Genesis 37:18-33

18 But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him.
19 “Here comes that dreamer!” they said to each other.
20 “Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.”
21 When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. “Let’s not take his life,” he said.
22 “Don’t shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father.
23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the ornate robe he was wearing—
24 and they took him and threw him into the cistern. The cistern was empty; there was no water in it.
25 As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt.
26 Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood?
27 Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.” His brothers agreed.
28 So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels[a] of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.
29 When Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes.
30 He went back to his brothers and said, “The boy isn’t there! Where can I turn now?”
31 Then they got Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood.
32 They took the ornate robe back to their father and said, “We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son’s robe.”
33 He recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! Some ferocious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces.”

Genesis 37:18-33 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 34

  • 1. 1 Samuel 19:1; 2 Chronicles 24:21; Psalms 31:13,20; Psalms 37:12,32; S Matthew 12:14; Mark 14:1; Acts 23:12
  • 2. S Genesis 28:12
  • 3. ver 22; Jeremiah 38:6,9
  • 4. ver 33; Leviticus 26:6,22; Deuteronomy 32:24; 2 Kings 17:25; Ezekiel 34:25
  • 5. ver 31-33; S Genesis 4:10
  • 6. Genesis 50:20
  • 7. S Genesis 29:32
  • 8. Genesis 42:22
  • 9. S ver 20
  • 10. ver 29-30
  • 11. ver 3
  • 12. S ver 4; Genesis 49:23; Jeremiah 38:6; Jeremiah 41:7; Ezekiel 22:27
  • 13. S Genesis 16:11
  • 14. S Genesis 31:21; S Song of Songs 4:1
  • 15. Jeremiah 8:22; Jeremiah 22:6; Jeremiah 46:11
  • 16. Genesis 43:11; Exodus 30:23; Psalms 45:8; Proverbs 7:17; Song of Songs 1:13; Matthew 2:11
  • 17. ver 28; Genesis 39:1; Psalms 105:17
  • 18. S Genesis 29:35
  • 19. ver 20; S Genesis 4:10
  • 20. Genesis 42:21
  • 21. S Genesis 29:14
  • 22. S Genesis 25:2; Judges 6:1-3
  • 23. Jeremiah 38:13
  • 24. Exodus 21:16
  • 25. Leviticus 27:5; Matthew 26:15
  • 26. S Genesis 16:11
  • 27. ver 36; Genesis 39:1; Genesis 45:4-5; Psalms 105:17; Jeremiah 12:6; Acts 7:9
  • 28. ver 34; Genesis 44:13; Numbers 14:6; Joshua 7:6; 2 Samuel 1:11; Job 2:12">2Ki Job 2:12; 2 Kings 5:7; 2 Kings 11:14; 2 Kings 22:11; Job 1:20; Job 2:12; Isaiah 36:22; Isaiah 37:1; Jeremiah 36:24; Jeremiah 41:5; Joel 2:13
  • 29. ver 22; Genesis 42:13,36
  • 30. S ver 3; ver 3,23
  • 31. Revelation 19:13
  • 32. S ver 3
  • 33. S ver 20
  • 34. Genesis 42:13,38; Genesis 44:20,28

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. That is, about 8 ounces or about 230 grams
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