GOD’S ANCIENT PEOPLE GENESIS _ALUN OWEN_ CHAPTER 37 JOSEPH’S DREAMS V1 Jacob lived in the country that is called *Canaan. That is the country where his father had stayed. V2 This is the story of Jacob’s family. When Joseph was 17 years of age, he and his brothers looked after the sheep. He ass... [ Continue Reading ]
‘The sons of Bilhah and Zilpah’ were Dan, Naphtali, Gad and Asher. (See Genesis 35:25-26.) Bilhah and Zilpah were Jacob’s extra wives. His wives were Leah and Rachel.... [ Continue Reading ]
Most people wore coats that had no sleeves. Their coats reached to their knees. Joseph’s coat had sleeves and it was extra long. It was a special gift that his father gave to him. Probably it meant that Joseph was Jacob’s favourite. (But some people think that the *Hebrew word does not mean a long c... [ Continue Reading ]
Joseph was foolish to tell his dream to his brothers. He knew that it would make them hate him more. His father had made him think that he was important. So he thought that he was more important than his brothers.... [ Continue Reading ]
Genesis usually tells us things in the order that they happened in. But sometimes it does not do this. These verses tell us what had happened earlier. We know that because of verse 10. That verse tells us that Joseph’s mother Rachel was still alive. So the things that are in these verses happened be... [ Continue Reading ]
Many years after this time, Joseph’s brothers did bend themselves down in front of him. (See Genesis 42:6; Genesis 44:14; Genesis 50:18.)... [ Continue Reading ]
Many years after this time, Joseph’s father and his brothers did go to Egypt to see him. But his father did not bend himself down in front of him. Instead, Joseph went to greet his father. (See Genesis 46:29-31.) JOSEPH’S BROTHERS PLOT AGAINST HIM V12 After that time, Joseph’s brothers took their... [ Continue Reading ]
Journeys like this were usual. When the sheep had eaten the grass in one region, they needed to move to another region.... [ Continue Reading ]
God began to carry out an important plan. Joseph’s journey from Hebron to Shechem was 80 kilometres (50 miles). But soon after this, God sent Joseph out of *Canaan, the country where he was, to another country. He sent him to Egypt. That was a journey of 400 kilometres (250 miles). And after that, i... [ Continue Reading ]
The brothers had gone to Dothan. That was an important part of God’s plan. By God’s plan, Joseph must go to Egypt. So it was important that Joseph should meet his brothers near Dothan. There the brothers might meet merchants who went to Egypt. They would not meet them anywhere else. The reason for... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Deep holes in the ground’. People had made deep holes in the rock in order to store water. The holes were large but they were narrow at the top. People filled the holes with water in the rainy season. They used the water in the dry season. Nobody could climb out of such a hole unless somebody else... [ Continue Reading ]
Reuben was the oldest brother. He considered that he was responsible for his brothers. Especially he was responsible for Joseph because Joseph was only 17 years of age.... [ Continue Reading ]
‘They dropped him into a deep hole.’ See the comment on verse 20. JOSEPH GOES TO EGYPT V25 Then the brothers sat down to eat a meal. While they ate their meal, they saw a group of Ishmaelite merchants. These merchants had come from Gilead and they were going to Egypt. They had camels, which carrie... [ Continue Reading ]
The Ishmaelites were probably *descendants of Ishmael. (See Genesis 25:12-18.) Gilead is the east part of the country that is called *Canaan. Gilead is east of the river Jordan. People use ‘spice’ to give more flavour to food. ‘Balm’ is a medicine. People use ‘myrrh’ to produce a pleasant smell.... [ Continue Reading ]
Judah and most of the other brothers made this plan. But Reuben considered that he was responsible for Joseph. He intended to go alone to the deep hole as soon as the meal was over. (See verse 29.) He intended to pull Joseph out of the hole. And he intended to send him back to his father at Hebron.... [ Continue Reading ]
The Midianites were probably *descendants of Midian, who was a son of Abraham. (See Genesis 25:2.) For Ishmaelites, see comment on verse 25.... [ Continue Reading ]
Reuben intended to rescue Joseph. (See verse 22.) But he did not find Joseph in the hole. He did not know what had happened. He was very sad because he could not give Joseph back to his father. V31 Then the brothers took Joseph’s coat. They killed a goat and they put the goat’s blood on the coat. V... [ Continue Reading ]
The brothers did not know what to tell their father. So they pretended that they had not seen Joseph. They pretended that they had found Joseph’s coat. They pretended that there was blood on the coat. So Jacob would not blame them. Instead, he would blame a wild animal.... [ Continue Reading ]
Bible students do not agree about why this verse says ‘Midianites’ and not ‘Ishmaelites’. (See comment on verse 28.) Some students say that this verse speaks briefly. It probably means, ‘Meanwhile the Midianites sold Joseph as a slave. People took him to Potiphar in Egypt.’ The Midianites did not se... [ Continue Reading ]