And he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks.
What does Genesis 37:16 mean?
How readily does Joseph wait his father's orders! Those children who are best beloved by their parents, should be the most ready to obey them.
Key themes
Read with
Keep this verse inside Genesis 37:15-19 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on Genesis 37:16
And he said, I seek my brethren,.... Whom, no doubt, he described to the man, and told him who they were, and to whom they belonged; or otherwise the man would have been at a loss to know who he meant, and what further to say to him, and without which Joseph would never have made the following request to him: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks; in what part of the country they are, what field they are in, how far to it, and which the way.
Key words
- said
-
And he said, I seek my brethren,.
- brethren
-
And he said, I seek my brethren,.
Context in Genesis 37
Show chapter context
Genesis 37 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as the family line through Isaac and Jacob. Genesis opens the whole Bible with creation, fall, flood, Babel, and the long patriarchal story that carries the reader from Eden to Egypt. Read this chapter with the wider themes of creation, fall, and covenant in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
Related topics
Explore by topic
A guided collection of passages on God’s love, neighbor-love, steadfast covenant love, and the shape of love in Christian life.
A collection of passages on hope under pressure, future inheritance, resurrection expectation, and confidence in God’s final faithfulness.
Passages on asking, persistence, confession, dependence, and the way prayer shapes Christian life and attention.