Genesis 37:28

_AND JUDAH SAID UNTO HIS BRETHREN, WHAT PROFIT IS IT IF WE SLAY OUR BROTHER, AND CONCEAL HIS BLOOD?_ Judah said ... What profit? The sight of these traveling merchants gave a sudden turn to the views of the conspirators; because having no wish to commit a greater degree of crime than was necessary for the accomplishment of their end, they readily approved of Judah's suggestion to dispose of their obnoxious brother as a slave. The proposal, of course, was founded on their knowledge that the Arabian merchants trafficked in slaves; and there is the clearest evidence furnished by the monuments of Egypt that the traders, who were in the habit of bringing slaves from the countries through which they passed, found a ready market in the cities of the Nile. Slavery, as Wilkinson informs us, was tolerated in Egypt, and traders brought them to the market. White and black slaves, purchased with mon...

28._Then there passed by Midianites_. Some think that Joseph was twice sold in the same place. For it is certain, since Median was the son of Abraham and Keturah, that his sons were distinct from the sons of Ishmael: and Moses has not thoughtlessly put down these different names. (135) But I thus interpret the passage: that Joseph was exposed for sale to any one who chose, and seeing the purchase of him was declined by the Midianites, he was sold to the Ishmaelites. Moreover, though they might justly suspect the sellers of having stolen him, yet the desire of gain prevents them from making inquiry. We may also add, what is probable, that, on the journey, they inquired who Joseph was. But they did not set such a value on their common origin as to prevent them from eagerly making gain. This passage, however, teaches us how far the sons of Abraham, after the flesh, were preferred to the ele...

23-30 They threw Joseph into a pit, to perish there with hunger and cold; so cruel were their tender mercies. They slighted him when he was in distress, and were not grieved for the affliction of Joseph, see Amos 6:6; for when he was pining in the pit, they sat down to eat bread. They felt no remorse of conscience for the sin. But the wrath of man shall praise God, and the remainder of wrath he will restrain, Psalms 76:10. Joseph's brethren were wonderfully restrained from murdering him, and their selling him as wonderfully turned to God's praise....

Verse Genesis 37:28. _FOR TWENTY_ PIECES _OF SILVER_] In the _Anglo-Saxon_ it is [Anglo-Saxon] _thirty pence_. This, I think, is the first instance on record of selling a man for a slave; but the practice certainly did not commence now, it had doubtless been in use long before. Instead of _pieces_, which our translators supply, the Persian has [Persian] _miskal_, which was probably intended to signify a _shekel_; and if _shekels_ be intended, taking them at _three_ _shillings_ each, Joseph was sold for about _three pounds_ sterling. I have known a whole cargo of slaves, amounting to _eight hundred and_ _thirteen_, bought by a slave captain in Bonny river, in Africa, on an average, for _six pounds_ each; and this payment was made in _guns, gunpowder_, and _trinkets_! As there were only _nine_...

- Joseph Was Sold into Egypt 17. דתין _dotayı̂n_ Dothain, “two wells?” (Gesenius) 25. נכאת _n__e__ko't_ “tragacanth” or goat’s-thorn gum, yielded by the “astragalus gummifer”, a native of Mount Lebanon. צרי _tsērı̂y_ “opobalsamum,” the resin of the balsam tree, growing in Gilead, and having healing qualities. לט _loṭ_, λῆδον _lēdon_, “ledum, ladanum,” in the Septuagint στακτή _staktē_. The former is a gum produced from the cistus rose. The latter is a gum resembling liquid myrrh. 36. פוטיפר _pôṭı̂yphar_ Potiphar, “belonging to the

EXPOSITION GENESIS 37:26, GENESIS 37:27 AND JUDAH (apparently shrinking from the idea of murder) SAID UNTO HIS BRETHREN, WHAT PROFIT is it if (literally, _what of advantage that_)_ _WE SLAY OUR BROTHER, AND CONCEAL HIS BLOOD? (i.e. and hide the fact of his murder). COME, AND LET US SELL HIM TO THE ISHMAELITES, AND LET NOT OUR HAND BE UPON HIM (literally, _and our hand, let it not_ _be upon him_, i.e. to slay him); FOR HE IS OUR BROTHER AND OUR FLESH—or, more expressly, our brother and our flesh he (cf....

THEN THERE PASSED BY MIDIANITES, MERCHANTMEN,.... The same with the Ishmaelites before mentioned, as appears from the latter part of this verse; for as these were near neighbours, so they might join together in merchandise, and travel in company for greater safety, and are sometimes called the one, and sometimes the other, as well as they might mix together in their habitations and marriages; and are hence called Arabians by the Targums, as before observed, and so by Josephus, which signifies a mixed people: AND THEY DREW AND LIFTED UP JOSEPH OUT OF THE PIT: not the Midianites, but his brethren: AND SOLD JOSEPH TO THE ISHMAELITES FOR TWENTY [PIECES] OF SILVER; for twenty shekels, which amounted to twenty five shillings of our money. The Jews z say, they each took two shekels apiece, and bought with them a pair of shoes, according to Amos 8:6; but there were but

XII. THE GENERATIONS OF JACOB CHAPTER 37 The Story of Joseph _ 1. Jacob dwelling in Canaan (Genesis 37:1)_ 2. Joseph's character and feeding the flock (Genesis 37:2) 3. Beloved of his father (Genesis 37:3) 4. Hated by his brethren (Genesis 37:4) 5. The dream of the sheaves (Genesis 37:5) 6. The dream of the sun, moon and stars (Genesis 37:9) 7. Joseph seeks his brethren ...

To J we may assign Genesis 37:18_ b_ (and before, etc.), Genesis 37:21 (substituting Judah for Reuben), Genesis 37:23; Genesis 37:25; Genesis 37:27 (and sold to silver), to E Genesis 37:18_ a_, Genesis 37:19 f., Genesis 37:22;...

THERE PASSED BY MIDIANITES, MERCHANTMEN. In verses 25 and 27 they are spoken of as Ishmaelites. Evidently it was. large caravan, such as are accustomed still to travel over parts of Asia and Africa, with merchants of various tribes, with the Ishmaelites and Midianites as the leaders. In the Chaldee version they are spoken of as _Arabian_ merchants,. term which embraces both Ishmaelites and Midianites. SOLD JOSEPH FOR TWENTY PIECES OF SILVER. "This is,. think, the oldest instance on record of selling. man for. slave, but the practice did not commence at this time. It had doubtless been in use long before.... If shekels be intended by "pieces of silver," taking them at three shillings each, Joseph was sold for about three pounds sterling ($15). As there were only ten brethren present, and they sold Joseph for twenty shekels, each had two shekels for his part in the infamous transaction....