Genesis 37:8
in Genesis 37“Do you intend to reign over us?” his brothers asked. “Will you actually rule us?” So they hated him even more because of his dream and his statements.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.
KJV
And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.
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This verse in Genesis 37
Commentary
7 notes on this verseThou that art the youngest, over us that are elder? The reign of Jesus Christ, our Joseph, is despised and striven against by an unbelieving world, who cannot endure to think that this man should reign over them. The dominion also of the upright in the morning of the resurrection is thought of with the utmost disdain.
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.
This site's exposition
because of his dream and his statements
Both questions double the verb in Hebrew, reign will you reign and rule will you rule, and the Berean carries that force with the word actually. Joseph gives the answer at Genesis 45:8, where God has made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. The Hebrew says dreams, plural.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Why do you envy and hate the righteous, if God revealed to him his own mysteries and made clear through visions what would have happened at the end of time? Why do you grieve at the sight of his embroidered tunic, if the just Father honored him by loving him more than everybody else, and sent him to visit you as a Shepherd among the shepherds, and presented to the world a trustworthy witness and a sheaf for his old age, and raised from the dead a holy firstborn as first fruits? Why do you get angry if the sun and the moon and the eleven stars worship him? They are there from the ancient times to prefigure him. And neither Jacob was called "sun," nor Rachel was called "moon," and the events did not happened in this manner.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Thou, who are the youngest, over us who are older?" Note, The reign and dominion of Jesus Christ, our Joseph, have been, and are, despised and striven against by a carnal and unbelieving world, who cannot endure to think that this man should reign over them. The dominion also of the upright, in the morning of the resurrection, is thought of with the utmost disdain.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
And his brethren said unto him,.... After he had told his dream, being highly offended with him, understanding the dream, and the meaning of it, better than he did: shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shall thou indeed have dominion over us? denying that he ever should, and reproving him for his vanity, in concluding from hence that he would have the dominion over them.
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
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֤אמְרוּ | vaiyomeru | and they said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לוֹ֙ | lo | to <the> him | ||
| אֶחָ֔יו | ʾechav | brothers his | H251 → | 630 times |
| הֲמָלֹ֤ךְ | hamalokh | ¿ really <to reign> | H4427 → | 348 times |
| תִּמְלֹךְ֙ | timlokh | will you reign | H4427 → | 348 times |
| עָלֵ֔ינוּ | ʾaleinu | over us | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | or? | H518 → | 1069 times |
| מָשׁ֥וֹל | mashol | certainly <to rule> | H4910 → | 81 times |
| תִּמְשֹׁ֖ל | timshol | will you rule | H4910 → | 81 times |
| בָּ֑נוּ | banu | over <the> us | ||
| וַיּוֹסִ֤פוּ | vaiyosifu | and they increased | H3254 → | 212 times |
| עוֹד֙ | ʾod | again | H5750 → | 490 times |
| שְׂנֹ֣א | seno' | to hate | H8130 → | 146 times |
| אֹת֔וֹ | ʾoto | <obj.> him | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| חֲלֹמֹתָ֖יו | chalomotav | dreams his | H2472 → | 65 times |
| וְעַל־ | veal- | and on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| דְּבָרָֽיו׃ | devarav | words his | H1697 → | 1440 times |
וַיֹּ֤אמְרוּand they said
vaiyomeruH559 →5305 times
לוֹ֙to <the> him
lo
אֶחָ֔יוbrothers his
ʾechavH251 →630 times
הֲמָלֹ֤ךְ¿ really <to reign>
hamalokhH4427 →348 times
תִּמְלֹךְ֙will you reign
timlokhH4427 →348 times
עָלֵ֔ינוּover us
ʾaleinuH5921 →5755 times
אִם־or?
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
מָשׁ֥וֹלcertainly <to rule>
masholH4910 →81 times
תִּמְשֹׁ֖לwill you rule
timsholH4910 →81 times
בָּ֑נוּover <the> us
banu
וַיּוֹסִ֤פוּand they increased
vaiyosifuH3254 →212 times
עוֹד֙again
ʾodH5750 →490 times
שְׂנֹ֣אto hate
seno'H8130 →146 times
אֹת֔וֹ<obj.> him
ʾotoH853 →10935 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
חֲלֹמֹתָ֖יוdreams his
chalomotavH2472 →65 times
וְעַל־and on
veal-H5921 →5755 times
דְּבָרָֽיו׃words his
devaravH1697 →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
Hebrews 10:29How much more severely do you think one deserves to be punished who has trampled on the Son of God, profaned the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and insulted the Spirit of…
it leads to
- Ephesians 4:30
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
- Hebrews 6:6
and then have fallen away—to be restored to repentance, because they themselves are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting Him to open shame.
- Isaiah 63:10
But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit. So He turned and became their enemy, and He Himself fought against them.
- Luke 12:10
And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
- Ephesians 4:30
Through
1 Samuel 10:27But some worthless men said, “How can this man save us?” So they despised him and brought him no gifts; but Saul remained silent about it.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 13:13
that wicked men have arisen from among you and have led the people of their city astray, saying, “Let us go and serve other gods” (which you have not known),
- 1 Kings 10:25
Year after year, each visitor would bring his tribute: articles of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.
- 2 Chronicles 17:5
So the LORD established the kingdom in his hand, and all Judah brought him tribute, so that he had an abundance of riches and honor.
- Deuteronomy 13:13
Through
Genesis 49:26The blessings of your father have surpassed the blessings of the ancient mountains and the bounty of the everlasting hills. May they rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 33:15–16
with the best of the ancient mountains and the bounty of the everlasting hills,
- Deuteronomy 33:15–16
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies4
On this verse
About Genesis
This page draws on Hippolytus of Rome, ON THE BLESSINGS OF ISAAC AND JACOB 2; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament; Mark Virkler, Understanding Your Prophetic Dreams! (Elijah List article) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.