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Genesis 35-42 (Translated) (view source)
Revision as of 01:20, November 8, 2010
, 01:20, November 8, 2010→Chapter 37
[[Joseph]] was seventeen years of age, and was grazing the sheep together with his brothers. The young man was with the sons of [[Bilhah]] and the sons of [[Zilpah]], his father's (common-law) wives. Joseph had a habit of bearing evil tales about them to his father.
[[Joseph]] was seventeen years of age, and was grazing the sheep together with his brothers. The young man was with the sons of [[Bilhah]] and the sons of [[Zilpah]], his father's (common-law) wives. Joseph had a habit of bearing evil tales about them to his father.
|Merely because [[God]] works wonders in a person's life, does not mean that that person was always a shining example. Joseph starts out bad, as a classic tattler.
|Merely because [[God]] works wonders in a person's life, does not mean that that person was always a shining example. Joseph starts out as a classic tattler, a most unwise thing to be in such a dysfunctional family.
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|3
|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.
|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.
|[[Jacob|Israel]] loved Joseph more than he did his other children, because he was the son of his old age. He even made for him his own special tunic.
|[[Jacob|Israel]] loved Joseph more than he did his other children, because he was the son of his old age. He even made a tunic of distinction for him.
|Literally, "tunic of distinction." Exactly what was distinctive about the tunic is never stated, because ''how'' it was distinctive, is less important than ''that'' it was distinctive. That it consisted of a multicolored pattern is only an assumption. Other commentators have said that the tunic had sleeves in it.
|The implications of the ''tunic of distinction'' were a slap in the face to the older brothers, and especially to [[Reuben]]: usually the firstborn, and heir to the double share of the family fortune, wore this tunic. That it was multi-colored, or variegated, or perhaps had long sleeves in it, are only speculations. But the important thing to note was that Jacob was signaling to everyone that Joseph was his favorite, and would inherit the double portion. Presumably this was because Reuben had disgraced himself with Bilhah, one of his father's common-law wives.
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|4
|4
|And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
|And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
|Joseph dreamed a dream, and told it to his brothers, and they only added to their hatred of him.
|Joseph dreamed a dream, and told it to his brothers, and they only added to their hatred of him.
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|This was an act of naïveté, not necessarily arrogance.
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|6
|6
|7
|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.
|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.
|"We were binding sheaves in the middle of the field. Then--I swear!--my sheaf rose up, and stood on its end, and--get this!--your sheaves surrounded mine and bowed themselves down to my sheaf!"
|"We were binding sheaves in the middle of the field. Then—I swear!—my sheaf rose up, and stood on its end, and—get this!—your sheaves surrounded mine and bowed themselves down to my sheaf!"
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|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.
|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.
|And Jacob said to him, "Please go and see whether your brothers and the livestock are well, and bring me back word." So he sent him out of the valley of [[Hebron]], and he came to Shechem.
|And Jacob said to him, "Please go and see whether your brothers and the livestock are well, and bring me back word." So he sent him out of the valley of [[Hebron]], and he came to Shechem.
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|Jacob had reason to worry. The last time the brothers were in Shechem, they created a deadly serious incident.
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|15
|15
|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.
|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.
|The man said, "They have already left here. I heard them say that they were going to Dothan." So Joseph went after his brothers, and found them in Dothan.
|The man said, "They have already left here. I heard them say that they were going to Dothan." So Joseph went after his brothers, and found them in Dothan.
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|Joseph makes every effort to carry out the mission.
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|18
|18
|20
|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.
|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.
|"What say we kill him, and throw him into one of these dry wells? We can say that some evil animal devoured him. Then we'll see what becomes of those dreams of his!"
|"What say we kill him, and throw him into one of these dry wells? We can say that some wild animal devoured him. Then we'll see what becomes of those dreams of his!"
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|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.
|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.
|Reuben said, "You must not shed any blood. Fling him into this dry well here in the desert, but don't lay a hand on him." He intended to rescue Joseph from their hands and bring him back to his father.
|Reuben said, "You must not shed any blood. Fling him into this dry well here in the desert, but don't lay a hand on him." He intended to rescue Joseph from their hands and bring him back to his father.
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|Actually, Reuben was trying to set his brothers up, thus increasing the inheritance portion, and also to ingratiate himself with his father, though he had that act of quasi-incest on his record.
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|23
|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;
|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;
|So what happened, when Joseph had come to his brothers, was this: First they stripped off Joseph his tunic, the special tunic that he was wearing.
|So what happened, when Joseph had come to his brothers, was this: First they stripped off Joseph his tunic, the tunic of distinction that he was wearing.
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|28
|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.
|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.
|Then the [[Midian]]ite merchantmen came passing by, and they drew and brought up Joseph from the dry well, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty [[silver]] pieces. The Ishmaelites brought Joseph into [[Egypt]].
|Then the [[Midian]]ite merchantmen came passing by. The brothers lowered a rope and brought up Joseph from the dry well, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty [[silver]] pieces. The Ishmaelites brought Joseph into [[Egypt]].
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|And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.
|And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.
|Reuben returned to the dry well, and was shocked to see that Joseph was not in the dry well. So he tore his clothes.
|Reuben returned to the dry well, and was shocked to see that Joseph was not in the dry well. So he tore his clothes.
|This is the first recorded instance of clothes-rending as a gesture of deep sorrow--or anger.
|This is the first recorded instance of clothes-rending as a gesture of deep sorrow.
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|30
|30
|And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go?
|And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go?
|He returned to his brothers, and said, "The boy is not there! Where shall I go?"
|He returned to his brothers, and said, "The boy is not there! Where shall I go?"
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|His plan to ingratiate himself at his brothers' expense had just come to nothing. Nor dared he pursue the Midianites; at this point, Joseph might implicate him.
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|31
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|32
|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.
|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.
|And sent the special tunic, and brought it to their father, and said, "We found this. Please identify it as to whether it's your son's tunic or not."
|And sent the tunic of distinction, and brought it to their father, and said, "We found this. Please identify it as to whether it's your son's tunic or not."
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|33
|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.
|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.
|He recognized it, and said, "It is my son's tunic; an evil animal must have devoured him. Joseph must have been torn to pieces."
|He recognized it, and said, "It is my son's tunic; a wild animal must have devoured him. Joseph must have been torn to pieces."
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