Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
back to:
Genesis
Book: Genesis
Chapter: 37
Overview:
Joseph is loved of
Jacob, but hated
By his brethren.
(1-4)
Joseph's dreams.
(5-11) Jacob sends
Joseph to visit his
brethren, They conspire his
Death.
(12-22) Joseph's brethren
sell him.
(23-10) Jacob deceived,
Joseph sold to
Potiphar.
(31-36)
1-4 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. It is a history that has none like it, for displaying
the various workings of the human mind, both good and bad, and
the singular
Providence of
God in making use of them for
fulfilling his purposes. Though
Joseph was his
Father's
Darling,
yet he was not bred up in idleness. Those do not truly
Love
their children, who do not use them to business, and labour, and
hardships. The fondling of children is with good reason called
the spoiling of them. Those who are trained up to do nothing,
are likely to be good for nothing. But
Jacob made known his
Love,
By dressing
Joseph Finer than the
Rest of his children. It
is wrong for parents to make a difference between one
Child and
another, unless there is great cause for it,
By the children's
dutifulness, or undutifulness. When parents make a difference,
children soon notice it, and it leads to quarrels in families.
Jacob's sons did that, when they were from under his
Eye, which
they durst not have done at home with him; but
Joseph gave his
Father an account of their ill conduct, that he might restrain
them. Not as a
Tale-bearer, to sow discord, but as a
Faithful
Brother.
5-11 God gave
Joseph betimes the prospect of his advancement,
to support and comfort him under his long and grievous troubles.
Observe,
Joseph dreamed of his preferment, but he did not
Dream
of his imprisonment. Thus many young people, when setting out in
the world, think of nothing but prosperity and pleasure, and
never
Dream of trouble. His brethren rightly interpreted the
Dream, though they abhorred the interpretation of it. While they
committed crimes in order to defeat it, they were themselves the
instruments of accomplishing it. Thus the Jews understood what
Christ said of his kingdom. Determined that he should not reign
over them, they consulted to
Put him to
Death; and
By his
Crucifixion, made way for the exaltation they designed to
prevent.
12-22 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. See how deliberate
Joseph's brethren
were against him. They thought to slay him from malice
aforethought, and in cold
Blood. Whosoever hateth his
Brother is
a murderer, 1Jo 3:15. The sons of
Jacob hated their
Brother
because their
Father loved him. New occasions, as his dreams and
the like, drew them
On further; but this laid rankling in their
hearts, till they resolved
On his
Death.
God has all hearts in
his hands.
Reuben had most reason to be jealous of
Joseph, for
he was the
First-born; yet he proves his best friend.
God
overruled all to serve his own purpose, of making
Joseph an
instrument to save much people alive.
Joseph was a
Type of
Christ; for though he was the beloved Son of his
Father, and
hated
By a wicked world, yet the
Father sent him out of his
Bosom to visit us in great
Humility and
Love. He came from
Heaven to
Earth to seek and save us; yet then malicious plots
were laid against him. His own not only received him not, but
crucified him. This he submitted to, as a part of his design to
redeem and save us.
23-30 They threw
Joseph into a
Pit, to perish there with hunger
and cold;
So cruel were their tender mercies. They slighted him
when he was in distress, and were not grieved for the affliction
of
Joseph, see Am 6:6; for when he was pining in the
Pit, they
sat down to eat
Bread. They felt
No remorse of
Conscience for
the
Sin. But the wrath of
Man shall praise
God, and the
remainder of wrath he will restrain, Ps 76:10.
Joseph's
brethren were wonderfully restrained from murdering him, and
their selling him as wonderfully turned to
God's praise.
31-36 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.
Joseph's brethren kept their own and one
another's counsel for some time; but their villany came to
Light
at last, and it is here published to the world. To grieve their
Father, they sent him
Joseph's
Coat of colours; and he hastily
thought,
On seeing the bloody
Coat, that
Joseph was
Rent in
Pieces. Let those that know the
Heart of a parent, suppose the
Agony of
Poor Jacob. His sons basely pretended to comfort him,
but miserable, hypocritical comforters were they all. Had they
really desired to comfort him, they might at once have done it,
By telling the
Truth. The
Heart is strangely hardened
By the
deceitfulness of
Sin.
Jacob refused to be comforted. Great
Affection to any
Creature prepares for
So much the greater
affliction, when it is taken from us, or made
Bitter to us:
undue
Love commonly ends in undue grief. It is the
Wisdom of
parents not to bring up children delicately, they know not to
what hardships they may be brought before they die. From the
whole of this
Chapter we see with wonder the ways of
Providence.
The malignant brothers seem to have gotten their ends; the
merchants, who care not what they
Deal in
So that they gain,
have also obtained theirs; and
Potiphar, having got a fine young
Slave, has obtained his! But
God's designs are,
By these means,
in train for execution. This event shall
End in
Israel's going
down to
Egypt; that ends in their deliverance
By Moses; that in
setting up the true religion in the world; and that in the
spread of it among all nations
By the
Gospel. Thus the wrath of
Man shall praise the
Lord, and the remainder thereof will he
restrain.