Chapter Thirty-Seven
Joseph and His Dreams
37:1 Jacob lived in the land of his father’s sojournings, in the land of Canaan. 2a These are the generations of Jacob.
We are now introduced to the final segment of the book of Genesis with the tenth and last of the “generations,” also known as the story of Joseph. At this time Jacob was living near where his father Isaac had been living in Hebron. The Hebrew word translated here as ‘sojournings’, is ‘meḡû·rē’,[1] which refers to being transient, implying that the land that they were living on was not their own.
37:2b Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe 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 peacefully to him.
The primary character of the narrative switches from Jacob to Joseph. The story of Joseph is uniquely different than the stories of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God never appeared to him, nor was he was ever given any covenant promises. The line of the Messiah would continue through his brother Judah, not him. Yet his life will later be recognized as a model of the coming Christ.
Being seventeen years old meant Joseph was old enough to pasture the flock with his brothers. In this scenario he was with his brothers Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher who would have been in their middle-to-late twenties. Apparently, he witnessed them doing something wrong and went back and told their father. This story gives us some insight regarding the nature of Joseph and his relationship with his brothers.
It appears that Joseph was somewhat spoiled by his father and was obviously his favorite, perhaps the result of him being the firstborn son of his beloved wife Rachel. Some scholars believe the text implies that Joseph, although the youngest, may have been the shepherd in charge, again showing favoritism.
Jacob, now referred to as Israel, had a special “robe of many colors,” made for Joseph. The Hebrew word that is translated here as “colors,” (‘pǎs·sîm’)[2] is often debated, which is why it can be seen translated “variegated,” “long-sleeved,” and “many colors.” The phrase refers to a garment with sleeves that reach the palm of the hands (some connect the long-sleeves to privilege and possibly royalty, see 2 Samuel 13:18-19). However, regardless of the meaning of that word or what you might call the garment, be it a tunic, coat, or robe, it was something very unique and special, which resulted in alienating his brothers. Between Joseph’s arrogant attitude and the obvious favoritism from his father, Joseph’s brothers began to resent him.
37:5 Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed: 7 Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8 His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.
Joseph had an amazing and truly remarkable dream. Knowing that his brothers were starting to resent him, he may have thought that sharing his dream with them might help in their relations. After telling them about the dream, the brothers were even more annoyed with him.
The dream began with the family in a field gathering the harvest. Even though they were shepherds, not farmers, each brother was binding sheaves in this dream. Then something odd occurred, Joseph’s sheaf arose and stood upright while all his brother’s sheaves surrounded him and bowed down to his sheaf. No explanation was necessary, they all knew what the dream was supposed to mean, that Joseph would at some point reign over them. The brothers resented the idea and hated him even more.
37:9 Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” 11 And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.
Joseph’s second dream not only featured his brothers it also included his parents. He once again shared the dream; this time he was rebuked by his father. The interpretation of the dream was again obvious, that his whole family will recognize him as the preeminent leader over all of them.
In the dream the eleven stars were interpreted as Joseph’s eleven brothers. Even though his mother was dead, the moon could have been interpreted as being representative of Leah. The sun was interpreted by his father to be a representation of himself, something he refused to accept, undoubtedly due to the fact that God had always gone directly to him without any intermediary. Therefore, Israel dismissed the dream as nothing more than being the product of an overactive ego.
The text says that the brothers became jealous of Joseph. The word that is translated here as ‘jealous’, is ‘yeqǎn·û’,[3] which expresses a very strong emotion of jealousy and envy combined with intense zeal.[4] His father, however, “kept the saying in mind,” meaning he continued to think about what Joseph said.
Considerations
A Key to Revelation Chapter Twelve
The book of Revelation remains one of the more controversial books in the Bible. This is due mainly to the wide variance of hermeneutics used to interpret end times (the study of eschatology). The identification of the sign that appears in the first verse in chapter twelve is one of the more debated issues. The verse reads: “And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.” As discussed earlier in the Bible Study Tip No. 2,[5] remember, the Bible is its own best commentary. If there is a description of something in one location in Scripture that is not fully understood, the answer can generally be found elsewhere, there is no need for unfounded speculation or allegorizing.
Here in Genesis 37:10 Israel recognizes himself in the description of Joseph’s second dream. We can apply that same interpretation to the sign given in Revelation 12:1. The woman there represents Israel, not the church, as many attempt to assert. The woman gives birth to none other than Jesus. Remember, the promise of the Messiah was to come from the Israelites.
Joseph and His Brothers
37:12 Now his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock near Shechem. 13 And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flock at Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.” And he said to him, “Here I am.” 14 So he said to him, “Go now, see if it is well with your brothers and with the flock, and bring me word.” So he sent him from the Valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
Without noting the distances between where they lived and Shechem, this story doesn’t appear to be unusual. However, since Shechem was nearly 50 miles away the idea of pasturing the flock near there seems suspicious. Since Esau moved away there should have been sufficient pasture for the animals. For some unknown reason the older brothers went north towards Shechem to feed the flock. Many believe that the brothers were upset with their father’s favoritism towards Joseph, and this was their way to express that anger.
At some point Israel became concerned, perhaps due to them being gone so long, and asked Joseph to go find his older brothers and check on their wellbeing. Joseph enthusiastically accepted by proclaiming, “Here I am!” He was to go find his brothers and return to report what he found.
37:15 And a man found him wandering in the fields. And the man asked him, “What are you seeking?” 16 “I am seeking my brothers,” he said. “Tell me, please, where they are pasturing the flock.” 17 And the man said, “They have gone away, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’ ” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.
Even though Joseph would have made better time than his brothers had done traveling with the flock, it still would have taken a minimum of two days to reach Shechem. However, upon arrival, his brothers were nowhere in sight. He then apparently wandered around the area, which was probably still in ruins. Perhaps dismayed that he couldn’t find his brothers he may have stopped to think about where to go next, when a man found Joseph. The man had overheard the brothers talk about going further to Dothan, which was another 20 miles north of Shechem. So, Joseph continued his search and headed towards Dothan. The derivation of the name ‘Dothan’ is not fully understood, however it is believed to mean “two cisterns” or perhaps “two wells.” The city was located where an east-west trade route between Gilead and the coast crossed the main north-south trade route that will be later called the “Via Maris,” a Latin term meaning “by way of the sea,” including points south into Egypt.
37:18 They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him. 19 They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. 20 Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams.” 21 But when Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.” 22 And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him”—that he might rescue him out of their hand to restore him to his father.
The text says that when the brothers saw Joseph coming, they “conspired against him to kill him.” It is true we did read about Joseph being a snitch and how he was favored by their father, but where did this group-mentality of “he has to die,” attitude come from? This is also a subject of great debate. Normally to attain this level of animosity and hatred for somebody you either experience at least one major event or see the enmity began to slowly build up over a long period of time. Undoubtedly Joseph’s behavior and their father’s partiality was evident and on-going, long before the incidents recorded in this chapter took place.
Upon seeing Joseph approaching, they sarcastically said to each other, “Here comes this dreamer.” The Hebrew phrase translated here as ‘dreamer’, is “bǎ’·’ǎl hā ḥǎlō·moṯ,”[6] referring to one being the master of dreaming.
Since neither Reuben nor Judah liked the plan, perhaps the plan was concocted by the four brothers that Joseph had tattle tailed on earlier in this chapter. Rueben convinced them to not kill Joseph at that time that they should not be the ones to shed his blood (perhaps remembering the warning given in Genesis 9:6), but instead to throw him alive into a nearby pit where he would slowly die of thirst. But that was not what he actually had in mind as we read in the second half of verse 22, it reveals that Rueben planned to later return to the pit and rescue Joseph and bring him back to their father.
37:23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore. 24 And they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it. 25 Then they sat down to eat. And looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. 26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27 Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him. 28 Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt.
As Joseph arrived, the brothers grabbed him and immediately removed his special and much-resented coat, and then they threw him into a dry pit. They all sat down to eat and while they were eating they noticed a caravan approaching. Prior to this, Rueben must have left the group, some believe he as too upset about harming Joseph to eat while others believe his absence was part of his rescue plan. However, he could have just as easily been temporarily away checking on the flock.
The caravan is first identified as being Ishmaelites (see verse 25) and then later as being Midianites (see verse 28). While these two nationalities were often connected (see Judges 8:22-26), they were distinctive, although both were descendants of Abraham. The Ishmaelites from Abraham’s concubine Hagar (see Genesis 16:15-16; 21:8-21) and the Midianites were from Abraham’s second wife, Keturah (see Genesis 25:1-6). It is entirely possible that both people groups were represented in this caravan. It is also thought that this type of caravan was synonymous with the Ishmaelites and that the first reference was nothing more than a generic reference to nomadic traders.
As the caravan was getting closer, Judah got an idea that would allow Joseph to remain alive. If they sold Joseph as a slave that would solve two problems, Joseph would no longer bother them again and they would not be guilty of murder. The traders were willing to buy Joseph from them for 20 pieces of silver (Hebrew word ‘kā’·sěp’,[7] refers to a portion of silver, often translated as a shekel of silver when a count is given, implying the use as acceptable currency). All the while this transaction was going on, Joseph was pleading with his brothers, who will later admit that “we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us” (Genesis 42:21). The traders then went on and took Joseph to Egypt.
37:29 When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes 30 and returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is gone, and I, where shall I go?” 31 Then they took Joseph’s robe and slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. 32 And they sent the robe of many colors and brought it to their father and said, “This we have found; please identify whether it is your son’s robe or not.” 33 And he identified it and said, “It is my son’s robe. A fierce animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces.”
After the caravan and his brothers had left, Reuben came back to the pit, quite possibly to rescue Joseph. To his surprise and dismay, Joseph was not there. He immediately tore his clothes, an act of tremendous grief (see below). He then hurried to catch up with his brothers to tell them about Joseph’s disappearance, only to find out what they had done with him. Being the older brother, he knew he would be held responsible by his father, and apparently was confused and concerned over what he should do. They came up with a cover story, they would lie to their father, saying Joseph had been slain by a wild beast, as they had originally planned. They slaughtered a goat and dipped Joseph’s coat in the goat’s blood. When they returned home, they showed their father the coat and calmly asked him if that was Joseph’s. Israel concluded that Joseph was devoured by some fierce animal and was undoubtedly torn into pieces.
37:34 Then Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days. 35 All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and said, “No, I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” Thus his father wept for him. 36 Meanwhile the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard.
Now referred to once again as Jacob, he understandingly was severely shaken by the news of Joseph’s death. He immediately tore his clothing and put on sackcloth. He was so grief-stricken that he continued mourning for several days. His sons and daughters tried to comfort him with no effect. This is the first reference to daughters in plural (see also Genesis 46:7, 15), so he had at least one other daughter in addition to Dinah. No one was able to comfort him, he said that he would continue to mourn until he died and went to his son in Sheol (also known as Hades).[8]
Meanwhile, the caravan arrived in Egypt, and they sold Joseph to a prominent Egyptian official named Potiphar, the “captain of the guard.” The Hebrew word ‘ṭǎb·bā·ḥîm’,[9] translated here as ‘guard’, can be translated cook, bodyguard, executioner, or guardsman. The root comes from the word for slaughter, much like a cook slaughter and prepares meat. The word’s use as a noun appears to have been developed around the concept of an executioner, or at least one who has the potential of executing someone. He is also described as being an officer of Pharaoh, the Hebrew word that is translated here as ‘officer’, is ‘serîs’,[10] which is often translated ‘eunuch’ (a castrated male), however the word does not always denote a eunuch, it can refer to a high-ranking official, as the context here implies.
Considerations
This is the first appearance of the practice of tearing clothes when someone hears either bad news or witnesses something disrespectful. It is a heartfelt act in response to something considered especially grievous in nature to that person. The tearing of one’s clothes is often accompanied by putting on sackcloth (a transliteration of the Hebrew word ‘śǎq’,[11] referring to a fabric made out of goat hair, which would be very uncomfortable) and putting dirt or ashes on one’s head (see 1 Sam 4:12), removing the shoes (see 2 Sam 15:30), and putting your hands on your head (see 2 Sam 13:19). The purpose was to show grief and often to seek humility for mourning or repentance for forgiveness. The practice of rending garments is seen throughout the Bible, including by many in the New Testament.
Trading between people groups was common in the Bible, and of course, the act of trading is still important today. The term ‘caravan’ is derived from the Arabic name for a body of pilgrims or merchants that travel for pleasure, religion, or profit. They can number in the hundreds, and at times even over a thousand. Most Old Testament caravans consisted of camels for both the people to ride and carry the cargo. They would often travel in early evening for six to eight hours, generally covering from ten to twenty miles depending on temperature, conditions, and terrain.
The merchandise carried by these caravans varied significantly, largely driven by the culture and the demand for various products. Here, this caravan was identified as carrying gum (Hebrew ‘neḵō(’)t’,[12] referring to an aromatic gum resin, used as a spice, from the Gilead region); balm (Hebrew ‘ṣerî’,[13] a balm that is also an aromatic gum resin, which can be used as a form of medicine or cosmetic, often associated with Gilead, see Jeremiah 8:22; 46:11; 51:8); and myrrh (Hebrew ‘lõṭ’,[14] a gum resin from harvested a variety of trees, usually from the Commiphora genus, that was very popular for perfume, embalming the dead and for many groups, it was considered a medicine.) Each of these items were considered very valuable and profitable. Sadly, perhaps the more lucrative market was in human trafficking, also known as slavery.[15]
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[1] Strong’s Hebrew 4033.
[2] Strong’s Hebrew 6446.
[3] Strong’s Hebrew 7065.
[4] See commentary under Genesis 26:14 and 30:1.
[5] See the second Bible study tip just before Genesis chapter six.
[6] Strong’s Hebrew 1167 and 2472.
[7] Strong’s Hebrew 3701.
[8] See Considerations under Genesis 25:7-11.
[9] Strong’s Hebrew 2876.
[10] Strong’s Hebrew 5631.
[11] Strong’s Hebrew 8242.
[12] Strong’s Hebrew 5219.
[13] Strong’s Hebrew 6875.
[14] Strong’s Hebrew 3910.
[15] See note in Considerations at the end of Genesis chapter nine.