The First Book of Moses(Genesis) Introduction Contents, Design, and Plan of the Book of Genesis The first book of Moses, which has the superscription בראשׁיח in the original, Γένεσις Κόσμον in the Cod. Alex. of the lxx, and is called liber creationis by the Rabbins, has received the name of Genesis from its entire contents. Commencing with the creation of the heaven and the earth, and conclud…
1Habitó Jacob en la tierra donde había morado su padre, en la tierra de Canaán.
2Esta es la historia de la familia de Jacob: José, siendo de edad de diecisiete años, apacentaba las ovejas con sus hermanos; y el joven estaba con los hijos de Bilha y con los hijos de Zilpa, mujeres de su padre; e informaba José a su padre la mala fama de ellos.
3Y amaba Israel a José más que a todos sus hijos, porque lo había tenido en su vejez; y le hizo una túnica de diversos colores.
4Y viendo sus hermanos que su padre lo amaba más que a todos sus hermanos, le aborrecían, y no podían hablarle pacíficamente.
5Y soñó José un sueño, y lo contó a sus hermanos; y ellos llegaron a aborrecerle más todavía.
6Y él les dijo: Oíd ahora este sueño que he soñado:
7He aquí que atábamos manojos en medio del campo, y he aquí que mi manojo se levantaba y estaba derecho, y que vuestros manojos estaban alrededor y se inclinaban al mío.
8Le respondieron sus hermanos: ¿Reinarás tú sobre nosotros, o señorearás sobre nosotros? Y le aborrecieron aún más a causa de sus sueños y sus palabras.
9Soñó aun otro sueño, y lo contó a sus hermanos, diciendo: He aquí que he soñado otro sueño, y he aquí que el sol y la luna y once estrellas se inclinaban a mí.
10Y lo contó a su padre y a sus hermanos; y su padre le reprendió, y le dijo: ¿Qué sueño es este que soñaste? ¿Acaso vendremos yo y tu madre y tus hermanos a postrarnos en tierra ante ti?
11Y sus hermanos le tenían envidia, mas su padre meditaba en esto.
12Después fueron sus hermanos a apacentar las ovejas de su padre en Siquem.
13Y dijo Israel a José: Tus hermanos apacientan las ovejas en Siquem: ven, y te enviaré a ellos. Y él respondió: Heme aquí.
14E Israel le dijo: Ve ahora, mira cómo están tus hermanos y cómo están las ovejas, y tráeme la respuesta. Y lo envió del valle de Hebrón, y llegó a Siquem.
15Y lo halló un hombre, andando él errante por el campo, y le preguntó aquel hombre, diciendo: ¿Qué buscas?
16José respondió: Busco a mis hermanos; te ruego que me muestres dónde están apacentando.
17Aquel hombre respondió: Ya se han ido de aquí; y yo les oí decir: Vamos a Dotán. Entonces José fue tras de sus hermanos, y los halló en Dotán.
18Cuando ellos lo vieron de lejos, antes que llegara cerca de ellos, conspiraron contra él para matarle.
19Y dijeron el uno al otro: He aquí viene el soñador.
20Ahora pues, venid, y matémosle y echémosle en una cisterna, y diremos: Alguna mala bestia lo devoró; y veremos qué será de sus sueños.
21Cuando Rubén oyó esto, lo libró de sus manos, y dijo: No lo matemos.
22Y les dijo Rubén: No derraméis sangre; echadlo en esta cisterna que está en el desierto, y no pongáis mano en él; por librarlo así de sus manos, para hacerlo volver a su padre.
23Sucedió, pues, que cuando llegó José a sus hermanos, ellos quitaron a José su túnica, la túnica de colores que tenía sobre sí;
24y le tomaron y le echaron en la cisterna; pero la cisterna estaba vacía, no había en ella agua.
25Y se sentaron a comer pan; y alzando los ojos miraron, y he aquí una compañía de ismaelitas que venía de Galaad, y sus camellos traían aromas, bálsamo y mirra, e iban a llevarlo a Egipto.
26Entonces Judá dijo a sus hermanos: ¿Qué provecho hay en que matemos a nuestro hermano y encubramos su muerte?
27Venid, y vendámosle a los ismaelitas, y no sea nuestra mano sobre él; porque él es nuestro hermano, nuestra propia carne. Y sus hermanos convinieron con él.
28Y cuando pasaban los madianitas mercaderes, sacaron ellos a José de la cisterna, y le trajeron arriba, y le vendieron a los ismaelitas por veinte piezas de plata. Y llevaron a José a Egipto.
29Después Rubén volvió a la cisterna, y no halló a José adentro, y se rasgó los vestidos.
30Y volvió a sus hermanos, y dijo: El joven no aparece; y yo, ¿a dónde iré?
31Entonces tomaron ellos la túnica de José, y degollaron un cabrito de las cabras, y tiñeron la túnica con la sangre;
32y enviaron la túnica de colores y la trajeron a su padre, y dijeron: Esto hemos hallado; reconoce ahora si es la túnica de tu hijo, o no.
33Y él la reconoció, y dijo: La túnica de mi hijo es; alguna mala bestia lo devoró; José ha sido despedazado.
34Entonces Jacob rasgó sus vestidos, y puso cilicio sobre sus lomos, y guardó luto por su hijo muchos días.
35Y se levantaron todos sus hijos y todas sus hijas para consolarlo; mas él no quiso recibir consuelo, y dijo: Descenderé enlutado a mi hijo hasta el Seol. Y lo lloró su padre.
36Y los madianitas lo vendieron en Egipto a Potifar, oficial de Faraón, capitán de la guardia.
CARL FRIEDRICH KEIL AND FRANZ DELITZSCH OLD TESTAMENT COMMENTARY
I
Versículo 1
I. Gen 37:1-2
Gen 37:1-2
The statement in Gen 37:1, which introduces the tholedoth of Jacob, "And Jacob dwelt in the land of his father's pilgrimage, in the land of Canaan," implies that Jacob had now entered upon his father's inheritance, and carries on the patriarchal pilgrim-life in Canaan, the further development of which was determined by the wonderful career of Joseph. This strange and eventful career of Joseph commenced when he was 17 years old. The notice of his age at the commencement of the narrative which follows, is introduced with reference to the principal topic in it, viz., the sale of Joseph, which was to prepare the way, according to the wonderful counsel of God, for the fulfilment of the divine revelation to Abraham respecting the future history of his seed (Gen 15:13.). While feeding the flock with his brethren, and, as he was young, with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, who were nearer his age than the sons of Leah, he brought an evil report of them to his father (רעה intentionally indefinite, connected with דּבּתם without an article). The words נער והוּא, "and he a lad," are subordinate to the main clause: they are not to be rendered, however, "he was a lad with the sons," but, "as he was young, he fed the flock with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah."
Gen 37:3-4
"Israel (Jacob) loved Joseph more than all his (other) sons, because he was born in his old age," as the first-fruits of the beloved Rachel (Benjamin was hardly a year old at this time). And he made him פּסּים כּתנת: a long coat with sleeves (χιτὼν ἀστραγάλειος, Aqu., or ἀστραγαλωτός, lxx at Sa2 13:18, tunica talaris, Vulg. ad Sam.), i.e., an upper coat reaching to the wrists and ankles, such as noblemen and kings' daughters wore, not "a coat of many colours" ("bunter Rock," as Luther renders it, from the χιτῶνα ποικίλον, tunicam polymitam, of the lxx and Vulgate). This partiality made Joseph hated by his brethren; so that they could not "speak peaceably unto him," i.e., ask him how he was, offer him the usual salutation, "Peace be with thee."
II
Versículo 5
II. This hatred was increased when Joseph told them of two dreams that he had had: viz., that as they…
This hatred was increased when Joseph told them of two dreams that he had had: viz., that as they were binding sheaves in the field, his sheaf "stood and remained standing," but their sheaves placed themselves round it and bowed down to it; and that the sun (his father), and the moon (his mother, "not Leah, but Rachel, who was neither forgotten nor lost"), and eleven stars (his eleven brethren) bowed down before him. These dreams pointed in an unmistakeable way to the supremacy of Joseph; the first to supremacy over his brethren, the second over the whole house of Israel. The repetition seemed to establish the thing as certain (cf. Gen 41:32); so that not only did his brethren hate him still more "on account of his dreams and words" (Gen 37:8), i.e., the substance of the dreams and the open interpretation of them, and become jealous and envious, but his father gave him a sharp reproof for the second, though he preserved the matter, i.e., retained it in his memory (שׁמר lxx διετήρησε, cf. συνετήρει, Luk 2:19). The brothers with their ill-will could not see anything in the creams but the suggestions of his own ambition and pride of heart; and even the father, notwithstanding his partiality, was grieved by the second dream. The dreams are not represented as divine revelations; yet they are not to be regarded as pure flights of fancy from an ambitious heart, but as the presentiments of deep inward feelings, which were not produced without some divine influence being exerted upon Joseph's mind, and therefore were of prophetic significance, though they were not inspired directly by God, inasmuch as the purposes of God were still to remain hidden from the eyes of men for the saving good of all concerned.
III
Versículo 12
III. In a short time the hatred of Joseph's brethren grew into a crime. On one occasion, when they wer…
In a short time the hatred of Joseph's brethren grew into a crime. On one occasion, when they were feeding their flock at a distance from Hebron, in the neighbourhood of Shechem (Nablus, in the plain of Mukhnah), and Joseph who was sent thither by Jacob to inquire as to the welfare (shalom, valetudo) of the brethren and their flocks, followed them to Dothain or Dothan, a place 12 Roman miles to the north of Samaria (Sebaste), towards the plain of Jezreel, they formed the malicious resolution to put him, "this dreamer," to death, and throw him into one of the pits, i.e., cisterns, and then to tell (his father) that a wild beast had slain him, and so to bring his dreams to nought.
IV
Versículo 21
IV. Reuben, who was the eldest son, and therefore specially responsible for his younger brother, oppo…
Reuben, who was the eldest son, and therefore specially responsible for his younger brother, opposed this murderous proposal. He dissuaded his brethren from killing Joseph (נפשׁ פ הכּה ), and advised them to throw him "into this pit in the desert," i.e., into a dry pit that was near. As Joseph would inevitably perish even in that pit, their malice was satisfied; but Reuben intended to take Joseph out again, and restore him to his father. As soon, therefore, as Joseph arrived, they took off his coat with sleeves and threw him into the pit, which happened to be dry.
V
Versículo 25
V. Reuben had saved Joseph's life indeed by his proposal; but his intention to send him back to his …
Reuben had saved Joseph's life indeed by his proposal; but his intention to send him back to his father was frustrated. For as soon as the brethren sat down to eat, after the deed was performed, they saw a company of Ishmaelites from Gilead coming along the road which leads from Beisan past Jenin (Rob. Pal. iii. 155) and through the plain of Dothan to the great caravan road that runs from Damascus by Lejun (Legio, Megiddo), Ramleh, and Gaza to Egypt (Rob. iii. 27, 178). The caravan drew near, laden with spices: viz., נכאת, gum-tragacanth; צרי, balsam, for which Gilead was celebrated (Gen 43:11; Jer 8:22; Jer 46:11); and לט, ladanum, the fragrant resin of the cistus-rose. Judah seized the opportunity to propose to his brethren to sell Joseph to the Ishmaelites. "What profit have we," he said, "that we slay our brother and conceal his blood? Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites; and our hand, let it not lay hold of him (sc., to slay him), for he is our brother, our flesh." Reuben wished to deliver Joseph entirely from his brothers' malice. Judah also wished to save his life, though not from brotherly love so much as from the feeling of horror, which was not quite extinct within him, at incurring the guilt of fratricide; but he would still like to get rid of him, that his dreams might not come true. Judah, like his brethren, was probably afraid that their father might confer upon Joseph the rights of the first-born, and so make him lord over them. His proposal was a welcome one. When the Arabs passed by, the brethren fetched Joseph out of the pit and sold him to the Ishmaelites, who took him into Egypt. The different names given to the traders - viz., Ishmaelites (Gen 37:25, Gen 37:27, and Gen 37:28), Midianites (Gen 37:28), and Medanites (Gen 37:36) - do not show that the account has been drawn from different legends, but that these tribes were often confounded, from the fact that they resembled one another so closely, not only in their common descent from Abraham (Gen 16:15 and Gen 25:2), but also in the similarity of their mode of life and their constant change of abode, that strangers could hardly distinguish them, especially when they appeared not as tribes but as Arabian merchants, such as they are here described as being: "Midianitish men, merchants." That descendants of Abraham should already be met with in this capacity is by no means strange, if we consider that 150 years had passed by since Ishmael's dismissal from his father's house, - a period amply sufficient for his descendants to have grown through marriage into a respectable tribe. The price, "twenty (sc., shekels) of silver," was the price which Moses afterwards fixed as the value of a boy between 5 and 20 (Lev 27:5), the average price of a slave being 30 shekels (Exo 21:32). But the Ishmaelites naturally wanted to make money by the transaction.
VI
Versículo 29
VI. The business was settled in Reuben's absence; probably because his brethren suspected that he int…
The business was settled in Reuben's absence; probably because his brethren suspected that he intended to rescue Joseph. When he came to the pit and found Joseph gone, he rent his clothes (a sign of intense grief on the part of the natural man) and exclaimed: "The boy is no more, and I, whither shall I go!" - how shall I account to his father for his disappearance! But the brothers were at no loss; they dipped Joseph's coat in the blood of a goat and sent it to his father, with the message, "We have found this; see whether it is thy son's coat or not." Jacob recognised the coat at once, and mourned bitterly in mourning clothes (שׂק) for his son, whom he supposed to have been devoured and destroyed by a wild beast (טרף טרף inf. abs. of Kal before Pual, as an indication of undoubted certainty), and refused all comfort from his children, saying, "No (כּי immo, elliptical: Do not attempt to comfort me, for) I will go down mourning into Sheol to my son." Sheol denotes the place where departed souls are gathered after death; it is an infinitive form from שׁאל to demand, the demanding, applied to the place which inexorably summons all men into its shade (cf. Pro 30:15-16; Isa 5:14; Hab 2:5). How should his sons comfort him, when they were obliged to cover their wickedness with the sin of lying and hypocrisy, and when even Reuben, although at first beside himself at the failure of his plan, had not courage enough to disclose his brothers' crime?
VII
Versículo 36
VII. But Joseph, while his father was mourning, was sold by the Midianites to Potiphar, the chief of P…
But Joseph, while his father was mourning, was sold by the Midianites to Potiphar, the chief of Pharaoh's trabantes, to be first of all brought low, according to the wonderful counsel of God, and then to be exalted as ruler in Egypt, before whom his brethren would bow down, and as the saviour of the house of Israel. The name Potiphar is a contraction of Poti Pherah (Gen 41:50); the lxx render both Πετεφρής or Πετεφρῆ (vid., Gen 41:50). סריס (eunuch) is used here, as in Sa1 8:15 and in most of the passages of the Old Testament, for courtier or chamberlain, without regard to the primary meaning, as Potiphar was married. "Captain of the guard" (lit., captain of the slaughterers, i.e., the executioners), commanding officer of the royal body-guard, who executed the capital sentences ordered by the king, as was also the case with the Chaldeans (Kg2 25:8; Jer 39:9; Jer 52:12. See my Commentary on the Books of Kings, vol. i. pp. 35, 36, Eng. Tr.).
Antiguo Testamento
Genesis — Capítulo 37
The First Book of Moses(Genesis) Introduction Contents, Design, and Plan of the Book of Genesis The first book of Moses, which has the superscription בראשׁיח in the original, Γένεσις Κόσμον in the Cod. Alex. of the lxx, and is called liber creationis by the Rabbins, has received the name of Genesis from its entire contents. Commencing with the creation of the heaven and the earth, and conclud…
Texto — Reina-Valera 1960
1Habitó Jacob en la tierra donde había morado su padre, en la tierra de Canaán.
2Esta es la historia de la familia de Jacob: José, siendo de edad de diecisiete años, apacentaba las ovejas con sus hermanos; y el joven estaba con los hijos de Bilha y con los hijos de Zilpa, mujeres de su padre; e informaba José a su padre la mala fama de ellos.
3Y amaba Israel a José más que a todos sus hijos, porque lo había tenido en su vejez; y le hizo una túnica de diversos colores.
4Y viendo sus hermanos que su padre lo amaba más que a todos sus hermanos, le aborrecían, y no podían hablarle pacíficamente.
5Y soñó José un sueño, y lo contó a sus hermanos; y ellos llegaron a aborrecerle más todavía.
6Y él les dijo: Oíd ahora este sueño que he soñado:
7He aquí que atábamos manojos en medio del campo, y he aquí que mi manojo se levantaba y estaba derecho, y que vuestros manojos estaban alrededor y se inclinaban al mío.
8Le respondieron sus hermanos: ¿Reinarás tú sobre nosotros, o señorearás sobre nosotros? Y le aborrecieron aún más a causa de sus sueños y sus palabras.
9Soñó aun otro sueño, y lo contó a sus hermanos, diciendo: He aquí que he soñado otro sueño, y he aquí que el sol y la luna y once estrellas se inclinaban a mí.
10Y lo contó a su padre y a sus hermanos; y su padre le reprendió, y le dijo: ¿Qué sueño es este que soñaste? ¿Acaso vendremos yo y tu madre y tus hermanos a postrarnos en tierra ante ti?
11Y sus hermanos le tenían envidia, mas su padre meditaba en esto.
12Después fueron sus hermanos a apacentar las ovejas de su padre en Siquem.
13Y dijo Israel a José: Tus hermanos apacientan las ovejas en Siquem: ven, y te enviaré a ellos. Y él respondió: Heme aquí.
14E Israel le dijo: Ve ahora, mira cómo están tus hermanos y cómo están las ovejas, y tráeme la respuesta. Y lo envió del valle de Hebrón, y llegó a Siquem.
15Y lo halló un hombre, andando él errante por el campo, y le preguntó aquel hombre, diciendo: ¿Qué buscas?
16José respondió: Busco a mis hermanos; te ruego que me muestres dónde están apacentando.
17Aquel hombre respondió: Ya se han ido de aquí; y yo les oí decir: Vamos a Dotán. Entonces José fue tras de sus hermanos, y los halló en Dotán.
18Cuando ellos lo vieron de lejos, antes que llegara cerca de ellos, conspiraron contra él para matarle.
19Y dijeron el uno al otro: He aquí viene el soñador.
20Ahora pues, venid, y matémosle y echémosle en una cisterna, y diremos: Alguna mala bestia lo devoró; y veremos qué será de sus sueños.
21Cuando Rubén oyó esto, lo libró de sus manos, y dijo: No lo matemos.
22Y les dijo Rubén: No derraméis sangre; echadlo en esta cisterna que está en el desierto, y no pongáis mano en él; por librarlo así de sus manos, para hacerlo volver a su padre.
23Sucedió, pues, que cuando llegó José a sus hermanos, ellos quitaron a José su túnica, la túnica de colores que tenía sobre sí;
24y le tomaron y le echaron en la cisterna; pero la cisterna estaba vacía, no había en ella agua.
25Y se sentaron a comer pan; y alzando los ojos miraron, y he aquí una compañía de ismaelitas que venía de Galaad, y sus camellos traían aromas, bálsamo y mirra, e iban a llevarlo a Egipto.
26Entonces Judá dijo a sus hermanos: ¿Qué provecho hay en que matemos a nuestro hermano y encubramos su muerte?
27Venid, y vendámosle a los ismaelitas, y no sea nuestra mano sobre él; porque él es nuestro hermano, nuestra propia carne. Y sus hermanos convinieron con él.
28Y cuando pasaban los madianitas mercaderes, sacaron ellos a José de la cisterna, y le trajeron arriba, y le vendieron a los ismaelitas por veinte piezas de plata. Y llevaron a José a Egipto.
29Después Rubén volvió a la cisterna, y no halló a José adentro, y se rasgó los vestidos.
30Y volvió a sus hermanos, y dijo: El joven no aparece; y yo, ¿a dónde iré?
31Entonces tomaron ellos la túnica de José, y degollaron un cabrito de las cabras, y tiñeron la túnica con la sangre;
32y enviaron la túnica de colores y la trajeron a su padre, y dijeron: Esto hemos hallado; reconoce ahora si es la túnica de tu hijo, o no.
33Y él la reconoció, y dijo: La túnica de mi hijo es; alguna mala bestia lo devoró; José ha sido despedazado.
34Entonces Jacob rasgó sus vestidos, y puso cilicio sobre sus lomos, y guardó luto por su hijo muchos días.
35Y se levantaron todos sus hijos y todas sus hijas para consolarlo; mas él no quiso recibir consuelo, y dijo: Descenderé enlutado a mi hijo hasta el Seol. Y lo lloró su padre.
36Y los madianitas lo vendieron en Egipto a Potifar, oficial de Faraón, capitán de la guardia.
CARL FRIEDRICH KEIL AND FRANZ DELITZSCH OLD TESTAMENT COMMENTARY
Versículo 1
I. Gen 37:1-2
Versículo 5
II. This hatred was increased when Joseph told them of two dreams that he had had: viz., that as they…
Versículo 12
III. In a short time the hatred of Joseph's brethren grew into a crime. On one occasion, when they wer…
Versículo 21
IV. Reuben, who was the eldest son, and therefore specially responsible for his younger brother, oppo…
Versículo 25
V. Reuben had saved Joseph's life indeed by his proposal; but his intention to send him back to his …
Versículo 29
VI. The business was settled in Reuben's absence; probably because his brethren suspected that he int…
Versículo 36
VII. But Joseph, while his father was mourning, was sold by the Midianites to Potiphar, the chief of P…