Genesis 37:11
in Genesis 37And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept in mind what he had said.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And his brethren envied him; but his father kept the saying in mind.
KJV
And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.
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This verse in Genesis 37
Commentary
6 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
the sun and moon and eleven stars
on Genesis 37:9-11
The second dream says the same thing on a larger scale, the sun and moon and eleven stars bowing down. Jacob rebukes the telling and then keeps in mind what Joseph said. Rachel had already died at Genesis 35:19, and Clarke names that difficulty about the moon and leaves it standing. His brothers were jealous of him.
This site's exposition
his father kept in mind what he had said
Stephen names this jealousy at Acts 7:9 as the reason the patriarchs sold Joseph into Egypt, and he adds that God was with him. Jacob kept the saying and waited on it. Mary treasured the words spoken about her son in the same way at Luke 2:19.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
A commentator
Philoxenus of Mabbug13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 4 -- On Faith: First Discourse on Simplicity · Written before 523.
proposed
And with these men let us also consider Joseph the chaste, whose honour towards his father and whose love towards his brethren were born of simplicity; for his brethren were envious of him and he perceived it not, they devised murder against him and he …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And his brethren envied him,.... Notwithstanding all the precaution Jacob took to prevent it; they suspecting and fearing that these dreams portended the pre-eminence of Joseph over them, or however served to fill his mind with the hopes and expectation of it: but his father observed the saying; what Joseph had said in relating his dream; he laid it up in his mind and kept it there, often thought of it, and waited to see its accomplishment.
Note, The faith of God's people in God's promises is often sorely shaken by their misunderstanding the promises and then suggesting the improbabilities that attend the performance; but God is doing his own work, and will do it, whether we understand him aright or no.
Modern Voices1 voice
Numbers in dreams generally represent the identical number in waking life. However, the number will probably be linked to something that needs to be interpreted symbolically. For example, when Joseph dreamed of eleven stars, the eleven was literal but the stars were symbolic and actually represented his brothers.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
In his mind. This is also the correct meaning of kept in They kept His testimonies (Ps.:7).
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
He told his father of this dream concerning the sun, moon and stars, but not of the first one concerning the sheaves because he himself recognized its interpretation and knew that the sun alluded to his father, and his father rebuked him.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
7 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְקַנְאוּ־ | vaykanu- | and they were jealous | H7065 → | 34 times |
| ב֖וֹ | vo | of him | ||
| אֶחָ֑יו | ʾechav | brothers his | H251 → | 630 times |
| וְאָבִ֖יו | veaviv | and father his | H1 → | 1212 times |
| שָׁמַ֥ר | shamar | he kept | H8104 → | 468 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַדָּבָֽר׃ | hadavar | the matter | H1697 → | 1440 times |
וַיְקַנְאוּ־and they were jealous
vaykanu-H7065 →34 times
ב֖וֹof him
vo
אֶחָ֑יוbrothers his
ʾechavH251 →630 times
וְאָבִ֖יוand father his
veavivH1 →1212 times
שָׁמַ֥רhe kept
shamarH8104 →468 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַדָּבָֽר׃the matter
hadavarH1697 →1440 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Luke 2:19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
it leads to
- Luke 2:51
Then He went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But His mother treasured up all these things in her heart.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Luke 2:51
Through
Luke 2:51Then He went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But His mother treasured up all these things in her heart.
it leads to
- Luke 2:19
But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Luke 2:19
Through
Galatians 5:21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 6:9–10
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual…
- Romans 13:13
Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.
- Romans 8:13
For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
- Ephesians 5:5–6
For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure, or greedy person (that is, an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
- 1 Corinthians 5:11
But now I am writing you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a verbal abuser, a drunkard or a swindler.…
- 1 Corinthians 6:9–10
Through
Acts 7:9Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him
it leads to
- Genesis 39:2
And the LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, serving in the household of his Egyptian master.
- Genesis 39:2
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies4
On this verse
About Genesis
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Mark Virkler, Understanding Your Prophetic Dreams! (Elijah List article); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Philoxenus of Mabbug, 13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 4 -- On Faith: First Discourse on Simplicity.