37:3In Joseph's day, everyone had a robe or cloak. Robes were used for warmth, to bundle up belongings for a trip, to wrap babies, to sit on, or even to serve as security for a loan. Most robes were knee length, short sleeved, and plain. In contrast, Joseph’s robe was probably of the kind worn by royalty—long sleeved, ankle length, and colorful. The robe became a symbol of Jacob’s favoritism toward Joseph, and it aggravated the already strained relations between Joseph and his brothers, Favoritism in families may be unavoidable, but its divisive effects should be minimized. Parents may not be able to change their feelings toward a favorite child, but they can change their actions toward the others.
Life Application Study BibleGenesisChapter 37
Genesis 37
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 70, 71, 72
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37Genesis 37
Joseph's Dreams
137 So Jacob settled again in the land of Canaan, where his father had lived as a foreigner. 2This is the account of Jacob and his family. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he often tended his father’s flocks. He worked for his half brothers, the sons of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah. But Joseph reported to his father some of the bad things his brothers were doing. 3Jacob* loved Joseph more than any of his other children because Joseph had been born to him in his old age. So one day Jacob had a special gift made for Joseph—a beautiful robe.* 4But his brothers hated Joseph because their father loved him more than the rest of them. They couldn't say a kind word to him.. 5One night Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him more than ever. 6Listen to this dream,” he said. 7“We were out in the field, tying up bundles of grain. Suddenly my bundle stood up, and your bundles all gathered around and bowed low before mine!” 8His brothers responded, “So you think you will be our king, do you? Do you actually think you will reign over us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dreams and the way he talked about them. 9Soon Joseph had another dream, and again he told his brothers about it. “Listen, I have had another dream,” he said. “The sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed low before me!” 10This time he told the dream to his father as well as to his brothers, but his father scolded him. “What kind of dream is that?” he asked. 11Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow to the ground before you?” ‘But while his brothers were jealous of Joseph, his father wondered what the dreams meant. 12Soon after this, Joseph’s brothers went to pasture their father’s flocks at Shechem. 13When they had been gone for some time, Jacob said to Joseph, “Your brothers are pasturing the sheep at Shechem. Get ready, and I will send you to them.” “J'm ready to go,” Joseph replied. 14“Go and see how your brothers and the flocks are getting along,” Jacob said. “Then come back and bring me a report.” So Jacob sent him on his way, and Joseph traveled to Shechem from their home in the valley of Hebron. 15When he arrived there, a man from the area noticed him wandering around the countryside. “What are you looking for?” he asked. 16“I’m looking for my brothers,” Joseph replied. “Do you know where they are pasturing their sheep?” 17"Yes,” the man told him. “They have moved on from here, but I heard them say, ‘Let's go on to Dothan. 19So Joseph followed his brothers to Dothan and found them there.
Joseph Sold into Slavery
18When Joseph’s brothers saw him coming, they recognized him in the distance. As he approached, they made plans to kill him. 19“Here comes the dreamer!” they said. 20“Come on, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns. We can tell our father, ‘A wild animal has eaten him.’ Then we'll see what becomes of his dreams!” 21But when Reuben heard of their scheme, he came to Joseph’s rescue. “Let’s not kill him,” he said. 22“Why should we shed any blood? Let's just throw him into this empty cistern here in the wilderness. Then he'll die without our laying a hand on him.” Reuben was secretly planning to rescue Joseph and return him to his father. 23So when Joseph arrived, his brothers ripped off the beautiful robe he was wearing. 24Then they grabbed him and threw him into the cistern. Now the cistern was empty; there was no water in it. 25Then, just as they were sitting down to eat, they looked up and saw a caravan of camels in the distance coming toward them. It was a group of Ishmaelite traders taking a load of gum, balm, and aromatic resin from Gilead down to Egypt. 26Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain by killing our brother? His blood would just give us a guilty conscience. 27Instead of hurting him, let’s sell him to those Ishmaelite traders. After all, he is our brother—our own flesh and blood!” And his brothers agreed. 28So when the Ishmaelites, who were Midianite traders, came by, Joseph's brothers pulled him out of the cistern and sold him to them for twenty pieces* of silver. And the traders took him to Egypt. 29Some time later, Reuben returned to get Joseph out of the cistern. When he discovered that Joseph was missing, he tore his clothes in grief. 30Then he went back to his brothers and lamented, “The boy is gone! What will I do now?” 31Then the brothers killed a young goat and dipped Joseph's robe in its blood. 34They sent the beautiful robe to their father with this message: “Look at what we found. Doesn't this robe belong to your son?” 35Their father recognized it immediately. “Yes,” he said, “it is my son’s robe. A wild animal must have eaten him. Joseph has clearly been torn to pieces!” $4Then Jacob tore his clothes and dressed himself in burlap. He mourned deeply for his son for a long time. $5His family all tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “I will go to my grave* mourning for my son,” he would say, and then he would weep. 36Meanwhile, the Midianite traders* arrived in Egypt, where they sold Joseph to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Potiphar was captain of the palace guard.
Textual footnotes
- The exact meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
- 37:3a Hebrew Israel; also in 37:13. See note on 35:21.
- 37:3b Traditionally rendered a coat of many colors.
- 37:28 Hebrew 20 shekels, about 8 ounces or 228 grams in weight.
- 37:35 Hebrew go down to Sheol.
- 37:36 Hebrew Medanites, a variant spelling of Midianites; compare 37:28.
Life Application Notes 9 notes
37:6-11Joseph's brothers were already angry over the possibility of being ruled by their little brother. Joseph then fueled the fire with his immature attitude and boastful manner. No one enjoys a braggart. Joseph learned this the hard way. His angry brothers sold him into slavery to get rid of him. After several years of hardship, Joseph learned an important lesson: Because our talents and knowledge come from God, it is more appropriate to thank him for them than to brag about them. Later Joseph gave God the credit (41:16).
37:19,20Could jealousy ever make you feel like killing someone? Before saying, “Of course not,” look at what happened in this story. Ten men were willing to kill their younger brother over a robe and a few reported dreams. Their deep jealousy had grown into ugly rage, completely blinding them to what was right. Jealousy can be difficult to recognize because our reasons for it seem to make sense. But left unchecked, jealousy grows quickly and leads to serious sins. The longer you cultivate jealous feelings, the harder it is to uproot them. The time to deal with jealousy is when you notice yourself keeping score of others’ recognition, awards, and achievements.
37:26,27The brothers were worried about bearing the guilt of Joseph’s death. Judah suggested an option that was not right but would leave them innocent of murder. Sometimes we jump at a solution because it is the lesser of two evils but still is not the right action to take. When someone proposes a seemingly workable solution, first ask, “Is it right?”
37:28Although Joseph's brothers didn’t kill him outright, they wouldn’t expect him to survive for long as a slave. They were quite willing to let cruel slave traders do their dirty work for them. Joseph faced a 30-day journey through the desert, probably chained and on foot. He would be treated like baggage and, once in Egypt, would be sold as a piece of merchandise. His brothers thought they would never see him again. But God was in control of Joseph’s life and had other plans.
37:29,30Reuben returned to the cistern to find Joseph, but his little brother was gone. His first response, in effect, was “What will happen to me?” rather than “What will happen to Joseph?” In a tough situation, are you usually concerned first about yourself? Consider the person most affected by the problem, and you will be more likely to find a solution for it.
37:31-35To cover their evil action, Jacob's sons deceived their father into thinking Joseph was dead, Jacob himself had deceived others many times (including his own father, 27:35). Even though he didn’t know it at this point, Jacob was learning by hard experience the paintuiness and destructive consequences of deceit.
37:34Tearing one’s clothes and wearing burlap (sometimes called sackcloth) were signs of mourning, much like wearing black today.
37:36Imagine the culture shock Joseph experienced upon arriving in Egypt. Joseph had lived as a nomad, traveling the countryside with his family, caring for sheep. Suddenly he was thrust into the world’s most advanced civilization with great pyramids, beautiful homes, sophisticated people, and a new language. While Joseph saw Egypt’s skill and intelligence at their best, he also saw the Egyptians’ spiritual blindness. They worshiped countless gods related to every aspect of life.
Charts, profiles & sidebars from the printed pages
Personality profile · page 71
Profile: Joseph
As a youngster, Joseph was overconfident. His natural self-assurance—increased by being Jacob's favorite son and by knowing of God’s designs on his life—was unbearable to his ten older brothers, who eventually conspired against him. But this self-assurance, molded by pain and combined with a personal knowledge of God, allowed him to survive and prosper where most would have failed. He added quiet wisdom to his confidence and won the hearts of everyone he met—Potiphar, the prison warden, other prisoners, the pharaoh, and, after many years, even those ten brothers. Perhaps you can identify with one or more of these hardships Joseph experienced: He was betrayed and deserted by his family, exposed to sexual temptation, and punished for doing the right thing; he endured a long imprisonment and was forgotten by those he helped. As you read his story, note what Joseph did in each case. His positive response transformed each setback into a step forward. He didn’t spend much time asking why. His approach was “What shall I do now?” Those who met Joseph were aware that wherever he went and whatever he did, God was with him. When you're facing a setback, the beginning of a Joseph-like attitude is to acknowledge that God is with you. There is nothing like his presence to shed new light on a dark situation.
Strengths and accomplishments
• Rose in power from slave to ruler of Egypt
• Was known for his personal integrity
• Was a man of spiritual sensitivity
• Prepared a nation to survive a famine
@ His youthful pride caused friction with his brothers
Weakness and mistake
• What matters is not so much the events or circumstances of life, but our response to them
• With God’s heip, any situation can be used for good, even when others intend it for evil
Lessons from his tife
Vital statistics
• Where: Canaan, Egypt
• Occupation: Shepherd, slave, convict, ruler
• Relatives: Parents: Jacob and Rachel. Siblings: Eleven brothers and one sister. Wife: Asenath. Sons: Manasseh and Ephraim
“So Pharaoh asked his officials, ‘Can we find anyone else like this man so obviously filled with the spirit of God?’ ” (Genesis 41:38).
Key verse
Joseph’s story is told in Genesis 30-50. He is also mentioned in Hebrews 11:22.
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Study feature · page 72
WOMEN IN JESUS’ FAMILY TREE
Genesis 38:1-30 Joshua 6:22-25 Ruth 4:13-22 2 Samuel 12:24, 25
RUTH Canaanite Canaanite Moabite Israelite