Gen 37:12-36 | NET2full | STEP | When his brothers had gone to graze their father’s flocks near Shechem ,

‏ Genesis 37:12-36

12 When his brothers had gone to graze their father’s flocks near Shechem, 13 Israel said to Joseph, “Your brothers ^{▼▼tn The text uses an interrogative clause: “Are not your brothers,” which means “your brothers are.”} are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I will send you to them.” “I’m ready,” ^{▼▼sn With these words Joseph is depicted here as an obedient son who is ready to do what his father commands.} Joseph replied. ^{▼▼tn Heb “and he said, ‘Here I am.’” The referent of the pronoun “he” (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged for stylistic reasons.} 14 So Jacob ^{▼▼tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.} said to him, “Go now and check on ^{▼▼tn Heb “see.”} the welfare ^{▼▼tn Heb “peace.”} of your brothers and of the flocks, and bring me word.” So Jacob ^{▼▼tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.} sent him from the valley of Hebron.

15 When Joseph reached Shechem, ^{▼▼tn Heb “and he [i.e., Joseph] went to Shechem.” The referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity. In Hebrew, these are the last two words of verse 14, but they have been carried over to verse 15 in the NET for stylistic reasons.} a man found him wandering ^{▼▼tn Heb “and a man found him and look, he was wandering in the field.” By the use of וְהִנֵּה (vehinneh, “and look”), the narrator invites the reader to see the action through this unnamed man’s eyes.} in the field, so the man asked him, “What are you looking for?” 16 He replied, “I’m looking for my brothers. Please tell ^{▼▼tn The imperative in this sentence has more of the nuance of a request than a command.} me where they are grazing their flocks.” 17 The man said, “They left this area, ^{▼▼tn Heb “they traveled from this place.”} for I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.

18 Now Joseph’s brothers ^{▼▼tn Heb “and they”; the referent (Joseph’s brothers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.} saw him from a distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. 19 They said to one another, “Here comes this master of dreams! ^{▼▼tn Heb “Look, this master of dreams is coming.” The brothers’ words have a sarcastic note and indicate that they resent his dreams.} 20 Come now, let’s kill him, throw him into one of the cisterns, and then say that a wild ^{▼▼tn The Hebrew word can sometimes carry the nuance “evil,” but when used of an animal it refers to a dangerous wild animal.} animal ate him. Then we’ll see how his dreams turn out!” ^{▼▼tn Heb “what his dreams will be.”}

21 When Reuben heard this, he rescued Joseph ^{▼▼tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.} from their hands, ^{▼▼sn From their hands. The instigators of this plot may have been the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah (see v. 2).} saying, ^{▼▼tn Heb “and he said.”} “Let’s not take his life!” ^{▼▼tn Heb “we must not strike him down [with respect to] life.”} 22 Reuben continued, ^{▼▼tn Heb “and Reuben said to them.”} “Don’t shed blood! Throw him into this cistern that is here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” ^{▼▼sn The verbs translated shed, throw, and lay sound alike in Hebrew; the repetition of similar sounds draws attention to Reuben’s words.} (Reuben said this ^{▼▼tn The words “Reuben said this” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.} so he could rescue Joseph ^{▼▼tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.} from them ^{▼▼tn Heb “from their hands” (cf. v. 21). This expression has been translated as “them” here for stylistic reasons.} and take him back to his father.)

23 When Joseph reached his brothers, they stripped him ^{▼▼tn Heb “Joseph”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.} of his tunic, the special tunic that he wore. 24 Then they took him and threw him into the cistern. (Now the cistern was empty; ^{▼▼tn The disjunctive clause gives supplemental information that helps the reader or hearer to picture what happened.} there was no water in it.)

25 When they sat down to eat their food, they looked up ^{▼▼tn Heb “lifted up their eyes.”} and saw ^{▼▼tn Heb “and they saw and look.” By the use of וְהִנֵּה (vehinneh, “and look”), the narrator invites the reader to see the event through the eyes of the brothers.} a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh down to Egypt. ^{▼▼tn Heb “and their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh, going to go down to Egypt.”} 26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is there if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? 27 Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites, but let’s not lay a hand on him, ^{▼▼tn Heb “let not our hand be upon him.”} for after all, he is our brother, our own flesh.” His brothers agreed. ^{▼▼tn Heb “listened.”} 28 So when the Midianite ^{▼▼sn On the close relationship between Ishmaelites (v. 25) and Midianites, see Judg 8:24.} merchants passed by, Joseph’s brothers pulled ^{▼▼tn Heb “they drew and they lifted up.” The referent (Joseph’s brothers) has been specified in the translation for clarity; otherwise the reader might assume the Midianites had pulled Joseph from the cistern (but cf. NAB).} him ^{▼▼tn Heb “Joseph” (both here and in the following clause); the proper name has been replaced both times by the pronoun “him” in the translation for stylistic reasons.} out of the cistern and sold him to the Ishmaelites for 20 pieces of silver. The Ishmaelites ^{▼▼tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Ishmaelites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.} then took Joseph to Egypt.

29 Later Reuben returned to the cistern to find that Joseph was not in it! ^{▼▼tn Heb “and look, Joseph was not in the cistern.” By the use of וְהִנֵּה (vehinneh, “and look”), the narrator invites the reader to see the situation through Reuben’s eyes.} He tore his clothes, 30 returned to his brothers, and said, “The boy isn’t there! And I, where can I go?” 31 So they took Joseph’s tunic, killed a young goat, ^{▼▼sn It was with two young goats that Jacob deceived his father (Gen 27:9); now with a young goat his sons continue the deception that dominates this family.} and dipped the tunic in the blood. 32 Then they brought the special tunic to their father ^{▼▼tn Heb “and they sent the special tunic and they brought [it] to their father.” The text as it stands is problematic. It sounds as if they sent the tunic on ahead and then came and brought it to their father. Some emend the second verb to a Qal form and read “and they came.” In this case, they sent the tunic on ahead.} and said, “We found this. Determine now whether it is your son’s tunic or not.”

33 He recognized it and exclaimed, “It is my son’s tunic! A wild animal has eaten him! ^{▼▼sn A wild animal has eaten him. Jacob draws this conclusion on his own without his sons actually having to lie with their words (see v. 20). Dipping the tunic in the goat’s blood was the only deception needed.} Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!” 34 Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, ^{▼▼tn Heb “and put sackcloth on his loins.”} and mourned for his son many days. 35 All his sons and daughters stood by ^{▼▼tn Heb “arose, stood”; which here suggests that they stood by him in his time of grief.} him to console him, but he refused to be consoled. “No,” he said, “I will go to the grave mourning my son.” ^{▼▼tn Heb “and he said, ‘Indeed I will go down to my son mourning to Sheol.’” Sheol was viewed as the place where departed spirits went after death.} So Joseph’s ^{▼▼tn Heb “his”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.} father wept for him.

36 Now ^{▼▼tn The disjunctive clause formally signals closure for this episode of Joseph’s story, which will be resumed in Gen 39.} in Egypt the Midianites ^{▼▼tc The MT spells the name of the merchants as מְדָנִים (medanim, “Medanites”) rather than מִדְיָנִים (midyanim, “Midianites”) as in v. 28. It is likely that the letter י (yod) was accidentally omitted in the MT. The LXX, Vulgate, Smr, and Syriac read “Midianites” here. Some prefer to read “Medanites” both here and in v. 28, but Judg 8:24, which identifies the Midianites and Ishmaelites, favors the reading “Midianites.”} sold Joseph ^{▼▼tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.} to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard. ^{▼▼sn The expression captain of the guard might indicate that Potiphar was the chief executioner. The noun “guard” derives from a verb meaning to slaughter.}