Genesis 37

Introduction

Genesis 37 marks a decisive turning point in the book — the narrative shifts from the story of Jacob to the story of Joseph, which will dominate the final fourteen chapters of Genesis. Fittingly, the chapter opens with the תֹּלְדוֹת ("generations") formula: "These are the generations of Jacob" — but the story that follows is almost entirely about Jacob's son Joseph. Joseph, the seventeen-year-old favorite, receives a special robe from his father, reports dreams of his family bowing before him, and provokes such hatred in his brothers that they plot to kill him. Through the interventions of Reuben and Judah, Joseph is instead sold to a passing caravan of traders and taken to Egypt, while Jacob is deceived into believing his beloved son has been torn apart by a wild animal.

The chapter is a masterpiece of narrative economy and dramatic irony. The robe that symbolizes Jacob's favoritism becomes the instrument of the deception played on Jacob — dipped in goat's blood and sent to the father who once deceived his own father with goatskins (Genesis 27:16). The dreamer whose sheaf stood upright while others bowed is thrown into a pit — the lowest possible position. Joseph's descent into Egypt appears to be the end of his story, but it is actually the beginning of God's plan to preserve the family of Israel through famine. As Joseph himself will later say: "You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good" (Genesis 50:20).

Joseph's Favored Status and His Brothers' Hatred (vv. 1-4)

¹ Now Jacob lived in the land where his father had resided, the land of Canaan. ² This is the account of Jacob. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he was tending the flock with his brothers, the sons of his father's wives Bilhah and Zilpah, and he brought their father a bad report about them. ³ Now Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons, because Joseph had been born to him in his old age; so he made him a robe of many colors. ⁴ When Joseph's brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.

¹ Jacob settled in the land where his father had sojourned, in the land of Canaan. ² These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was shepherding the flock with his brothers. He was a young man with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's wives. And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. ³ Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of distinction. ⁴ But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.

Notes

אֵלֶּה תֹּלְדוֹת יַעֲקֹב ("These are the generations of Jacob") — This תֹּלְדוֹת formula is the last of the eleven such headings in Genesis. Remarkably, it introduces not Jacob's story but Joseph's. This is because the תֹּלְדוֹת formula typically introduces what comes from the named person — the generations that proceed from Jacob are, preeminently, the Joseph story. Joseph is the vehicle through whom God will preserve Jacob's entire family.
דִּבָּתָם רָעָה ("a bad report of them") — The word דִּבָּה ("report, slander") is the same word used for the evil report of the spies in Numbers 13:32. Whether Joseph's report was truthful or exaggerated is not stated — the text simply notes that he brought it to their father, fueling the brothers' resentment. Joseph's position as informant, combined with his father's favoritism and his own dreams, creates a perfect storm of family hostility.
כְּתֹנֶת פַּסִּים ("a robe of distinction") — The exact meaning of פַּסִּים is debated. The traditional rendering "coat of many colors" (KJV) comes from the Septuagint (χιτῶνα ποικίλον, "decorated tunic"). The word פַּסִּים may mean "flat of the hand/foot," suggesting a garment reaching to the extremities — a full-length, long-sleeved robe. Such a garment would be unsuitable for manual labor, signaling that Jacob intended Joseph for a role of authority rather than ordinary field work. The only other person in Scripture who wears a כְּתֹנֶת פַּסִּים is Princess Tamar, David's daughter (2 Samuel 13:18-19) — where it is described as the garment of virgin daughters of the king. I translated it "robe of distinction" to capture the sense of a special, elevated garment without committing to a specific description.
וְלֹא יָכְלוּ דַּבְּרוֹ לְשָׁלֹם ("they could not speak peaceably to him") — Literally, "they could not speak to him for peace." The phrase suggests more than mere unfriendliness — they were incapable of any normal, peaceful interaction with Joseph. Every conversation was poisoned by resentment.

Joseph's Two Dreams (vv. 5-11)

⁵ Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. ⁶ He said to them, "Listen to this dream I had: ⁷ We were binding sheaves of grain in the field, and suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to mine." ⁸ "Do you intend to reign over us?" his brothers asked. "Will you actually rule us?" So they hated him even more because of his dream and his statements. ⁹ Then Joseph had another dream and told it to his brothers. "Look," he said, "I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me." ¹⁰ He told his father and brothers, but his father rebuked him and said, "What is this dream that you have had? Will your mother and brothers and I actually come and bow down to the ground before you?" ¹¹ And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept in mind what he had said.

⁵ Now Joseph dreamed a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. ⁶ He said to them, "Please listen to this dream that I have dreamed: ⁷ Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright, and behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf." ⁸ His brothers said to him, "Will you indeed reign over us? Will you indeed rule over us?" And they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. ⁹ Then he dreamed yet another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, "Behold, I have dreamed another dream: the sun and the moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me." ¹⁰ 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 matter in mind.

Notes

הֲמָלֹךְ תִּמְלֹךְ... אִם מָשׁוֹל תִּמְשֹׁל ("Will you indeed reign... will you indeed rule?") — The brothers' response uses the infinitive absolute construction twice — a Hebrew intensifier. Literally: "Will you reign-reigning over us? Or ruling will you rule over us?" The two verbs — מָלַךְ ("to reign as king") and מָשַׁל ("to rule, govern") — cover both royal and executive authority. The brothers correctly interpret the dream as a claim to sovereignty, and they reject it with contempt. Ironically, this is exactly what will happen in Egypt.
בַּעַל הַחֲלֹמוֹת הַלָּזֶה ("this master of dreams," v. 19) — Though this epithet comes later, the dreaming motif established here becomes central to the Joseph narrative. Dreams in Genesis are vehicles of divine communication (Genesis 20:3, Genesis 28:12, Genesis 31:10-11), and Joseph will become the interpreter of Pharaoh's dreams (Genesis 41), transforming from a boy who naively shares his dreams to a man who reads God's purposes in the dreams of others.
The second dream — sun, moon, and eleven stars — expands the scope from brothers to the entire family. Jacob's rebuke (וַיִּגְעַר בּוֹ אָבִיו, "his father rebuked him") is notable: even Jacob finds the dream presumptuous. The mention of "your mother" is puzzling since Rachel has already died (Genesis 35:19); this may refer to Leah (Jacob's surviving wife), to Bilhah (Rachel's servant who functioned as a mother figure), or it may simply be Jacob's way of expressing the dream's scope — all authority figures bowing. Yet the narrator adds a crucial detail: וְאָבִיו שָׁמַר אֶת הַדָּבָר ("his father kept the matter in mind"). Unlike the brothers who respond with jealousy, Jacob stores the dream away — perhaps recognizing, as he himself had experienced divine dreams at Bethel, that this might be more than adolescent fantasy.

Joseph Is Sent to His Brothers (vv. 12-17)

¹² Some time later, Joseph's brothers had gone to pasture their father's flocks near Shechem. ¹³ Israel said to him, "Are not your brothers pasturing the flocks at Shechem? Get ready; I am sending you to them." "I am ready," Joseph replied. ¹⁴ Then Israel told him, "Go now and see how your brothers and the flocks are faring, and bring word back to me." So he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron. And when Joseph arrived in Shechem, ¹⁵ a man found him wandering in the field and asked, "What are you looking for?" ¹⁶ "I am looking for my brothers," Joseph replied. "Can you please tell me where they are pasturing their flocks?" ¹⁷ "They have moved on from here," the man answered. "I heard them say, 'Let us go to Dothan.'" So Joseph set out after his brothers and found them at Dothan.

¹² Now his brothers went to pasture their father's flock near Shechem. ¹³ And Israel said to Joseph, "Are not your brothers shepherding at Shechem? Come, I will send you to them." And he said to him, "Here I am." ¹⁴ So he said to him, "Go now, see whether it is well with your brothers and well with the flock, and bring me word." So he sent him from the Valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. ¹⁵ A man found him wandering in the field, and the man asked him, "What are you seeking?" ¹⁶ He said, "I am seeking my brothers. Please tell me where they are shepherding." ¹⁷ The man said, "They have moved on from here. I heard them say, 'Let us go to Dothan.'" So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.

Notes

הִנֵּנִי ("Here I am") — Joseph's reply to his father echoes the response of Abraham when called by God (Genesis 22:1) and of Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:4). The word expresses readiness and availability. Joseph goes willingly, not knowing he is walking into a trap. The journey from Hebron to Shechem is roughly 50 miles — a journey of several days on foot. Jacob sends his favorite son alone into territory where the family was hated after the massacre of Genesis 34.
רְאֵה אֶת שְׁלוֹם אַחֶיךָ וְאֶת שְׁלוֹם הַצֹּאן ("see the peace/welfare of your brothers and of the flock") — The word שָׁלוֹם ("peace, welfare, wholeness") is bitterly ironic here: Jacob sends Joseph to check on the שָׁלוֹם of brothers who "could not speak to him לְשָׁלֹם" (v. 4). There is no שָׁלוֹם to be found.
The unnamed man who directs Joseph to Dothan is a small but pivotal figure — without his guidance, Joseph would have returned home, and the entire course of biblical history would have changed. Jewish tradition sometimes identifies this figure as an angel. Dothan (modern Tell Dothan) lies about 15 miles north of Shechem, on the main trade route from Gilead to Egypt — the very route the Ishmaelite caravan will travel (v. 25).

The Plot Against Joseph (vv. 18-24)

¹⁸ Now Joseph's brothers saw him in the distance, and before he arrived, they plotted to kill him. ¹⁹ "Here comes that dreamer!" they said to one another. ²⁰ "Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. We can say that a vicious animal has devoured him. Then we shall see what becomes of his dreams!" ²¹ When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue Joseph from their hands. "Let us not take his life," he said. ²² "Do not shed his blood. Throw him into this pit in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him." Reuben said this so that he could rescue Joseph from their hands and return him to his father. ²³ So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe — the robe of many colors he was wearing — ²⁴ and they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty, with no water in it.

¹⁸ They saw him from a distance, and before he drew near to them, they conspired against him to kill him. ¹⁹ They said to one another, "Look, here comes that master of dreams! ²⁰ Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. We will say that a wild beast devoured him. Then we will see what becomes of his dreams!" ²¹ But when Reuben heard this, he rescued him from their hands, saying, "Let us not strike 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" — so that he might rescue him from their hands and return him to his father. ²³ So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped Joseph of his robe, the robe of distinction that was on him, ²⁴ and they took him and threw him into the pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.

Notes

וַיִּתְנַכְּלוּ אֹתוֹ לַהֲמִיתוֹ ("they conspired against him to kill him") — The verb נָכַל (Hitpael: "to conspire, deal craftily") connotes deliberate, calculated plotting. The brothers do not act in a momentary rage but plan the murder with cold premeditation.
בַּעַל הַחֲלֹמוֹת הַלָּזֶה ("this master of dreams") — The title is sarcastic. בַּעַל ("master, owner, lord") is used mockingly — as if Joseph is possessed by his dreams. The demonstrative הַלָּזֶה ("this one here," "that one") adds contempt. I translated it "that master of dreams" to capture the dismissive tone.
וְנִרְאֶה מַה יִּהְיוּ חֲלֹמֹתָיו ("Then we will see what becomes of his dreams") — The brothers intend to prove the dreams false by killing the dreamer. The dramatic irony is thick: by attempting to thwart the dreams, they set in motion the very chain of events that will fulfill them.
Reuben's intervention is the first redemptive act by a brother. As the firstborn, he bears responsibility for Joseph's safety. His plan — throw Joseph in the pit alive, then return to rescue him — is a compromise that keeps his hands clean of murder. But Reuben's absence during the sale (v. 29) suggests he left the group, perhaps to tend the flocks, and the plan unraveled in his absence. Reuben's failed rescue mirrors his broader characterization: well-intentioned but ineffective.

Joseph Sold to the Ishmaelites (vv. 25-28)

²⁵ And as they sat down to eat a meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh on their way down to Egypt. ²⁶ Then Judah said to his brothers, "What profit will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? ²⁷ Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay a hand on him; for he is our brother, our own flesh." And they agreed. ²⁸ So when the Midianite traders passed by, his brothers pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.

²⁵ Then they sat down to eat bread. And lifting their eyes, they looked, and behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrrh, going down to carry it to Egypt. ²⁶ Then Judah said to his brothers, "What profit is it if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? ²⁷ Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let our hand not be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh." And his brothers listened to him. ²⁸ Then Midianite traders passed by, and they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and they sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And they brought Joseph to Egypt.

Notes

וַיֵּשְׁבוּ לֶאֱכָל לֶחֶם ("they sat down to eat bread") — The casual detail is chilling. Having thrown their brother into a pit, the brothers sit down for a meal in full view (or earshot) of where Joseph lies. Their ability to eat while Joseph suffers underscores the depth of their callousness.
נְכֹאת וּצְרִי וָלֹט ("gum, balm, and myrrh") — The goods carried by the Ishmaelite caravan are aromatic resins and spices used in medicine and embalming. The trade route from Gilead (east of the Jordan) down to Egypt passed through Dothan, making this a realistic historical detail. These are luxury goods — and Joseph is about to be sold as merchandise alongside them.
Judah's proposal is a pivotal moment in the narrative and in the development of Judah's character. His argument has both a mercenary and a moral dimension: "What profit is it?" appeals to self-interest, while "he is our brother, our own flesh" (כִּי אָחִינוּ בְשָׂרֵנוּ הוּא) appeals to kinship obligation. Judah does not yet possess the moral stature he will display in Genesis 44:33-34, where he offers himself as a substitute for Benjamin — but this is the first glimmer of his capacity for leadership. The text presents a grim irony: Judah "saves" Joseph's life by turning him into a commodity.
בְּעֶשְׂרִים כָּסֶף ("for twenty pieces of silver") — The price is the standard value of a young male slave in the ancient Near East, as attested in texts from this period. Centuries later, the Mosaic law sets the valuation of a male between 5 and 20 years at twenty shekels (Leviticus 27:5). Christians have long noted the parallel with Jesus' betrayal for thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:15) — in both cases, a beloved figure is sold by those close to him.
The relationship between "Ishmaelites" (v. 25, 27, 28) and "Midianites" (v. 28, 36) has generated much discussion. The terms may be used interchangeably for overlapping groups of traveling merchants (both peoples descended from Abraham — Ishmael through Hagar, Genesis 16:15; Midian through Keturah, Genesis 25:2). Alternatively, the Midianites may have pulled Joseph from the pit and sold him to the Ishmaelites, with the brothers' plan overtaken by events. The Hebrew of v. 36 uses yet another variant: הַמְּדָנִים ("Medanites"), further suggesting overlapping clan designations.

Reuben's Grief and the Brothers' Deception (vv. 29-35)

²⁹ When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes, ³⁰ returned to his brothers, and said, "The boy is gone! What am I going to do?" ³¹ Then they took Joseph's robe, slaughtered a young goat, and dipped the robe in its blood. ³² They sent the robe of many colors to their father and said, "We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son's robe or not." ³³ His father recognized it and said, "It is my son's robe! A vicious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!" ³⁴ Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son many days. ³⁵ All his sons and daughters tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. "No," he said. "I will go down to Sheol mourning for my son." So his father wept for him.

²⁹ When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his garments. ³⁰ He returned to his brothers and said, "The boy is not there! And I — where shall I go?" ³¹ Then they took Joseph's robe and slaughtered a male goat and dipped the robe in the blood. ³² And they sent the robe of distinction and brought it to their father and said, "This we have found. Please examine it — is it your son's robe or not?" ³³ And he recognized it and said, "My son's robe! A wild beast has devoured him. Joseph is surely torn to pieces!" ³⁴ Then Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth on his waist and mourned for his son many days. ³⁵ All his sons and all his daughters rose to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and said, "No, I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning." And his father wept for him.

Notes

וַאֲנִי אָנָה אֲנִי בָא ("And I — where shall I go?") — Reuben's anguished cry expresses both grief and fear. As firstborn, he will bear responsibility for Joseph's fate before their father. The repetition of אֲנִי ("I") underscores his personal distress.
וַיִּשְׁחֲטוּ שְׂעִיר עִזִּים ("they slaughtered a male goat") — The brothers use goat's blood to simulate Joseph's death. The parallels with Genesis 27 are unmistakable: Jacob deceived his father Isaac using goatskins to imitate Esau's hairy hands; now Jacob's sons deceive their father using goat's blood to simulate Joseph's death. The deceiver is deceived by the same animal. The Hebrew even echoes: Isaac was asked to "recognize" (הַכֶּר נָא) Esau's hands (Genesis 27:21-23); now Jacob is asked הַכֶּר נָא — "please examine" — his son's robe. The verb נָכַר ("to recognize, identify") becomes a keyword of poetic justice.
טָרֹף טֹרַף יוֹסֵף ("Joseph is surely torn to pieces") — The infinitive absolute טָרֹף טֹרַף intensifies the certainty: "torn, he is torn!" Jacob's conclusion is exactly what the brothers intended him to believe. The verb טָרַף ("to tear, rend as a wild beast") will recur when Jacob later fears for Benjamin (Genesis 44:28).
כִּי אֵרֵד אֶל בְּנִי אָבֵל שְׁאֹלָה ("I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning") — שְׁאוֹל is the Hebrew underworld — the shadowy realm of the dead. Jacob refuses all comfort and declares he will carry his grief to the grave. The word "go down" (אֵרֵד) is significant: Jacob will indeed "go down" — not to Sheol, but to Egypt, where he will be reunited with his living son (Genesis 46:3-4).

Joseph Sold to Potiphar (v. 36)

³⁶ Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.

³⁶ Meanwhile, the Medanites sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, a court official of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.

Notes

הַמְּדָנִים ("the Medanites") — The Hebrew here reads "Medanites" (from Medan, a son of Abraham through Keturah, Genesis 25:2), though most translations harmonize this with "Midianites" from v. 28. The BSB footnote acknowledges the distinction. The variation likely reflects the overlapping ethnic identities of these trading peoples.
פּוֹטִיפַר סְרִיס פַּרְעֹה שַׂר הַטַּבָּחִים ("Potiphar, a court official of Pharaoh, captain of the guard") — The word סָרִיס can mean "eunuch" or more broadly "court official" (the term came to designate high-ranking officials regardless of physical status). שַׂר הַטַּבָּחִים ("captain of the guard") literally means "chief of the slaughterers/executioners" — suggesting Potiphar oversaw Pharaoh's royal guard and possibly the prison system. This verse sets the stage for the next phase of Joseph's journey — from the pit to Potiphar's house, and eventually from prison to the palace.