Genesis 37:7

7 I guessed that we bound together sheaves, or handfuls, [in the field,] and that as mine handful rose up, and stood (upright), and that your handfuls stood about, and worshipped mine handful. (I saw that we all bound up sheaves in the field, and when my sheaf rose up, and stood upright, all your sheaves stood around, and bowed before my sheaf.)

Genesis 37:7 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 37:7

For, behold, we [were] binding sheaves in the field
So it was represented in his mind in a dream, as if it was harvest time, and he and his brethren were at work together in the field binding up sheaves of corn that were reaped, in order to be carried home:

and, lo, my sheaf arose, and stood upright;
it seemed to him, that after he had bound and laid it on the ground, that it rose up of itself, and stood erect:

and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my
sheaf;
the sheaves which his brethren bound up, they also stood upright, and all around his sheaf, and bowed unto it; so it appeared to him in his dream. This was a fit emblem of their coming to him into Egypt for corn, and bowing to him, when their sheaves were empty, and his was full. In an ancient book of the Jews F8 Joseph's sheaf is interpreted of the Messiah, whom they call the son of Ephraim. Joseph no doubt was a type of the true Messiah, and in this of his exaltation and glory, and of that honour given him by all his saints who come to him, and receive from him all the supplies of grace.


FOOTNOTES:

F8 Raya Mehimna in Zohar in Gen. fol. 87. 2.

Genesis 37:7 In-Context

5 And it befelled that he told to his brethren a sweven that he saw, which cause was the seed of more hatred. (And it befell that he told his brothers about a dream that he had, which was the reason, yea, the seed, of even more hatred.)
6 And Joseph said to his brethren, Hear ye the sweven which I saw,
7 I guessed that we bound together sheaves, or handfuls, [in the field,] and that as mine handful rose up, and stood (upright), and that your handfuls stood about, and worshipped mine handful. (I saw that we all bound up sheaves in the field, and when my sheaf rose up, and stood upright, all your sheaves stood around, and bowed before my sheaf.)
8 His brethren answered, Whether thou shalt be our king, either we shall be made subject to thy lordship? Therefore this cause of dreams and words ministered the nourishing of envy, and of hatred (And so these dreams and words were the reason that envy and hatred were nourished among them).
9 Also Joseph saw another sweven, which he told to his brethren, and said, I saw a dream that as the sun, and the moon, and the eleven stars worshipped me. (And Joseph saw another dream, which he also told to his brothers, saying, I saw in a dream that the sun, and the moon, and the eleven stars all bowed before me.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.