35. and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son—not the earth, for Joseph was supposed to be torn in pieces, but the unknown place—the place of departed souls, where Jacob expected at death to meet his beloved son. read more
D. What became of Esau 36:1-37:1Moses included this relatively short, segmented genealogy (toledot) in the sacred record to show God’s faithfulness in multiplying Abraham’s seed as He had promised. It also provides connections with the descendants of Esau referred to later in the history of Israel. Among his descendants were the Edomites (Genesis 36:8) and the Amalekites (Genesis 36:12). Lot, Ishmael, and Esau all walked out of the line of promise. This list also includes earlier inhabitants of... read more
Joseph was tending his father’s flock with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah. This description prefigures Joseph’s later shepherding role in relation to his brothers, after they became dependent on him. David also tended sheep in preparation for his role as a leader of people.Joseph’s "bad report" implies that the brothers were participating in serious wicked behavior. This is not hard to believe in view of their former treatment of the Shechemites and their later treatment of Joseph... read more
1. God’s choice of Joseph 37:2-11Joseph faithfully served his father even bringing back a bad report of his brothers’ behavior to him for which Jacob expressed his love by giving Joseph preferential treatment. However his brothers envied and hated him. God confirmed His choice of Joseph as leader, an event that perplexed Jacob and infuriated Joseph’s brothers. read more
E. What Became of Jacob 37:2-50:26Here begins the tenth and last toledot in Genesis. Jacob remains a major character throughout Genesis. Moses recorded his death in chapter 49. Nevertheless Joseph replaces him as the focus of the writer’s attention at this point. [Note: For some enriching insights into the similarities between the stories of Jacob and Joseph, see Peter Miscall, "The Jacob and Joseph Stories As Analogies," Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 6 (February 1978):28-40.]... read more
Joseph’s dreams were revelations from God (cf. Genesis 40:8; Genesis 41:16; Genesis 41:25; Genesis 41:28). Joseph, his brothers, and his father did not grasp their significance fully until God brought them to pass. Joseph regarded his dreams as important, however, and therefore did not hesitate to make them known to his family."This is the first dream in the Bible in which God does not speak (cf. Genesis 20:3; Genesis 28:12-15; Genesis 31:11; Genesis 31:24). It forms a transition in the... read more
It was not uncommon for shepherds to lead their flocks many miles from home in search of pasture. Shechem was about 60 miles north of Hebron. Jacob owned land there (Genesis 33:19). Dothan was 17 miles farther north. read more
2. The sale of Joseph into Egypt 37:12-36Joseph’s brothers met his second recorded visit to them with great antagonism. They plotted to kill him and so render his dreams impossible to fulfill. For practical reasons they decided to sell him and to deceive Jacob into thinking that a wild beast had killed him. In spite of their plan God kept Joseph alive and safe in Egypt. Ironically, by selling Joseph into Egypt his brothers actualized the dreams they sought to subvert. The focus of this pericope... read more
The extreme measures Joseph’s brothers considered to silence him have led some commentators to conclude that it was not just personal hatred springing from jealousy that motivated them (cf. Cain, Genesis 4:9). They may have wanted to alter the will of God as revealed in Joseph’s dreams as well."The brothers’ hate is therefore a rebellion against the matter contained in the dreams, against the divine power itself, standing behind them, who had given the dreams. The expression usually translated... read more
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Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Genesis 37:34
34. Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins—the common signs of Oriental mourning. A rent is made in the skirt more or less long according to the afflicted feelings of the mourner, and a coarse rough piece of black sackcloth or camel's hair cloth is wound round the waist. read more