Genesis Chapter 37

At a Glance

  • Genesis 37 centers on Joseph, the favored son of Jacob, whose dreams and brothers’ jealousy propel the family into a chain of events that will culminate in his rise in Egypt.
  • Historical & Literary Context.
  • Genesis 37 sits squarely in the central narrative of Genesis that focuses on the patriarchs and their families.
  • Key scenes—the favored son’s coat, the dreams, the brothers’ treachery—are crafted to increase tension and set in motion a narrative of testing, resilience, and divine sovereignty.
  • - Favoritism and family fracture: Jacob’s preference for Joseph incubates jealousy and risk within the family, illustrating how unequal parental affection can destabilize households.

CHAPTER REFERENCE

Chapter Overview

Genesis 37 centers on Joseph, the favored son of Jacob, whose dreams and brothers’ jealousy propel the family into a chain of events that will culminate in his rise in Egypt. The chapter begins with Jacob’s preference for Joseph, who is seventeen years old and entrusted with inclusive responsibility—shepherding and reporting on his brothers. That preference sparks envy and resentment, culminating in a dramatic moment when Joseph’s father gifts him a “coat of many colors.” The brothers’ envy deepens as Joseph recounts two dreams in which his family and even the sun, moon, and stars bow to him. The dreams appear to illuminate a future of dominion for Joseph, but they inflame their hostility, provoking a plot to kill him, followed by a more pragmatic plan to sell him to Midianite traders, who transport him to Egypt.

Historical & Literary Context

Genesis 37 sits squarely in the central narrative of Genesis that focuses on the patriarchs and their families. The chapter belongs to the Yahwist and Priestly traditions that narrate human failures, divine purposes, and the early formation of Israel’s identity. It functions as the hinge between the patriarchal stories (Abraham and Isaac) and the rise of Joseph, who becomes a pivotal figure in the book’s second half. The style is intimate narrative, marked by personal motives, family dynamics, and symbolic motifs (the coat, the dreams). It’s a chapter that moves the broader storyline forward through a personal crisis that will unfold across chapters and books, shaping the Israelites’ memory of exile, deliverance, and sustenance in Egypt.

Key scenes—the favored son’s coat, the dreams, the brothers’ treachery—are crafted to increase tension and set in motion a narrative of testing, resilience, and divine sovereignty. The episode also introduces the theme of divine guidance working through human choices, foreshadowing how Joseph’s misfortune will paradoxically become the means of salvation for his family and, later, the nation of Egypt.

Key Themes

- Favoritism and family fracture: Jacob’s preference for Joseph incubates jealousy and risk within the family, illustrating how unequal parental affection can destabilize households.

- Divine sovereignty through human action: The dreams and events that follow suggest that God’s purposes can unfold through human dysfunction, misjudgment, and even malevolent intent.

- Dream-interpretation as a vehicle for destiny: Joseph’s dreams foreshadow leadership and vindication, signaling the motif that God communicates through dreams and visions, guiding his people.

- Betrayal as a prelude to salvation: The brothers’ plot to kill Joseph, followed by their decision to sell him, initiates a providential chain leading to deliverance for Jacob’s family.

- The cost of providence: The narrative hints that blessing often comes at a cost—family pain, deception, and the hardship Joseph will endure before redemption.

Modern Application

Genesis 37 invites contemporary readers to examine the corrosive effects of favoritism and jealousy within families and communities. It asks: how do we handle divine gifts and leadership in our own households? Are we tempted to elevate certain voices while discounting others, creating rifts that hinder communal flourishing? The chapter also speaks to the reality that God’s purposes often advance through unlikely people and through adversity. Joseph’s initial misfortune becomes the vehicle through which God preserves a lineage and a nation. For modern believers, this is a reminder to trust God’s larger purposes even when personal plans fail or others act out of selfishness.

Furthermore, the motif of dreams challenges readers to discern truth and to seek God’s guidance in ambiguous situations. It invites humility: leadership and influence are not merely a matter of birthright but of faithfulness, character, and alignment with God’s aims. The human cost—family betrayal and grief—urges readers toward reconciliation, honesty, and forgiveness, acknowledging that God can redeem even broken relationships for the sake of a greater good.

Cross-References (3-5 related passages)

- Genesis 27:41; Genesis 28:10-22 (themes of dreams, blessing, and deceit)

- Genesis 39:1-23 (Joseph in Egypt and integrity under oppression)

- Psalm 105:16-22 (God’s sovereignty in the life of Joseph)

- Acts 7:9-10 (Joseph’s early life and persecution cited in the New Testament)

Recommended Personas

- Joseph: to illuminate reframing trials as vocational formation and to reflect on faithful endurance.

- Jacob: to explore parental favoritism, family dynamics, and consequences of decisions.

- Moses: to connect the exile and deliverance arc that will unfold in Egypt.

- Jesus: to see how ancient patterns of suffering and redemption prefigure the Gospel.

Chapter Text

1

And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.

2

These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.

3

Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.

4

And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.

5

And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.

6

And he said unto 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 also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.

8

And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? 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 made obeisance to me.

10

And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee 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.

13

And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I.

14

And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy 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 seekest thou?

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, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went 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 him.

19

And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.

20

Come 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 him.

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, to deliver him to his father again.

23

And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him;

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: 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

Come, 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 merchantmen; 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 or no.

33

And he knew it, and said, It is my son’s coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces.

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 for him.

36

And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, and captain of the guard.

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