Discovery BoxGenesis 37:3-5 
Context37:3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons 1 because he was a son born to him late in life, 2 and he made a special 3 tunic for him. 37:4 When Joseph’s 4 brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, 5 they hated Joseph 6 and were not able to speak to him kindly. 7
37:5 Joseph 8 had a dream, 9 and when he told his brothers about it, 10 they hated him even more. 11
Genesis 37:11
Context37:11 His brothers were jealous 12 of him, but his father kept in mind what Joseph said. 13
Genesis 37:18-27
Context37:18 Now Joseph’s brothers 14 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! 15 37:20 Come now, let’s kill him, throw him into one of the cisterns, and then say that a wild 16 animal ate him. Then we’ll see how his dreams turn out!” 17
37:21 When Reuben heard this, he rescued Joseph 18 from their hands, 19 saying, 20 “Let’s not take his life!” 21 37:22 Reuben continued, 22 “Don’t shed blood! Throw him into this cistern that is here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” 23 (Reuben said this 24 so he could rescue Joseph 25 from them 26 and take him back to his father.)
37:23 When Joseph reached his brothers, they stripped him 27 of his tunic, the special tunic that he wore. 37:24 Then they took him and threw him into the cistern. (Now the cistern was empty; 28 there was no water in it.)
37:25 When they sat down to eat their food, they looked up 29 and saw 30 a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh down to Egypt. 31 37:26 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, 32 for after all, he is our brother, our own flesh.” His brothers agreed. 33
1 tn The disjunctive clause provides supplemental information vital to the story. It explains in part the brothers’ animosity toward Joseph.
sn The statement Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons brings forward a motif that played an important role in the family of Isaac – parental favoritism. Jacob surely knew what that had done to him and his brother Esau, and to his own family. But now he showers affection on Rachel’s son Joseph.
2 tn Heb “a son of old age was he to him.” This expression means “a son born to him when he [i.e., Jacob] was old.”
3 tn It is not clear what this tunic was like, because the meaning of the Hebrew word that describes it is uncertain. The idea that it was a coat of many colors comes from the Greek translation of the OT. An examination of cognate terms in Semitic suggests it was either a coat or tunic with long sleeves (cf. NEB, NRSV), or a tunic that was richly embroidered (cf. NIV). It set Joseph apart as the favored one.
4 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
5 tn Heb “of his brothers.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun “them.”
6 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
7 tn Heb “speak to him for peace.”
8 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
9 tn Heb “dreamed a dream.”
10 sn Some interpreters see Joseph as gloating over his brothers, but the text simply says he told his brothers about it (i.e., the dream). The text gives no warrant for interpreting his manner as arrogant or condescending. It seems normal that he would share a dream with the family.
11 tn The construction uses a hendiadys, “they added to hate,” meaning they hated him even more.
12 sn Joseph’s brothers were already jealous of him, but this made it even worse. Such jealousy easily leads to action, as the next episode in the story shows. Yet dreams were considered a form of revelation, and their jealousy was not only of the favoritism of their father, but of the dreams. This is why Jacob kept the matter in mind.
13 tn Heb “kept the word.” The referent of the Hebrew term “word” has been specified as “what Joseph said” in the translation for clarity, and the words “in mind” have been supplied for stylistic reasons.
14 tn Heb “and they”; the referent (Joseph’s brothers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
15 tn Heb “Look, this master of dreams is coming.” The brothers’ words have a sarcastic note and indicate that they resent his dreams.
16 tn The Hebrew word can sometimes carry the nuance “evil,” but when used of an animal it refers to a dangerous wild animal.
17 tn Heb “what his dreams will be.”
18 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
19 sn From their hands. The instigators of this plot may have been the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah (see v. 2).
20 tn Heb “and he said.”
21 tn Heb “we must not strike him down [with respect to] life.”
22 tn Heb “and Reuben said to them.”
23 sn The verbs translated shed, throw, and lay sound alike in Hebrew; the repetition of similar sounds draws attention to Reuben’s words.
24 tn The words “Reuben said this” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
25 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
26 tn Heb “from their hands” (cf. v. 21). This expression has been translated as “them” here for stylistic reasons.
27 tn Heb “Joseph”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
28 tn The disjunctive clause gives supplemental information that helps the reader or hearer to picture what happened.
29 tn Heb “lifted up their eyes.”
30 tn Heb “and they saw and look.” By the use of וְהִנֵּה (vÿhinneh, “and look”), the narrator invites the reader to see the event through the eyes of the brothers.
31 tn Heb “and their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh, going to go down to Egypt.”
32 tn Heb “let not our hand be upon him.”
33 tn Heb “listened.”
