Joseph’s Dreams
Did Jacob love Joseph more than all his sons put together? Why did Jacob love the other sons less?
What did Jacob do to make the special garment for Joseph? Where they lived was very hot in the summer, why was it a multi-layered garment?
Who gave Joseph his dreams?
Background and Printed Text: Genesis 37
Genesis 37:1 And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) dwelt in the land of the sojournings of his father—in the land of Canaan (Merchant).
2These are the childings of He-Will-Heel (Jacob).
He-Will-Gather (Joseph), a son of seventeen year, was a shepherd with his brothers in a flock. And he is a youth with the sons of Via-Languishing (Bilhah) and with the sons of Her-Trickling (Zilpah), his father’s women. And He-Will-Gather (Joseph) brought their bad defiance unto their father.
3And He-Will-Prince-Mighty [One] (Israel) loved He-Will-Gather (Joseph) more than all his sons because he is a son of oldnesses. And he made to him a cotton-garment of sheer/full-coverings. 4And his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers. And they hated him. And they were not able to speak to him for peace.
5And He-Will-Gather (Joseph) dreamed a dream. And he told to his brothers. And they increased to hate him more. 6And he said unto them, “Hearken-ye-to this dream, na, that I dreamed. 7And behold, we are binding sheaves in the midst of the field. And behold, my sheaf arose. And she also took a stand. And behold, your sheaves shall surround her. And they worshipped to my sheaf.” 8And his brothers said to him, “Reigning, shalt thou reign over us? If dominating, shalt thou have dominion via us?” And they increased to hate him more concerning his dreams and concerning his speeches.
9And he dreamed yet another dream. And he scrolled him to his brothers. And he said, “Behold, I dreamed yet a dream. And behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars are prostrating to me.” 10And he scrolled unto his father and unto his brothers. And his father rebuked into him. And he said unto him, “What is this dream that thou dreamed? Coming, shall we—I and thy mother and thy brothers—come to prostrate to thee landward?” 11And his brothers envied into him. And his father guarded the speech.
12And his brothers walked to pasture their father’s flock in Shoulder (Shechem). 13And He-Will-Prince-Mighty [One] (Israel) said unto He-Will-Gather (Joseph), “Are not thy brothers pasturing in Shoulder (Shechem)? Walk. And I sent thee unto them.” And he said to him, “Behold, I am.” 14And he said to him, “Walk, na. See the peace of thy brothers and the peace of the flock. And return to me a speech.” And he sent him from the valley of Brotherhood (Hebron).
And he came to Shoulder (Shechem). 15And a man found him. And behold, he is wandering in the field. And the man asked him, saying, “What wilt thou seek?” 16And he said, “I am seeking my brothers. Tell to me, na, where are they pasturing?” 17And the man said, “They journeyed from here. For I hearkened-to them saying, ‘We shall walk to Decree (Dothan).’” And He-Will-Gather (Joseph) walked after his brothers.
And he found them in Decree (Dothan). 18And they saw him from a distance. And before he will approach unto them and they beguiled him to slay him. 19And they said a man unto his brother, “Behold, lord of the dreams came to this! 20And now, walk ye. And we murdered him! And we cast him into one of the pits. And we shall say, ‘A bad animal ate him.’ And we saw what his dreams shall be!”
21And They-Saw-A-Son (Reuben) hearkened. And he rescued him from their hand. And he said, “We will not smite a being!” 22And They-Saw-A-Son (Reuben) said unto them, “Shed no blood. Cast him unto this pit that is in the wilderness. And send ye not a hand into him”—in order to rescue him from their hand to return him unto his father.
23And he was just-as He-Will-Gather (Joseph) came unto his brothers. And they stripped He-Will-Gather (Joseph), his cotton-garment, the cotton-garment of the sheer/full-coverings that is upon him. 24And they took him. And they cast him pitward. And the pit is empty—no water is in him. 25And they sat to eat bread.
And they lifted up their eyes. And they saw. And behold, a path of Ishmaelites came from Witness-Heap (Gilead). And their camels are carrying grated-spices and balm and myrrh walking to make-descend Egyptward. 26And He-Confessed-Yehovah (Judah) said unto his brothers, “What is the profit when we will slay our brother and will conceal his blood? 27Walk ye! And we sold him to the Ishmaelites! And our hand shall not be into him. For he is our brother—our flesh!” And his brothers hearkened.
28And Midiani merchantmen crossed-over. And they drew. And they ‘ascended’ He-Will-Gather (Joseph) from the pit. And they sold He-Will-Gather (Joseph) to Ishmaelites via twenty of silver. And they brought He-Will-Gather (Joseph) Egyptward.
29And They-Saw-A-Son (Reuben) returned unto the pit. And behold, no He-Will-Gather (Joseph) is in the pit! And he tore his clothes. 30And he returned unto his brothers. And he said, “The child is not! And I—where shall I go?”
31And they took He-Will-Gather’s (Joseph’s) cotton-garment. And they slaughtered a kid of the goats. And they immersed the cotton-garment in the blood. 32And they sent the cotton-garment of sheer/full-coverings. And they brought unto their father.
And they said, “We found this. Recognize, na. Is he the cotton-garment of thy son? If not?” 33And he recognized her. And he said, “Cotton-garment of my son. A bad animal ate him. He tore. He tore He-Will-Gather (Joseph).” 34And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) tore his clothes.
And he put sackcloth into his loins. And he mourned concerning his son multiplied days. 35And all his sons and all his daughters arose to console him. And he refused to be consoled. And he said, “For I will descend unto my son mourning Sheolward!” And his father wept-for him.
36And the Midianites sold him unto Egypt to Potiphar, a eunuch of Pharaoh, prince of the executioners.
I. The Beginning of the Story (verses 1-2)
Jacob obediently and righteously continued to live in Canaan, the land of his father’s sojournings.
Jacob’s generations included the times of the events regarding Joseph.
Joseph the seventeen-year-old was a shepherd over a flock, along with his brothers. He is a youth who is with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s women.
He brought his father their bad defiance.
Questions
1. Why is the land in which Jacob dwelt called “the land of the sojournings of his father”?
2. What does “these are the childings” mean?
3. Which sons were very defiant?
4. Why do you think they were defiant?
5. Weren’t Jacob’s sons a little old to be obedient to their father, as if they were still little children?
6. Why did Joseph bring their bad defiance unto their father? Didn’t Jacob know that this would anger them?
7. Why did Jacob receive the information that Joseph brought?
II. The Sheer Garment (verses 3-4)
Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons because Joseph was born when Israel was very old in so many ways. He made Joseph a cotton garment that was sheer and that fully covered.
Joseph’s brothers saw that Israel loved him more than all his brothers. They hated him. They could not bring themselves to speak to him for peace.
Questions
1. Did Jacob love Joseph more than all his sons put together?
2. Why did Jacob love the rest of the sons less than Joseph?
3. What does “he is a son of oldnesses” mean, and why is oldnesses plural?
4. What did Jacob do to make the garment?
5. What is a garment of sheer/full coverings?
6. Where they lived was very hot in the summer. Why would Jacob make a multi-layered garment for Joseph?
7. How did the brothers come to know that Jacob loved Joseph more than them?
8. Why did they hate Joseph instead of hating Jacob?
9. Why didn’t the brothers work to gain Jacob’s approval?
10. What does “they were not able to speak to him for peace” mean?
11. Had the brothers had good character, how would they have acted toward Joseph?
III. Dream #1 (verses 5-8)
Joseph dreamed a dream. He told the dream to his brothers. They increased their hatred of him.
Joseph said to them, “Hearken-ye-to this dream, na, that I dreamed.”
“And behold, we are binding sheaves in the midst of the field. And behold, my sheaf arose. And she also took a stand. And behold, your sheaves shall surround her. And they worshipped to my sheaf.”
Joseph’s brothers said to him, “Reigning, shalt thou reign over us?” They also said, “If dominating, shalt thou have dominion via us?”
They used Joseph’s dreams and speeches as reasons to increase their hatred of him.
Questions
1. Why did Joseph tell his dream to his brothers? Didn’t Joseph know that his brothers hated him?
2. Why did they increase to hate him more?
3. What is hatred?
4. What does na mean?
5. Explain the dream in verse 7:
6. Why did Joseph’s brothers immediately assume that Joseph’s dream meant that Joseph would reign over them?
7. What does “If dominating, shalt thou have dominion via us” mean?
8. What speeches did Joseph give?
9. What does an increase in hatred finally lead a person to do?
IV. Dream #2 (verses 9-11)
Joseph dreamed again. He scrolled the dream to his brothers. He said, “Behold, I dreamed yet a dream. And behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars are prostrating (that is, lying flat in a demonstration of humility) to me.” He later scrolled the same dream to his father and to his brothers. His father rebuked into him (told him off in a very ‘in your face’ manner). He said unto him, “What is this dream that thou dreamed? Coming, shall we—I and thy mother and thy brothers—come to prostrate to thee landward?”
His brothers’ response was envy. His father’s response was to guard Joseph’s speech.
Questions
1. Who gave Joseph these dreams?
2. In verse 9, he scrolled this dream to his brothers. In verse 10, he scrolled it unto his father and his brothers. Were these two separate events?
3. What was Jacob’s initial (first) reaction to this dream, and why?
4. What was Jacob’s next reaction?
5. Would Jacob, Raquel, and the eleven brothers come to prostrate to Joseph?
6. What does prostrate mean?
7. What does landward mean?
8. What was the reaction of the brothers?
9. What could they have done to change their own reactions to Joseph?
10. What was the after-reaction of Jacob to this dream?
11. What does he “guarded the speech” mean?
12. If Jacob was so angry over the dream, why did Jacob choose to guard it instead of choosing to forget it?
V. The Assignment (verses 12-14)
Joseph’s brothers walked to pasture their papa’s flock in a location called Shchem in Hebrew (Shechem in your Bibles). Israel asked Joseph a question: “Are not thy brothers pasturing in Shechem? Walk. And I sent thee unto them.” Joseph’s response was, “Behold, I am.”
Israel told Joseph to walk, but he said it in a way that wasn’t demanding. Israel desired to know whether his brothers had peace, and whether the flock had peace. He then desired Joseph to return a speech to him about these things. Israel sent Joseph from the valley of Hebron, the valley of brotherhood.
Questions
1. Why did the brothers walk to pasture their father’s flock in Shechem?
2. Why did Jacob start by asking, “Are not thy brothers pasturing in Shoulder (Shechem)?”
3. Jacob told Joseph, “Walk. And I sent thee unto them.” Why didn’t he say, “Walk, and I will send thee unto them”?
4. Why didn’t Joseph go with his brothers in the first place?
5. Why did Joseph answer, “Behold, I am”?
6. What were the three purposes of Jacob’s sending Joseph to his brothers?
7. What does “see the peace of thy brothers” mean?
8. What does “see the peace of the flock” mean?
9. What speech did Jacob desire from Joseph?
10. Where was Jacob located during this time?
11. Exactly how many brothers were there shepherding the sheep at this time?
VI. Joseph Wanders (verses 14-17)
Joseph arrived at the Shechem area. A man who is not identified in this text found Joseph wandering in the field. The man asked him, saying, “What wilt thou seek?” Joseph said, “I am seeking my brothers. Tell to me, na, where are they pasturing?” This man responded, “They journeyed from here. For I hearkened-to them saying, ‘We shall walk to Dothan.’”
Joseph walked after his brothers.
Questions
1. Did Joseph know the way to Shechem?
2. The text states, “And a man found him.” Who is this man?
3. If the man found him, was the man looking for him?
4. Why was Joseph wandering in the field? Was Joseph lost?
5. Why did the man ask him, “What wilt thou seek?”
6. Joseph answered, “I am seeking my brothers. Tell to me, na, where are they pasturing?” Joseph’s question assumes that the man knows. How did Joseph know that the man knew?
7. The man said, “For I hearkened-to them saying, ‘We shall walk to Decree (Dothan).’” Why would they tell this man where they are going?
8. Why did Joseph believe a stranger?
VII. The Plot of Evil (verses 17-20)
Joseph found them in Dothan, as the man had said. Joseph’s brothers saw him while he was a distance away. Before he got near to them, they beguiled him in order to slay him.
The brothers said to each other, “Behold, lord of the dreams came to this!” referring to the location. They then said, “And now, walk ye. And we murdered him! And we cast him into one of the pits. And we shall say, ‘A bad animal ate him.’ And we saw what his dreams shall be!”
Questions
1. Was Dothan a city in which Joseph found his brothers?
2. How could they tell that the one coming was Joseph?
3. What does beguile mean?
4. What did they do to beguile him?
5. What did they determine to do to Joseph?
6. What did they mean by calling Joseph “lord of the dreams”?
7. What is this in, “lord of the dreams came to this”?
8. What was their plan for Joseph?
9. What was wrong with this plan?
10. What did they mean by, “And we saw what his dreams shall be”?
VIII. Reuben’s Counterplot (verses 21-22)
Reuben hearkened to their plotting. He then rescued him from their hand. Reuben said, “We will not smite a being!”
Reuben said unto them, “Shed no blood. Cast him unto this pit that is in the wilderness. And send ye not a hand into him.” He determined to rescue Joseph from their hand and to return him unto his father.
Questions
1. To what did Reuben hearken?
2. Was Reuben in on the plot?
3. Verse 21 states that he rescued him from their hand. Had the brothers seized Joseph physically with their hands?
4. Did this act make Reuben a good guy?
5. Why did the brothers listen to Reuben?
6. What was Reuben’s idea?
7. Doesn’t this act make Reuben a good guy?
IX. The Stripping (verses 23-25)
Just as Joseph came unto his brothers, they stripped him–the sheer cotton garment that he wore. They then took him and threw him toward a pit. The pit was empty and without water. They then sat down to eat bread.
Questions
1. Why did they strip Joseph of his garment first?
2. What was Joseph doing while they were stripping him, taking him and casting him?
3. How deep was this pit?
4. What was important about the pit being dry?
5. Was Joseph completely naked?
6. How far did they go away from the pit before they sat to eat bread?
7. What did their sitting to eat bread show?
X. The Profitable Opportunity (verses 25-27)
The brothers lifted their eyes. And they saw—a path of Ishmaelites came from Gilead. Their camels carried grated spices, balm and myrrh. The camels walked, bringing these items down toward Egypt.
Judah said unto his brothers, “What is the profit when we will slay our brother and will conceal his blood? Walk ye! And we sold him to the Ishmaelites! And our hand shall not be into him. For he is our brother—our flesh!” His brothers hearkened.
Questions
1. At what were they looking before they lifted up their eyes?
2. How far away was the path of the Ishmaelites, and what is a path?
3. Why does the Bible tell what they were carrying?
4. What is balm?
5. What are grated spices?
6. What is myrrh?
7. What was Judah’s better idea about what to do with Joseph?
8. What does “our hand shall not be into him” mean?
9. Why did Judah bring up, “he is our brother—our flesh”? Was Judah softening toward Joseph?
10. Who else in the Bible was willing to sell someone else who was a brother in order to make money?
11. Who were the Ishmaelites?
XI. Joseph is Taken (verse 28)
Now, merchants from Midian crossed the range. And they drew and caused Joseph to ascend from the pit. And they sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites by way of twenty worth of silver. The Ishmaelites brought Joseph toward Egypt.
Questions
1. Who were these Midianites?
2. How did the Midianites know that Joseph was in the pit?
3. Did they then let Joseph go?
4. Didn’t they know who Joseph was—that he was a son of Avraham, like they were?
5. What did they do with Joseph?
6. Did the Ishmaelites know who Joseph was?
7. Was twenty of silver a lot of money?
8. Were they kidnapping Joseph?
9. Why didn’t they return Joseph to Jacob, and get some funds from Jacob for the service?
XII. The Shock (verses 29-30)
Reuben now returned to the pit. And behold, no Joseph is in the pit! Reuben tore his clothes. He then returned unto his brothers. And he said, “The child is not! And I—where shall I go?”
Questions
1. Why was Reuben going to the pit?
2. Why was Reuben so upset? Wasn’t this a good solution to the problem of Joseph?
XIII. The Quick Fix (verses 31-32)
They took Joseph’s cotton garment. They slaughtered a kid of the goats. They immersed the cotton garment in the blood. They then sent the sheer, full cotton garment coverings, and they brought them unto their father.
Questions
1. Who took Joseph’s garment and immersed it in the blood of a slaughtered goat?
2. The text states, “They sent the cotton garment…” By what means did they send it?
3. Why did they bring the garment to their father?
XIV. The Cold and Hot Response (verses 32-34)
The brothers said to their papa, “We found this. Recognize, na. Is he the cotton-garment of thy son? If not?” Jacob recognized the garment, of course. Jacob then said, “Cotton-garment of my son. A bad animal ate him. He tore. He tore He-Will-Gather (Joseph).”
Questions
1. They said, “We found this.” Were they lying?
2. What did they mean by, “Recognize na”?
3. Why did they say “If not” at the end?
4. How did Jacob respond?
5. How did they expect Jacob to respond?
6. Why didn’t they tell him that he was still alive when he reacted that way?
7. Why did Jacob assume that a bad animal ate him?
XV. No Consolation (verses 34-35)
Jacob covered himself with sackcloth. He mourned concerning his son a large number of days. All his sons and daughters arose to console him, and he refused to be consoled. He said, “For I will descend unto my son mourning Sheolward!” Joseph’s father wept for him.
Questions
1. What does “he put sackcloth into his loins” mean?
2. How many days are multiplied days?
3. How many sons and how many daughters did he have?
4. Why did Jacob refuse to be consoled?
5. What did Jacob mean by “I will descend unto my son mourning Sheolward”?
6. Verse 35 ends with, “And his father wept for him.” Was this at the beginning of the time of mourning, or was it many days later?
7. What does the fact that they didn’t finally tell their father that Joseph was alive show?
XVI. Joseph’s New Home (verse 36)
The Midianites sold Joseph unto Egypt to a man named Potiphar. He was one of Pharaoh’s eunuchs, and he was prince of Pharaoh’s executioners.
Questions
1. What is a eunuch?
2. What is a prince of the executioners?
3. What was the advantage of a prince of the executioners being a eunuch?
4. Did Joseph’s brothers make any money from the sale of Joseph?