Genesis 37:5
in Genesis 37Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
KJV
And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
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This verse in Genesis 37
Commentary
5 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
But this dream was evidently symbolical. The meaning was easily discerned, and, from its being repeated under different emblems, the fulfilment was considered certain (compare Ge 41:32), whence it was that "his brethren envied him, but his father observed the saying" [Ge 37:11].
This site's exposition
Joseph had a dream
on Genesis 37:5-8
Joseph had a dream of sheaves of grain in a field, and his brothers needed no interpreter for it. Their answer came back as two questions, whether he meant to reign over them and whether he would actually rule them. Joseph is the eleventh son, and the sheaves that bow are the sheaves of ten older brothers. Each telling raised the hatred a step.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
See the extraordinary degree of their blindness: they themselves interpreted the dream. In fact, it is not possible to claim that it was in ignorance of the future that they bore him ill will; rather, it was learning the future from the dreams that added to their hatred. O excess of stupidity! They should have shown Joseph greater favor after learning the facts, set aside any grounds for hatred, banished the passion of envy. But they were dulled in their thinking and could not see at a glance that everything they were doing rebounded on themselves, and so they aggravated their hatred of him. O why, poor tormented creatures, do you display such envy, denying your condition as brothers and the fact that the revelation of dreams makes obvious God's favor for him? After all, surely you do not now believe that the events foretold by God can be thwarted? You see, just as you made an interpretation of the dream, so will it shortly come to pass, no matter how many ruses you intend to devise. I mean, the Lord of all, creative and wise as he is, revealing the abundance of his characteristic power, often allows many obstacles to develop before fulfillment so that he may put into effect his previous decisions and thus demonstrate the extraordinary degree of his power.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren,....
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.
The words behind it
9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּחֲלֹ֤ם | vaiyachalom | and he dreamed | H2492 → | 29 times |
| יוֹסֵף֙ | yosef | Joseph | H3130 → | 213 times |
| חֲל֔וֹם | chalom | a dream | H2472 → | 65 times |
| וַיַּגֵּ֖ד | vaiyaged | and he told [it] | H5046 → | 370 times |
| לְאֶחָ֑יו | leechav | to brothers his | H251 → | 630 times |
| וַיּוֹסִ֥פוּ | vaiyosifu | and they increased | H3254 → | 212 times |
| ע֖וֹד | od | again | H5750 → | 490 times |
| שְׂנֹ֥א | seno' | to hate | H8130 → | 146 times |
| אֹתֽוֹ׃ | ʾoto | <obj.> him | H853 → | 10935 times |
וַיַּחֲלֹ֤םand he dreamed
vaiyachalomH2492 →29 times
יוֹסֵף֙Joseph
yosefH3130 →213 times
חֲל֔וֹםa dream
chalomH2472 →65 times
וַיַּגֵּ֖דand he told [it]
vaiyagedH5046 →370 times
לְאֶחָ֑יוto brothers his
leechavH251 →630 times
וַיּוֹסִ֥פוּand they increased
vaiyosifuH3254 →212 times
ע֖וֹדagain
odH5750 →490 times
שְׂנֹ֥אto hate
seno'H8130 →146 times
אֹתֽוֹ׃<obj.> him
ʾotoH853 →10935 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
Genesis 28:12And Jacob had a dream about a ladder that rested on the earth with its top reaching up to heaven, and God’s angels were going up and down the ladder.
it leads to
- John 1:51
Then He declared, “Truly, truly, I tell you, you will all see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
- Numbers 12:6
He said, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, will reveal Myself to him in a vision; I will speak to him in a dream.
- Genesis 32:1–2
Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him.
- Job 33:15–16
In a dream, in a vision in the night, when deep sleep falls upon men as they slumber on their beds,
- John 1:51
Through
John 17:14I have given them Your word and the world has hated them; for they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
it leads to
- John 17:16
They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
- John 15:18–21
If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me first.
- John 17:16
Through
Numbers 12:6He said, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, will reveal Myself to him in a vision; I will speak to him in a dream.
it leads to
- 1 Kings 3:5
One night at Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “Ask, and I will give it to you!”
- Genesis 46:2
And that night God spoke to Israel in a vision: “Jacob, Jacob!” He said. “Here I am,” replied Jacob.
- 1 Kings 3:5
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies4
On this chapter
About Genesis
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, HOMILIES ON GENESIS 61.7; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Mark Virkler, Understanding Your Prophetic Dreams! (Elijah List article) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.