37 *Now Jacob lived in the land where his father was a foreigner, in the land of Canaan.

2 *These are the generations of Jacob.

Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers, and the boy was with the sons of Bilhah and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives. Joseph brought back a bad report about them to their father.

3 *Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was the son of his old age, and he made him a coat of many colors. 4 *But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.

5 *Now Joseph dreamed a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Please listen to this dream which I have dreamed. 7 *We were binding sheaves in the field. All of a sudden my sheaf rose up and stood upright, and your sheaves stood around it and bowed down to my sheaf.”

8 His brothers said to him, “Will you really reign over us, or will you really have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more because of his dreams and his words.

9 Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “I have dreamed another dream. The sun and the moon and eleven stars were bowing to me.”

10 *But when he told it to his father and his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Will I and your mother and your brothers really come to bow down ourselves to you to the ground?” 11 *So his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.

Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers, and the boy was with the sons of Bilhah and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives. Joseph brought back a bad report about them to their father.

3 *Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was the son of his old age, and he made him a coat of many colors. 4 *But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.

5 *Now Joseph dreamed a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Please listen to this dream which I have dreamed. 7 *We were binding sheaves in the field. All of a sudden my sheaf rose up and stood upright, and your sheaves stood around it and bowed down to my sheaf.”

8 His brothers said to him, “Will you really reign over us, or will you really have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more because of his dreams and his words.

9 Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “I have dreamed another dream. The sun and the moon and eleven stars were bowing to me.”

10 *But when he told it to his father and his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Will I and your mother and your brothers really come to bow down ourselves to you to the ground?” 11 *So his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.

3 *Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was the son of his old age, and he made him a coat of many colors.

5 *Now Joseph dreamed a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Please listen to this dream which I have dreamed. 7 *We were binding sheaves in the field. All of a sudden my sheaf rose up and stood upright, and your sheaves stood around it and bowed down to my sheaf.”

8 His brothers said to him, “Will you really reign over us, or will you really have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more because of his dreams and his words.

The symbols of the first dream were agricultural (37:6–7). In them, there may have been a hint of the way in which his authority over the family would be achieved

9 Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “I have dreamed another dream. The sun and the moon and eleven stars were bowing to me.”

The symbols of the second dream were celestial (37:9). The sun, moon, and 11 stars all bowed down to him. In the ancient world such astrological symbols often represented rulers. The dream, then, predicted the elevation of Joseph to a position of authority over his father, mother, and brothers—over the whole clan of Israel.

9 Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “I have dreamed another dream. The sun and the moon and eleven stars were bowing to me.”

The brothers realized what the dreams appeared to be saying, but they could hardly believe it. Their angry response to the revelation, in contrast to Joseph’s honesty and faithfulness, demonstrated very clearly why none of them was God’s choice as future leader of the family, for those who would also be leaders cannot be consumed with jealousy and hatred over God’s choice. But in their jealousy and anger they missed an important part of the revelation—they too would be stars, that is, rulers. But that did not register with them. All they heard was that they would bow down to him.

26 *Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? 27 *Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let us not lay our hand on him, for he is our brother and our own flesh.” So his brothers agreed.