THE FIRST BOOK OF

MOSES,
called
G E N E S I S

Genesis 37

1The history of Joseph, who is hated of his brethren. 5His first dream. 9His second dream. 12Jacob sendeth him to visit his brethren. 18They conspire his death, but Reuben saveth him. 23He is cast into a pit, and afterwards taken out, and sold to the Ishmeelites. 29Reuben, not finding him in the pit, is sorely grieved. 31Jacob deceived by the bloody coat mourneth for him. 36He is sold to Potiphar in Egypt.


1AND Jacob dwelt in the landa wherein his father was a 1stranger, in the land of Canaan.

a Gen. 36:7; Heb. 11:9.

1 See Gen. 17 on verse 8.

2These are the 2generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their 3evil report.

2 Hebr. births, That is, (here) that which has befallen unto Jacob in his generations and posterity. Thus the Hebrew word is taken sometimes. See Gen. 6 on verse 9.

3 That is, all such things as they either said or did tending to the discredit and disrepute of themselves and the entire family.

3Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son 4of his old age: and he made him a 5coat of many colours.

4 Whom he had gotten being about ninety one years of age, as also because he was the firstborn of Rachel, of whom he was born after a long and tedious time of barrenness. Compare Gen. 44:20.

5 Hebr. of various pieces, being of different colors. Compare 2 Sam. 13:18.

4And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hatedb him, and could not speak 6peaceably unto him.

b Gen. 49:23.

6 Hebr. to peace, or, for peace, that is, what is proceeding out of a meek and peaceable heart serving unto the preservation of love and peace.

5¶And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they 7hated him yet the more.

7 Hebr. they did, or, added, or, continued him yet, or, the more to hate, and so verse 8. They hated him for three reasons: first, for bringing their bad report to their father Jacob, verse 2, second, for being better beloved by his father than the rest of his brethren, verse 4, third, for his dreams’ sake which he told them, etc.

6And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:

7For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, 8lo, my sheaf arose, and also 9stood upright; and, 10behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisancec to my sheaf.

8 God was pleased to declare by this and the following dream what would come to pass afterwards, to show and make known that those things did not happen by chance, but by His own direction and appointment.

9 Other, stood likewise erect.

10 This word behold, is thrice repeated by Joseph to show that this dream seemed very exceptionally to him, and had left a singular impression upon him. See the fulfillment thereof, Gen. 42:6.

c expression of submission, often a bow*

8And his brethren said to him, 11Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.

11 Or, assuredly. Hebr. shalt, or, shouldest thou ruling rule?, and so in the sequel, lording lord? Joseph’s brethren interpret this dream upon themselves, much like the Midianites, Judges 7:13.

9¶And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed 12a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.

12 See the fulfillment thereof, Gen. 46:29, etc.

10And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father 13rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy 14mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?

13 More to allay his brethren’s envy then for any anger towards Joseph; for he observed well enough that this dream did signify some extraordinary matter, as appears, by the next verse.

14 Understand his stepmother Leah, or Bilhah, Rachel’s handmaid. If we shall take it for Rachel, his own mother, who was dead already, then Jacob’s meaning must be as if he said, shall your mother rise out of her grave to bow herself down before you to the ground?

11And his brethren enviedd him; but his father observed 15the saying.

d Acts 7:9.

15 Other, this matter, or this word, that is, these words. The meaning is, he considered the dreams of Joseph, and locked them up in his heart, judging that they must mean something, and expecting what it would produce and prove in time. Compare Luke 2:19.

12¶And his brethren went to feed their father's flock in 16Shechem.

16 See Gen. 12 on verse 6. About this place Jacob had formerly bought a piece of ground, Gen. 33:19.

13And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, 17Here am I.

17 See Gen. 22:1, and the annotation.

14And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be 18well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and 19bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of 20Hebron, and he came to Shechem.

18 Hebr. peace. This word signifies all manner of welfare and prosperity of men, not only in general, Lev. 26:6; 1 Kings 2:33; Psalm 125:5; Jer. 29:7, but also in particular, in regard of their bodily health and strength, 2 Sam. 18:32; Psalm 38:3 and here; likewise of their soul’s good welfare, Num. 6:26; Isa. 48:22; Luke 2:14; John 14:27, together with that of all their goods, that is, personal property and real estate, 1 Sam. 25:6; Job 5:24, and here in the words following.

19 Or, bring me the business over again, that is, bring me news of everything.

20 See Gen. 23 on verse 2.

15¶And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou?

16And he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks.

17And the man said, They are departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to 21Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan.

21 A place not far distant from Sichem and Samaria, where some time after a city was built of that name, 2 Kings 6:13.

18And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they 22conspired against him 23to slay him.

22 The Hebrew word signifies, to devise, or find out some evil against any with malicious subtlety.

23 A sad and grievous scandal in Israel’s family; though God, Who draws light out of darkness, has wonderfully ruled and directed the same to His own glory and the accomplishment of His counsel about Jacob’s household, as appears by the succeeding story.

19And they said 24one to another, Behold, this 25dreamer cometh.

24 Hebr. the man to his brother.

25 Or, super dreamer. Hebr. master of dreams. See Gen. 14 on verse 13.

20Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we 26will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see 27what will become of his dreams.

26 Namely, to our father and others. Thus they go about to conceal their vile act with lies.

27 Hebr. what his dreams shall be.

2128And Reuben heard it, 29and he delivered him out of their hands; ande said, Let us not 30kill him.

28 Or, when Reuben had heard that, and so in the sequel. It seems that Reuben, perceiving that his brethren would kill Joseph, he was the more willing to yield to this manner set down in the preceding verse; his design being, to have him afterwards delivered out of the pit, as it is mentioned in the next verse.

29 That is, he endeavored to deliver him.

e Gen. 42:22.

30 Or, Let us not smite his life. Hebr. soul, that is, life. He wants to say, let us not take away his life by our own hands. The word soul is thus likewise used elsewhere. See Gen. 19 on verse 17.

22And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, 31and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.

31 That is, put him not to death by your own hands. See the likewise phrase Gen. 22:12, where to lay the hand on any, is as much to say, to kill him with one’s own hand: even as Abraham intended it with his son. This is the same phrase with the phrase in verse 27, let not our hand be upon him.

23¶And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his 32coat of many colours that was on him;

32 See verse 3; why they did this, see verse 31.

2433And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.

33 How Joseph behaved himself in this case, see Gen. 42:21.

25And they sat down 34to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of 35Ishmeelites came from 36Gilead with their camels bearing 37spicery and 38balm and 39myrrh, going to carry it down to 40Egypt.

34 Namely, to have their meal. See Gen. 31 on verse 54.

35 A people originating from Ishmael, the son of Abraham, by Hagar; of which country one may see also Gen. 25 on verse 18. Below there is mention made likewise of Midianites, verses 28, 36, from which it appears that it was a mixed company of several nations dwelling in Arabia.

36 See Gen. 31 on verse 21.

37 The Hebrew word signifies all manner of spices in general.

38 Other, rosin, turpentine.

39 Other, mastic, or, sap of myrrh; see of these spices also Gen. 43:11.

40 See Gen. 12:10.

26And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his 41blood?

41 That is, his death or murder. Thus the word blood is taken, Deut. 17:8; 2 Sam. 1:16; 3:28; 2 Kings 9:7, etc.

27Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not 42our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content.

42 See verse 22.

28Then there passed by 43Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and soldf Joseph to the Ishmeelites for 44twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.

43 A people descending from Midian, the son of Abraham by Keturah. See Gen. 25 on verse 2 and Gen. 36 on verse 35.

f Psalm 105:17; Acts 7:9.

44 Hebr. twenty silvers, that is, about five rix-dollars. See Gen. 20 on verse 16 and Gen. 23 on verse 15.

2945And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he 46rent his clothes.

45 For he had withdrawn himself from his brethren, that he might have the more private opportunity afterwards to get Joseph out of the pit again; but in the meantime he was sold away.

46 This was a custom of old, when people heard, or there happened some sad and grievous thing to them. See verse 34; Num. 14:6; 2 Kings 19:1; Ezra 9:3; Job 1:20; 2:12; Mat. 26:65.

30And he returned unto his brethren, and said, 47The child is not; and I, 48whither shall I go?

47 Joseph was about seventeen years old at this time. See verse 2.

48 Reuben is greatly troubled, in fear of his father who doubtless would call him to account, as the eldest, to require insistently the loss of Joseph, and take the same so much the worse at his hands, because of his late trespass, whereby he had so highly provoked his father, Gen. 35:22.

31And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats, 49and dipped the coat in the blood;

49 Not doubting, but the father would judge thereby that Joseph was torn by a wild beast, as he also did, verse 33.

32And they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it be thy son's coat or no.

33And he knew it, and said, It is my son's coat; ang evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is 50without doubt rent in pieces.

g Gen. 44:28.

50 Hebr. tearing torn, that is, certainly and without a doubt, or, wholly and totally torn apart. See Gen. 2:16, 17.

34And Jacob 51rent his clothes, and put 52sackcloth upon his loins, and 53mourned for his son 54many days.

51 See verse 29.

52 That is, a very course, poor and worthless garment (not just a sack) wherewith they were wont of old to wrap themselves about, as with a sack, as evidence of their great grief and sadness. See 2 Sam. 3:31; 1 Kings 20:32; 21:27; Psalm 35:13; Lam. 2:10; Mat. 11:21.

53 Or, lamented, so 1 Sam. 15:35, and 2 Sam. 13:37.

54 That is, for a long time, more than one was wont to do.

35And all his sons and all 55his daughters rose up to comfort him; 56but he refused to be comforted; and he said, Forh I will go down into the 57grave 58unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him.

55 His daughter Dinah, his daughters in law, and his sons’ daughters.

56 Not as if Jacob neither would have had nor admitted any spiritual comfort, but that, through human infirmity and the greatness of his love to Joseph, he was not able to give over his mourning or moderate the same, but a remainder of it would or was like to hang upon him while he lived.

h Gen. 42:38; 44:29, 31.

57 The Hebrew word signifies sometimes the grave, as here and Gen. 42:38; 44:29, 31; Psalm 6:5; 16:10; Eccl. 9:10; Isa. 38:18; likewise all manner of great depths, or profound hidden places; Job 26:6; Psalm 139:8; Amos 9:2; sometimes hell, or the place of the damned, as Job 11:8; Prov. 15:11. Thus it cannot be taken here; for Jacob believed the contrary of his son. Sometimes it likewise denotes: extraordinary great anguishes and distresses, with the sensible apprehension of God’s wrath, as 1 Sam. 2:6; Psalm 18:5; 86:13.

58 Other, for my son, for my son’s sake. Compare 1 Sam. 4:19, 21; 2 Sam. 21:1.

36Andi the 59Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an 60officer of Pharaoh's, and captain 61of the guard.

i Gen. 39:1; Psalm 105:17.

59 See Gen. 25 on verse 2.

60 The Hebrew word properly signifies a eunuch, as Isa. 56:3, 4; and consequently a chamberlain, because the chamberlains were eunuchs of the great ladies, Esther 4:4. Moreover, it means also courtiers or officers in the courts of the princes, as here and Gen. 40:2, and 2 Kings 8:6.

61 Such as were appointed to punish evil doers at the king’s command. See Gen. 40:3; 1 Sam. 22:17; Mark 6:27. The Hebrew word signifies slayers of beasts and slayers of men.