And they took Joseph’s coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood;
What does Genesis 37:31 mean?
When Satan has taught men to commit one sin, he teaches them to try to conceal it with another; to hide theft and murder, with lying and false oaths: but he that covers his sin shall not prosper long.
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside Genesis 37:31-35 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on Genesis 37:31
And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood; The brothers contrive to conceal their crime; and Joseph is sold into Egypt. "Torn, torn in pieces is Joseph." The sight of the bloody coat convinces Jacob at once that Joseph has been devoured by a wild beast. "All his daughters." Only one daughter of Jacob is mentioned by name. These are probably his daughters-in-law. "To the grave." Sheol is the place to which the soul departs at death. It is so called from its ever craving, or being empty. "Minister.
Key words
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And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood; And they took Joseph's coat,.
- killed
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And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood; And they took Joseph's coat,.
- goats
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And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood; And they took Joseph's coat,.
Context in Genesis 37
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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.
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A collection of passages on hope under pressure, future inheritance, resurrection expectation, and confidence in God’s final faithfulness.