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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadPaul Kretzmann Commentary - Genesis 37:29 - 37:36
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Jacob's Grief over Joseph
v. 29. And Reuben returned unto the pit. The brothers had taken advantage of his absence to carry out Judah's plan. And, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes in deep grief and sorrow.
v. 30. And he returned unto his brethren and said, the child is not; and I, whither shall I go? He felt that his father would hold him, as the oldest, responsible for the welfare of, Joseph.
v. 31. And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood;
v. 32. and they sent the coat of many colors, and they brought it to their father, and said, This have we found; know now whether it be thy son's coat or no. In this way the brothers answered the cry of Reuben. The fine coat of Joseph, the object of their jealousy and their wrath, they soaked in the blood of a young goat and then delivered it to their father with a heartless notice. Thus one transgression gave birth to another, and the hearts of the sons were estranged from their father.
v. 33. And he knew it and said, It is my son's coat. Love sharpened Jacob's eyesight so that he had no difficulty in recognizing the coat. An evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces: torn, torn to pieces is Joseph. Thus the father was misled by the deception of his sons, reaching the conclusion which they had intended.
v. 34. And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days. He continued to wear the garment of deepest mourning for a long time.
v. 35. And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him. A poor enough effort it must have been on the part of the guilty sons, unless they were absolutely callous by this time. But he refused to be comforted; and he said, for I will go down in to the grave, into the realm of death,unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him. He saw only the dark night of death and mourning before him.
v. 36. and the Midianites sold him (Joseph)in to Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's and captain of the guard. As a slave he was sold to this eunuch, or officer, of the Egyptian king, who was the commander or captain of Pharaoh's body-guard, and incidentally the head-executioner. Joseph is a type of Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of the heavenly Father, sent down from heaven for the welfare of His brethren on earth. He also was sold for a few pieces of silver and subjected to every form of indignity. But in all these things, God's gracious counsel of salvation was carried out.