Genesis 37:12-36

Genesis 37:12-36

[12] And his brethren  to feed  their father's  flock  in Shechem.  [13] And Israel  said  unto Joseph,  Do not thy brethren  feed  the flock in Shechem?  and I will send thee  unto them. And he said  to him, Here am I. [14] And he said  I pray thee, see  whether it be well  with thy brethren,  and well  with the flocks;  me word  again.  So he sent  him out of the vale  of Hebron,  and he came  to Shechem.  [15] found him,  and, behold, he was wandering  in the field:  asked him,  saying,  What seekest  [16] And he said,  I seek  my brethren:  tell  me, I pray thee, where  they feed  their flocks. [17] And the man  said,  They are departed  hence;  for I heard  them say,  to Dothan.  And Joseph  after  his brethren,  and found  them in Dothan.  [18] And when they saw  him afar off,  even before he came near  unto them, they conspired  against him to slay  [19] And they said  one  to another,  Behold, this  dreamer  cometh.  [20] now therefore, and let us slay  him, and cast  him into some  pit,  and we will say,  Some evil  beast  hath devoured  him: and we shall see  what will become of his dreams.  [21] And Reuben  heard  it, and he delivered  him out of their hands;  and said,  Let us not kill  [22] And Reuben  said  unto them, Shed  no blood,  but cast  him into this pit  that is in the wilderness,  and lay  no hand  upon him; that he might rid  him out of their hands,  him to his father  again.  [23] And it came to pass, when Joseph  was come  unto his brethren,  that they stript  Joseph  his coat,  of many colours  [24] And they took  him, and cast  him into a pit:  was empty,  there was no water  in it. [25] And they sat down  to eat  bread:  and they lifted up  their eyes  and looked,  and, behold, a company  of Ishmeelites  came  from Gilead  with their camels  bearing  spicery  and balm  and myrrh,  going  to carry it down  to Egypt.  [26] And Judah  said  unto his brethren,  What profit  is it if we slay  our brother,  and conceal  his blood?  [27] and let us sell  him to the Ishmeelites,  and let not our hand  be upon him; for he is our brother  and our flesh.  And his brethren  were content.  [28] Then there passed  by Midianites  and they drew  and lifted up  Joseph  out of the pit,  and sold  Joseph  to the Ishmeelites  for twenty  pieces of silver:  and they brought  Joseph  into Egypt.  [29] And Reuben  returned  unto the pit;  and, behold, Joseph  was not in the pit;  and he rent  his clothes.  [30] And he returned  unto his brethren,  and said,  The child  is not; and I, whither  shall I go?  [31] And they took  Joseph's  coat,  and killed  a kid  of the goats,  and dipped  the coat  in the blood;  [32] And they sent  the coat  of many colours,  and they brought  it to their father;  and said,  This have we found:  know  now whether it be thy son's  coat  [33] And he knew it,  and said,  It is my son's  coat;  an evil  beast  hath devoured  him; Joseph  is without doubt  [34] And Jacob  rent  his clothes,  and put  sackcloth  upon his loins,  and mourned  for his son  many  days.  [35] And all his sons  and all his daughters  rose up  to comfort  him; but he refused  to be comforted;  and he said,  For I will go down  into the grave  unto my son  mourning.  Thus his father  wept  [36] sold  him into Egypt  unto Potiphar,  an officer  of Pharaoh's,  and captain  of the guard. 

What does Genesis 37:12-36 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Joseph"s brothers met his second recorded visit to them with great antagonism. They plotted to kill him and so render his dreams impossible to fulfill. For practical reasons they decided to sell him and to deceive Jacob into thinking that a wild beast had killed him. In spite of their plan God kept Joseph alive and safe in Egypt. Ironically, by selling Joseph into Egypt his brothers actualized the dreams they sought to subvert. The focus of this pericope is deceit, which is a recurring feature of the Jacob and Joseph narratives.