a high-ranking officer in Pharaoh’s service. Though Joseph is now a slave in a foreign land, this verse hints at the unfolding of God’s plan for him. Potiphar’s position in Pharaoh’s court will become significant later in Joseph’s life, leading to the eventual fulfillment of the dreams that his brothers so despised. This transition sets the stage for Joseph’s rise in Egypt and the larger purpose God has for him.

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