Genesis 37:1,2 And Jacob.(Jacob was the dad of Joseph; Jacob's story is here and Joseph's basic story starts here in this chapter 37).dwelt in the land of Canaan wherein his father was a stranger.(was not one of the regular people living there). 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 report.

As Jacob's family was growing large the neighboring Canaanites took notice and became hostile toward them.

Genesis 37:3 Now Israel.(Jacob's name was changed to Israel, why?).loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a coat of many colors.

Genesis 37:4 And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him and could not speak peaceably unto him.

There were differences in heart of the majority of those in the Old Testament as compared to those in the later New Testament,

Genesis 37:5-7 And Joseph dreamed a dream.(about dreams).and he told it to his brethren. And they hated him yet the more. And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed. For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field and lo, my sheaf arose and also stood upright and behold, your sheaves stood round about and made obeisance to my sheaf.

Genesis 37:8 And his brethren said to him, Shall you indeed reign having dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams and for his words.

Genesis 37:9 And he dreamed yet another dream and told it his brethren and said, Behold, I have dreamed more about my previous dream and behold, the sun and the moon.(original for 'moon' is 'month', here meaning 'month of eleven stars', referring to his 11 brothers; pic and info on the moon).and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.

Joseph didn't see the impact of his dream at this time, which later turned out to be how he would save his family and all Egypt from seven years of famine (Genesis 41:29-31) when he ended up being ruler in Egypt just under Pharaoh and this all because of God turning the evil his brothers did to him, into good.for all:.Genesis 50:20.

Genesis 37:10,11 And he told it to his father and to his brethren. And his father rebuked him and said unto him, What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to the Earth to you? And his brethren envied him, but his father observed the saying.(thought there might be something to it, but had no idea what it could be).

Genesis 37:12 And his brethren went to feed their father's flock in Shechem.

Concise Bible Dictionary: Shechem was called Neapolis by the Romans, with its present name being 'Nablus'. It lies 32 degrees 13 North and 35 degrees 16 East. Its vicinity is luxurious in fruit and flowers. It is still partially inhabited by Samaritans,

Genesis 37:13 And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not your brethren feed the flock in Shechem? Come and I will send you unto them. And Joseph said to him, I'm ready to go.

Genesis 37:14-17 And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with your brethren and well with the flocks and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron and he came to Shechem. And a certain man found saw him and asked why he was wandering in the field. And the man asked him, saying, What are you looking for? And he said, I seek my brethren. Tell me please where they feed their flocks. 

Genesis 37:17 And the man said, They are departed from here, for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren and found them in Dothan.

Genesis 37:18 And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.

His brothers had the attitude of Cain.

Genesis 37:19,20 And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer comes. Come now therefore and let us slay him and cast him into some pit and we will say to dad that some evil beast has devoured him. And we shall see what will become of his dreams.

Genesis 37:21,22 And Reuben heard it and he delivered him out of their hands and said, Let us not kill him. And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness and lay no hand upon him.(don't hurt him), that they might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.

Reuben was trying to keep him alive by convincing his brothers that they would be rid of him if they did this, in hopes he would get out of the pit and make his way home safe.

Genesis 37:23 And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat.(his coat that his dad made for him; the brothers were jealous of Joseph as he was favored by his father Jacob), his coat of many colors that was on him.

Genesis 37:24 And they took him and cast him into a pit. And the pit was empty, there was no water in it.

Genesis 37:25 And they sat down to eat bread. And they lifted up their eyes and looked and behold, a company of Ishmaelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.

Mizraim was another name for Egypt way back when:.Genesis 10:6.

Genesis 37:26 And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother and conceal his blood?

Genesis 37:27 Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content with that idea.

Genesis 37:28 Then there passed by the Midianites merchantmen and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And they brought Joseph into Egypt.

Genesis 37:29,30 And Reuben returned unto the pit.(Reuben wasn't around when his brothers dragged Joseph out of the pit and sold him).and behold, Joseph was not in the pit and he rent.(he was anguished).his clothes. And he returned unto his brethren and said, The child is not around and I, whither shall I go to find him?

Genesis 37:31-35 And they took Joseph's coat and killed a kid of the goats and dipped the coat in the blood; And they took the coat of many colors and brought it to their father and said, This have we found. Know now whether it be your son Joseph's coat or no. And he knew it and said, It is my son's coat. An evil beast has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces. And Jacob rent.(tore).his clothes and put sackcloth upon his loins and mourned for his son many days. And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and he said, For I will die mourning about my son. Thus his father wept for him.

Genesis 37:36 And the Midianites.(one of the Arab nations which came from one of Abraham's sons named Midian of those called Ishmaelites, an Arab nation coming from Ishmael, also a son of Abraham but by a different woman).sold him into Egypt.(Genesis 39:1-23).unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's and captain of the guard.

THIS STORY OF JOSEPH IN THIS CHAPTER 37, NOW CONTINUES HERE AT CHAPTER 39.

Which pharaoh was this one? And here Joseph rises to the top, saves Egypt and his family from the famine and all this was the meaning of Joseph's dream he had so much earlier dreamt:.Genesis 37:5-11.

....continues to Chapters 38-39

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