Genesis | Reading Plan + Study QuestionsSample

GENESIS 37

JOSEPH’S DREAMS + HIS BROTHERS’ RESPONSE

Because Joseph is Jacob's favorite son, Jacob gives him a long robe of many colors. This made the other brothers very angry and jealous, so they hated Joseph.

Joseph has a dream where he and his brothers are gathering grain into sheaves. Joseph's sheaf stands upright, and the brothers’ bundles of grain bow down to Joseph’s sheaf. He tells this to his brothers, and they are offended. In Joseph’s second dream the sun, the moon, and eleven stars bow down to him. This dream irritates his brothers even more.

The brothers debate killing Joseph or leaving him in a pit to die. As they are plotting, they say “here comes this dreamer,” mocking Joseph. They decide to sell him as a slave to the Ishmaelites for twenty silver shekels. Reuben, Jacob's oldest son, wants to leave him in the pit, but Judah motions to sell him as a slave instead.

Joseph is taken to Egypt to be a slave to Potiphar, an officer to Pharaoh.

The brothers take Joseph’s colorful robe and dip it in the blood of a goat. They bring the robe to Jacob, who assumes Joseph is dead. Jacob is heartbroken, mourning inconsolably.

Jacob deceived his own father with a stolen coat and dead goat in Genesis 27, and now he is the one being tricked.

STUDY QUESTIONS

How did Joseph’s dreams come across as prideful to his brothers?

In Genesis 37:22, why did Reuben suggest throwing Joseph into a pit instead of killing him?