Genesis 37

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Genesis 37:1

Genesis 37:1. His father was a stranger— i.e.. A sojourner, not one of the original inhabitants and possessors of the land: the Hebrew, in the margin of our Bibles, in the land of his father's sojourning, is perhaps the most proper. The LXX have it, in which his father dwelt. read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Genesis 37:2

Genesis 37:2. These are the generations of Jacob— i.e.. These are the things which befel Jacob, the transactions of him and his family. As nothing is here said of genealogy, or beget-ting children, it is plain that the original word here, as in some other passages of Scripture, should be rendered the history. Two reasons are generally assigned, why Moses is more full in relating the adventures of Joseph, than of any other of Jacob's children. The one, because his life is a bright example of... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Genesis 37:3

Genesis 37:3. Son of his old age— We find Benjamin too was particularly beloved by Jacob; but he was not yet grown up to give proofs of superior piety and virtue, as Joseph had done. Jacob was about ninety years old, when Joseph was born. Onkelos renders it, because he was a wise son to him, taking old age for the prudence of old age. Josephus assigns the same reason; and several of the versions concur. A coat of many colours— As a token of his affection and superior regard to Joseph, Jacob... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Genesis 37:4

Genesis 37:4. Could not speak peaceably— The usual salutation with the Eastern nations was, peace be unto thee, which Dr. Shaw assures us is still retained among them; and may be one reason for the frequent use of the word "peace" in the New Testament. REFLECTIONS.—Nothing of the pathetic perhaps ever equalled the history of Joseph, which makes the principal part of the remainder of this book. The variety of the events, and the different distresses, with the happy conclusion of the whole, form... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Genesis 37:5

Genesis 37:5. Joseph dreamed—and they hated him yet the more— Every thing conspired to inflame the envy and malice of his brethren. Artabanus and Justin* ascribe, and very justly, this envy to Joseph's superiority over his brethren in wisdom, piety, and virtue. It will appear very plain from the sequel how these dreams were fulfilled, all of which imported the same thing, the submission of the whole family to Joseph: but it deserves observation, how readily the father and the brethren... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Genesis 37:10

Genesis 37:10. He told it to his father, &c.— The old man, it is evident, was struck with the dream, and doubted not of its bearing an important meaning; he observed the saying; but fearing, perhaps, lest the young man might be too much elevated by the idea of superiority over his brethren, and thus incur their higher resentment, he thought fit to rebuke him, and to insinuate an impossibility in the completion, as the mother was dead, whom the moon was understood to signify; shall I and thy... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Genesis 37:14

Genesis 37:14. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, &c.— Hebron, where Jacob now dwelt, was at a considerable distance (sixty miles, according to Ainsworth) from Shechem, where Jacob having purchased some lands, ch. Genesis 33:19. his sons, driving their flocks to pasture according to the custom from place to place, came thither to feed them: and Jacob, not having heard of them for some time, began to be solicitous about their welfare, as the remembrance of their behaviour towards the... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Genesis 37:21

Genesis 37:21. Reuben heard—and he delivered, &c.— It should seem by this, as if they had seized upon Joseph as he approached nearer to them, and were about to dispatch him; when Reuben interposed, and saved his life. As Reuben was the eldest brother, he had probably most authority among them; but, knowing the inveteracy of their malice, he despaired of being able to save Joseph's life by open and direct methods, and therefore gave them the political counsel mentioned, Gen 37:22 which... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Genesis 37:25

Genesis 37:25. A company of Ishmeelites— They are called both Ishmeelites and Midianites, Genesis 37:28.; see Judges 8:1. It is most likely that they were, to use a modern phrase, a caravan of Arabian spice-merchants, consisting both of Midianites and Ishmeelites, travelling in companies for their greater safety, as it continues to be the custom in those countries to this day: and the spices, &c. which they carried down to AEgypt, were such, most probably, as they used in embalming their... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Genesis 37:28

Genesis 37:28. Twenty pieces of silver— About forty-seven shillings English, as it is generally understood to mean twenty shekels: an inconsiderable price; but they were in haste to get rid of him, upon any terms. Who discerns not, in all this transaction, a striking resemblance of the Jews' envy and hatred to him, who was wiser and better than themselves, who was sold for thirty pieces of silver, and whom Joseph prefigured in many circumstances? read more

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Genesis 37:1

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Genesis 37:2

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Genesis 37:3

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Genesis 37:4

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Genesis 37:5

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Genesis 37:10

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Genesis 37:14

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Genesis 37:21

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Genesis 37:25

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Genesis 37:28

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