Genesis 37:12-36

Joseph Sold into Egypt

12 Some time later, Joseph’s brothers had gone to pasture their father’s flocks near Shechem. ¹

13 Israel said to him, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flocks at Shechem? Get ready; I am sending you to them.” “I am ready,” Joseph replied.

14 Then Israel told him, “Go now and see how your brothers and the flocks are faring, and bring word back to me.” So he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron. And when Joseph arrived in Shechem,

15 a man found him wandering in the field and asked, “What are you looking for?”

16 “I am looking for my brothers,” Joseph replied. “Can you please tell me where they are pasturing their flocks?”

17 “They have moved on from here,” the man answered. “I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” So Joseph set out after his brothers and found them at Dothan.

18 Now Joseph’s brothers saw him in the distance, and before he arrived, they plotted to kill him.

19 “Here comes that dreamer!” they said to one another.

20 “Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. We can say that a vicious animal has devoured him. Then we shall see what becomes of his dreams!”

21 When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue Joseph from their hands. “Let us not take his life,” he said.

22 “Do not shed his blood. Throw him into this pit in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this so that he could rescue Joseph from their hands and return him to his father.

23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the robe of many colors he was wearing—

24 and they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty, with no water in it.

25 And as they sat down to eat a meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh on their way down to Egypt.

26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood?

27 Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay a hand on him; for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And they agreed.

28 So when the Midianite traders passed by, his brothers pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him for twenty shekels of silver ^[a] to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.

29 When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes,

30 returned to his brothers, and said, “The boy is gone! What am I going to do?”

Jacob Mourns Joseph

31 Then they took Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a young goat, and dipped the robe in its blood.

32 They sent the robe of many colors to their father and said, “We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son’s robe or not.”

33 His father recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! A vicious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!”

34 Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son many days.

35 All his sons and daughters tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said. “I will go down to Sheol mourning for my son.” So his father wept for him.

36 Meanwhile, the Midianites ^[b] sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.

Genesis 37:12-36 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. (Acts 7:9–14)

Footnotes

• [a] 20 shekels is approximately 8 ounces or 228 grams of silver.
• [b] Hebrew the Medanites