Bible Commentaries
Genesis 37

Verse 1

37:1 And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a {a} stranger, in the land of Canaan.

(a) That is, the story of such things as came to him and his family as in Genesis 5:1

Verse 2

37:2 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 {b} report.

(b) He complained of the evil words and injuries which they spoke and did to him.

Verse 5

37:5 And Joseph {c} dreamed a dream, and he told [it] his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.

(c) God revealed to him by a dream what should come to pass.

Verse 8

37:8 And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they {d} hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.

(d) The more God shows himself favourable to his own, the more the malice of the wicked rages against them.

Verse 10

37:10 And he told [it] to his father, and to his brethren: and his father {e} 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?

(e) Not despising the vision, but seeking to appease his brethren.

Verse 11

37:11 And his brethren envied him; but his father {f} observed the saying.

(f) He knew that God was the author of the dream, but he did not understand the meaning.

Verse 18

37:18 And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they

(g) conspired against him to slay him.

(g) The Holy Spirit does not cover the faults of men, as vain writers do, who make virtues out of vices.

Verse 24

37:24 And they took him, and cast {h} him into a pit: and the pit [was] empty, [there was] no water in it.

(h) Their hypocrisy appears in this that they feared man more than God: and thought it was not murder, if they did not shed his blood or had excuses to cover their fault.

Verse 28

37:28 Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the {i} Ishmeelites for twenty [pieces] of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.

(i) Moses writes according to the opinion of those who took the Midianites and Ishmaelites to be one, and here mixes their names: as also appears in Genesis 37:36; Genesis 39:1 or else he was first offered to the Midianites, but sold to the Ishmaelites.

Verse 32

37:32 And they sent the coat of [many] colours, {k} and they brought [it] to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it [be] thy son’s coat or no.

(k) That is, the messengers who were sent.

Verse 36

37:36 And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an {l} officer of Pharaoh’s, [and] captain of the guard.

(l) Or "eunuch", which does not always signify a man that is gelded, but also someone that is in some high position.