Gen 37 | TNotes | STEP | 37:1 In ch 36 , Esau was well on his way to power and prosperity; by contrast, Jacob , still waiting for the promise, settled in the land as a foreigner, like his father. He was still a temporary resident with a single family. Worldly greatness often comes more swiftly than spiritual greatness. Waiting for the promised spiritual blessing while others prosper is a test of patience, faith, and perseverance.

37:1 ^a In ch 36 ^b, Esau was well on his way to power and prosperity; by contrast, Jacob, still waiting for the promise, settled in the land as a foreigner, like his father. He was still a temporary resident with a single family. Worldly greatness often comes more swiftly than spiritual greatness. Waiting for the promised spiritual blessing while others prosper is a test of patience, faith, and perseverance.
Summary for Gen 37:2: 37:2–50:26 ^c The story of Joseph and his brothers comprises a separate unit in Genesis, distinct in tone and emphasis from the preceding material. It traces one continuous series of episodes with Joseph at their center.

• Cycles of repeated motifs structure the entire Joseph account. The themes are closely related to those found in wisdom books such as Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Daniel. Wisdom literature assures the faithful that God brings good out of evil and joy out of pain—if not in this life, then certainly in the life to come. Though the wicked may prosper for a time, the righteous should hold fast to their integrity because a higher, more enduring principle of life is realized through obedience to God. Everyone who aspires to leadership in God’s plan should observe how wisdom led to Joseph’s success. Christ Jesus embodied the life of wisdom portrayed here as no one else could, for he is the wisdom of God.

• Judah is also an important character in the story. He began as irresponsible and mean-spirited as his brothers; but he truly repented, put his life on the line to ransom a child for his father, and received a very important inheritance. 37:2 ^d The account of Jacob and his family tells of Joseph and his brothers. Jacob is still prominent, but the focus is on Joseph, who is introduced as an obedient seventeen-year-old son.

• Joseph reported ... the bad things his brothers were doing: Bringing a bad report has never been popular, but it was the right thing to do and shows that Joseph was faithful from the beginning. As the story progresses, we see more of his brothers’ wickedness displayed until, like Cain, they tried to eliminate the brother who pleased God.
37:3 ^e Jacob: Hebrew Israel; also in 37:13 ^f.

• Jacob loved Joseph more because Joseph had been born to him in his old age and because he was the first son of his favorite wife, Rachel.

• Jacob gave Joseph a beautiful robe to demonstrate that he intended to grant him the largest portion of the inheritance.
37:4 ^g Jacob’s favoritism toward Joseph inflamed his other sons’ hatred of their brother. Just as Isaac’s and Rebekah’s favoritism had separated their family, Jacob’s favoritism would separate him from his son Joseph.
Summary for Gen 37:5-11: 37:5-11 ^h God confirmed his choice of this faithful son as the eventual leader of the whole family through two symbolic dreams. This is the first of three dream sequences in chs 37–50 ⁱ (see 40:1–41:36 ^j; cp. 15:13 ^k; 20:3 ^l; 28:12-15 ^m; 31:24 ⁿ). Dreams carried weight as a form of divine communication, especially if the dream revelation was given twice.
37:7 ^o The bundles of grain hint at how Joseph’s authority over his family would be achieved (see 42:1-3 ^p).
37:8 ^q The brothers’ angry response to the revelation, in contrast to Joseph’s honesty and faithfulness, clearly demonstrates why they were not chosen for leadership: Leaders in God’s plan cannot be consumed with jealousy and hatred. In their anger, they missed an important part of the revelation—they too would be rulers (stars, 37:9 ^r) who would productively bind their sheaves (37:7 ^s).
37:9 ^t The sun, moon, and eleven stars: Astrological symbols often represent rulers. The dream predicted Joseph’s elevation to a position of authority over the whole clan of Israel.
37:10 ^u your mother and I: Joseph’s birth mother, Rachel, was dead (35:19 ^v). Leah was now the matriarch of the clan.
37:11 ^w His brothers hated Joseph because they were jealous of him. Rather than recognize the hand of God, the brothers tried to prevent the dream from being fulfilled (37:18-36 ^x). These actions show that they were not fit to lead the household of faith. God’s sovereign choice of a leader, especially if the one chosen is young or appears unqualified, often brings out the true colors of those who have to submit to that leader’s authority. The brothers represent people throughout history who have been driven by envy and malice because they were not committed to doing the Lord’s will.

• Jacob wondered what the dreams meant because he knew that God would choose the next leader, that God could choose the younger son to rule over the older sons, and that God could reveal all this in dreams.
Summary for Gen 37:12-13: 37:12-13 ^y It was foolish for Jacob to send Joseph on such a mission, knowing how the brothers felt about him. Joseph obeyed his father by going to find his brothers despite their hatred for him.
Summary for Gen 37:14-17: 37:14-17 ^z The brothers ranged far and wide. Shechem was about fifty miles from Hebron, and Dothan another fifteen miles beyond Shechem.
Summary for Gen 37:18-20: 37:18-20 ^aa When Joseph’s brothers saw him coming, they devised a plot to kill ... the dreamer and end his dreams. Earlier, they had unjustly killed the men of Shechem to avenge their sister (ch 34 ^ab); in the region of Shechem, they now plotted to unjustly kill their own brother out of envy.
Summary for Gen 37:21-24: 37:21-24 ^ac Reuben was perhaps trying to get back into his father’s good graces (35:22 ^ad) by exercising the leadership of the firstborn (cp. 42:22 ^ae). Reuben succeeded in saving Joseph’s life, but he failed to earn his father’s favor (37:29-30 ^af).
37:23 ^ag The recurring motif of changed clothes signifies changes in status, position, and authority (see 37:3 ^ah, 23 ^ai; 38:14 ^aj, 19 ^ak; 39:15-18 ^al; 41:14 ^am, 42 ^an).
Summary for Gen 37:25-28: 37:25-28 ^ao The Ishmaelite traders were descendants of the slave child who was cast out for mocking Isaac. Now they would enslave Joseph. When he was sold for twenty pieces of silver and carried to Egypt, he was at least preserved alive.
37:26 ^ap Judah began to exercise leadership that he would continue to develop as events unfolded (see 43:8-10 ^aq).
37:28 ^ar the Ishmaelites, who were Midianite traders (literally the Midianite traders): Ishmaelites were descendants of Abraham through Hagar (16:5 ^as), while Midianites were descendants of Abraham through Keturah (25:1-2 ^at). The term Ishmaelite may have described bedouin tribes generally. The Midianites might also have been traveling with a separate caravan of Ishmaelite traders (37:27 ^au).

• Kidnapping (see 40:15 ^av) would become a capital offense (see Exod 21:16 ^aw) in Jewish law.
Summary for Gen 37:29-30: 37:29-30 ^ax When Reuben returned, he tore his clothes in grief. His attempt to restore his relationship with his father by saving Joseph had gone awry.
Summary for Gen 37:31-35: 37:31-35 ^ay The old family propensity for deception seized the brothers’ imagination. Jacob had killed a young goat to deceive Isaac (27:5-17 ^az); now Jacob’s sons deceived him with a goat (see study note on 30:34-36).
37:32 ^ba your son: In their cold hatred, the brothers did not refer to Joseph by name or acknowledge him as their brother (see 21:10 ^bb).
37:33 ^bc recognized: Cp. 27:23 ^bd.
Summary for Gen 37:34-35: 37:34-35 ^be Jacob tore his clothes and dressed himself in burlap: These were signs of great distress and mourning (see 44:13 ^bf; Job 1:20 ^bg; 16:15 ^bh). Jacob was devastated and refused to be comforted. The treachery thus affected everyone in his family.
37:36 ^bi sold Joseph to Potiphar: Joseph found himself in a place of service that seemed congruent with his rise to authority, yet he still faced more testing.