Gen 37:18-28 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Gen 37:18-20: 37:18-20 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 ); in the region of Shechem, they now plotted to unjustly kill their own brother out of envy.

Summary for Gen 37:18-20: 37:18-20 ^a 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 ^b); 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 ^c Reuben was perhaps trying to get back into his father’s good graces (35:22 ^d) by exercising the leadership of the firstborn (cp. 42:22 ^e). Reuben succeeded in saving Joseph’s life, but he failed to earn his father’s favor (37:29-30 ^f).
37:23 ^g The recurring motif of changed clothes signifies changes in status, position, and authority (see 37:3 ^h, 23 ⁱ; 38:14 ^j, 19 ^k; 39:15-18 ^l; 41:14 ^m, 42 ⁿ).
Summary for Gen 37:25-28: 37:25-28 ^o 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 ^p Judah began to exercise leadership that he would continue to develop as events unfolded (see 43:8-10 ^q).
37:28 ^r the Ishmaelites, who were Midianite traders (literally the Midianite traders): Ishmaelites were descendants of Abraham through Hagar (16:5 ^s), while Midianites were descendants of Abraham through Keturah (25:1-2 ^t). 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 ^u).

• Kidnapping (see 40:15 ^v) would become a capital offense (see Exod 21:16 ^w) in Jewish law.