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Genesis Chapter
Thirty-seven
Genesis 37 Outlines
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO
GENESIS 37
In this chapter begins the
history of Joseph, with whom the remaining part of this book is chiefly
concerned; and here are related the hatred of his brethren to him, because he
brought an ill report of them to his father, and because his father loved him,
and which was increased by the dream he dreamed, and told them of, Genesis 37:1; a
visit of his to his brethren in the fields, whom he found after a long search
of them, Genesis 37:12;
their conspiracy on sight of him to slay him, but by the advice of Reuben it
was agreed to cast him into a pit, which they did, Genesis 37:18; and
after that, at the motion of Judah, sold him to the Ishmaelites, who were going
to Egypt, Genesis 37:25; this
being done, Reuben being absent, and not finding Joseph in the pit, was in
great distress, Genesis 37:29;
their contrivance to deceive their father, and make him believe that Joseph was
destroyed by a wild beast, which on the sight of the coat he credited, and
became inconsolable, Genesis 37:31; and
the chapter concludes with the sale of Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer
of Pharaoh's, Genesis 37:36.
Genesis 37:1. Now Jacob dwelt in the land where his father was a stranger,
in the land of Canaan.
YLT 1And Jacob dwelleth in the
land of his father's sojournings -- in the land of Canaan.
And Jacob dwelt
in the land wherein his father was a stranger,....
And this stands opposed
unto, and is distinguished from the case and circumstances of Esau and his
posterity, expressed in the preceding chapter, who dwelt in the land of their
possession, not as strangers and sojourners, as Jacob and his seed, but as
lords and proprietors; and so these words may be introduced and read in
connection with the former history; "but Jacob dwelt", &c.F1וישב "at habitavit", Schmidt. ; and this verse
would better conclude the preceding chapter than begin a new one. The Targum of
Jonathan paraphrases the words, "and Jacob dwelt quietly"; or
peaceably, in tranquillity and safety; his brother Esau being gone from him
into another country, he remained where his father lived and died, and in the
country that by his blessing belonged to him:
in the land of
Canaan,
and particularly in
Hebron, where Isaac and Abraham before him had dwelt.
Genesis 37:2. 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.
YLT 2These [are] births of
Jacob: Joseph, a son of seventeen years, hath been enjoying himself with his
brethren among the flock, (and he [is] a youth,) with the sons of Bilhah, and
with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives, and Joseph bringeth in an account
of their evil unto their father.
These are
the generations of Jacob,....
But no genealogy
following, some interpret this of events or of things which befell Jacob, and
his family, particularly with respect to his son Joseph, as Aben Ezra and Ben
Melech take the sense of the word to be from Proverbs 27:1; but
the words may refer to what goes before in the latter end of chapter 35, where
an account is given of Jacob's sons, with regard to which it is here said,
"these are the generations of Jacob"; the whole of chapter 36, which
contains the genealogy of Esau, being a parenthesis, or at least an
interruption of the above account, the history of Jacob and his posterity is
here reassumed and carried on:
Joseph being
seventeen years old, was feeding his flock with his brethren;
or "in the
flock"F2בצאן "in
pecudibus", Montanus; "in grege", Vatablus. ; he was with them
in the pastures, where the flocks were fed, not so much to assist them in it,
as to be taught by them how to feed, they being older than he:
and the lad was
with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives:
his secondary wives or
concubines, called his wives, because their children shared in the inheritance.
These sons of theirs were Dan and Naphtali, the sons of Bilhah; and Gad and
Asher, the sons of Zilpah; with these Jacob rather chose Joseph should be, than
with the sons of Leah; and especially that he should be with the sons of
Bilhah, who was the handmaid of Rachel, Joseph's mother, and she being dead, it
might be thought that Bilhah and her sons would have the most respect for
Joseph:
and Joseph
brought unto his father their evil report;
for not being able to bear
with their evil deeds, and yet not having authority enough, being a junior, to
reprove, correct, and check them, he reported them to his father: what the
things were reported is not said, perhaps their quarrels among themselves,
their contempt of Joseph, their neglect of their flocks, &c. Some of the
Jewish writers make them to be abominable acts of uncleannessF4Bereshit
Rabba, sect. 84. fol. 73. 1. Jarchi in loc. , others eating of the member of a
creature alive, particularly the flesh of the tails of lambs while livingF5Targum
Jon. in loc. Pirke Eliezer, c. 38. .
Genesis 37:3. 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.
YLT 3And Israel hath loved
Joseph more than any of his sons, for he [is] a son of his old age, and hath
made for him a long coat;
Now Israel
loved Joseph more than all his children,....
He being the firstborn of
his beloved Rachel, and a lovely youth, of a beautiful aspect, very promising,
prudent and pious: the reason given in the text follows:
because he was
the son of his old age;
being ninety one years of
age when he was born; and the youngest children are generally most beloved, and
especially such as are born to their parents when in years. Benjamin indeed was
younger than Joseph, and is described in like manner, Genesis 44:20; and
for this reason one would think had the greatest claim to his father's
affections; wherefore some give a different sense of this phrase, and render
it, the "son" or disciple of "elders",
"senators", i.e. a wise and prudent man: and indeed, if being the son
of his old age was the reason of his affection, Benjamin had the best claim to
it, being the youngest, and born to him when he was still older; and this sense
is countenanced by Onkelos, who renders it,"because he was a wise son to
him:'and so the reason why he loved him more than the rest was, because of his
senile wisdom; though a child in years, he was old in wisdom and knowledge.
Abendana observes, that it was a custom with old men to take one of their
little children to be with them continually, and attend upon them, and minister
to them, and lean upon their arm; and such an one was called the son of their old
age, because he ministered to them in their old age:
and he made him
a coat of many colours;
that is, had one made for
him, which was interwoven with threads of divers colours, or painted, or
embroidered with divers figures, or made with different pieces of various
colours: according to JeromF6Trad. Heb. in Gen. fol. 72. A. , it was
a garment which reached down to the ankles, and was distinguished with great
variety by the hands of the artificer, or which had long sleeves reaching to
the hands; and so the Jewish writersF7Bereshit Rabba, ut supra.
(sect. 84. fol 73.1.) say it was called "passim", because it reached
to the palms of the hands: this might be an emblem of the various virtues which
early appeared in him; or rather of the several graces of the Spirit of God
implanted in him, and of the raiment of needlework, the righteousness of
Christ, with which he was clothed, Psalm 45:14; and of
the various providences which Jacob, under a spirit of prophecy, foresaw he
would be attended with.
Genesis 37:4. 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.
YLT 4and his brethren see that
their father hath loved him more than any of his brethren, and they hate him,
and have not been able to speak [to] him peaceably.
And when his
brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren,....
Which they perceived by
various things in his behaviour to him, by his words, his looks, his gestures,
and particularly by the coat he had made him, which distinguished him from the
rest:
they hated him,
and could not speak peaceably unto him;
they not only inwardly
hated him, but they could not conceal their hatred, but betrayed it by their
speech unto him; they could not speak to him on any occasion, but in a cross,
surly, ill natured manner; they could not salute him, or give him the common
salutation, Peace be to thee, as Aben Ezra suggests.
Genesis 37:5. 5 Now
Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him
even more.
YLT 5And Joseph dreameth a
dream, and declareth to his brethren, and they add still more to hate him.
And Joseph
dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren,....
As a dream, in the
simplicity of his heart; not understanding it, or imagining there was any
meaning in it; he told it not with any design to affront them, but as an
amusement, and for their diversion, there being something in it odd and
ridiculous, as he himself might think:
and they hated
him yet the more;
not only because he had
carried an ill report of them to his father, and because he loved him more than
they, but still more because of this dream; the meaning of which they at once
understood, though he did not, which yet they supposed he did, and that he told
them it in a boasting manner, and to irritate them.
Genesis 37:6. 6 So
he said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed:
YLT 6And he saith unto them,
`Hear ye, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:
And he said
unto them, hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed.
Hear now, so the Targums
of Onkelos and Jonathan, immediately, directly, lest he should forget it,
having perhaps dreamt it the night before; though our version expresses more
modesty and submission. The dream follows:
Genesis 37:7. 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.”
YLT 7that, lo, we are binding
bundles in the midst of the field, and lo, my bundle hath arisen, and hath also
stood up, and lo, your bundles are round about, and bow themselves to my
bundle.'
For, behold, we
were binding sheaves in the field,....
So it was represented in
his mind in a dream, as if it was harvest time, and he and his brethren were at
work together in the field binding up sheaves of corn that were reaped, in
order to be carried home:
and, lo, my
sheaf arose, and stood upright;
it seemed to him, that
after he had bound and laid it on the ground, that it rose up of itself, and
stood erect:
and, behold,
your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf;
the sheaves which his
brethren bound up, they also stood upright, and all around his sheaf, and bowed
unto it; so it appeared to him in his dream. This was a fit emblem of their
coming to him into Egypt for corn, and bowing to him, when their sheaves were
empty, and his was full. In an ancient book of the JewsF8Raya
Mehimna in Zohar in Gen. fol. 87. 2. Joseph's sheaf is interpreted of the
Messiah, whom they call the son of Ephraim. Joseph no doubt was a type of the
true Messiah, and in this of his exaltation and glory, and of that honour given
him by all his saints who come to him, and receive from him all the supplies of
grace.
Genesis 37:8. 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.
YLT 8And his brethren say to
him, `Dost thou certainly reign over us? dost thou certainly rule over us?' and
they add still more to hate him, for his dreams, and for his words.
And his
brethren said unto him,....
After he had told his
dream, being highly offended with him, understanding the dream, and the meaning
of it, better than he did:
shalt thou
indeed reign over us? or shall thou indeed have dominion over us?
denying that he ever
should, and reproving him for his vanity, in concluding from hence that he
would have the dominion over them. So the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan, dost
thou think, suppose, or imagine that thou shall rule over us? it looks as if by
telling us this dream that such a whim and fancy has got into thine head:
and they hated
him yet the more for his dreams and for his words;
for it seems by this that
he had dreamt, and told them more dreams besides this, and they hated him both
for them, and for his telling them to them; though Jarchi thinks the phrase,
"for his words", refers to the ill report he gave of them to his
father, Genesis 37:2.
Genesis 37:9. 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.”
YLT 9And he dreameth yet another
dream, and recounteth it to his brethren, and saith, `Lo, I have dreamed a
dream again, and lo, the sun and the moon, and eleven stars, are bowing
themselves to me.'
And he dreamed
yet another dream,....
Relating to the name
subject as the former, and, for the confirmation of it, only the emblems are
different, and more comprehensive:
and told it his
brethren, and said, behold, I have dreamed a dream more;
another dream, and which
he told, either as not knowing fully the resentment of his brethren at his
former dream, or in order to clear himself from any charge of feigning the
dream, or having any ill intention in telling it; seeing he had another to the
same purpose, and therefore thought fit to acquaint them with it, that they
might more seriously consider of it, whether there was not something divine in
it, which he himself began to think there was:
and, behold,
the sun, and the moon, and the eleven stars, made their obeisance to me:
in his dream it seemed to
him, either that he was taken up into the starry heaven, and these luminaries
bowed unto him, or else that they descended to him on earth, and paid their
respects unto him.
Genesis 37:10. 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?”
YLT 10And he recounteth unto his
father, and unto his brethren; and his father pusheth against him, and saith to
him, `What [is] this dream which thou hast dreamt? do we certainly come -- I,
and thy mother, and thy brethren -- to bow ourselves to thee, to the earth?'
And he told it
to his father, and to his brethren,....
After he had told it to
his brethren, he told it to his father a second time in their hearing, that he
might pass his judgment on it, and give his sense of it before them:
and his father
rebuked him;
not as being ignorant of
the meaning of the dream, for by what follows he had a clear understanding of
it, or as if he thought it was an idle dream, and would never have any
accomplishment: but he thought fit, in his great wisdom and prudence, to put on
such an air, partly to check young Joseph, lest he should grow proud, and
haughty, and insolent upon it, and behave in a disagreeable manner to himself
and to his brethren; and partly to conciliate the minds of his brethren to him,
which he perceived were exasperated by his dreams:
and said unto
him, what is this dream that thou hast dreamed?
what dost thou take to be
the meaning of it? canst thou imagine that it is of God? is it not a mere whim
and imagination of thine own wandering brain in thy sleep? why dost thou tell
such an idle dream as this, as if there were something divine in it, when it
appears the most absurd and irrational?
shall I, thy
mother, and thy brethren, indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the
earth?
whereby it plainly shows
he understood the meaning of the dream, though he would not seem to countenance
it. By the "sun" he understood himself, the principal and head of the
family, the active instrument of the generation of it, the light, life, and
support of it; and by the "moon" his wife, the passive instrument of
generation, who had the lesser share of rule in the family, yet contributed
much to its good and welfare; by whom is meant not Rachel, the real mother of
Joseph, who was dead, unless this is observed to show the seeming absurdity of
it, from whence the whole might appear ridiculous; but rather Leah, who was now
Jacob's only true wife, and the stepmother of Joseph; or else Bilhah, Rachel's
handmaid, who since her death was a mother to Joseph; and by the eleven
"stars" he understood the eleven brethren of Joseph, who were as stars
that receive their light from the sun; and in allusion to the twelve
constellations in the Zodiac, to which Joseph and his eleven brethren answered.
This had its fulfilment, in some measure, when Jacob sent presents to Joseph
when governor of Egypt, though unknown to him, and when he and his family went
thither, when, no doubt, Jacob showed a civil respect according to his dignity,
and in regard to the office he bore: and so his wife, if he then had any, that
went with him, and if not personally, yet in her posterity paid a deference to
him, as it is certain all his brethren did. Grotius observes from the
Oneirocritics or interpreters of dreams, particularly Achmes, that according to
the doctrine of the Persians and Egyptians, that if anyone should dream that he
rules over the stars, he shall rule over all people.
Genesis 37:11. 11 And his brothers envied
him, but his father kept the matter in mind.
YLT 11and his brethren are
zealous against him, and his father hath watched the matter.
And his
brethren envied him,....
Notwithstanding all the
precaution Jacob took to prevent it; they suspecting and fearing that these
dreams portended the pre-eminence of Joseph over them, or however served to
fill his mind with the hopes and expectation of it:
but his father
observed the saying;
what Joseph had said in
relating his dream; he laid it up in his mind and kept it there, often thought
of it, and waited to see its accomplishment.
Genesis 37:12. 12 Then
his brothers went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem.
YLT 12And his brethren go to feed
the flock of their father in Shechem,
And his
brethren went to feed their father's flock in Shechem.
Very probably some
considerable time after the telling of the above dreams; it was usual to remove
flocks from place to place for the sake of pasturage; and sometimes at a great
distance, as Shechem was from Hebron, where Jacob now dwelt, saidF9Bunting's
Travels, p. 79. Ainsworth in loc. to be about sixty miles; but this is not so
much to be marvelled at as the place itself, whither they went, for though
Jacob had bought a parcel of a field in this place, Genesis 33:19;
which might be a reason for their going thither to feed their father's flocks
in his own field; yet it was the place where they had committed a most
outrageous action in destroying all, the males there, and therefore might fear
the inhabitants of the neighbouring cities would rise upon them and cut them
off.
Genesis 37:13. 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.”
YLT 13and Israel saith unto
Joseph, `Are not thy brethren feeding in Shechem? come, and I send thee unto
them;' and he saith to him, `Here [am] I;'
And Israel said
unto Joseph,....
After his brethren had
been gone some time to Shechem:
do not thy
brethren feed the flock in Shechem?
this question is put, not
as ignorant of it, or doubting about it, but to put Joseph in mind of it, and
in order to what follows:
come, and I
will send thee unto them;
which is pretty much he
should, considering the length of the way, sixty miles, the dangerous place in
which they were feeding their flocks, and especially seeing his brethren envied
and hated him; but Jacob might think that by this time things had wore off of
their minds; and it is certain he had no suspicion of their hatred rising so
high as to attempt his life; and it is plain he had none concerning them, when
his coat was brought to him, but believed it was wild beasts that had devoured
him:
and he said
unto him, here am I;
showing his readiness to
obey his father, and go on this errand, though it was a long journey, and he to
go it alone, and his brethren also bore no good will to him.
Genesis 37:14. 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.
YLT 14and he saith to him, `Go, I
pray thee, see the peace of thy brethren, and the peace of the flock, and bring
me back word;' and he sendeth him from the valley of Hebron, and he cometh to
Shechem.
And he said to
him, go, I pray thee,....
Or "now"F11נא "nunc", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius &
Tremellius, Piscator, Drusius. , directly, immediately, which is more agreeable
to the authority of a father:
see whether it
be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks;
it having been many days,
and perhaps months, since he had heard anything of them; and the rather Jacob
might be under a concern for them, because of the danger they were exposed to
from the neighbouring tribes and nations of the Canaanites, on account of their
having some time ago destroyed the Shechemites; so the Targum of Jonathan,
paraphrasing on the preceding part, makes Jacob to say,"I am afraid, lest
the Horites should come and smite them, because of their smiting Hamor and
Shechem, and the inhabitants of that city; come, and I will send thee,
&c."
and bring me
word again;
of their welfare, and of
the state of their flocks:
so he sent him
out of the vale of Hebron:
the same with the plains
of Mamre near the city of Hebron, which was built on a hill:
and he came to
Shechem:
after he had travelled
sixty miles.
Genesis 37:15. 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?”
YLT 15And a man findeth him, and
lo, he is wandering in the field, and the man asketh him, saying, `What seekest
thou?'
And a certain
man found him,....
Many of the Jewish writersF12Pirke
Eliezer, c. 38. Targum Jon. & Jarchi in loc. say, this was an angel, the
angel Gabriel, in the likeness of a man; but according to Aben Ezra, it was a
traveller he met on the road; but it is more probable, as Schimidt observes,
that it was some man at work in the field that came upon him and took notice of
him:
and, behold, he
was wandering in the field;
in some field near
Shechem, perhaps the same his father Jacob had purchased, and where he expected
to have found his brethren, and was looking out for them, going to and fro in
search of them; which the labouring man in the field observed:
and the man
asked him, saying, what seekest thou?
seeing him walking about,
and first looking one way, and then another, concluded he was in search of
something, either of some man or of some creature, a sheep or an ox that was
lost; and therefore put this question to him, with a view to give him what
direction and assistance he could.
Genesis 37:16. 16 So
he said, “I am seeking my brothers. Please tell me where they are feeding their
flocks.”
YLT 16and he saith, `My brethren
I am seeking, declare to me, I pray thee, where they are feeding?'
And he said, I
seek my brethren,....
Whom, no doubt, he
described to the man, and told him who they were, and to whom they belonged; or
otherwise the man would have been at a loss to know who he meant, and what
further to say to him, and without which Joseph would never have made the
following request to him:
tell me, I pray
thee, where they feed their flocks;
in what part of the
country they are, what field they are in, how far to it, and which the way.
Genesis 37:17. 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.
YLT 17And the man saith, `They
have journeyed from this, for I have heard some saying, Let us go to Dothan,'
and Joseph goeth after his brethren, and findeth them in Dothan.
And the man
said, they are departed hence,....
They had been there, in
the field where he and Joseph were, and which was probably the field before
mentioned; but for good reasons, perhaps for want of pasture, or in order to
find better feeding for their cattle, they were gone from thence, from the
fields about Shechem:
for I heard
them say, let us go to Dothan;
this was, as some say,
four miles from Shechem, others eightF13Bunting's Travels, p. 79.
Ainsworth in loc. ; according to BrochardusF14Apud Drusium in loc. ,
it was a plain country between fruitful hills, contiguous to fountains, was
pasture ground, and very fit for feeding cattle; and its very name, as HillerusF15Onomastic.
Sacra, p. 526. notes, signifies grassy, or a place of tender grass: here,
afterwards, was a city built, not far from Samaria, 2 Kings 6:13; about
twelve miles to the north of it, as says JeromF16Loc. Heb. fol. 90.
H. ; it was in the tribe of Manasseh, about forty four miles from Jerusalem to
the north, and six miles from Tiberias to the westF17:
and Joseph went
after his brethren, and found them in Dothan;
which shows that he had a
real desire to see them, and know their state and condition, that he might
report it to his father; since he might have returned on not finding them at
Shechem, that being the place he was sent to, and would have been sufficient to
have shown obedience to his father's commands, though perhaps it might not have
come up to his full sense and meaning.
Genesis 37:18. 18 Now
when they saw him afar off, even before he came near them, they conspired
against him to kill him.
YLT 18And they see him from afar,
even before he draweth near unto them, and they conspire against him to put him
to death.
And when they
saw him afar off,....
They knew him as soon as
they saw him, by his stature, his gesture or manner of walking, and especially
by his coat of various colours he now had on, Genesis 37:23,
even before he came
near unto them;
the distance he was from
them when they first spied him is particularly remarked and repeated, not to
show the quickness of their sight, but for the sake of what follows; to observe
how soon their passions were raised, how intense and prepense their malice, and
which put them upon devising ways and means to destroy him, for it follows:
they conspired
against him, to slay him;
they entered into a
consultation, and devised the most crafty methods they could think of to take
away his life, and yet conceal the murder.
Genesis 37:19. 19 Then
they said to one another, “Look, this dreamer is coming!
YLT 19And they say one unto
another, `Lo, this man of the dreams cometh;
And they said
one to another,....
According to the Targum of
Jonathan, Simeon and Levi said what follows: nor is it unlikely, since they
were hot, passionate, cruel, and bloody minded men, as appears by the affair of
Shechem; and perhaps this may be the reason why Joseph afterwards, when
governor of Egypt, took Simeon and bound him, Genesis 42:24;
which was but a just retaliation for his advice to cast him into a pit when
slain:
behold, this
dreamer cometh;
or "master of
dreams"F18בעל החלמות
"magister somniorum", Tigurine version, Montanus; "dominus
somniorum", Vatablus, Junius & Tremellius. ; not of the interpretation
of them, but of dreaming them; that had them at his command when he pleased, as
they jeeringly flouted him; as if he was a framer and contriver of them, and
only pretended to them when he had none, or else that he was frequently
dreaming and telling his dreams; this they said in a sarcastic way, and,
perhaps, as pleased, and rejoicing that such an opportunity offered to take
their revenge on him: this shows that it was on the account of his dreams
chiefly that they bore such a grudge against him, that this was uppermost on
their minds, and was revived at first sight of him, and from whence their
malice sprung.
Genesis 37:20. 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!”
YLT 20and now, come, and we slay
him, and cast him into one of the pits, and have said, An evil beast hath
devoured him; and we see what his dreams are.'
Come now
therefore, and let us slay him,....
Agree to do it, and
actually do it:
and cast him
into some pit;
or, "one of the
pits"F19באחד הברות
"in unam cisternarum", Pagninus, Montanus, Drusius; "in unam ex
cisternis istis", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "in unam
fovearum", Schmidt. , which were near, and were dug for the collection of
rainwater, as was usual in those countries where water was scarce:
and we will
say, some evil beast hath devoured him;
which would seem
plausible, since wild beasts were frequent in those parts, as lions and bears,
see 1 Kings 13:24,
and we shall
see what will become of his dreams;
who will be the lord then,
and reign, and have the dominion, he or we.
Genesis 37:21. 21 But Reuben heard it,
and he delivered him out of their hands, and said, “Let us not kill him.”
YLT 21And Reuben heareth, and
delivereth him out of their hand, and saith, `Let us not smite the life;'
And Reuben
heard it,....
Overheard what they said,
not being in the consultation; perhaps knowing his temper and disposition to be
more mild and gentle, and being the elder brother, might fear he would overrule
matters against them, and therefore Simeon and Levi did not choose to have him
in the debate; or he might be at some distance and entirely absent when the
consultation was held, and their intention was reported to him by some of them:
and he
delivered him out of their hands;
from slaying him; that is,
he endeavoured to do it by proposing another scheme:
and said, let
us not kill him;
or let us not smite the
soulF20לא נכנו נפש "ne percutiamus vel occidamus animam", Sam.
Ar. Syr. ; the dear soul, or take away life.
Genesis 37:22. 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.
YLT 22and Reuben saith unto them,
`Shed no blood; cast him into this pit which [is] in the wilderness, and put
not forth a hand upon him,' -- in order to deliver him out of their hand, to
bring him back unto his father.
And Reuben said
unto them, shed no blood,....
Innocent blood, as the
Targum of Jonathan; the blood of a man, a brother's blood, one that had not
done anything wherefore it should be shed, and which would involve in guilt,
and bring vengeance on them: he seems to put them in mind of the original law
in Genesis 9:6,
but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay
no hand upon him:
which might seem to answer
the same purpose, namely, by depriving him of his life in another way, by
starving him; but this was not Reuben's intention, as appears by the next
clause, and by his going to the pit afterwards, as it should seem, with a view
to take him out of it privately; this advice he gave:
that he might
rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again;
safe and sound, in order,
as it is thought by many interpreters, to reconcile his father to him, whose
bed he had abused.
Genesis 37:23. 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.
YLT 23And it cometh to pass, when
Joseph hath come unto his brethren, that they strip Joseph of his coat, the
long coat which [is] upon him,
And it came to
pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren,....
To the very place where
they were, and had, in a kind and obliging manner, asked of their welfare, and
related their father's concern for them, who had sent him on this errand:
that they stripped,
Joseph out of his coat; his coat of many colours, that was
on him;
according to Jarchi and
Aben Ezra, this was not one and the same coat, but divers, and that the sense
is, that with his coat of many colours, and besides that, they stripped him of
his lower garment, which was next to his skin, his shirt; so that he was quite
naked when they cast him into the pit, and this they did as soon as he came up
to them, so cruel and hardhearted were they.
Genesis 37:24. 24 Then
they took him and cast him into a pit. And the pit was empty; there
was no water in it.
YLT 24and take him and cast him
into the pit, and the pit [is] empty, there is no water in it.
And they took
him, and cast him into a pit,....
Into the same that Reuben
pointed to them, whose counsel they gladly took and readily executed, supposing
he meant the same thing they did, starving him to death:
and the pit was
empty, there was no water in it;
only serpents and
scorpions, as the Targum of Jonathan; and Jarchi adds, this remark, that there
was no water in it, seems to be made either to furnish out a reason why Reuben
directed to it, that he might be the more easily got out of it, and not be in
danger of losing his life at once, or of being drowned in it; or else to show
the uncomfortable situation he was in, having not so much as a drop of water to
refresh him; see Zechariah 9:11.
Dothan is said to remain to this day, and the inhabitants of it show the
ancient ditch into which Joseph was castF21Bunting's Travels, p. 80.
.
Genesis 37:25. 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.
YLT 25And they sit down to eat
bread, and they lift up their eyes, and look, and lo, a company of Ishmaelites
coming from Gilead, and their camels bearing spices, and balm, and myrrh, going
to take [them] down to Egypt.
And they sat
down to eat bread,....
Not at all concerned at
what they had done, nor in the least grieved for the affliction of Joseph, and
without any pity and compassion for him in his distress, but joyful and glad
they had got him into their hands, and like to get rid of him for ever:
and they lifted
up their eyes, and looked,
after they had eaten their
food, or while they were eating it:
and, behold, a
company of Ishmaelites came from Gilead;
a place of merchandise for
spices and balm, and such like things after mentioned. The Targums of Onkelos
and Jonathan call them Arabians; and the Targum of Jerusalem, Saracens; these
were the posterity of Ishmael, who came out of Arabia to Gilead, where they
took up their merchandise, at least part of it, and were travelling to Egypt
with it, and their way thither lay by Dothan; these travelled in companies, now
called "caravans", partly on the account of robbers, and partly by
reason of wild beasts, with both which they were sometimes beset in the deserts
through which they travelled:
with their
camels bearing spicery, and balm, and myrrh;
the first word is general
according to our version, and others, and signifies various spices, a
collection of them; and so Jarchi takes it; but Aquila translates it
"storax"; and BochartF23Hierozoic. par. 2. l. 4. c. 12. Colossians 532. , by various arguments, seems to have
proved, that this is particularly intended; though the Targum of Jonathan
renders it "wax"F24So in Bereshit Rabba & Targum
Jerusalem in R. Sol. Urbin. Ohel Moed, fol. 20. 2. ; and so other versions: and
"balm" is by some taken to be "rosin", since there was no
balm or balsam in Gilead, on the other side Jordan, nor indeed any in Judea,
until it was brought thither from Arabia Felix, in the times of Solomon; and
what we render "myrrh", is in the Hebrew called "lot", and
is by some thought to be the same with "laudanum": this their
merchandise was carried on camels, very fit for their purpose every way, as
they were strong creatures made to carry burdens, and could travel many days
without water, which they were sometimes obliged to do in the deserts:
going to carry it
down to Egypt;
where these things grew
not, and were much in use, at least some of them, both in medicines, and in
embalming dead bodies, much practised in Egypt; an Arabic writerF25Patricides,
p. 21. apud Hottinger. Smegma Orient. p. 367,368. makes this merchandise to
consist of, nuts, turpentine, and oil.
Genesis 37:26. 26 So
Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is there if we kill our brother
and conceal his blood?
YLT 26And Judah saith unto his
brethren, `What gain when we slay our brother, and have concealed his blood?
And Judah said
unto his brethren,....
In sight of the
Ishmaelites, a thought came into his mind to get Joseph sold to them:
what profit is
it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?
it could be no advantage
to them even if they could have concealed his blood from men; and if it was discovered,
as it would, in all likelihood, by come means or another, then they must be
answerable for it; and if not, God would take vengeance on them, from whom they
could never conceal it; and therefore it would be most profitable and
advantageous to them to sell him, and not destroy him, or take away his life;
and to suffer him to lie in the pit and die was the same thing.
Genesis 37:27. 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.
YLT 27Come, and we sell him to
the Ishmaelites, and our hands are not on him, for he [is] our brother -- our
flesh;' and his brethren hearken.
Come, and let
us sell him to the Ishmaelites,....
For a slave, and that will
defeat his dream; and as these were going down to Egypt, where they would sell
him, he would be far enough from them, and there would be no probability of his
ever being lord over them:
and let not our
hand be upon him;
to take away his life,
either by stabbing or starving him:
for he is
our brother, and our flesh;
they had all one father,
though different mothers, and therefore, as the relation was so near, some
sympathy and compassion should be shown; some degree of tenderness at least,
and not savageness and cruelty:
and his
brethren were content;
they agreed to the motion,
inasmuch as they supposed it would answer their end as well, which was to
prevent his dominion over them.
Genesis 37:28. 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.
YLT 28And Midianite merchantmen
pass by and they draw out and bring up Joseph out of the pit, and sell Joseph
to the Ishmaelites for twenty silverlings, and they bring Joseph into Egypt.
Then there
passed by Midianites, merchantmen,....
The same with the
Ishmaelites before mentioned, as appears from the latter part of this verse;
for as these were near neighbours, so they might join together in merchandise,
and travel in company for greater safety, and are sometimes called the one, and
sometimes the other, as well as they might mix together in their habitations
and marriages; and are hence called Arabians by the Targums, as before
observed, and so by Josephus, which signifies a mixed people:
and they drew
and lifted up Joseph out of the pit:
not the Midianites, but
his brethren:
and sold Joseph
to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver;
for twenty shekels, which
amounted to twenty five shillings of our money. The JewsF26Pirke
Eliezer, c. 38. say, they each took two shekels apiece, and bought with them a
pair of shoes, according to Amos 8:6; but there
were but nine of them, Reuben was absent:
and they
brought Joseph into Egypt;
some think these
Midianites were different from the Ishmaelites, and that Joseph was sold many
times, first to the Midianites, and then by them to the Ishmaelites, and by the
latter to Potiphar. JustinF1E. Trogo, l. 36. c. 2. , an Heathen
writer, gives an account of this affair in some agreement with this
history;"Joseph (he says) was the youngest of his brethren, whose
excellent genius they feared, and took him secretly, and sold him to
"foreign merchants", by whom he was carried into Egypt.'
Genesis 37:29. 29 Then
Reuben returned to the pit, and indeed Joseph was not in the pit; and he
tore his clothes.
YLT 29And Reuben returneth unto
the pit, and lo, Joseph is not in the pit, and he rendeth his garments,
And Reuben
returned unto the pit,....
It is very probable he had
pretended to go somewhere on business, with an intention to take a circuit, and
come to the pit and deliver his brother, and go home with him to his father.
The Jews sayF2Pirke Eliezer, ut supra. (c. 38.) he departed from his
brethren, and sat down on a certain mountain, that he might descend in the
night and take Joseph out of the pit, and accordingly he came down in the
night, and found him not. So JosephusF3Antiqu. l. 2. c. 3. sect. 3.
says, it was in the night when Reuben came to the pit, who calling to Joseph,
and he not answering, suspected he was killed:
and, behold,
Joseph was not in the pit;
for neither by looking
down into it could he see him, nor by calling be answered by him, which made it
a clear case to him he was not there:
and he rent his
clothes;
as a token of distress and
anguish of mind, of sorrow and mourning, as was usual in such cases; Jacob
afterwards did the same, Genesis 37:34.
Genesis 37:30. 30 And
he returned to his brothers and said, “The lad is no more; and I,
where shall I go?”
YLT 30and he returneth unto his
brethren, and saith, `The lad is not, and I -- whither am I going?'
And he returned
unto his brethren,....
From the pit, and whom he
suspected had took him and killed him, as was their first design, not being
with them when they proposed to sell him, and did:
and said, the
child is not;
not in the pit, nor in the
land of the living, but is dead, which is sometimes the meaning of the phrase, Jeremiah 31:15; he
calls him a child, though seventeen years of age, because the youngest brother
but one, and he himself was the eldest, and also because of his tender concern
for him:
and I, whither
shall I go?
to find the child or flee
from his father's face, which he could not think of seeing any more; whom he
had highly offended already in the case of Bilhah, and now he would be yet more
incensed against him for his neglect of Joseph, who, he might have expected,
would have taken particular care of him, being the eldest son: he speaks like
one in the utmost perplexity, not knowing what to do, what course to steer,
being almost distracted and at his wits' end.
Genesis 37:31. 31 So they took Joseph’s
tunic, killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the tunic in the blood.
YLT 31And they take the coat of
Joseph, and slaughter a kid of the goats, and dip the coat in the blood,
And they took
Joseph's coat,....
After they had told Reuben
what they had done with him, who being willing to make the best of things as it
was, joined with them in the following scheme: by this it appears, that when
they took Joseph out of the pit they did not put his coat on him, but sold him
naked, or almost so, to the merchants:
and killed a
kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood;
that being, as the Targum
of Jonathan and Jarchi observe, most like to human blood.
Genesis 37:32. 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?”
YLT 32and send the long coat, and
they bring [it] in unto their father, and say, `This have we found; discern, we
pray thee, whether it [is] thy son's coat or not?'
And they sent
the coat of many colours,....
Which was what they dipped
in the blood of the kid; this they sent to Jacob in such a condition, by the
hand of some messenger; the Targum of Jonathan says, the sons of Zilpah and
Bilhah; but more probably some of their servants, whom they instructed what to
say to their father when they presented it to him; not caring to appear in
person at first, lest they be thrown into such commotion and confusion at their
father's distress, as might tend to lead on to a discovery of the whole affair:
and they
brought it to their father, and said, this we have found;
that is, the messengers
carried to the father of Joseph's brethren, who were sent with it, and taught
to say, that they found it in some field in this condition, but found no man
near it, only that by itself, and suspected it might be the coat of his son
Joseph, if he had sent him out in it:
know now
whether it be thy son's coat or no;
look upon it, see if any
marks can be observed in it, by which it may with any certainty be known
whether it his or not.
Genesis 37:33. 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.”
YLT 33And he discerneth it, and
saith, `My son's coat! an evil beast hath devoured him; torn -- torn is
Joseph!'
And he knew it,
and said, it is my son's coat,....
He took it, and examined
it, and was soon convinced, and well assured it was his son's coat; read the
words without the supplement "it is", and the pathos will appear the
more, "my son's coat!" and think with what a beating heart, with what
trembling limbs, with what wringing of hands, with what flowing eyes, and faultering
speech, he spoke these words, and what follow:
an evil beast
hath devoured him;
this was natural to
conclude from the condition the coat was in, and from the country he was sent
into, which abounded with wild beasts, and was the very thing Joseph's brethren
contrived to say themselves; and in this view they wished and hoped the affair
would be considered, and so their wickedness concealed:
Joseph is
without doubt rent in pieces;
or "in rending is
rent"F4טרף טרף
"discerpendo discerptus est"; Drusius, Schmidt. ; he is most
certainly rent in pieces, there is no question to be made of it; it is plain,
and it must be the case.
Genesis 37:34. 34 Then
Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son
many days.
YLT 34And Jacob rendeth his
raiment, and putteth sackcloth on his loins, and becometh a mourner for his son
many days,
And Jacob rent
his clothes,....
As expressive of his grief
and mourning for the death of his son, as he supposed:
and put
sackcloth upon his loins;
put off his usual apparel,
and put on a coarse garment on his loins next to his flesh, as another token of
his great trouble and affliction for the loss of his son; which though
afterwards was frequently done in times of public or private mourning, yet this
is the first time we read of it; whether Jacob was the first that used it, whom
his posterity and others imitated, is not certain; however it appears that this
usage, as well as that of rending clothes on sorrowful occasions, were very
ancient:
and mourned for
his son many days:
or years, as days
sometimes signify; twenty two years, according to Jarchi, even until the time
he went down to Egypt and saw him alive.
Genesis 37:35. 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.
YLT 35and all his sons and all
his daughters rise to comfort him, and he refuseth to comfort himself, and
saith, `For -- I go down mourning unto my son, to Sheol,' and his father
weepeth for him.
And all his
sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him,....
His sons must act a most
hypocritical part in this affair; and as for his daughters, it is not easy to
say who they were, since he had but one daughter that we read of, whose name
was Dinah: the Targum of Jonathan calls them his sons wives; but it is a
question whether any of his sons were as yet married, since the eldest of them
was not more than twenty four years of age; and much less can their daughters
be supposed to be meant, as they are by some. It is the opinion of the Jews,
that Jacob had a twin daughter born to him with each of his sons; these his
sons and daughters came together, or singly, to condole his loss, to sympathize
with him, and speak a word of comfort to him, and entreat him not to give way
to excessive grief and sorrow:
but he refused
to be comforted;
to attend to anything that
might serve to alleviate his mind, and to abstain from outward mourning, and
the tokens of it; he chose not to be interrupted in it:
and he said,
for I will go down into the grave unto my son, mourning;
the meaning is, not that
he would by any means hasten his own death, or go down to his son in the grave,
strictly and literally taken; since, according to his apprehension of his son's
death he could have no grave, being torn to pieces by a wild beast; but either
that he should go into the state of the dead, where his son was, mourning all
along till he carne thither; or rather that he would go mourning all his days
"for his son"F5אל בני "propter filium suum", Grotius, Quistorpius;
so Jarchi and Abendana. , as some render it, till he came to the grave; nor
would he, nor should he receive any comfort more in this world:
thus his father
wept for him;
in this manner, with such
circumstances as before related, and he only; for as for his brethren they
hated him, and were glad they had got rid of him; or, "and his
father", &c.F6ויבך "et
flevit", Pagninus, Montanus, &c. ; his father Isaac, as the Targum of
Jonathan, he wept for his son Jacob on account of his trouble and distress; as
well as for his grandson Joseph; and so many Jewish writersF7Jarchi,
Aben Ezra, and Abendana, in loc. interpret it; and indeed Isaac was alive at
this time, and lived twelve years after; but the former sense seems best.
Genesis 37:36. 36 Now
the Midianites[a] had sold
him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the
guard.
YLT 36And the Medanites have sold
him unto Egypt, to Potiphar, a eunuch of Pharaoh, head of the executioners.
And the
Midianites sold him into Egypt,....
Or Medanites, who sprung
from Medan, a brother of Midian, and son of Keturah, Genesis 24:2; and
were distinct from the Midianites, though they dwelt near them, and were now in
company with them, and with the Ishmaelites, and were all concerned in the
buying and selling of Joseph, and therefore this is sometimes ascribed to the
one, and sometimes to the other:
unto Potiphar,
an officer of Pharaoh;
the word is sometimes used
for an eunuch, but cannot design one here, since Potiphar had a wife, and some
say a child; but he either was a chamberlain, or however some officer at court,
besides what follows:
and captain of the guard;
of Pharoah's guard, his
bodyguard; some render it, "of the slaughterers"F8שר חטבחים αρχιμαγειρω Sept. "principi coquorum", Cartwright; so Josephus,
"principi lanionum", Pagninus, Montanus, "capitalium rerum
praefecto", Tigurine version. ; meaning either cooks or butchers, of whom
he was the chief; or rather executioners, he having the charge of prisoners,
and the care of executing them, like our sheriffs. Joseph was a most eminent
type of Christ, and there are so many things in this chapter which show an
agreement between them that cannot be passed over. Joseph was the son of his
father's old age, Christ the son of the Ancient of days; Joseph was in a
peculiar manner beloved by his father, Christ is the dear son of his Father's
love; Jacob made for Joseph a coat of many colours, God prepared a body in
human nature for Christ, filled and adorned with the various gifts and graces
of the Spirit without measure. Joseph was hated by his brethren, and they could
not endure to think he should have the dominion over them. The Jews, of whom
Christ was according to the flesh, hated him, and would not have him to reign
over them; Joseph was sent by his father a long journey to visit his brethren,
and know the welfare of them and their flocks, Christ was sent from heaven to
earth to seek and save the lost sheep of the house of Israel; Joseph's
brethren, when they saw him come to them, conspired to take away his life, the
Jews, who were Christ's own, when he came to them, received him not, but said,
this is the heir, let us kill him, and they consulted to take away his life;
Joseph was stripped of his clothes, and sold for twenty pieces of silver at the
motion of Judah, and Christ, by one of the same name, was sold for thirty
pieces of silver, and was stripped of his clothes by the Roman soldiers; Joseph
was delivered into the hands of foreigners, and Christ into the hands of the
Gentiles; Joseph being reckoned as dead by his father, and yet alive, may be
herein an emblem of Christ's death, and his resurrection from the dead.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New
King James Version (NKJV)
a.
Genesis 37:36
Masoretic Text reads Medanites.