Chuàngshìjì 37

1 Yǎgè zhù zaì Jiānán dì , jiù shì tā fùqin jìjū de dì .

2 Yǎgè de jì lüè rú xià . Yūesè shí qī suì yǔ tā gēge men yītóng mù yáng . tā shì gè tóngzǐ , yǔ tā fùqin de qiè Bìlā , Xīpà de érzi men cháng zaì yī chù . Yūesè jiāng tā gēge men de è xíng bào gĕi tāmende fùqin .

3 Yǐsèliè yuánlái aì Yūesè guòyú aì tāde zhòng zǐ , yīnwei Yūesè shì tā nián lǎo shēng de . tā gĕi Yūesè zuò le yī jiàn cǎi yǐ .

4 Yūesè de gēge men jiàn fùqin aì Yūesè guòyú aì tāmen , jiù hèn Yūesè , bù yǔ tā shuō hémù de huà .

5 Yūesè zuò le yī mèng , gàosu tā gēge men , tāmen jiù yuèfā hèn tā .

6 Yūesè duì tāmen shuō , qǐng tīng wǒ suǒ zuò de mèng ,

7 Wǒmen zaì tián lǐ kún hé jià , wǒde kún qǐlai zhàn zhe , nǐmen de kún lái wéi zhe wǒde kún xià baì .

8 Tāde gēge men huídá shuō , nándào nǐ zhēn yào zuò wǒmen de wáng ma . nándào nǐ zhēn yào guǎnxiá wǒmen ma , tāmen jiù yīnwei tāde mèng hé tāde huà yuèfā hèn tā .

9 Hòulái tā yòu zuò le yī mèng , yĕ gàosu tāde gēge men shuō , kàn nǎ , wǒ yòu zuò le yī mèng , mèng jiàn taìyáng , yuèliang , yǔ shí yī gè xīng xiàng wǒ xià baì .

10 Yūesè jiāng zhè mèng gàosu tā fùqin hé tā gēge men , tā fùqin jiù zébeì tā shuō , nǐ zuò de zhè shì shénme mèng . nándào wǒ hé nǐ mǔqin , nǐ dìxiōng guǒrán yào lái fǔfú zaì dì , xiàng nǐ xià baì ma ,

11 Tā gēge men dōu jídù tā , tā fùqin què bǎ zhè huà cún zaì xīnli .

12 Yūesè de gēge men wàng Shìjiàn qù fàng tāmen fùqin de yáng .

13 Yǐsèliè duì Yūesè shuō , nǐ gēge men bú shì zaì Shìjiàn fàng yáng ma . nǐ lái , wǒ yào dǎfa nǐ wàng tāmen nàli qù . Yūesè shuō , wǒ zaì zhèlǐ .

14 Yǐsèliè shuō , nǐ qù kàn kān nǐ gēge men píngān bù píngān , qún yáng píngān bù píngān , jiù huí lái bàoxìn gĕi wǒ . yúshì dǎfa tā chū Xībǎilún gǔ , tā jiù wàng Shìjiàn qù le .

15 Yǒu rén yùjiàn tā zaì tiānyĕ zǒu mí le lù , jiù wèn tā shuō , nǐ zhǎo shénme ,

16 Tā shuō , wǒ zhǎo wǒde gēge men , qiú nǐ gàosu wǒ , tāmen zaì héchu fàng yáng .

17 Nà rén shuō , tāmen yǐjing zǒu le , wǒ tīngjian tāmen shuō yào wàng Duōtān qù . Yūesè jiù qù zhuīgǎn tā gēge men , yùjiàn tāmen zaì Duōtān .

18 Tāmen yuǎn yuǎn dì kànjian tā , chèn tā hái méiyǒu zǒu dào gēnqián , dàjiā jiù tóng móu yào haì sǐ tā ,

19 Bǐcǐ shuō , nǐ kàn . nà zuòmèng de lái le .

20 Lái ba . wǒmen jiāng tā shā le , diū zaì yī gè kēng lǐ , jiù shuō yǒu è shòu bǎ tā chī le . wǒmen qiĕ kàn tāde mèng jiānglái zĕnmeyàng .

21 Liúbiàn tīngjian le , yào jiù tā tuōlí tāmende shǒu , shuō , wǒmen bùkĕ haì tāde xìngméng .

22 Yòu shuō , bùkĕ liú tāde xiĕ , kĕyǐ bǎ tā diū zaì zhè yĕdì de kēng lǐ , bùkĕ xià shǒu haì tā . Liúbiàn de yìsi shì yào jiù tā tuōlí tāmende shǒu , bǎ tā guī hái tāde fùqin .

23 Yūesè dào le tā gēge men nàli , tāmen jiù bō le tāde waìyī , jiù shì tā chuān de nà jiàn cǎi yǐ ,

24 Bǎ tā diū zaì kēng lǐ . nà kēng shì kòng de , lǐtou méiyǒu shuǐ .

25 Tāmen zuò xià chī fàn , jǔmù guānkàn , jiàn yǒu yī huǒ Mǐdiàn de Yǐshímǎlì rén cóng Jīliè lái , yòng luòtuo tuó zhe xiāngliào , rǔxiāng , mòyào , yào daì xià Āijí qù .

26 Yóudà duì zhòng dìxiōng shuō , wǒmen shā wǒmen de xiōngdi , cáng le tāde xiĕ yǒu shénme yìchu ne .

27 Wǒmen bú rú jiāng tā maì gĕi Yǐshímǎlì rén , bùkĕ xià shǒu haì tā . yīnwei tā shì wǒmen de xiōngdi , wǒmen de gǔròu . zhòng dìxiōng jiù tīng cóng le tā .

28 Yǒu xiē Mǐdiàn de shāng rén cóng nàli jīngguò , gēge men jiù bǎ Yūesè cóng kēng lǐ lá shàng lái , jiǎngdéng èr shí Shĕkèlè yínzi , bǎ Yūesè maì gĕi Yǐshímǎlì rén . tāmen jiù bǎ Yūesè daì dào Āijí qù le .

29 Liúbiàn huí dào kēng bian , jiàn Yūesè bú zaì kēng lǐ , jiù sī liè yīfu ,

30 Huí dào xiōngdi men nàli , shuō , tóngzǐ méiyǒu le . wǒ wàng nǎli qù cái hǎo ne ,

31 Tāmen zǎi le yī zhī gōng shānyáng , bǎ Yūesè de nà jiàn cǎi yī rǎn le xuè ,

32 Dǎfa rén sòng dào tāmende fùqin nàli , shuō , wǒmen jiǎn le zhège . qǐng rèn yī rèn shì nǐ érzi de waìyī bù shì ,

33 Tā rèn de , jiù shuō , zhè shì wǒ érzi de waìyī . yǒu è shòu bǎ tā chī le , Yūesè beì sī suì le . sī suì le .

34 Yǎgè biàn sī liè yīfu , yào jiàn wéi shàng má bù , wèi tā érzi bēiāi le duō rì .

35 Tāde érnǚ dōu qǐlai ānwèi tā , tā què bù kĕn shòu ānwèi , shuō , wǒ bì bēiāi zhe xià yīnjiān , dào wǒ érzi nàli . Yūesè de fùqin jiù wèi tā āikū .

36 Mǐdiàn rén daì Yūesè dào Āijí , bǎ tā maì gĕi fǎlǎo de neì chén hùwèi cháng Bōtífá .

Chuàngshìjì 37 Commentary

Chapter 37

Joseph is loved of Jacob, but hated by his brethren. (1-4) Joseph's dreams. (5-11) Jacob sends Joseph to visit his brethren, They conspire his death. (12-22) Joseph's brethren sell him. (23-10) Jacob deceived, Joseph sold to Potiphar. (31-36)

Verses 1-4 In Joseph's history we see something of Christ, who was first humbled and then exalted. It also shows the lot of Christians, who must through many tribulations enter into the kingdom. It is a history that has none like it, for displaying the various workings of the human mind, both good and bad, and the singular providence of God in making use of them for fulfilling his purposes. Though Joseph was his father's darling, yet he was not bred up in idleness. Those do not truly love their children, who do not use them to business, and labour, and hardships. The fondling of children is with good reason called the spoiling of them. Those who are trained up to do nothing, are likely to be good for nothing. But Jacob made known his love, by dressing Joseph finer than the rest of his children. It is wrong for parents to make a difference between one child and another, unless there is great cause for it, by the children's dutifulness, or undutifulness. When parents make a difference, children soon notice it, and it leads to quarrels in families. Jacob's sons did that, when they were from under his eye, which they durst not have done at home with him; but Joseph gave his father an account of their ill conduct, that he might restrain them. Not as a tale-bearer, to sow discord, but as a faithful brother.

Verses 5-11 God gave Joseph betimes the prospect of his advancement, to support and comfort him under his long and grievous troubles. Observe, Joseph dreamed of his preferment, but he did not dream of his imprisonment. Thus many young people, when setting out in the world, think of nothing but prosperity and pleasure, and never dream of trouble. His brethren rightly interpreted the dream, though they abhorred the interpretation of it. While they committed crimes in order to defeat it, they were themselves the instruments of accomplishing it. Thus the Jews understood what Christ said of his kingdom. Determined that he should not reign over them, they consulted to put him to death; and by his crucifixion, made way for the exaltation they designed to prevent.

Verses 12-22 How readily does Joseph wait his father's orders! Those children who are best beloved by their parents, should be the most ready to obey them. See how deliberate Joseph's brethren were against him. They thought to slay him from malice aforethought, and in cold blood. Whosoever hateth his brother is ( 1 John. 3:15 ) because their father loved him. New occasions, as his dreams and the like, drew them on further; but this laid rankling in their hearts, till they resolved on his death. God has all hearts in his hands. Reuben had most reason to be jealous of Joseph, for he was the first-born; yet he proves his best friend. God overruled all to serve his own purpose, of making Joseph an instrument to save much people alive. Joseph was a type of Christ; for though he was the beloved Son of his Father, and hated by a wicked world, yet the Father sent him out of his bosom to visit us in great humility and love. He came from heaven to earth to seek and save us; yet then malicious plots were laid against him. His own not only received him not, but crucified him. This he submitted to, as a part of his design to redeem and save us.

Verses 23-30 They threw Joseph into a pit, to perish there with hunger and cold; so cruel were their tender mercies. They slighted him when he was in distress, and were not grieved for the affliction of Joseph, see ( Amos 6:6 ) ; for when he was pining in the pit, they sat down to eat bread. They felt no remorse of conscience for the sin. But the wrath of man shall praise God, and the remainder of wrath he will restrain, ( Psalms 76:10 ) . Joseph's brethren were wonderfully restrained from murdering him, and their selling him as wonderfully turned to God's praise.

Verses 31-36 When Satan has taught men to commit one sin, he teaches them to try to conceal it with another; to hide theft and murder, with lying and false oaths: but he that covers his sin shall not prosper long. Joseph's brethren kept their own and one another's counsel for some time; but their villany came to light at last, and it is here published to the world. To grieve their father, they sent him Joseph's coat of colours; and he hastily thought, on seeing the bloody coat, that Joseph was rent in pieces. Let those that know the heart of a parent, suppose the agony of poor Jacob. His sons basely pretended to comfort him, but miserable, hypocritical comforters were they all. Had they really desired to comfort him, they might at once have done it, by telling the truth. The heart is strangely hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Jacob refused to be comforted. Great affection to any creature prepares for so much the greater affliction, when it is taken from us, or made bitter to us: undue love commonly ends in undue grief. It is the wisdom of parents not to bring up children delicately, they know not to what hardships they may be brought before they die. From the whole of this chapter we see with wonder the ways of Providence. The malignant brothers seem to have gotten their ends; the merchants, who care not what they deal in so that they gain, have also obtained theirs; and Potiphar, having got a fine young slave, has obtained his! But God's designs are, by these means, in train for execution. This event shall end in Israel's going down to Egypt; that ends in their deliverance by Moses; that in setting up the true religion in the world; and that in the spread of it among all nations by the gospel. Thus the wrath of man shall praise the Lord, and the remainder thereof will he restrain.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 37

In this chapter begins the history of Joseph, with whom the remaining part of this book is chiefly concerned; and here are related the hatred of his brethren to him, because he brought an ill report of them to his father, and because his father loved him, and which was increased by the dream he dreamed, and told them of, Ge 37:1-11; a visit of his to his brethren in the fields, whom he found after a long search of them, Ge 37:12-17; their conspiracy on sight of him to slay him, but by the advice of Reuben it was agreed to cast him into a pit, which they did, Ge 37:18-24; and after that, at the motion of Judah, sold him to the Ishmaelites, who were going to Egypt, Ge 37:25-28; this being done, Reuben being absent, and not finding Joseph in the pit, was in great distress, Ge 37:29,30; their contrivance to deceive their father, and make him believe that Joseph was destroyed by a wild beast, which on the sight of the coat he credited, and became inconsolable, Ge 37:31-35; and the chapter concludes with the sale of Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, Ge 37:36.