37:1 And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a a
stranger, in the land of Canaan.
(a) That is, the story of such things as came to him and
his family as in (Ge 5:1)
37:2 These [are] the generations of Jacob. Joseph, [being]
seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his
brethren; and the lad [was] with the sons of Bilhah, and
with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives: and Joseph
brought unto his father their evil b report.
(b) He complained of the evil words and injuries which they
spoke and did to him.
37:5 And Joseph c dreamed a dream, and he told [it] his
brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
(c) God revealed to him by a dream what should come to
pass.
37:8 And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over
us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they
d hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his
words.
(d) The more God shows himself favourable to his own, the
more the malice of the wicked rages against them.
37:10 And he told [it] to his father, and to his brethren: and
his father e rebuked him, and said unto him, What [is]
this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother
and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee
to the earth?
(e) Not despising the vision, but seeking to appease his
brethren.
37:11 And his brethren envied him; but his father f observed
the saying.
(f) He knew that God was the author of the dream, but he
did not understand the meaning.
37:18 And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near
unto them, they (g) conspired against him to slay him.
(g) The Holy Spirit does not cover the faults of men, as
vain writers do, who make virtues out of vices.
37:24 And they took him, and cast h him into a pit: and the
pit [was] empty, [there was] no water in it.
(h) Their hypocrisy appears in this that they feared man
more than God: and thought it was not murder, if they
did not shed his blood or had excuses to cover their
fault.
37:28 Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew
and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to
the i Ishmeelites for twenty [pieces] of silver: and
they brought Joseph into Egypt.
(i) Moses writes according to the opinion of those who
took the Midianites and Ishmaelites to be one, and
here mixes their names: as also appears in
(Ge 37:36,39:1) or else he was first offered to
the Midianites, but sold to the Ishmaelites.
37:32 And they sent the coat of [many] colours, k and they
brought [it] to their father; and said, This have we
found: know now whether it [be] thy son's coat or no.
(k) That is, the messengers who were sent.
37:36 And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an
l officer of Pharaoh's, [and] captain of the guard.
(l) Or "eunuch", which does not always signify a man that
is gelded, but also someone that is in some high
position.
