And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.
What does Genesis 37:4 mean?
In Joseph's history we see something of Christ, who was first humbled and then exalted. It also shows the lot of Christians, who must through many tribulations enter into the kingdom.
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside Genesis 37:1-4 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on Genesis 37:4
4. could not speak peaceably unto himdid not say "peace be to thee" [Ge 43:23, &c.], the usual expression of good wishes among friends and acquaintances. It is deemed a sacred duty to give all this form of salutation; and the withholding of it is an unmistakable sign of dislike or secret hostility. The habitual refusal of Joseph's brethren, therefore, to meet him with "the salaam," showed how ill-disposed they were towards him. It is very natural in parents to love the youngest, and feel partial to those who excel in talents or amiableness. But in a family constituted as Jacob'smany children by different mothershe showed great and criminal indiscretion.
Key words
- brethren
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And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren,.
- father
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And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren,.
- loved
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And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren,.
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.