Genesis 37:18
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Now Joseph’s brothers saw him in the distance, and before he arrived, they plotted to kill him.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
At this chapter begins the story of Joseph, who, in every subsequent chapter but one to the end of this book, makes the greatest figure. He was Jacob's eldest son by his beloved wife Rachel, born, as many eminent men were, of a mother that had been long barren. His story is so remarkably divided between his humiliation and his exaltation that we cannot avoid seeing something of Christ in it, who was first humbled and then exalted, and, in many instances, so as to answer the type of Joseph. It also shows the lot of Christians, who must through many tribulations enter into the kingdom. In this chapter we have, I. The malice his brethren bore against him. They hated him, 1. Because he informed his father of their wickedness (Gen 37:1, Gen 37:2). 2. Because his father loved him (Gen 37:3, Gen 37:4). 3. Because he dreamed of his dominion over them (Gen 37:5-11). II. The mischiefs his brethren designed and did to him. 1. The kind visit he made them gave an opportunity (Gen 37:12-17). 2. They designed to slay him, but determined to starve him (Gen 37:18-24). 3. They changed their purpose, and sold him for a slave (Gen 37:25-28). 4. They made their father believe that he was torn in pieces (Gen 37:29-35). 5. He was sold into Egypt to Potiphar (Gen 37:36). And all this was working together for good.
Open source ↗37:18-20 When Joseph’s brothers saw him coming, they devised a plot to kill . . . the dreamer and end his dreams. Earlier, they had unjustly killed the men of Shechem to avenge their sister (ch 34); in the region of Shechem, they now plotted to unjustly kill their own brother out of envy.
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
Other passages the community most often connects to this one. Tap to read.
When daylight came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.
Then Saul ordered his son Jonathan and all his servants to kill David. But Jonathan delighted greatly in David,
The wicked scheme against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them,
Though the wicked lie in wait for the righteous, and seek to slay them,
Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were two days away, and the chief priests and scribes were looking for a covert way to arrest Jesus and kill Him.
So from that day on they plotted to kill Him.
For I hear the slander of many; there is terror on every side. They conspire against me and plot to take my life.
But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’
But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and take his inheritance.’
When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people conspired against Jesus to put Him to death.