Bereshis 37:19

19 And they said one to another, Hinei, this ba’al hachalomot cometh.

Bereshis 37:19 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 37:19

And they said one to another
According to the Targum of Jonathan, Simeon and Levi said what follows: nor is it unlikely, since they were hot, passionate, cruel, and bloody minded men, as appears by the affair of Shechem; and perhaps this may be the reason why Joseph afterwards, when governor of Egypt, took Simeon and bound him, ( Genesis 42:24 ) ; which was but a just retaliation for his advice to cast him into a pit when slain:

behold, this dreamer cometh;
or "master of dreams" F18; not of the interpretation of them, but of dreaming them; that had them at his command when he pleased, as they jeeringly flouted him; as if he was a framer and contriver of them, and only pretended to them when he had none, or else that he was frequently dreaming and telling his dreams; this they said in a sarcastic way, and, perhaps, as pleased, and rejoicing that such an opportunity offered to take their revenge on him: this shows that it was on the account of his dreams chiefly that they bore such a grudge against him, that this was uppermost on their minds, and was revived at first sight of him, and from whence their malice sprung.


FOOTNOTES:

F18 (twmlxh leb) "magister somniorum", Tigurine version, Montanus; "dominus somniorum", Vatablus, Junius & Tremellius

Bereshis 37:19 In-Context

17 And the ish said, They are departed from here; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dotan. And Yosef went after his achim, and found them in Dotan.
18 And when they saw him merachok (afar off, in the distance), even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to kill him.
19 And they said one to another, Hinei, this ba’al hachalomot cometh.
20 Come now therefore, and let us kill him, and throw him into one of the borot (pits), and we will say, Some chayyah ra’ah (evil wild beast) hath devoured him; and we shall see what will become of his chalomot.
21 And Reuven heard it, and he saved him out of their yadayim; and said, Let us not take his nefesh.
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