I A¹ 37:1. Jacob in Canaan.
B¹ 37:2-45:28. Sons of Jacob. Posterity (Joseph &
brethren).
A² 46:1-7 Jacob. Removal to Egypt.
B² 46:8-27. Sons of Jacob (Posterity).
A³ 46:28-50:14. Jacob. Settlement and death in Egypt.
Removal to Canaan.
B³ 50:15-26. Sons of Jacob. Posterity (Joseph &
brethren).
1 And Jacob dwelt in the land of his father's sojourning (see 32:28; 43:8; 45:26,28), his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.
B¹ C 37:2-36. Joseph in Canaan.
D 38:1-30. His brother (Judah).
C 39:1-41:57. Joseph in Egypt.
D 42:1-45:28. His brethren.
C a 1-4. With his brethren.
b 5-11. His dreams (communicated).
a 12-17. Seeking his brethren.
b 18-36. His dreams (counteracted).
1727 B.C.
5 And Joseph dreamed a dream (= had a significant dream), and he told it to his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
6 And he said to them, "Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:
7 For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and was set upright (= took it's stand); and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf." (= a bow, as a mark of deference)
8 And his brethren said to him, "Shall you indeed reign over us? or shall you indeed have dominion over us?" (cp. the rejection of Moses, Ex.2:14; and of Christ, Luke 19:14) And
they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.
9 And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, "Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars (= the 11 signs of the Zodiac, Joseph being the twelfth. See Num. 2:2) made obeisance to me." (cp. 42:6; 43:26; 44:14)
10 And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said to him, "What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to you to the earth?"
11 And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.
12 And his brethren went to feed their father's flock in Shechem. (One of the 15 expressions with the "extraordinary points", indicating a doubtful reading, and suggesting that they had gone to feed themselves and make merry. Look around you this day and compare it to the times just before Israel's famine during Joseph's time, and compare Amos 8:11.)
13 And Israel said to Joseph, "Do not your brethren feed the flock in Shechem? (was Joseph afraid after 34:25-30?) come, and I will send you to them." And he said to him, "Here am I".
14 And he said to him, "Go, I pray you, see whether it be well with your brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again." So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
15 And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, "What do you seek?"
16 And he said, "I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray you, where they feed their flocks." (see v.13)
17 And the man said, "They are departed from this place; for I heard them say, 'Let us go to Dothan.' " (= on the high road to Egypt for caravans from the East) And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan (= two wells).
18 And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near to them, they conspired against him to slay him. (cp. Matt.27:1)
19: And they said one to another, "Behold, this dreamer comes. (Heb. = master or lord, Baal of dreams)
20 Come now therefore, and let us slay him (emphatic, shows the deliberateness of their actions), and cast him into some pit, and we will say, 'Some evil beast has 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 him." (= his soul, nephesh)
22: And Reuben said to 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, to deliver him to his father again.}
23 And it came to pass, when Joseph was come to his brethren, that they stripped Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colors that was on him; (see v.3)
24 And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.
25 And they sat down to eat bread (showing their indifference. Cp. 42:21 and Matt.27:36): and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a caravan (there was a well-organized trade going in the 16th dynasty) of Ishmeelites (so 39:1. In vv.28 and 36 called Midianites. Ishmael was the son of Abraham by Hagar-16:11,12. Midian the son of Abraham by Keturah-25:2. See Judg.8:24,25, where they were mixed together, and were distinguished only by nose-rings, cp. 24:47; 35:4. Ex. 32:2 &c.) came from Gilead with their camels bearing spices and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.
26 And Judah said to his brethren, "What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?
27 Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites (a Judas sold Joseph, and a Judas sold Christ. Slaves were in great demand in Egypt), and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh." And his brethren were content. (= listened)
1727 B.C.
28 Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen (see v.25); and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites or twenty (#20 = disappointed expectancy) pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.
29 And Reuben returned to the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.
30 And he returned to his brethren, and said, "The child is not; and I, where shall I go?" (as though to hide himself)
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 colors, and they brought it to their father; and said, "This have we found: know now whether it be your son's coat or not."
33 And he knew it, and said, "It is my son's coat; an evil beast has devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces." ("tearing he has been torn". Deceived by the blood of a kid of a goat, as he had deceived his father with the skin of a goat, 27:16. This showing the results of the law "reaping and sowing"))
34 And (the "ands" denote the succession of steps of Jacob's grief) the Jacob tore his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days.
35 And all his sons and all his daughters (= daughters and granddaughters) rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, "For I will go down into the grave (= Sheol, first occ.) to my son mourning." Thus his father wept for him.
36 And the Midianites sold him into Egypt to Potiphar (= consecrated to Ra = one of the gods of lower Egypt), an officer of Pharaoh's, and captain of the guard. (Cp. 2 Kings 25:8,11,20: had charge of police, as well as military duties)