Genesis 37. Joseph’s Dreams

Joseph’s Dreams

Jacob lived in the 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 a bad report of them to their father. 

• I wonder what the bad report was about?

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 Hebrew phrase used to describe Joseph’s robe is ketonet passim (כְּתֹנֶת פַּסִּים).
  • Ketonet means robe or tunic (a common word for clothing).
  • Passim is less clear and has been translated in different ways. Some think it means colorful or ornate, while others think it means long, like down to the hands or feet. This is why English Bibles say things like “coat of many colors,” “long robe,” or “ornate robe.”
  • We at least know the robe was about the status of Joseph over his brothers

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: 

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.

• Was Joseph humble and truthful in telling on his brothers and bringing to them the dream or was he being a tattle tale and boastful? Maybe Joseph shouldn’t have said anything about his dream.

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.

• Similar to Joseph’s second dream – Revelation 12:1  “A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head“.

Joseph Sold by His Brothers

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.” 

• Why were brothers pasturing near Shechem after the incident with Dinah? Power move?

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. 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.

• This was probably 3-5 days of walking! (50-75 miles from Hebron to Dothan)
• A man found Joseph wandering – the bible project does a whole session on what seems like a quick verse to read https://bibleproject.com/classroom/joseph/sessions/6 (see below)

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.” 

• “…we will see what will become of his dreams.”  Oh yes you will

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. 

• Reuben secretly wanted to outsmart his brothers and deliver Joseph back to Jacob. Probably to gain approval after sleeping with his wife?

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.

• What!! How did they have an appetite.

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. 

• We see Ishmael’s clan (unknowingly?) meeting Isaac’s.
• The gum was probably tragacanth gum which is used in food, medicine, perfumes, etc.
• Also the famous balm of Gilead: Jeremiah 8:22 (also 46:11 and 51:8) talks of this balm that is known for healing.

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. 

• At this time Reuben is away and Judah now ‘saves’ Joseph by suggesting they sell him, however his motives are for profit.

²⁸ Then Midianite traders passed by.

• I was confused by the use of both Ishmaelites and Midianites, but perhaps the caravan contained both or the names were used interchangeably

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.

• Joseph was sold for 20 shekels – a few months wages – also seen in Leviticus 27:5 (ESV): “If the person is from five years old up to twenty years old, your valuation shall be twenty shekels for a male and ten shekels for a female.”

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?” 

• Where was Reuben during all of this?

 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.” 

• Jacob once deceived Isaac using a goat and special clothing, and now his sons do it to him.

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.”

• This is the first mention of Sheol שְׁאוֹל – the concept of the grave or realm after death.

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.