Genesis 37:1-11

Joseph's Dreams

1 Jacob lived in ¹the land of his father's sojournings, in the land of Canaan.

2 These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's wives. And Joseph brought ²a bad report of them to their father.

3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was ³the son of his old age. And he made him ⁴a robe of many colors.^[a]

4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him.

5 Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more.

6 He said to them, "Hear this dream that I have dreamed:

7 Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, ⁵my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and ⁶bowed down to my sheaf."

8 His brothers said to him, "Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?" So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.

9 Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, "Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me."

10 But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, "What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and ⁷your mother and your brothers indeed come ⁸to bow ourselves to the ground before you?"

11 And ⁹his brothers were jealous of him, ¹⁰but his father kept the saying in mind.

Genesis 37:1-11 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Cross References

• 1. See Genesis 36:7
• 2. [1 Samuel 2:23, 24]
• 3. Genesis 44:20
• 4. ver. 23, 32
• 5. Genesis 42:6, 9
• 6. Genesis 43:26; Genesis 44:14
• 7. [Genesis 35:18]
• 8. ver. 7, 9
• 9. Acts 7:9
• 10. [Luke 2:19, 51]

Footnotes

• [a]. See Septuagint, Vulgate; or (with Syriac) a robe with long sleeves. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain; also verses 23, 32