Berean Study Bible Joseph’s DreamsJacob, also called Israel, remained the heir of the covenant God had established with Abraham and confirmed to Isaac. His life continued the family line through which God would form the nation of Israel. Heb 11:9 By faith he dwelt in the promised land as a stranger… in the land where his father had resided, Like Abraham and Isaac before him, Jacob lived as a sojourner in the land God had promised to his descendants. Though the family did not yet possess Canaan as a nation, their continued residence there showed God’s preservation of the promised line. Gen 35:27 Jacob returned to his father Isaac at Mamre… the land of Canaan. Canaan was the land God designated for Abraham’s descendants. It would later become the inheritance of Israel after the exodus, connecting Jacob’s family history to the nation that would come from his sons. Gen 12:5 And Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot,… This is the account of Jacob. Jacob’s family history now centers on Joseph and the events that would bring Israel’s sons into Egypt. As the covenant family grows, its internal divisions and conflicts become part of God’s unfolding purpose. Gen 25:19 This is the account of Abraham’s son Isaac… When Joseph was seventeen years old, Joseph was still a young man, yet old enough to share in the work of the household. His youth, his father’s favor, and his lack of standing among his older brothers contributed to the growing tension within the family. Ecc 11:9 Rejoice, O young man, while you are young,… he was tending the flock with his brothers, Like his fathers before him, Joseph took part in caring for the family’s livestock. Working alongside his brothers exposed the strained relationships that would soon lead to open hostility. 1Sa 16:11 And Samuel asked him, “Are these all the sons”… the sons of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah, These were Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher, sons born through Rachel’s and Leah’s maidservants. Though they belonged fully to Jacob’s household, the family was marked by the rivalries and unequal relationships created by Jacob’s marriages. Gen 30:4-8 So Rachel gave Jacob her servant Bilhah as a wife… and he brought their father a bad report about them. Joseph informed Jacob of wrongdoing among his brothers. Whether motivated by duty or youthful immaturity, his report increased their resentment and helped set in motion the betrayal that would send him to Egypt. Num 13:32 So they gave the Israelites a bad report about the land… Now Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons, Jacob’s favor rested especially on Joseph, the son of Rachel, the wife he had loved and long waited to have children by. His unequal treatment of Joseph repeated a pattern of favoritism within the family and stirred resentment among the brothers. Gen 25:28 Because Isaac had a taste for wild game, he loved Esau;… because Joseph had been born to him in his old age; Joseph’s birth came after many years in which Rachel had been unable to bear children. As one of Jacob’s younger sons, Joseph held a particularly cherished place in his father’s household. Gen 21:2-3 So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age… so he made him a robe of many colors. The special robe publicly marked Joseph as distinguished above his brothers, perhaps indicating honor or anticipated leadership. Rather than strengthening the family, Jacob’s gift deepened the brothers’ jealousy and became closely tied to their rejection of Joseph. 2Sa 13:18-19 So Amnon’s attendant threw her out and bolted the door… When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, Jacob’s open favoritism toward Joseph intensified longstanding tensions within the family. Though Joseph was not the firstborn, he received special honor from his father, making his brothers feel displaced and overlooked. Gen 25:28 Because Isaac had a taste for wild game, he loved Esau;… they hated him Their resentment grew into settled hostility. Rather than accepting Jacob’s affection for Joseph, they allowed jealousy to divide them and shape their treatment of their younger brother. Gen 27:41 Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing… and could not speak a kind word to him. The brothers’ refusal to speak peaceably reveals how deeply the family relationship had broken down. Joseph lived among his own brothers as an outsider, and their bitterness prepared the way for the betrayal that would soon follow. 2Sa 13:22 And Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad… Then Joseph had a dream, God revealed through the dream, a means of divine communication, that Joseph would one day be raised above his family in a position of authority. What Joseph saw would later be fulfilled during the famine when his brothers came before him in Egypt. Gen 28:12 And Jacob had a dream about a ladder that rested… and when he told it to his brothers, Joseph openly reported what he had seen, likely without grasping how deeply its message would offend them. His favored place in Jacob’s household had already stirred resentment, and the dream intensified their sense that he regarded himself as greater than they were. Jhn 7:5 For even His own brothers did not believe in Him. they hated him even more. Their envy hardened into hatred and became part of the chain of events that led them to sell Joseph into slavery. Though their actions were evil, God would use them to preserve Joseph’s family and carry forward His purposes. Gen 27:41 Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing… He said to them, Joseph addressed the brothers whose resentment had grown because of Jacob’s special favor toward Rachel’s firstborn son. As Jacob’s eleventh son, Joseph stood at the center of a family already marked by rivalry and jealousy. Gen 45:4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near me.”… “Listen to this dream I had: Joseph’s dream revealed God’s purpose for his future, though its meaning would deepen the brothers’ hostility. Along with the second dream, it foretold Joseph’s rise and his family’s eventual submission, events fulfilled when famine brought them to Egypt. Gen 41:15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, ”… We were binding sheaves of grain in the field, Joseph’s dream begins with ordinary harvest work, familiar to a family of shepherds and landowners. The sheaves point ahead to the famine when grain in Egypt would become the means by which Jacob’s family was preserved. Psa 129:7 unable to fill the hands of the reaper… and suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, Joseph’s sheaf represented his future elevation above his brothers. Though he was one of the younger sons, God would place him in authority in Egypt, where he would oversee the storage and distribution of grain. Gen 41:41-43 Pharaoh also told Joseph, “I hereby place you…”… while your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to mine.” The other sheaves represented Joseph’s brothers, who would later come to Egypt for food and bow before him without initially recognizing him. The dream revealed God’s purpose before the events that would bring Joseph to Egypt had begun. Gen 42:6 Now Joseph was the ruler of the land; … “Do you intend to reign over us?” his brothers asked. Joseph’s dreams portrayed him as having authority over his family, an idea his brothers found offensive and threatening. As older sons, they expected to hold greater honor and leadership within the household. Gen 41:40-43 You shall be in charge of my house, and all my people… “Will you actually rule us?” Their response was filled with disbelief and contempt. Though they rejected the possibility, Joseph would later become Egypt’s chief administrator and exercise authority over them when they came seeking food during the famine. Gen 42:6-7 Now Joseph was the ruler of the land; … So they hated him even more because of his dream and his statements. Joseph’s dreams and his reports of them deepened his brothers’ envy. Their hatred would lead them to sell him into slavery, yet God would use their evil actions to place Joseph in the position foretold by the dreams. Act 7:9 Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him… Then Joseph had another dream Joseph’s second dream confirms that the first was not accidental but part of God’s unfolding purpose for his life. Gen 41:1-7 After two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream:… and told it to his brothers. Though their jealousy had already grown, Joseph again reported what he had seen, further intensifying their resentment. Gen 45:4-8 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near me.”… “Look,” he said, “I had another dream, The repeated dream underscores the certainty of the coming events. Gen 41:25-32 At this, Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh”… and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” The sun, moon, and eleven stars represent Joseph’s father, mother, and brothers. The dream foretells that his entire household would one day acknowledge his elevated position, fulfilled when the family came before him in Egypt during the famine. Gen 42:6-9 Now Joseph was the ruler of the land; … He told his father and brothers, Joseph openly shared the dream despite the tension already growing within the family. His openness revealed youthful immaturity and gave his brothers further cause for resentment. Psa 105:19-22 until his prediction came true and the word of the LORD… but his father rebuked him Jacob corrected Joseph because the dream appeared to place the son above his father and older brothers, overturning the expected order of the household. Pro 13:1 A wise son heeds his father’s discipline…… and said, “What is this dream that you have had? Jacob’s response expressed astonishment at what Joseph believed the dream meant and concern over its effect on the family. Gen 40:8 “We both had dreams,” they replied, “but there is no one… Will your mother and brothers and I actually come Although Rachel had died, Jacob spoke of the household as a whole, including those who filled a mother’s role within the family. Gen 45:9-11 Now return quickly to my father and tell him,… and bow down to the ground before you?” Such homage would have been unthinkable for a father and elder brothers to render to Joseph. Yet the dream anticipated the day when Joseph would be exalted in Egypt and his family would come before him in need. Gen 42:6 Now Joseph was the ruler of the land; … And his brothers were jealous of him, Jacob’s favor toward Joseph, shown in the special robe, and Joseph’s dreams of future authority intensified his brothers’ resentment. Their jealousy set in motion the betrayal that would take Joseph to Egypt, where God would later use him to preserve Jacob’s family during famine. Act 7:9 Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him… but his father kept in mind what he had said. Jacob rebuked Joseph’s dreams, yet he did not dismiss them. He considered the possibility that God was revealing Joseph’s future place within the family. Years later, Joseph’s brothers would bow before him in Egypt, fulfilling what Jacob had remembered. Dan 7:28 As for me, Daniel, my thoughts troubled me greatly…
Joseph Sold into EgyptJoseph’s earlier dreams had deepened his brothers’ jealousy, while Jacob’s favoritism continued to strain the family. Gen 38:1 About that time, Judah left his brothers… Joseph’s brothers had gone Their absence left Joseph at home with his father and prepared the circumstances that would send him away from Canaan. Gen 42:3 So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain… to pasture their father’s flocks Caring for the family’s livestock was an essential responsibility and a source of the household’s wealth and provision. 1Sa 17:15 David went back and forth from Saul to tend his sheep… near Shechem. Shechem was a fertile area suitable for grazing, though it also carried painful associations from the family’s earlier conflict with its inhabitants. Gen 35:4 So they gave Jacob all their foreign gods… Israel said to him, Jacob, now called Israel, speaks as the head of the family. Joseph held a special place in his father’s affection as Rachel’s son, a distinction that had already stirred resentment among his brothers. 1Sa 17:17-18 One day Jesse said to his son David, “Take this… “Are not your brothers pasturing the flocks at Shechem? The brothers were tending the family’s herds near Shechem, a place marked by earlier conflict involving Jacob’s household. Their distance from home and their hostility toward Joseph made the assignment dangerous. 1Sa 17:15 David went back and forth from Saul to tend his sheep… Get ready; I am sending you to them.” Israel entrusted Joseph with the task of checking on his brothers and the flocks. Joseph’s journey would lead to his betrayal, removal from his father’s house, and eventual preservation of the family during famine. Exo 3:10 Therefore, go! I am sending you to Pharaoh… “I am ready,” Joseph replied. Joseph answered with willing obedience, unaware of the danger ahead. His readiness to go to his brothers stands in contrast to their plans against him. Isa 6:8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying… Then Israel told him, Israel, once called Jacob, was the father of the twelve sons from whom the tribes of Israel descended. His instruction reflects his concern for the household and the tension already growing among Joseph and his brothers. Gen 47:29 When the time drew near for Israel to die, he called… “Go now and see how your brothers and the flocks are faring, The sons were grazing their father’s livestock at a distance from Hebron, carrying responsibility for a major part of the family’s wealth. Israel sent Joseph to learn whether both the men and the animals were safe. 1Sa 17:17-18 One day Jesse said to his son David, “Take this… and bring word back to me.” Joseph was to return as his father’s messenger with a report. Though Joseph’s brothers resented him, he obeyed his father’s command, beginning the journey that would lead to their betrayal. Num 13:27 And they gave this account to Moses: “We went… So he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron. Hebron was the region where Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had lived and where the covenant promises were closely tied to Israel’s family. From this familiar place, Joseph departed toward danger without knowing what awaited him. Gen 13:18 So Abram moved his tent and went to live near the Oaks… And when Joseph arrived in Shechem, Shechem lay north of Hebron and had been connected with earlier conflict in Jacob’s family. Joseph found that his brothers had moved on, extending his journey and bringing him closer to the events that would carry him into Egypt. Gen 12:6 Abram traveled through the land as far as the site… a man found him wandering in the field Joseph had gone to Shechem to find his brothers but did not know they had moved on. The unnamed man recognized his uncertainty and became the means by which Joseph was directed to Dothan. What appeared to be an ordinary encounter placed Joseph on the path to the events God would use to preserve Jacob’s family. Gen 16:7 Now the angel of the LORD found Hagar by a spring of water… and asked, “What are you looking for?” Joseph’s immediate concern was to locate his brothers and deliver his father’s message. His answer would lead the man to tell him that they had gone to Dothan, where Joseph would be rejected, sold, and taken to Egypt. Jhn 1:38 Jesus turned and saw them following. “What do you want?”… “I am looking for my brothers,” Joseph faithfully carried out Jacob’s instruction, even though his brothers’ hatred of him was already evident. His search led him away from Shechem toward Dothan, where their hostility would result in his being sold into slavery. 1Sa 17:17-18 One day Jesse said to his son David, “Take this… Joseph replied. Joseph spoke plainly and respectfully to the man who found him wandering in the field. Rather than abandoning the assignment when he could not locate his brothers, he asked for direction. Mat 8:8 The centurion answered, “Lord, I am not worthy… “Can you please tell me Joseph’s willingness to seek help shows his determination to complete his father’s request. Act 8:34-35 “Tell me,” said the eunuch, “who is the prophet talking about…… where they are pasturing their flocks?” His brothers were tending their father’s flocks, the customary work of the family. Learning their location set in motion the events that brought Joseph to Dothan and eventually to Egypt. Gen 29:6-7 “Is he well?” Jacob inquired. “Yes,” they answered,… “They have moved on from here,” the man answered. The unnamed man directs Joseph onward, showing how God’s providence guided him toward the events that would change his life. His brothers had left Shechem in search of pasture for their flocks. Gen 35:16 Later, they set out from Bethel, and while they were still… “I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” Dothan lay north of Shechem in a fertile region near major trade routes leading toward Egypt. Its location would soon bring Joseph into contact with passing merchants. 2Ki 6:13-14 So the king said, “Go and see where he is,”… So Joseph set out after his brothers and found them at Dothan. Joseph faithfully obeyed Jacob’s instruction and continued until he found his brothers. At Dothan, their resentment would lead them to seize him and sell him into slavery, beginning the path by which God would later preserve Jacob’s family. Gen 31:22-25 On the third day Laban was informed that Jacob had fled.… Now Joseph’s brothers saw him in the distance, Joseph found his brothers near Dothan, north of Shechem, where good pasture and major trade routes made it suitable for grazing flocks. The open country allowed them to recognize him as he approached, likely aided by the distinctive robe his father had given him. Luk 15:20 So he got up and went to his father… and before he arrived, Their resentment had already hardened into deliberate hostility. Joseph’s reports, his favored position in Jacob’s household, and his dreams of future prominence had deepened their jealousy. Before he arrived, they conspired to kill him. Pro 1:11 If they say, “Come along, let us lie in wait for blood…”… they plotted to kill him. The brothers agreed to remove Joseph permanently, repeating the pattern of violence between brothers seen earlier in Genesis. Their intended evil would not overturn God’s purpose: Joseph’s rejection would become the beginning of the events that brought him to Egypt and preserved Jacob’s family. Mat 21:38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another,… “Here comes that dreamer!” Joseph’s brothers saw him approaching from a distance and mocked the dreams he had reported, especially those portraying his family bowing before him. Their resentment had grown from jealousy into hatred, and they regarded his dreams as an arrogant claim rather than a message from God. Yet the dreams would prove true through Joseph’s later authority in Egypt. Deu 13:1 If a prophet or dreamer of dreams arises among you… they said to one another. The brothers acted together in their opposition to Joseph, leading to their plan to kill him and eventually sell him into slavery. Their betrayal became the means by which Joseph was taken to Egypt, where God would later use him to preserve the family during famine. Luk 20:14 But when the tenants saw the son, they said… “Come now, let us kill him Joseph’s brothers allowed jealousy over their father’s favor and Joseph’s dreams to harden into murderous hatred. Like Cain’s hatred of Abel, their resentment turned against a brother whose life exposed their own sinful hearts. Mat 21:38-39 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another,… and throw him into one of the pits. The pits were empty cisterns, deep reservoirs cut into the ground to collect water during the rainy season. Casting Joseph into one would leave him helpless and abandoned, removing him from their sight while they decided his fate. Jer 38:6 So they took Jeremiah and dropped him into the cistern… We can say that a vicious animal has devoured him. Their plan added deception to violence. By inventing a story for Jacob, they intended to hide their guilt and let their father grieve without knowing what they had done. Their cruelty toward Joseph was matched by their disregard for Jacob’s sorrow. Gen 44:28 When one of them was gone, I said: “Surely he has been”… Then we shall see what becomes of his dreams!” They believed they could prevent the fulfillment of Joseph’s dreams by destroying him. Instead, their actions became part of the path by which Joseph would be taken to Egypt and later raised to authority, preserving the family during famine. Gen 42:6 Now Joseph was the ruler of the land; … When Reuben heard this, Jacob’s firstborn learned of his brothers’ plan to kill Joseph. Though Reuben had failed seriously in the past, he still bore responsibility as the eldest and recognized the gravity of their hatred. Act 23:16-22 But when the son of Paul’s sister heard about the plot,… he tried to rescue Joseph from their hands. Reuben opposed the murder without openly confronting all his brothers, seeking a way to preserve Joseph’s life and later return him safely to Jacob. Pro 24:11-12 Rescue those being led away to death, and restrain… “Let us not take his life,” he said. He urged them not to commit bloodshed, knowing that killing their brother would bring lasting guilt and deepen the family’s sin. Exo 20:13 You shall not murder. “Do not shed his blood. Reuben, Jacob’s eldest son, restrained his brothers from murdering Joseph. Deu 19:10 Thus innocent blood will not be shed in the land… Throw him into this pit in the wilderness, He proposed abandoning Joseph in an empty cistern, intending to spare his life. Jer 38:6 So they took Jeremiah and dropped him into the cistern… but do not lay a hand on him.” Though unable to overcome his brothers openly, Reuben sought to prevent bloodshed. Gen 22:12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him,” said the angel… Reuben said this so that he could rescue Joseph from their hands His plan was to return later and remove Joseph from the pit. Psa 82:4 Rescue the weak and needy; save them from… and return him to his father. God used Reuben’s intervention to preserve Joseph for the purpose He would fulfill through him. Gen 42:37 Then Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons”… So when Joseph came to his brothers, Joseph had obeyed Jacob’s command and traveled from Hebron to find his brothers in Dothan. Rather than receiving him as family, they acted on the hatred stirred by his dreams and their father’s favor toward him. Jhn 1:11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. they stripped him of his robe— The brothers first removed the visible sign of Jacob’s special regard for Joseph. Their action was deliberate humiliation and rejection, treating him not as a brother but as an enemy. Mat 27:28 They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. the robe of many colors he was wearing— The robe marked Joseph’s favored position in Jacob’s household. Its removal began the chain of events that would carry Joseph into slavery in Egypt, yet God would use the brothers’ evil intentions to bring about His larger purpose. 2Sa 13:18-19 So Amnon’s attendant threw her out and bolted the door… and they took him Joseph’s brothers acted together against him, carrying out the hatred that had grown from their envy of their father’s favor and Joseph’s dreams. Mat 26:50 “Friend,” Jesus replied, “do what you came for.”… and threw him into the pit. They stripped Joseph of safety and freedom, abandoning him in a cistern near Dothan. Their actions were deliberate and cruel, though God would later use this suffering to preserve the family. Lam 3:53 They dropped me alive into a pit and cast stones upon me. Now the pit was empty, The cistern offered no refuge or means of escape. Joseph was isolated and completely dependent on what his brothers chose to do. Jer 38:6 So they took Jeremiah and dropped him into the cistern… with no water in it. Without water, the pit provided no sustenance and left Joseph in immediate danger. The detail heightens the severity of his brothers’ betrayal and the providence that would ultimately deliver him. Deu 8:15 He led you through the vast and terrifying wilderness… And as they sat down to eat a meal, Joseph’s brothers showed striking indifference to his suffering in the pit. While he was helpless and alone, they carried on with an ordinary meal, revealing the hardness of their hearts and the depth of their resentment toward him. Gen 31:54 Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain… they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. The travelers were merchants from the line of Ishmael, Abraham’s son by Hagar. They came from Gilead, east of the Jordan, a region known for producing valuable medicinal and aromatic goods. Their arrival provided Joseph’s brothers with an opportunity to profit from their betrayal. Gen 25:16-18 These were the sons of Ishmael, and these were… Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh These costly products were traded throughout the ancient Near East for use in medicine, perfume, anointing, and burial preparations. The caravan’s cargo indicates an established trade route connecting Gilead with Egypt. Gen 43:11 Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so… on their way down to Egypt. Egypt would become the setting for Joseph’s years of slavery, suffering, and eventual exaltation. His brothers intended to remove him from their sight, but God was directing Joseph’s path toward the land where He would preserve Jacob’s family during the coming famine. Gen 46:3-4 “I am God,” He said, “the God of your father”… Then Judah said to his brothers, Judah, Jacob and Leah’s fourth son, begins to take a leading role among his brothers. He interrupts their plan to kill Joseph, though his motive is practical rather than merciful. Jdg 1:3 Then the men of Judah said to their brothers the Simeonites… “What profit will we gain Judah weighs their hatred of Joseph against personal advantage. Their jealousy has overcome the loyalty owed to a brother. Job 21:15 Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him… if we kill our brother The brothers have seriously considered murdering Joseph because of his favored place in Jacob’s household and his dreams. Gen 4:8 Then Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out… and cover up his blood? Judah recognizes that murder would require concealment and bring guilt. He will propose selling Joseph instead, preserving his life while profiting from his removal. Job 16:18 O earth, do not cover my blood;… Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites Judah proposed selling Joseph to the passing traders instead of killing him. The Ishmaelites traveled established caravan routes through Canaan toward Egypt, making them likely purchasers of slaves. Gen 45:4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near me.”… and not lay a hand on him; Though the plan spared Joseph’s life, it did not spare him from cruelty. His brothers chose profit over mercy and removed him from his father and homeland. Gen 22:12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him,” said the angel… for he is our brother, our own flesh.” Judah appealed to their shared family bond, acknowledging that Joseph was Jacob’s son and their own brother. Yet their treatment of him revealed how deeply jealousy had hardened their hearts. 2Sa 19:12 You are my brothers, my own flesh and blood.… And they agreed. The brothers accepted the plan together and sold Joseph into slavery. Their sinful act became the means by which Joseph was taken to Egypt, where God would later use him to preserve his family. Act 5:9 How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord?… So when the Midianite traders passed by, Midianite merchants traveled the trade routes in caravans, carrying goods between the regions of Canaan and Egypt. As descendants of Abraham through Keturah, they were related to Jacob’s family, though they lived separately as nomadic trading peoples. Gen 25:4 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, and Hanoch.… his brothers pulled Joseph out of the pit Rather than leaving Joseph to die, the brothers acted on Judah’s proposal to profit from him while avoiding direct responsibility for his death. Joseph’s removal from the pit marked the beginning of his separation from his father and his descent into slavery. Jer 38:13 and they pulled him up with the ropes and lifted him… and sold him for twenty shekels of silver Twenty shekels was the customary price for a young slave. Joseph’s brothers treated him as property, selling their own brother for gain and concealing their crime from Jacob. Lev 27:5 And if the person is from five to twenty years of age,… to the Ishmaelites, The caravan is identified with both Midianites and Ishmaelites, related desert peoples who traveled and traded together. Both groups descended from Abraham through different sons. Gen 25:12 This is the account of Abraham’s son Ishmael… who took him to Egypt. Egypt became the place where Joseph would serve as a slave, suffer unjustly, and eventually rise to authority. His arrival there began the chain of events that would preserve Jacob’s family during famine and bring Israel into Egypt. Gen 39:1 Meanwhile, Joseph had been taken down to Egypt,… When Reuben returned to the pit Reuben had planned to rescue Joseph and return him safely to Jacob, perhaps hoping to restore some measure of responsibility as the firstborn after his earlier failure with Bilhah. The pit was likely an empty cistern, a deep reservoir cut into the ground for collecting rainwater, leaving Joseph isolated and helpless. 1Sa 30:1-3 On the third day David and his men arrived in Ziklag,… and saw that Joseph was not there, Reuben discovered that the other brothers had acted while he was away and that Joseph had been taken from the pit. Their decision set Joseph on the path to Egypt, though God would later use their evil act to preserve Jacob’s family during the famine. Gen 42:36 Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my sons.… he tore his clothes, Reuben responded with the customary sign of intense grief and alarm. He had lost the opportunity to save Joseph and now faced the consequences of his brothers’ deed, as well as the sorrow it would bring to their father. Job 1:20 Then Job stood up, tore his robe, and shaved his head.… returned to his brothers, Reuben came back to the brothers after intending to remove Joseph from the pit and restore him to Jacob. As the firstborn, he bore special responsibility within the family and now faced the consequences of the others’ actions. Luk 24:9 And when they returned from the tomb, they reported… and said, “The boy is gone! Finding the pit empty, Reuben realized that Joseph had been taken away. His alarm reflects both concern for Joseph and fear of Jacob’s response when Joseph’s disappearance became known. Gen 44:28 When one of them was gone, I said: “Surely he has been”… What am I going to do?” Reuben understood that he would be held accountable as the eldest son. His distress exposes the brothers’ growing guilt and sets the stage for the deception that would bring lasting grief to Jacob and division within the family. Gen 44:34 For how can I go back to my father without the boy?…
Jacob Mourns JosephThe robe marked Joseph as the favored son of Jacob and intensified his brothers’ jealousy. By removing it, they stripped him of the visible sign of his privileged place in the family and began the chain of events that would separate him from his father. Gen 27:15 And Rebekah took the finest clothes in the house… slaughtered a young goat, The brothers killed a goat to obtain blood for their deception. Their use of a goat recalls the earlier deceit within Jacob’s own family, when goat skins were used to mislead Isaac. Sin and deception continued to bring painful consequences across generations. Gen 27:9 Go out to the flock and bring me two choice young goats,… and dipped the robe in its blood. The bloodstained robe was intended to convince Jacob that Joseph had been killed by a wild animal. Though the brothers concealed their crime, God was directing Joseph’s path toward Egypt, where his suffering would later serve His purpose in preserving the family. Rev 19:13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood,… They sent the robe of many colors to their father Joseph’s brothers used the garment Jacob had given him as evidence for their deception. The robe marked Joseph as especially favored by his father, a distinction that had intensified their jealousy. By sending it rather than appearing before Jacob themselves, they concealed their involvement and avoided facing his grief. Jacob remained in Hebron, the family’s established home in the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 2Sa 13:18 So Amnon’s attendant threw her out and bolted the door… and said, “We found this. Their words were carefully chosen to suggest a conclusion without openly stating that Joseph was dead. They presented the bloodstained robe while withholding the truth of what they had done to their brother. 2Sa 1:10 So I stood over him and killed him, because I knew… Examine it to see whether it is your son’s robe or not.” The brothers knew Jacob would recognize the robe. Calling Joseph “your son” rather than “our brother” revealed how fully they had separated themselves from him. Their calculated deception brought Jacob to believe that Joseph had been killed. Gen 27:21-23 Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come closer… His father recognized it Jacob immediately knew the bloodstained robe belonged to Joseph, the son he especially loved. The garment had marked Joseph’s favored position within the family, and its appearance confirmed the story his other sons intended him to believe. Gen 38:25 As she was being brought out, Tamar sent a message… and said, “It is my son’s robe! The sight of the robe brought Jacob’s attachment to Joseph into sharp focus. His sons had used the gift he had given Joseph as evidence in their deception, concealing that they had sold their brother. Gen 27:15-16 And Rebekah took the finest clothes in the house… A vicious animal has devoured him. Accepting the evidence before him, Jacob concluded that Joseph had fallen prey to a wild beast, a genuine danger in the wilderness and pasturelands of the region. Jer 15:3 I will appoint over them four kinds of destroyers,… Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!” Jacob believed his son’s death was violent and final. Though Joseph was alive and being taken toward Egypt, Jacob’s grief would shape the years that followed while God worked through the brothers’ evil actions to preserve the family. 1Ki 13:24-28 As he went on his way, a lion met him on the road… Then Jacob tore his clothes, Overwhelmed by the report of Joseph’s death, Jacob tore his clothes, responding with the customary signs of intense grief. Jos 7:6 Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown… put sackcloth around his waist, He wore the coarse garment of mourning, openly expressing his sorrow and humiliation before God. 1Ki 20:31-32 Then the servants of Ben-hadad said to him, … and mourned for his son many days. Believing Joseph had been killed, Jacob grieved deeply for the son he especially loved. Unknown to him, Joseph was alive, and God was preserving him for a future purpose. 2Sa 12:16-23 David pleaded with God for the boy. He fasted… All his sons and daughters tried to comfort him, The whole household joined in Jacob’s mourning. His sons, though responsible for Joseph’s apparent death, concealed their guilt while helping sustain the deception. The family’s effort to comfort him shows how devastating Joseph’s loss appeared to Jacob. Job 2:11 Now when Job’s three friends came from their homes… but he refused to be comforted. Jacob’s grief was not eased by the presence or words of his family. Joseph was the son of Rachel, the wife Jacob loved, and his loss reopened deep sorrow within the family. Jer 31:15 This is what the LORD says: “A voice is heard in Ramah… “No,” he said. “I will go down to Sheol mourning for my son.” Jacob believed Joseph was truly dead and expected to carry this grief to his own death. Sheol refers to the realm of the dead, the destination of mankind after death. To Jacob, the loss was final. Gen 44:29 Now if you also take this one from me… So his father wept for him. Jacob continued to mourn Joseph while Joseph was alive and being carried toward the events God would use to preserve Jacob’s family. 2Sa 18:33 The king was shaken and went up to the chamber over the gate… Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt Midianite merchants carried Joseph from Canaan into Egypt along established caravan routes. Though his brothers meant to remove him from their lives, God used their evil act to bring Joseph to the land where his earlier dreams would begin to unfold. Gen 45:4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near me.”… to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh Potiphar, whose name means “he whom Ra has given,” served in Pharaoh’s administration and belonged to Egypt’s ruling class. Joseph’s purchase placed him within a household connected to the royal court, where events would eventually bring him before Pharaoh. Gen 39:1 Meanwhile, Joseph had been taken down to Egypt,… and captain of the guard. Potiphar oversaw Pharaoh’s guard and likely had responsibility for state prisoners. His authority explains how Joseph, after being falsely accused, would be confined in a prison connected to the royal household, where he would meet officials whose dreams opened the way to Pharaoh. Gen 40:3 and imprisoned them in the house of the captain of the guard… This is a draft of the Berean Study Bible. Please send all comments and recommendations to bereanstudybible@aol.com. Bible Hub |
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