Discovery BoxGenesis 37:18-20 
Context37:18 Now Joseph’s brothers 1 saw him from a distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. 37:19 They said to one another, “Here comes this master of dreams! 2 37:20 Come now, let’s kill him, throw him into one of the cisterns, and then say that a wild 3 animal ate him. Then we’ll see how his dreams turn out!” 4
Genesis 37:26-28
Context37:26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is there if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? 37:27 Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites, but let’s not lay a hand on him, 5 for after all, he is our brother, our own flesh.” His brothers agreed. 6 37:28 So when the Midianite 7 merchants passed by, Joseph’s brothers pulled 8 him 9 out of the cistern and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. The Ishmaelites 10 then took Joseph to Egypt.
1 tn Heb “and they”; the referent (Joseph’s brothers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 tn Heb “Look, this master of dreams is coming.” The brothers’ words have a sarcastic note and indicate that they resent his dreams.
3 tn The Hebrew word can sometimes carry the nuance “evil,” but when used of an animal it refers to a dangerous wild animal.
4 tn Heb “what his dreams will be.”
5 tn Heb “let not our hand be upon him.”
6 tn Heb “listened.”
7 sn On the close relationship between Ishmaelites (v. 25) and Midianites, see Judg 8:24.
8 tn Heb “they drew and they lifted up.” The referent (Joseph’s brothers) has been specified in the translation for clarity; otherwise the reader might assume the Midianites had pulled Joseph from the cistern (but cf. NAB).
9 tn Heb “Joseph” (both here and in the following clause); the proper name has been replaced both times by the pronoun “him” in the translation for stylistic reasons.
10 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Ishmaelites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
