Genesis 37

Joseph’s Dreams

1 Jacob lived in *See ch. 36:7the land of his father’s sojournings, in the land of Canaan.

2 These are the generations of Jacob.

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 *[1 Sam. 2:23,24]a bad report of them to their father. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was *ch. 44:20the son of his old age. And he made him *ver. 23, 32a robe of many colors.*37:3 See Septuagint, Vulgate; or (with Syriac) a robe with long sleeves. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain; also verses 23, 324 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.

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, *ch. 42:6,9my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and *ch. 43:26;44:14bowed 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.

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 *[ch. 35:18] your mother and your brothers indeed come *ver. 7, 9to bow ourselves to the ground before you?" 11 And *Acts 7:9his brothers were jealous of him, *[Luke 2:19,51]but his father kept the saying in mind.

Joseph Sold by His Brothers

12 Now his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock near *See ch. 33:18Shechem. 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 *ch. 13:18;35:27Hebron, and he came to Shechem. 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 *2 Kgs. 6:13Dothan.’" So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at *2 Kgs. 6:13Dothan.

18 They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them *[Ps. 37:12,32]they conspired against him to kill him. 19 They said to one another, "Here comes this dreamer. 20 Come now, *ver. 26let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits.*37:20 Or cisterns; also verses 22, 24 Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams." 21 But when *ch. 42:22Reuben 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"—*ver. 29, 30that he might rescue him out of their hand to restore him to his father. 23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, *ver. 3the robe of many colors that he wore. 24 And they took him and *[Jer. 38:6;Lam. 3:53]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 *Job 6:19;Isa. 21:13caravan of *[ver. 28, 36; ch. 39:1] Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing *ch. 43:11;Jer. 8:22;46:11gum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. 26 Then Judah said to his brothers, "What profit is it *ver. 20if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27 Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and *[1 Sam. 18:17]let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh." And his brothers listened to him. 28 Then *ver. 36;Judg. 8:22,24Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and *ch. 45:4;Ps. 105:17;Acts 7:9sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels*37:28 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt.

29 When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he *ch. 44:13;Num. 14:6;2 Sam. 1:11;3:31;Job 1:20tore his clothes 30 and returned to his brothers and said, "The boy *ch. 42:13,32,36;44:31;Jer. 31:15;Lam. 5:7is gone, and I, where shall I go?" 31 Then they took *ver. 23Joseph’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. *ver. 20;ch. 44:28A fierce animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces." 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 *[2 Sam. 12:17] rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and said, "No, *ch. 42:38;44:29,31I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning." Thus his father wept for him. 36 Meanwhile *ver. 28;[ver. 25;ch. 39:1] the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, *ch. 40:3,4;41:10,12the captain of the guard.