ToC | Reading the Old Testament. . . Chapter 2. Genesis 12-50 | ToC

     1. Joseph the Dreamer (37)

Joseph was the firstborn son of Jacob's most-loved wife Rachel, and Jacob made no secret of favoring him. The motif of preferential parental treatment continues (remember, Isaac loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob) and continues to be the source of family discontent.
    The first episode of the cycle effectively foreshadows later events. Joseph has two dreams in both of which his family bows down to him--and Joseph expends no effort in trying to hide this. The dreams and Joseph's skill at interpreting them also portend his use of his gift at Pharaoh's court.
    Understandably, his brothers became jealous of the favoritism Joseph gets, and perhaps they are equally put off by his superior airs. One day when he was far from his father making a delivery to his working brothers they seized him with the intention of killing him. The narrative turns a bit murky here as both Reuben and Judah seek to save his life. In the end Judah convinced his siblings to sell Joseph to traders (sometimes called Ishmaelites, other times Midianites). They returned Joseph's trademark colored tunic to Jacob all bloody and torn so that Jacob would believe he had been killed by an animal.

Joseph's Bloody Coat Brought to Jacob, by Diego Velázquez (1599-1660)

1630, Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial -- WebMuseum, Paris

ToC | Reading the Old Testament. . . Chapter 2. Genesis 12-50 | ToC