Genesis 37

King James Version

Full text for Genesis Chapter 37

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

2These [are] the generations 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 evil report.

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

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

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

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, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.

8And his brethren said to him, Shalt 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.

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

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

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

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

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, Here [am I].

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

15And 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 Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan.

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

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

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

21And Reuben heard [it], and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him.

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

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

24And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit [was] empty, [there was] no water in it.

25And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry [it] down to Egypt.

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

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

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

29And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph [was] not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.

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

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

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; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces.

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

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

36And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, [and] captain of the guard.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Genesis 37 introduces Joseph, Jacob's favored son, whose prophetic dreams of his family bowing to him ignite his brothers' intense hatred. Sent to check on them, Joseph is conspired against, stripped of his coat, and cast into a pit. Ultimately, his brothers sell him to Ishmeelite merchants for twenty pieces of silver, leading to his arrival in Egypt, while they deceive Jacob into believing Joseph was killed by a wild beast.

Medium Summary

Genesis 37 details the origins of Joseph's difficult journey, beginning with his father Jacob's favoritism, evidenced by a special coat, which fueled his brothers' intense jealousy. Joseph further provoked their animosity by recounting two prophetic dreams where his family, including his parents and brothers, bowed down to him. When Jacob sent Joseph to check on his brothers tending flocks, they conspired to kill him. Reuben, however, persuaded them to cast him into a pit instead, intending to rescue him later. While Reuben was absent, Judah suggested selling Joseph, and he was subsequently sold to Ishmeelite merchants for twenty pieces of silver and taken to Egypt. To conceal their deed, the brothers dipped Joseph's coat in animal blood and presented it to Jacob, who, believing his beloved son was devoured by a wild beast, mourned inconsolably. The chapter concludes with Joseph's arrival in Egypt, sold to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh.

Long Summary

Genesis chapter 37 commences by establishing Jacob's residence in Canaan and introduces Joseph, his seventeen-year-old son, who was particularly favored by his father. This favoritism was openly displayed through a "coat of many colours" given to Joseph, which, coupled with Joseph's reports of his brothers' misdeeds, ignited profound hatred and envy among them. Joseph further exacerbated this animosity by sharing two prophetic dreams: in the first, his sheaf stood upright while his brothers' sheaves bowed to it; in the second, the sun, moon, and eleven stars made obeisance to him. These dreams were interpreted by his brothers as a claim to dominion, intensifying their desire to harm him, though Jacob "observed the saying." Later, when Joseph was sent by his father to check on his brothers who were feeding flocks in Shechem and subsequently Dothan, they saw him approaching and conspired to slay him, intending to cast him into a pit and claim a wild beast devoured him, thereby thwarting his dreams. Reuben, however, intervened, persuading them not to shed blood but merely to cast him into a pit, secretly planning to rescue him. After stripping Joseph of his distinctive coat, they cast him into an empty pit. While they sat to eat, a company of Ishmeelite merchants appeared, prompting Judah to propose selling Joseph instead of killing him, appealing to their familial bond. Consequently, Joseph was drawn out of the pit and sold to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver, who then brought him to Egypt. Upon Reuben's return to the pit, he discovered Joseph missing and expressed great distress. To cover their crime, the brothers took Joseph's coat, dipped it in the blood of a kid, and presented it to their father, feigning ignorance of its origin. Jacob immediately recognized the coat, concluded that an "evil beast" had devoured Joseph, and entered into deep, prolonged mourning, refusing all comfort from his other children. The chapter concludes with the note that the Midianites, who were involved in the transaction, sold Joseph to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard, in Egypt, setting the stage for future events.

Core Concepts

  • Favoritism and Its ConsequencesJacob's open preference for Joseph, symbolized by the "coat of many colours," directly fueled his brothers' hatred and envy, leading to their malicious plot against him.
  • Prophetic DreamsJoseph's two dreams, depicting his family bowing to him, serve as divine foresight of his future elevation and authority, though they initially provoke intense hostility and disbelief from his brothers and father.
  • Fratricidal Plot and DeceptionThe brothers' initial conspiracy to kill Joseph, later modified to selling him, highlights their deep-seated malice. Their subsequent deception of Jacob with the blood-stained coat demonstrates their calculated cruelty and desire to conceal their actions.
  • Reuben's InterventionReuben's attempt to save Joseph by suggesting he be cast into a pit rather than killed, with the intent to rescue him later, reveals a degree of moral reluctance among the brothers, though his plan ultimately failed.
  • Judah's PragmatismJudah's proposal to sell Joseph to the Ishmeelites instead of killing him demonstrates a shift from outright murder to a more "profitable" and less direct form of harm, appealing to their shared kinship while still removing Joseph.
  • Slavery and Divine ProvidenceJoseph's sale into slavery and his subsequent arrival in Egypt, though a result of human malice, marks the beginning of a divinely orchestrated path that will eventually lead to his rise to power and the salvation of his family.
  • Jacob's GriefJacob's profound and inconsolable mourning for Joseph, believing him dead, underscores the deep emotional impact of the brothers' deception and the tragic separation of father and son.