Joseph’s 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.
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 Ishmeelites 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 Ishmeelites! 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 Ishmeelites 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”? It was never Avraham’s permanent home. It was where he sojourned, not where he was a citizen.
Hebrews 11:8 Abraham obeyed by faith when he was called to go out into a place that he will receive for an inheritance afterward. And he went out not knowing to where he was going. 9He sojourned in the land of promise by faith, as in a strange country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs of the same promise with him. 10For he looked for a city that has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
2. What does “these are the childings” mean? These are the births that Jacob had, along with what happened to the children born.
3. Which sons were very defiant? The sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, the two slavewomen, were very defiant.
4. Why do you think they were defiant? The text doesn’t say. These older brothers were adult men. They knew they were born from slaves, and not from wives who normally inherit. I propose that they were jealous of Joseph for another reason: he was the son of a wife. Such jealousy will be an excuse for defiance.
5. Weren’t Jacob’s sons a little old to be obedient to their father, as if they were still little children? I don’t see where Jacob often commanded them. Folks had to live together in order to be defended. The land was a wild place where violence was normal. Any group needed a leader. Jacob was the leader. I propose that the sons of the slavewomen did whatever they desired once they were no longer under the watchful eye of Jacob, the leader.
6. Why did Joseph bring their bad defiance unto their father? Didn’t Jacob know that this would anger them? Joseph was obedient, and Jacob told Joseph to report to him. Joseph didn’t question his father’s wisdom.
Jacob should have known that this would anger them. I propose that Jacob thought that they would respect him (Jacob) and not harm their brother over the reports.
7. Why did Jacob receive the information that Joseph brought? Jacob had already seen just how violent and wrongheaded his sons could be. He therefore found it necessary to hear what they did and what they plotted. The entire camp could be slaughtered by the foolish behaviour of these sons.
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? Yes. If the text had meant that he loved Joseph more than any son, it would have worded it that way!
2. Why did Jacob love the rest of the sons less than Joseph?
- Joseph was the son of Jacob’s old age.
- Joseph obeyed his father.
- Joseph was willing to serve.
- Joseph’s character was excellent; the characters of the brothers were very bad.
3. What does “he is a son of oldnesses” mean, and why is oldnesses plural? Joseph is a son of every form of old age that Jacob experienced.
- Jacob was old in years.
- Jacob was physically old, and therefore not as strong as he used to be.
- Jacob now had time to enjoy his sons; the other sons were born while Jacob worked so very hard, day and night, every day of the week.
- Jacob bonded more with Joseph than with the other sons due to his wiser and more elderly views.
4. What did Jacob do to make the garment? Jacob must have made the thread and then the material. These steps would have taken so many hours for a small amount of material. Making a garment that was full-sized with sleeves would have taken years of work with hours of work on many days.
I cannot tell if Jacob had help. He may have had help from slaves. The Bible gives Jacob credit for making the garment.
5. What is a garment of sheer/full coverings? If the garment is sheer, it is very light-weight and almost see-through. (Multiple layers would keep it from being see-through.) If the garment is full, it covers down to the ankles, up to the neck, and also the arms. If it is a garment of coverings, it is multi-layered.
6. Where they lived was very hot in the summer. Why would Jacob make a multi-layered garment for Joseph? A garment that consists of several layers that are all very light weight is far, far cooler in the desert.
The first layer is next to the skin. That layer gets wet with perspiration. The second layer touches the first layer, but not continually all over its surface; air easily moves between the two layers when the person wearing the garments moves. That causes good evaporation (when water turns into water vapour, and goes into the air) of the perspiration. The evaporation causes great cooling. The third layer (and more layers, if there are more) takes the heat of the sun, and the air cools those outer layers. Thus, all the layers together are like a very efficient air conditioner. To this very day, male and female desert dwellers in the area wear these types of outfits.
7. How did the brothers come to know that Jacob loved Joseph more than them? In everyday life situations, Jacob’s reactions toward Joseph contrasted with (were the opposite of) Jacob’s reactions toward them. They could tell.
8. Why did they hate Joseph instead of hating Jacob? Jacob was their father; they didn’t feel right about directly hating him. They could hate Joseph, since Joseph couldn’t do anything about it. That way, they could indirectly hate Jacob while not openly showing it.
This is what folks often do: they hate someone, but can’t get away with it; so they hate what that someone truly loves.
9. Why didn’t the brothers work to gain Jacob’s approval? They were part of a group: part of something like a gang. They instead wanted to please the members of their group more than they desired to please Jacob. I propose that they figured that it would be too much work, and that Jacob would not approve of them no matter what they did. (Bitter folks draw conclusions like this.)
10. What does “they were not able to speak to him for peace” mean? When they did speak to Joseph, I propose that they showed anger, contempt, and sarcasm (saying things that are the opposite of the way one feels or sees things, like saying to a girl who is wearing an old and worn-out dress, “That’s such a pretty, new dress you are wearing,” or like saying to a child who hasn’t learned to fight, “Come on, Mr. Tough!”). I propose that they ignored him or used snide (nasty and insulting) remarks when speaking to him or about him in his hearing.
11. Had the brothers had good character, how would they have acted toward Joseph? They would have been kind to him, helpful to him, and peaceable with him. They would have taught him good things, and they would have shared with him. Had they done these things, Jacob would have responded well to them even if only for Joseph’s sake.
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? I think Joseph knew. He was seventeen; he knew contempt and hatred. The problem was this: Joseph loved his brothers even though they hated him. Joseph told them important things—things important to him.
2. Why did they increase to hate him more? Once folks begin to hate someone or a group, they will delight in every excuse to increase their hatred. This makes them feel like their original hatred was justified. Folks always want to be able to justify their hatred to themselves and to their friends.
3. What is hatred? I propose that this word means to desire to see another or an object damaged or killed; or, to refuse to aid or preserve another person when aiding or preserving would be for the person’s benefit.
4. What does na mean? It is a Hebrew word that softens whatever is being said, making it less demanding or harsh.
5. Explain the dream in verse 7: I propose the following. Joseph and his brothers are binding sheaves (stalks upon which a grain, like wheat, grows). Thus, the brothers are all working. Joseph’s sheaf arose; it gained rank and importance. Joseph’s sheaf also took a stand; Joseph’s work became a leader; the work was with food. The sheaves of the brothers shall surround her; their work for food and their food will be part of the audience of the work and food for which Joseph works. The sheaves of the brothers worshipped Joseph’s sheaf; their work and their food will be subject to Joseph’s work and his food.
6. Why did Joseph’s brothers immediately assume that Joseph’s dream meant that Joseph would reign over them? They thought that the sheaves represented Joseph and them. They also thought that worshipping (prostrating: that is, bowing down flat) indicated that Joseph would reign over them.
7. What does “If dominating, shalt thou have dominion via us” mean? The first part, “If dominating,” makes the statement that follows much stronger, as if to say, “Wilt thou indeed be dominating?” To dominate is to have greater power and authority over anyone or any group.
Joseph’s brothers desired to know if Joseph thought that he would have higher authority and greater power over them than they had.
8. What speeches did Joseph give? Joseph told his dreams. The brothers considered Joseph’s telling his dreams as speeches!
9. What does an increase in hatred finally lead a person to do? An increase in hatred can finally lead to murder.
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? These dreams are from Yehovah!
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? They were! I propose that the brothers brought Joseph to their father to hear this dream because they were so angry about it-another dream that ‘put everyone down’ in their view.
3. What was Jacob’s initial (first) reaction to this dream, and why? Jacob’s reaction was anger! He not only rebuked Joseph, but he rebuked into him, like ‘in his face’!
Jacob knew what the dream meant—or he thought he knew. Instead of seeing this dream as just a dream, Jacob saw this dream as significant. He also thought that the dream came from Joseph himself, and it angered Jacob!
4. What was Jacob’s next reaction? Jacob’s next reaction was to ask, “What is this dream that thou dreamed?” It was as if Jacob was blaming Joseph for the dream, as if Joseph dreamed it on purpose!
Jacob then began to interpret the dream: “Coming, shall we—I and thy mother and thy brothers—come to prostrate to thee landward?” This was so unreasonable.
5. Would Jacob, Raquel, and the eleven brothers come to prostrate to Joseph? If Jacob meant Raquel by mother, she had died (Genesis 35:19). If Jacob meant Leah, who was now Joseph’s stepmother, she was alive, and this makes more sense. We will have to wait and see what occurs.
6. What does prostrate mean? It means to lay flat, face-down before another, showing submission (recognizing being under the authority and power of another).
7. What does landward mean? This means toward the land, and indicates that a person prostrating will be face down toward the soil.
8. What was the reaction of the brothers? Their reaction was envy. They were jealous of the position Joseph held with his father!
9. What could they have done to change their own reactions to Joseph? If they would have only made up their minds to love their brother and to work with him, Jacob would have gained much affection for them, and they would have felt much better toward their brother, Joseph. Anyone can change his or her reaction toward others. A person who is jealous of another can instead determine to be kind to that person. The feelings will sometimes follow the right behaviour.
10. What was the after-reaction of Jacob to this dream? Jacob’s reaction was to guard the speech.
11. What does he “guarded the speech” mean? This means that he listened very carefully to the speech (the description of the dream), and he determined to keep it in his memory. Guarding in this way is keeping a very accurate record of something in order to remember it.
12. If Jacob was so angry over the dream, why did Jacob choose to guard it instead of choosing to forget it? Jacob knew inside that the dream was significant. That was one reason why it bothered him so much. It didn’t sound like a good thing. It sounded more like Joseph was going to mistreat his family in order to gain rank and power over them.
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? The grass was good there!
2. Why did Jacob start by asking, “Are not thy brothers pasturing in Shoulder (Shechem)?” If he had done what we might do, and say, “Thy brothers pasturing in Shechem,” that makes it sound like Jacob is informing Joseph of what he didn’t know. Instead, the question shows that Jacob knew that Joseph already knew this! It is a kinder way to speak.
3. Jacob told Joseph, “Walk. And I sent thee unto them.” Why didn’t he say, “Walk, and I will send thee unto them”? “Walk” is a command. The result of obeying the command is that Jacob will have sent Joseph unto his brothers. The Hebrew language puts results of a command or a future statement in the past tense.
4. Why didn’t Joseph go with his brothers in the first place? The text doesn’t tell why. We can only guess if the text doesn’t tell.
5. Why did Joseph answer, “Behold, I am”? He was indicating that his attention was there with his father and his words, and that he was present and available to do what he said. The short expression, “Behold, I am,” has much meaning.
6. What were the three purposes of Jacob’s sending Joseph to his brothers? The Three purposes were:
- To see the peace of his brothers
- To see the peace of the flock
- To return to Jacob a speech
7. What does “see the peace of thy brothers” mean? This means to see if his brothers have peace and if they are at peace with others. It is like our saying, “to see how they are doing.” Yet, seeing if there is peace is a little different. It includes finding out if they are in trouble (in which case they don’t have peace), if they are fighting among themselves, if they are causing trouble to others, etc.
8. What does “see the peace of the flock” mean? This means to find out how the flock is doing—whether it is grazing well and without enemies nearby, etc. If the flock has good grass, no enemies and no wounded, it will do well, it will grow, it will produce good wool and milk, and it will be well tended.
9. What speech did Jacob desire from Joseph? Jacob wanted to hear a detailed account of the brothers’ actions, on the health of the flock, on where they were, and on what they were planning to do.
10. Where was Jacob located during this time? He was located in Hebron Valley, meaning the Valley of Brotherhood.
11. Exactly how many brothers were there shepherding the sheep at this time? Ten brothers were there. The youngest, Benjamin, is too young to be with them.
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? Yes, he knew the way very well. Joseph knew the countryside like most know their own streets.
2. The text states, “And a man found him.” Who is this man? The text doesn’t identify the man. We have found several cases of unidentified persons in Genesis who have very important roles to play. This man is one example.
3. If the man found him, was the man looking for him? The man may have accidentally come across Joseph wandering in the field. I don’t personally think that it was accidental. There is something different about this man.
4. Why was Joseph wandering in the field? Was Joseph lost? Joseph was not lost. He didn’t know where he could find his brothers. They were supposed to be there.
Most fields that we know are flat. A field that includes hills can make it harder to see persons and animals unless one goes up one of the hills. Even then, seeing persons and animals can depend on where one is looking and where the persons and animals are located. (They might all be behind a big rock in the same field.)
Joseph was wandering because he wanted to find signs of his brothers and the flocks.
5. Why did the man ask him, “What wilt thou seek?” The man could tell that Joseph was looking for something. The man knew more than Joseph knew, and could help him.
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? The man had asked him, “What wilt thou seek?” as if the man might know. I can’t tell how Joseph knew.
When strangers met under peaceful circumstances, they would talk to each other and would tell things to each other. If this man had met Joseph’s brothers, they might have spoken about where they were headed.
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? The way the text is worded, I can’t tell whether they discussed their plans with this man, or whether this man overheard them speaking to each other. It is worded more like he overheard them. Yet, he would have to be very close to them to make out the words they were saying.
8. Why did Joseph believe a stranger? While this area was very dangerous in some ways, it was safe in other ways. Strangers who were alone were often both friendly and very helpful. Today, trusting strangers isn’t very smart. Some who trust strangers end up dead. Joseph knew the ways of the area.
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? Dothan was a location. The text doesn’t indicate any homes or businesses, but instead fields.
2. How could they tell that the one coming was Joseph? His garments were unique. They knew how they appeared from a distance, seeing him approaching them many times.
3. What does beguile mean? It means to deceive, to trick, to fool someone into being a sucker.
4. What did they do to beguile him? The text doesn’t say. Joseph won’t arrive to his brothers until verse 23. So, whatever they did, they did at a distance. I propose that they made their plot, then they called for him to come to them as if they desired to see him.
5. What did they determine to do to Joseph? They determined to murder him by slaying him.
6. What did they mean by calling Joseph “lord of the dreams”? That was their bitter way of making fun of him.
7. What is this in, “lord of the dreams came to this”? It refers to the location—to Dothan.
8. What was their plan for Joseph? Their plan was:
- To walk to Joseph
- To murder Joseph
- To cast Joseph into one of the pits
- To report to their father and family that a bad animal ate Joseph
9. What was wrong with this plan? Besides its being murder, if they returned with a report and with no body that has been torn by an animal, or at least without any bones, and if they don’t show real mourning, I don’t think members of the family will believe them.
10. What did they mean by, “And we saw what his dreams shall be”? If he is murdered, none of his dreams can possibly occur. They truly hated what his dreams described.
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? He hearkened to the plot of his brothers to murder Joseph. He listened to the details.
2. Was Reuben in on the plot? He was in on the plot, but not to murder Joseph. That would not work well for him. The firstborn son was responsible for the rest of the children in a greater way than the rest of the children were for their brothers and sisters.
3. Verse 21 states that he rescued him from their hand. Had the brothers seized Joseph physically with their hands? No! Joseph had not even arrived. Reuben rescued Joseph from their hand (singular, for they together acted as if they all controlled one hand) by what he said. Their plot to murder Joseph was finished when Reuben stopped it with words. Thus, Reuben rescued Joseph from their hand.
4. Did this act make Reuben a good guy? You will see the answer to this later in this chapter.
5. Why did the brothers listen to Reuben? Reuben was one of them. He was no better than they were, but he was older and was a leader. If he said that they wouldn’t smite a being, he knew they wouldn’t—not yet.
6. What was Reuben’s idea? His idea was to cast him unto a pit that they found. It was deep enough and large enough that Joseph could not escape. Reuben then would rescue Joseph (again) from their hand and would return him unto his father.
7. Doesn’t this act make Reuben a good guy? It sounds like he is a good guy; wait and see what he does next.
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? That garment represented everything they hated about Joseph. It was the love and attention of their father toward him—toward Joseph. I propose that, as far as they were concerned, he had no right to that garment.
2. What was Joseph doing while they were stripping him, taking him and casting him? This text doesn’t say, but another does:
Genesis 42:21 And they said a man unto his brother, “But we are guilty-[ones] concerning our brother—that we saw the tribulation of his being during his beseeching unto us, and we did not hearken. Therefore this tribulation came unto us!”
Joseph besought his brothers (he almost begged his brothers to not do what they were doing). They refused to hearken to him, they hated him so much.
3. How deep was this pit? It was deep enough and big enough that Joseph would not have been able to get out of it without being lifted out. It may have been where a well had formerly been, but now it was a dry pit.
4. What was important about the pit being dry? Joseph might have drowned had there been water in the pit. Since it was dry, Joseph suffered from a lack of water, now that his clothes were removed.
5. Was Joseph completely naked? He may have had a loin cloth, serving a similar function of underpants, but the text doesn’t tell us.
6. How far did they go away from the pit before they sat to eat bread? The events about to be described will answer this question.
7. What did their sitting to eat bread show? This showed that they had no problem with what they had done. It didn’t even harm their appetites.
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? They were looking at their circle of brothers, their food, and the countryside just beyond where they were. They weren’t looking far away for anything.
2. How far away was the path of the Ishmaelites, and what is a path? A path in this case is what we would call a camel train—a number of persons with camels walking them or riding them through the dry areas going from one city to another. It is a path because they follow each other.
The path was a good distance away. Had it been close, they would have heard the men and animals.
3. Why does the Bible tell what they were carrying? This shows that they were merchants loaded with merchandise, heading for Egypt.
4. What is balm? According to Easton’s Revised Bible Dictionary, the word balm is “contracted from Bal’sam, a general name for many oily or resinous substances which flow or trickle from certain trees or plants when an incision is made through the bark. The Hebrew word denotes [a very valuable] gum of a tree growing in Gilead… It was celebrated for its medicinal qualities.”
5. What are grated spices? They are spices that have been finely ground to a powder so that they can be used in cooking, perfumes and other things.
6. What is myrrh? It is the resin of a tree (the liquid sap of a tree that dries into a gummy, firm substance) that gives off a fragrance when it is put on hot coals or any fiery hot surface. Its smell is not bad—pretty gentle; yet it can hide the smells of a dead body.
You can purchase myrrh in your area. If you do, have an adult place some on an iron skillet on a stove, a heat it until it boils and smokes. You can see that it is not a bad smell, and was expensive and in demand in Joseph’s day (and in Yeshua’s day, and even today). It won’t be all that expensive today.
7. What was Judah’s better idea about what to do with Joseph? Judah saw no profit in slaying their brother and concealing his blood. Selling him, on the other hand, would bring some profit. Judah also said that their hand would not be “into him”—into Joseph if they did this.
8. What does “our hand shall not be into him” mean? It describes something like slugging or stabbing a person in its picture. If their hand is into their brother, they are harming or killing him.
9. Why did Judah bring up, “he is our brother—our flesh”? Was Judah softening toward Joseph? No, he wasn’t! He was speaking as if he cared for his own brother, his own flesh, when he really didn’t care! This is a form of sarcasm (saying something when obviously meaning the opposite, like, “you are so kind,” when that person being called kind just did something mean). Judah was acting like a politician.
10. Who else in the Bible was willing to sell someone else who was a brother in order to make money? Judas Iscariot (Judah, a man of cities) did the same thing.
11. Who were the Ishmaelites? They were descendants from Avraham, and thus were cousins of Joseph and his brothers.
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? They were from Avraham by another wife: Keturah. One son was named Midian.
2. How did the Midianites know that Joseph was in the pit? They heard him as he called to his brothers.
3. Did they then let Joseph go? No! They took him as a slave!
4. Didn’t they know who Joseph was—that he was a son of Avraham, like they were? They knew. Joseph would have told them. They didn’t care. They had no love for the children of Avraham through Sarah. Sarah’s children obtained the inheritance, not Keturah’s children. They didn’t see Joseph as one of their brethren.
5. What did they do with Joseph? They sold him to the Ishmaelites, the very ones to whom Joseph’s brothers had decided to sell him!
6. Did the Ishmaelites know who Joseph was? They knew. Joseph would have told them. They didn’t care. They had no love for the children of Isaac. This was a good way to make some money.
7. Was twenty of silver a lot of money? It wasn’t a huge amount; it was a very good profit.
8. Were they kidnapping Joseph? Yes, they were. Yehovah will later rule that as a death-penalty offense.
9. Why didn’t they return Joseph to Jacob, and get some funds from Jacob for the service? They wanted a quick return on their purchase, and didn’t desire to go out of the way.
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? I see two possibilities:
- Reuben went to the pit to get Joseph in order to return him to his father
- Reuben went to the pit to get Joseph in order to cooperate with the rest by selling him to the Ishmaelites.
I cannot tell which he was about to do except by what he did or didn’t do next.
2. Why was Reuben so upset? Wasn’t this a good solution to the problem of Joseph? Reuben now knew that he would be held responsible for Joseph’s disappearance. Reuben wasn’t upset because of his brother’s being gone as much as he was about how he, Reuben, would be viewed. That is why he asked, “Where shall I go?”
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? The other nine brothers (remember that Benjamin isn’t involved). I don’t think that Reuben knew what to do; I am thinking that the others did it for him.
2. The text states, “They sent the cotton garment…” By what means did they send it? I don’t see any indication that anyone else was there. If they packaged it and put it on one of the animals, that would be sending it.
3. Why did they bring the garment to their father? They wanted to give him proof that Joseph was dead.
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? Yes, they were.
2. What did they mean by, “Recognize na”? They were gently asking him to look at the garment and see if it is the one that belonged to Joseph.
3. Why did they say “If not” at the end? They asked him, is this the garment, or isn’t it? The expression, “If not,” is like saying, “Isn’t it?”
4. How did Jacob respond? Jacob was grief-struck. He responded with great grief.
5. How did they expect Jacob to respond? They didn’t expect him to react that strongly, since they hated Joseph. They thought that their own feelings were not that far from their father’s feelings. They knew that Joseph was still alive, so that the idea of grief wasn’t part of their thinking. Jacob truly went into grief and shock. I am convinced that they were not ready for his reaction.
6. Why didn’t they tell him that he was still alive when he reacted that way? They felt they couldn’t go back, now. They would just wait for this to be over.
7. Why did Jacob assume that a bad animal ate him? Jacob could not imagine any other explanation.
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? This means that he wrapped sackcloth—gunnysack material—around his waste and legs.
Doing this indicated mourning. Gunnysack material is very scratchy and uncomfortable, and it shows complete poverty. A person who went into mourning in that culture would put this on, rather than soft, expensive materials, as a reminder of man and what he really is. This also told others that he was in mourning.
2. How many days are multiplied days? This would be more than the normal days of mourning—between 40 and 70 days, so it would go on for probably half a year or more.
3. How many sons and how many daughters did he have? He had twelve sons, if we include Joseph. Benjamin was very young to be doing any consoling. Thus, ten sons tried to console him.
The text doesn’t tell how many daughters he had. The expression, “all his daughters,” gives me the impression that he had more than three, but I don’t know.
4. Why did Jacob refuse to be consoled? Jacob could tell that something wasn’t right with his other sons and daughters (except Benjamin), though he couldn’t put his finger on it. Jacob had done the mourning, and I propose that Joseph’s brothers couldn’t take Joseph’s death very seriously (since they knew he wasn’t dead). I propose that Jacob was very angry with the ten sons, but couldn’t put his finger on why. A refusal to be consoled is sometimes caused by the recognition that something, some injustice, wasn’t right.
5. What did Jacob mean by “I will descend unto my son mourning Sheolward”? All who died at that time went to Sheol, a divided chamber in the very center of planet earth. The chamber was divided by a great gulf, an area of space where no one could go. On one side of Sheol was Paradise, and those on that side were very comfortable. They had the Salvation of God. On the other side of Sheol was an area that was torments, where there was no water, and there was a flame that tormented everyone there while they thirsted night and day.
Jacob knew that he would go down to Sheol when he died, and would mourn all the way down there until he came to his son. Even then, he would mourn, since his son had been killed.
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? This included many days later. The man kept mourning for his son.
7. What does the fact that they didn’t finally tell their father that Joseph was alive show? This shows how much they really hated Jacob, not Joseph. They saw the torment of Jacob, but they said nothing to lessen his mourning. That was hatred toward him.
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? It is a male, a boy or a man, whose testicles have been either disintegrated or removed so that he will have absolutely no sexual desire. While this will cause his voice to become higher in pitch, he can be a very strong man.
Kings who had many wives desired to have eunuchs take care of the women. Eunuchs would not be drawn to the women, and they would not be easily tempted by women or by other sexual things.
Kings also used eunuchs in other places of justice so that a beautiful woman could not turn them by making sexual advances.
2. What is a prince of the executioners? This is like a captain over those who execute (put to death) criminals. Potiphar was a very high-ranking man under the Pharaoh (a term used for a king in Egypt).
3. What was the advantage of a prince of the executioners being a eunuch? The advantage was that he could not be easily swayed against doing his duty by a beautiful woman.
4. Did Joseph’s brothers make any money from the sale of Joseph? No! They never made any money.
