Genesis 41, Pharaoh's Dreams

The teenage Joseph received two dreams which he unwisely shared with his brothers. Then in an Egyptian prison, he has interpreted two dreams. Another pair of dreams are coming...

Genesis 41:1-7, Pharaoh's dreams
When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing by the Nile, when out of the river there came up seven cows, sleek and fat, and they grazed among the reeds. After them, seven other cows, ugly and gaunt, came up out of the Nile and stood beside those on the riverbank.  And the cows that were ugly and gaunt ate up the seven sleek, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.

He fell asleep again and had a second dream: Seven heads of grain, healthy and good, were growing on a single stalk. After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted--thin and scorched by the east wind.  The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy, full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up; it had been a dream.

Pharaoh has two strange and vivid dreams. Like the other pairs of dreams, these two have similar components. That there are two similar dreams emphasizes the important prophetic nature of the dreams.

Alter points out the nightmarish aspects of the dreams: the cows suddenly become carnivores, turning and eating their herdmates. In a like manner, the heads of grain turn and snap up the other heads. In both cases, Pharaoh probably woke up in a cold sweat.

Genesis 41:8-13, The cupbearer remembers
In the morning his mind was troubled, so he sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.

Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, "Today I am reminded of my shortcomings. Pharaoh was once angry with his servants, and he imprisoned me and the chief baker in the house of the captain of the guard. Each of us had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own. Now a young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us, giving each man the interpretation of his dream. And things turned out exactly as he interpreted them to us: I was restored to my position, and the other man was hanged."

Finally, the cupbearer remembers Joseph.

Genesis 41:14-16, Pharaoh calls for Joseph
So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon. When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh.

Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it."

"I cannot do it," Joseph replied to Pharaoh, "but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires."

Joseph, called to appear before the king, prepares himself in the culturally appropriate manner, shaving his beard and possibly his head. He puts on clean clothes. When questioned by Pharaoh, Joseph says that his ability as dream-master comes from God. Again, possibly because of his teenage dreams, he appears confident that God has put him in this position.

Genesis 41:17-24, Pharaoh's dream
Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile, when out of the river there came up seven cows, fat and sleek, and they grazed among the reeds. After them, seven other cows came up--scrawny and very ugly and lean. I had never seen such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt. The lean, ugly cows ate up the seven fat cows that came up first. But even after they ate them, no one could tell that they had done so; they looked just as ugly as before. Then I woke up.

"In my dreams I also saw seven heads of grain, full and good, growing on a single stalk. After them, seven other heads sprouted--withered and thin and scorched by the east wind. The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads. I told this to the magicians, but none could explain it to me."

Pharaoh describes his dream. It repeats the number seven. (The earlier dreams, of the king's two servants, dealt with the number three.)

Here, as in other places, the narrator records the speaker repeating the story in detail, so that we hear the dreams a second time. I suspect this is partially due to the fact that much of Old Testament scripture was read (or recited) to an audience. The listeners did not have the luxury that readers do, of pausing, backtracking, and rereading the events.

Genesis 41:25-32, Joseph interprets Pharaoh's dream
Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, "The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do.

The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years; it is one and the same dream. The seven lean, ugly cows that came up afterward are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind: They are seven years of famine.

"It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land. The abundance in the land will not be remembered, because the famine that follows it will be so severe.

The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon.

Joseph interprets Pharaoh's dreams. He makes it clear that only God reveals dreams and that he is relying on (the one) God. The Hebrew word translated "God" here is elohim, a more general term for God than YHWH. Presumably Pharaoh understands that Joseph is talking about Joseph's god but no specific name is given here.

Genesis 41:33-38, Advice to Pharaoh
"And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food. This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that the country may not be ruined by the famine."

The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his officials. So Pharaoh asked them, "Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?"

Uninvited, Joseph suggests a response to the dream. He appears to recognize the opportunity now granted him by God.

Genesis 41:39-43, Pharaoh appoints Joseph to power
Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you."

So Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt." Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph's finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. He had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command, and men shouted before him, "Make way!" Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt.

Joseph is elevated to power. Once again he has a change of clothes. These garments are probably even better than the ornamental coat given him by his father!

Both the NIV footnotes and Alter's commentary react to the word translated "Make way!" in verse 43. It is an Egyptian loan word, Abrekh. It is obviously an exclamation of honor, but the exact meaning is unknown. The NIV suggests "bow down!" as an alternate translation. Clearly Joseph has ascended to royalty! He now rides in the Egyptian equivalent of a limousine.

Genesis 41:44-49, Serving the Pharaoh
Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I am Pharaoh, but without your word no one will lift hand or foot in all Egypt." Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt.

Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from Pharaoh's presence and traveled throughout Egypt. During the seven years of abundance the land produced plentifully. Joseph collected all the food produced in those seven years of abundance in Egypt and stored it in the cities. In each city he put the food grown in the fields surrounding it. Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand of the sea; it was so much that he stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure.

Joseph puts his plan into action. The stored grains are "beyond measure". (How are the grains preserved? Do they worry about rats or spoilage?)

Part of Joseph's rise to power is his ability to receive in marriage a daughter of an elite Egyptian priesthood. In verses 45 and 50, On is the city of Heliopolis, a site now within modern Cairo.

The name Potiphera means "he whom Ra has given". Ra was an ancient Egyptian deity.

Genesis 41:50-52, Manasseh and Ephraim
Before the years of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh and said, "It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father's household." The second son he named Ephraim and said, "It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering."

Unlike his mother Rachel, Joseph quickly has two sons. (NIV footnotes: Manasseh sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for "forget"; Ephraim sounds like the Hebrew for "twice fruitful.")

Genesis 41:53-57, Famine
The seven years of abundance in Egypt came to an end, and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all the other lands, but in the whole land of Egypt there was food.

When all Egypt began to feel the famine, the people cried to Pharaoh for food. Then Pharaoh told all the Egyptians, "Go to Joseph and do what he tells you."  When the famine had spread over the whole country, Joseph opened the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe throughout Egypt. And all the countries came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe in all the world.

The famine arrives and storehouses are opened. Joseph's dream interpretations are confirmed.

Some Hebrew vocabulary

Our Hebrew word for the day shalom

שָׁלוֹם

a masculine noun often translated "peace", but also signifying completeness or prosperity. In verse 16 above, the NIV translates Joseph as saying that God will give the Pharaoh the answer "he deserves." But the Hebrew is literally that God will give the Pharaoh the shalom answer, the answer of peace.

Some Random Thoughts

The religion of ancient Egypt, like that of the all ANE, was polytheistic, with many gods representing many attributes of life. Indeed, Joseph marries a leading woman in the worship of On. No comment is made on that marriage but it is easy to underestimate the polytheism of the ANE and so miss the repeated message that, against the flow of that culture, the descendants of Abraham are worshiping the One God.

First published Feb 17, 2023; updated Feb 17, 2026

Genesis 40, Joseph in Prison

Joseph, accused of attempted rape, has been imprisoned.

Genesis 40:1-8a, Joseph meets two men in prison
Some time later, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their master, the king of Egypt.  Pharaoh was angry with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the same prison where Joseph was confined.

The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he attended them. 

After they had been in custody for some time, each of the two men--the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were being held in prison--had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own. When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were dejected. So he asked Pharaoh's officials who were in custody with him in his master's house, "Why are your faces so sad today?"

"We both had dreams," they answered, "but there is no one to interpret them." 

Two imprisoned officials report strange dreams to the young dreamer.

Genesis 40:8b-15, Joseph interprets the cupbearer's dream
Then Joseph said to them, "Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams."

So the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream. He said to him, "In my dream I saw a vine in front of me, and on the vine were three branches. As soon as it budded, it blossomed, and its clusters ripened into grapes. Pharaoh's cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh's cup and put the cup in his hand."

"This is what it means," Joseph said to him. "The three branches are three days. Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your position, and you will put Pharaoh's cup in his hand, just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer.

But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison. For I was forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon."

Joseph insists that dream interpretation is in the realm of God and demands to hear the dream.  He appears confident that God will provide him with the correct interpretation.  At the conclusion of his interpretation of the cupbearer's dream, he asks for help once the dream is fulfilled.

Alter points out the Hebrew word translated "dungeon" at the end of verse 15 is bowr (בּוֹר.) This word has not occurred previously in this chapter; it previously occurred in Genesis only in chapter 37 where it described the pit into which his brothers confined him before selling him to the traders. This is the second time Joseph has been in a pit.

Genesis 40:16-19, Joseph interprets the chief baker's dream
When the chief baker saw that Joseph had given a favorable interpretation, he said to Joseph, "I too had a dream: On my head were three baskets of bread. In the top basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head."

"This is what it means," Joseph said. "The three baskets are three days. Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head and hang you on a tree. And the birds will eat away your flesh."

The second official hopes for a similar positive interpretation. His head too will be "lifted up." But not in the same way.

NIV footnotes: "hang you on a tree" could be "impale you on a pole".  Alter translates this passage as "impale you on a pole". 

Genesis 40:20-23, Dreams fulfilled
Now the third day was Pharaoh's birthday, and he gave a feast for all his officials. He lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker in the presence of his officials: He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, so that he once again put the cup into Pharaoh's hand, but he hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had said to them in his interpretation.

The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.

The dreams are fulfilled. In the excitement of returning to power, the chief cupbearer forgets Joseph.

This story is remarkably told, with the two parallel dreams about the next three days and the fulfillment of those dreams. Despite the dramatic evidence of God's touch on Joseph, Joseph is immediately forgotten.

Some Hebrew vocabulary

Our Hebrew word for the day talah

תָּלָה

a verb meaning to hang, to suspend. This is used in a number of places (here and in the book of Esther,  Esther 7, a thousand years later) to indicate an execution. The execution most likely involved cutting off the person's head and hanging the head on a pole, where the public could see the result of disobedience to the ruler. In Deuteronomy 21:22-23, one whose body is hung on a pole is cursed by God. Despite that, their body was to be taken down at night.

In the Old Testament the verb often indicates an execution, but it need not be used that way. The word appears in Job 26:7 where God suspends the earth over empty space and in Psalm 137:2 where grieving musicians hang their harps on nearby trees.

Some Random Thoughts

More on hanging.... In the 1860s, Russia invaded Bukhara in central Asia. Although they were eventually successful, an early defeat led to the Emirate of Bukhara displaying severed Russian heads on poles. This event was later preserved in a painting, below. So the execution first mentioned in this chapter was practiced for at least three millenia.

Heads of Russian soldkers on poles at Buhkara, c. 1866

In the New Testament, Paul, in his letter to the Galatians cites the Deuteronomy passage (mentioned above) and argues that Jesus, in his death on the cross, took on the curse of all mankind, as one cursed by being hung on a tree (see Galatians 3:13.)

First published Feb 16, 2023; updated Feb 16, 2026

Who Wrote the Torah?

Who wrote the Torah?

In Exodus 20, we read of the Law being given by YHWH to Moses.  But who wrote the Torah, the so-called Five Books of Moses? Tradition has that, like the law, all of it was written by Moses. But the author is not identified in Scripture and there are numerous opinions, some traditional, some relatively new (that is, within the last two centuries.)

The Five Books of Moses, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, were named in Greek, The Pentateuch (which means "five books".) The term "Book of the Law of Moses" appears in Joshua 8:31-32, but it is not clear what is meant there -- surely it is not the full Five Books? The same term appears in Joshua 23:6. Although the Law is given at Mt. Sinai to Moses, it is not clear if he wrote additional material. And at the end of the book of Deuteronomy we read of the death and burial of Moses. The Talmud taught that that final paragraph was added by Joshua.

Those of us who believe the Torah is Scripture have no obligation to believe the traditional statements that surround this question. There is evidence of some editing done at a later stage, possibly when the five books were brought together to present to Israel. Without appealing to Hebrew, one can see hints of this -- beyond the paragraph on the death of Moses -- when, in Genesis 34:7, the author (or editor?) write "Shechem had done an outrageous thing in Israel ... a thing that should not be done."  The phrase, "in Israel", which I have put in italics, jumps out as a statement about a nation, not a family. The author/editor says, in Genesis 36:31, in describing the descendants of Esau, "These were the kings who reigned in Edom before any Israelite king reigned." The writer seems aware of kings reigning in Israel, a comment presumably made by someone at least as late as Samuel or David.

There are numerous places in the Five Books in which an appeal is made to something that "remains to today." The tomb of Rachel, mentioned in Genesis 35:20 is one of many examples.  The author knew of the locations of these places (such as Rachel's tomb) and so seems relatively close to her time. This could have been written by Joshua or Samuel, some centuries later, for example. (Later Old Testament books will have similar statements, displaying the authors' expectations of readers, at the time of the writing.)

For one viewpoint on the authorship of the Torah, see this online article: Who Wrote the Torah According to the Torah?

The Documentary Hypothesis

Read any commentary on one of these five books and at some point you will be introduced to the more "modern" Documentary Hypothesis for the Pentateuch. The documentary hypothesis, dating from the late nineteenth century, claims that the Pentateuch has four independent sources.  Two of the sources are distinguished by their name for God: the J (Jehovah) document uses YHWH as the name for God while the E (Elohim) source uses Elohim, the more generic Hebrew word for "God". As we read through the Five Books, we will see that Deuteronomy repeats significant parts of the earlier books and so the documentary hypothesis claims a third writer, D, writing much of Deuteronomy. A fourth writer, P, from the Priestly class, supposedly focuses more on the liturgy and ritual of ceremonies and sacrifices. The Five Books were then supposedly put together by editors ("redactors") into a common Hebrew manuscript.

The arguments for the Documentary Hypothesis often lean on subtleties in Hebrew words, subtleties in the word usage in one passage as opposed to the word usage in another. Although I do not read Hebrew, I recognize in this discussion -- from my life as a university professor -- the scholarly desire to pick apart any concept, at times ad nauseum, in a sequence of papers or doctoral dissertations. In some places this can be very beneficial. (I love Hubbard's discussion of the word hesed in his commentary on Ruth and Ime's discussion of YHWH's name in her class on Exodus!)  In other places, conjecture spirals into more conjecture, without clear insight (at least to me.)  

The Wikipedia article on the Documentary Hypothesis (see link above) claims that this view has now collapsed and that there are a number of more recent viewpoints on how the Five Books came together, either as an original coherent document with a little bit of editing, or as a number of documents compiled by an editor. Robert Alter (not a Christian, but a Jewish scholar) attacks the Documentary Hypothesis because, in his opinion, the Hebrew text shows more coherence than that hypothesis admits.

Authors and editors

The question, "Who wrote the Torah?" can easily be expanded to all of the Old Testament. Who wrote the book of Ruth? Who wrote The Psalms? The Psalms show very clear evidence of compilation and editing; many editorial notes appear in the text of a psalm, just before the first verse.  

Similar questions arise in the New Testament -- the clearest example, requiring no knowledge of Greek, is the case of the first three Gospels, the Synoptic Gospels, presumably relying on a common source before they were written down. John, in his Gospel, is aware of either that common source or (more likely) one of the other gospels, for he writes down important episodes that the first three writers left out!  Ah, but I digress ... let me return to the Old Testament...

Pointer to Messiah

I find all of the questions interesting but not deeply significant.  I have no obligation to support any particular viewpoint on Pentateuch authorship and the text does not make a claim.  I do intend to read the Old Testament with at least as much respect as I would give any historical document, that is, I assume it is relatively coherent and is a source for our understanding of historical events. As a Christian, I assume that YHWH has, in these documents, a message for His People, using the Torah and later writings to point to the Jewish Messiah, Yeshua.  With that expectation, I find the writings moving and powerful ... and humbling.  I am immensely enjoying my study in the Old Testament!

First published Feb 6, 2023; updated Feb 15, 2026

Genesis 39, Joseph in Potiphar's House

After the brief interlude about Judah and Tamar, we return to the story of Joseph. The last 12 chapters of Genesis will describe the events that led the clan of Israel into Egypt. As our story of humanity focuses on a single man and his actions, we get considerable dialogue.

Genesis 39:1-6a, Joseph in Potiphar's house
Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh's officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.

The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in everything he did,

Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the LORD blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the LORD was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. So he left in Joseph's care everything he had; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. 

God blesses Joseph and his talents are recognized. As God blesses Jacob, the blessing extends to his Egyptian master.

Genesis 39:6b-10, Attempted seduction
Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, and after a while his master's wife took notice of Joseph and said, "Come to bed with me!"

But he refused. "With me in charge," he told her, "my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?"

And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.

But Potiphar's wife lusts after Joseph and tries to seduce him. Joseph declines, citing the trust Potiphar has placed upon him. Joseph's focus is on integrity.

Genesis 39:11-15, Sex refused
One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside.  She caught him by his cloak and said, "Come to bed with me!" But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.

When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, she called her household servants. "Look," she said to them, "this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed. When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house."

A final refusal sets off a cry of attempted rape. The wife's complaint to the servants has a primary accusation of sexual assault but hints at a secondary complaint about her husband's choices, that her husband has brought a foreigner to take advantage of the wife and household staff.

Genesis 39:16-19, Falsely accused
She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home. Then she told him this story: "That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me. But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house."

When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, "This is how your slave treated me," he burned with anger.

Potiphar believes his wife's accusation. Note that she blames him for allowing the incident. He hired "that Hebrew"!

Genesis 39:20-23, Prison!
Joseph's master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king's prisoners were confined. 

But while Joseph was there in the prison, the LORD was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph's care, because the LORD was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.

And so Joseph is imprisoned. (Potiphar's wife's accusation might have led to the execution of Joseph. The fact that Joseph is imprisoned, not executed, may suggest that Potiphar had some doubts about his wife's accusations.)

Even in prison, the talents of Joseph are recognized and people benefit by his stewardship. God has a long-term plan for Joseph, a plan stretching across more than a decade.

This chapter displays an Old Testament technique of inclusio (set of bookends). The story of Potiphar's wife is set off by these statements at the beginning and end of the chapter:

The Lord was with Joseph ... the Lord was with him and ... gave him success in everything he did,

and

 the Lord was with him...  the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.

These bookends set aside the episode of Potiphar's wife from the rest of the Genesis scroll and provides a counterpoint to the abuse and defeat Joseph appears to be suffering.

Some Hebrew vocabulary

Our Hebrew word for the day is the name Ibri

עִבְרִי

translated "Hebrew". This is the second time in Genesis that this term appears. (It is earlier used to identify Abraham in Genesis 14:13.) In this chapter the word is used by Potifar's wife as an insult. Later we will learn (Genesis 43:32) that the Egyptians found it detestable to eat with Hebrews.

Some Random Thoughts

The ministry of Joseph is marked throughout with integrity. He is a capable administrator and when propositioned, responds with a statement about his duty to Potiphar. The character of Joseph (supported by God's intervention) eventually leads Joseph to a position of prestige.

First published Feb 15, 2023; updated Feb 14, 2026

Genesis 38, Tamar

Jacob has been sold to Egypt. We will soon return to his story but we must first look at a strange event involving Judah.

This is a fascinating chapter of sex, children, struggles and conflicts over inheritance and progeny. It gives insight into the ancient Near East culture, a culture very different from our modern world. In it we follow the life of Judah, eventual father of an Israelite tribe that will include David ... and Jesus.

Genesis 38:1-5, Judah marries a Canaanite woman

At that time, Judah left his brothers and went down to stay with a man of Adullam named Hirah.  There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua. He married her and lay with her; she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, who was named Er. She conceived again and gave birth to a son and named him Onan. She gave birth to still another son and named him Shelah. It was at Kezib that she gave birth to him.

In quick succession, this passage tells of three sons born to Judah: Er, Onan and Shelah. This story covers several decades and so probably includes time prior to the trafficking of Joseph.

Recall that Rebekah was not happy that Ishmael married Canaanites, a people that were known for their idolatry.

Genesis 38:6-10, Onan's sin

Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. But Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the LORD's sight; so the LORD put him to death. 

Then Judah said to Onan, "Lie with your brother's wife and fulfill your duty to her as a brother-in-law to produce offspring for your brother."

But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so whenever he lay with his brother's wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from producing offspring for his brother. What he did was wicked in the LORD's sight; so he put him to death also.

We don't know the wickedness of Er, but the wickedness of Onan is to refuse responsibility for extending his older brother's lineage.  The church has long used this passage to condemn male masturbation but that completely ignores the text and context. Onan is practicing "coitus interruptus", not allowing his semen into Tamar. He has the pleasure and release of sex while avoiding the cultural responsibility that put him in Tamar's bed.

John Walton, in his commentary on Genesis, points out that Onan had much to lose by siring a son through Tamar.  Since Er was the firstborn, the birthright would go to Er and his descendants. (Recall Esau and Jacob's fight over he birthright!) But if Er has no sons, then the birthright passes on to Onan. However, any children of Tamar, Er's widow, fall in the line of Er and so the birthright would divert to them, not Onan. By siring sons with Tamar, Onan loses the birthright.

Genesis 38:11, Dismissal of Tamar

Judah then said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, "Live as a widow in your father's house until my son Shelah grows up." For he thought, "He may die too, just like his brothers." So Tamar went to live in her father's house.

Tamar stays with her own father and waits for a much later opportunity to have children and a lineage. Shelah is the youngest of the three sons and so expecting him to marry Tamar in time to give her a child seems a bit unreasonable.

Genesis 38:13-14, Death of Shua, scheme of Tamar

After a long time Judah's wife, the daughter of Shua, died. When Judah had recovered from his grief, he went up to Timnah, to the men who were shearing his sheep, and his friend Hirah the Adullamite went with him.

When Tamar was told, "Your father-in-law is on his way to Timnah to shear his sheep," she took off her widow's clothes, covered herself with a veil to disguise herself, and then sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that, though Shelah had now grown up, she had not been given to him as his wife.

Tamar learns that Judah has lost a wife and is headed off to sheep-shearing. Alter suggests that the time of sheep-shearing would have included some feasting and some drunken partying. Tamar sees an opportunity to intervene and have a child, to have descendants.  

Genesis 38:15-18, Judah impregnates Tamar

When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. Not realizing that she was his daughter-in-law, he went over to her by the roadside and said, "Come now, let me sleep with you." 

"And what will you give me to sleep with you?" she asked.

"I'll send you a young goat from my flock," he said. 

"Will you give me something as a pledge until you send it?" she asked.

He said, "What pledge should I give you?" 

"Your seal and its cord, and the staff in your hand," she answered. 

So he gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him.

Apparently a sign of prostitution, in that culture, was to wear a veil. (The veil may represent cultic identification with the bride of a fertility god, such as Baal.) The veil helps Tamar stay anonymous. Tamar is dressed this way for only Judah and they negotiate a price for her body.

Walton claims that in the surrounding Ugaritic culture, if the brother-in-law did not meet the requirements of siring a son with the widow, the father-in-law was obligated to step in. This would not be the custom in later Israel, but it is possible that Tamar believes that that obligation falls to Judah.

Genesis 38:19-23, Tamar disappears

After she left, she took off her veil and put on her widow's clothes again. Meanwhile Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite in order to get his pledge back from the woman, but he did not find her. He asked the men who lived there, "Where is the shrine prostitute who was beside the road at Enaim?" 

"There hasn't been any shrine prostitute here," they said.

So he went back to Judah and said, "I didn't find her. Besides, the men who lived there said, `There hasn't been any shrine prostitute here.'"

Then Judah said, "Let her keep what she has, or we will become a laughingstock. After all, I did send her this young goat, but you didn't find her."

Note the commonality of shrine prostitutes. Judah views this as just a negotiation poorly completed.

Genesis 38:24-25, Tamar reveals the father

About three months later Judah was told, "Your daughter-in-law Tamar is guilty of prostitution, and as a result she is now pregnant." 

Judah said, "Bring her out and have her burned to death!"

As she was being brought out, she sent a message to her father-in-law. "I am pregnant by the man who owns these," she said. And she added, "See if you recognize whose seal and cord and staff these are."

What a cruel world for women! Judah is willing to step aside for sex with a prostitute but, as the male in charge of Tamar's life, is willing to see her burned.

Genesis 38:26-30, Perez and Zerah
Judah recognized them and said, "She is more righteous than I, since I wouldn't give her to my son Shelah." And he did not sleep with her again.

When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand; so the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his wrist and said, "This one came out first."

 But when he drew back his hand, his brother came out, and she said, "So this is how you have broken out!" And he was named Perez. Then his brother, who had the scarlet thread on his wrist, came out and he was given the name Zerah.

Here we learn that Judah never gave Tamar to his son Shelah. 

According to the NIV footnotes, "Perez" means "breaking out" and "Zerah" can mean "scarlet" or "brightness."  This birth echoes the battle of twins, Jacob and Esau in Rebekah's womb.

Judah is no model hero for the Israelites! But, following the customs of the time, Perez, through Tamar, continues the lineage of Judah. That line, the descendants of Perez, will include Boaz, King David and the eventual Messiah, Jesus. 

Some Hebrew vocabulary

Our Hebrew word for the day is zera

 זֶרַע

a masculine noun meaning "seed." It is used in the Old Testament to not only identify literal seeds but the fruit of seeds such as crops or offspring. Here, in verses 8 and 9, it appears three times as "offspring." Then, in verse 9, "it" is "wasted" on the ground; the implication is that seed (semen) is wasted in Onan's sexual relations with Tamar.

Some Random Thoughts

Patriarchy and birthright undergird this chapter. Onan will not impregnate Tamar because he fears losing the birthright. Tamar's value as a woman relies on her motherhood, which is promised to her and then denied. So she plays the prostitute to regain her chance at motherhood. As she is pregnant with twins, the midwife makes sure to identify the firstborn with a scarlet thread. Later, like Jacob, the lineage of kings will run through Perez, despite the fact he was not the firstborn.

First published Feb 14, 2023; updated Feb 13, 2026

Genesis 37, Dreamer

After a brief interlude to track the descendants of Esau, we return to the story of Jacob/Israel and his sons.

Genesis 37:1-2, Tattle-tail

Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan. This is the account of Jacob. Joseph, a young man of seventeen, was tending the flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives, and he brought their father a bad report about them.

Teenage Joseph is sure of himself and brings a bad report to Jacob about his adult brothers. (We are not told the substance of the report.) One sees the dispute between Rachel and the other mothers continuing into family strife in the next generation.

Genesis 37:3-4, The coat of many colors                        t 

Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made a richly ornamented robe for him. When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.

The Hebrew adjective passim (פַּסִּֽים), translated "richly ornamented" is unclear.  Old translations were "multi-colored".  Regardless, the coat was rich, elaborate and distinctive. It represents status (Walton.) Unlike the other ten sons, Joseph is dressed as a manager, not an ordinary laborer.

Genesis 37:5-8, Dream #1 (and boasting)

Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. He said to them, "Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it."

His brothers said to him, "Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?" And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said.

With immature enthusiasm, Joseph tells his dream to his brothers.  The brothers' response is to be expected.

Genesis 37:9-11, Dream #2

Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. "Listen," he said, "I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me."

When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, "What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?" His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.

Joseph describes a second dream and receives a reasonable rebuke from his father. The dream borders on blasphemy (says Alter) as no one but YHWH is worthy of worship by the heavenly bodies.

Genesis 37:12-17, Joseph seeks his brothers

Now his brothers had gone to graze their father's flocks near Shechem, and Israel said to Joseph, "As you know, your brothers are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I am going to send you to them." 

"Very well," he replied.

So he said to him, "Go and see if all is well with your brothers and with the flocks, and bring word back to me." Then he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron. 

When Joseph arrived at Shechem, a man found him wandering around in the fields and asked him, "What are you looking for?"

He replied, "I'm looking for my brothers. Can you tell me where they are grazing their flocks?"

"They have moved on from here," the man answered. "I heard them say, `Let's go to Dothan.'" 

So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan.

Joseph has been sent by his father to find his brothers. Shechem is the place where the brothers massacred a town.  

Genesis 37:18-24, Joseph attacked

But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him.

"Here comes that dreamer!" they said to each other. "Come now, let's kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we'll see what comes of his dreams."

When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. "Let's not take his life," he said. "Don't shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the desert, but don't lay a hand on him." Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father.

 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe--the richly ornamented robe he was wearing--and they took him and threw him into the cistern. Now the cistern was empty; there was no water in it.

The Hebrew word hachalomot  (הַחֲלֹמ֥וֹת) has, at it root, chalom (חֲלוֹם), meaning "dream". It is prefixed by baal (בַּעַל), meaning "master", so that Joseph is being called "dream-master" or "lord of dreams." This is surely a sarcastic term used to mock Joseph's arrogance over his previous two dreams.

That the sons can be violent is not in doubt. They have already been involved in the massacre and looting of Shechem. But Reuben, the firstborn, the one who slept with his father's concubine, Bilhah, intervenes to prevent bloodshed.

Genesis 37:25-28, Sold into slavery

As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt.

Judah said to his brothers, "What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come, let's sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood." His brothers agreed.

So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.

Judah forestalls the killing of Joseph by suggesting that Joseph be sold to the "Ishmaelites".  (The traders are called Midianites later in this chapter.) According to the NIV footnotes, "twenty shekels" is about 8 ounces.

There is a raw violence and cruelty in the brothers of Joseph. Here we see his life saved by Reuben and Judah, but neither is very likeable. (We will see more of the character of Judah in the next chapter.)

Genesis 37: 28-33, A lie to Jacob

When Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes. He went back to his brothers and said, "The boy isn't there! Where can I turn now?"

Then they got Joseph's robe, slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. They took the ornamented robe back to their father and said, "We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son's robe."

He recognized it and said, "It is my son's robe! Some ferocious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces."

The brothers fall back on part of their original plan, pretending that Joseph, wandering alone, looking for his brothers, has been killed by a wild animal. Jacob is devastated. The deceptions he has practiced in his younger years has been passed down to his sons. Jacob used a killed lamb for a meal and a lamb's coat to cover his arms, all in order to deceive his father. His sons kill a goat to bloody the ornamental coat and deceive him.

Genesis 37: 34-36, Jacob devastated

Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days. All his sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. "No," he said, "in mourning will I go down to the grave to my son." So his father wept for him.

Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials, the captain of the guard.

I see hints that Jacob has more than one daughter, although the plural "daughters" could also mean granddaughters.

Fortunately for Jacob, he will later go down, not to the grave, but to Egypt to see his son.

The descriptions of the traders as Ishmaelites and then Midianites is a bit confusing. Midian was a half-brother of Ishmael, born through Keturah.  (According to the NIV footnotes the name "Midianites" in verses 28 and 36 follows the Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac manuscripts; the Masoretic text has "Medanites.")

The chapter ends on a natural cliff-hanger. What will happen to young Joseph in Egypt?

Some Hebrew vocabulary

Our Hebrew word for the day is toledot 

תּוֹלְדָה

sometimes translated "generations".  It tends to be a header for a new section in Genesis. In the first verse of this chapter, it announces that we will now focus on the descendants of Jacob.

Some Random Thoughts

From the story of Cain and Abel to the betrayal of Joseph by his brothers, Genesis is full of stories of sibling rivalry and hatred. A Hong Kong writer applies the story of Joseph to siblings today in this essay at Christianity Today. (That article is available in both English and Chinese.)

First published Feb 13, 2023; updated Feb 12, 2026

Genesis 36, Esau

We have wrapped up much of the significant events in Jacob's life and have seen Isaac buried. Before moving on to the life of Jacob's sons, the author records the other family line of Isaac, that of Esau. In the future, the descendants of Jacob, the Israelites, will have numerous encounters with the descendants of Esau. Indeed the short book of Obadiah focuses on that future nation-tribe.

Genesis 36:1-5, Esau's Canaanite wives
This is the account of Esau (that is, Edom). Esau took his wives from the women of Canaan: Adah daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Oholibamah daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite-- also Basemath daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth.

Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, Basemath bore Reuel, and Oholibamah bore Jeush, Jalam and Korah. These were the sons of Esau, who were born to him in Canaan.

The word "account" here is the Hebrew toledot (תּוֹלְדָה), sometimes translated "generations".  It tends to set off one portion of Genesis from another. It is used here to complete a discussion of Isaac's descendants by tracing the descendants of Esau before moving on the more important story of Jacob's children.

The first members of Esau's family come from the Canaanite wives, women that Rebekah did not like.

Genesis 36:6-8, Esau settles in Seir

Esau took his wives and sons and daughters and all the members of his household, as well as his livestock and all his other animals and all the goods he had acquired in Canaan, and moved to a land some distance from his brother Jacob. Their possessions were too great for them to remain together; the land where they were staying could not support them both because of their livestock. So Esau (that is, Edom) settled in the hill country of Seir.

The hill country of Seir (including Mount Seir) is south of modern Jerusalem in modern Jordan.

 

Jacob and Esau had too much livestock to be supported by one region.  And they didn't trust each other.  So they had separated.

Genesis 36:9-14, Esau's sons
This is the account of Esau the father of the Edomites in the hill country of Seir. 

These are the names of Esau's sons: Eliphaz, the son of Esau's wife Adah, and Reuel, the son of Esau's wife Basemath. 

The sons of Eliphaz: Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam and Kenaz. Esau's son Eliphaz also had a concubine named Timna, who bore him Amalek. These were grandsons of Esau's wife Adah.

The sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah. These were grandsons of Esau's wife Basemath.

The sons of Esau's wife Oholibamah daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon, whom she bore to Esau: Jeush, Jalam and Korah.

We trace the lines of Esau's children through three wives, Adah, Basemath and Oholibamah. The Amelekites, descendants of Amalek, will be a perennial enemy of the Israelites. The first battle Moses and Israel face in the Exodus is with the Amelekites (Exodus 17:8-16.)

There is some confusion about the three wives of Esau. In Genesis 26:34-35, 28:8-9, Esau marries two Canaanite women, Judith and Basemath, and then later marries Mahalath, a daughter of Ishmael. But here the three wives are named Adah, Basemath and Oholibamah. The differences in these two accounts is interesting enough to have its own Wikipedia page, Wives of Esau.

Genesis 36:15-19, Chiefs among the grandsons
These were the chiefs among Esau's descendants: The sons of Eliphaz the firstborn of Esau: Chiefs Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz, Korah, Gatam and Amalek. These were the chiefs descended from Eliphaz in Edom; they were grandsons of Adah.

The sons of Esau's son Reuel: Chiefs Nahath, Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah. These were the chiefs descended from Reuel in Edom; they were grandsons of Esau's wife Basemath.

The sons of Esau's wife Oholibamah: Chiefs Jeush, Jalam and Korah. These were the chiefs descended from Esau's wife Oholibamah daughter of Anah. These were the sons of Esau (that is, Edom), and these were their chiefs.

These male descendants of Esau are called chiefs, emphasizing that they eventually led a significant tribe.

Genesis 36:20-30, The descendants of the sons of Seir

These were the sons of Seir the Horite, who were living in the region: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer and Dishan. These sons of Seir in Edom were Horite chiefs.

The sons of Lotan: Hori and Homam. Timna was Lotan's sister. The sons of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho and Onam. The sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah. This is the Anah who discovered the hot springs in the desert while he was grazing the donkeys of his father Zibeon.

The children of Anah: Dishon and Oholibamah daughter of Anah.

The sons of Dishon: Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran and Keran.

The sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan and Akan.

The sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran.

These were the Horite chiefs: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer and Dishan. 

These were the Horite chiefs, according to their divisions, in the land of Seir.

We are suddenly introduced to an individual named "Seir the Horite" and his descendants.

These names were presumably known to the early Israelites (but a bit boring to me!)  This passage takes the genealogy back a bit to show connections to Seir and the Horites. 

Many of these ancient leaders presumably have lands named after them. The ancient hero, Job, was from the land of Uz (Job 1:1.)

In this passage there are small discrepancies in various ancient manuscripts. In verse 16, the word "Korah" is a disputed text. According to the NIV footnotes, it occurs in the Masoretic Text but the Samaritan Pentateuch does not have "Korah". In verse 22 the Hebrew "Hemam", is a variant of "Homam" which appears in the genealogy of Seir in 1 Chronicles 1:39. In verse 24,  the NIV follows the Vulgate for the word "hot springs". The Syriac text translates as "discovered water" but the meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.

Genesis 36:31-39, Kings in Edom before the Israelites

These were the kings who reigned in Edom before any Israelite king reigned:

Bela son of Beor became king of Edom. His city was named Dinhabah.

When Bela died, Jobab son of Zerah from Bozrah succeeded him as king. 

When Jobab died, Husham from the land of the Temanites succeeded him as king. 

When Husham died, Hadad son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the country of Moab, succeeded him as king. His city was named Avith. 

When Hadad died, Samlah from Masrekah succeeded him as king. When Samlah died, Shaul from Rehoboth on the river succeeded him as king. 

When Shaul died, Baal-Hanan son of Acbor succeeded him as king. 

When Baal-Hanan son of Acbor died, Hadad succeeded him as king. His city was named Pau, and his wife's name was Mehetabel daughter of Matred, the daughter of Me-Zahab.

Verse 31 is interesting -- the author (or a later editor) is aware that there will eventually be kings over the nation of Israel and clarifies that these Edomite kings ruled before then. 

According to the NIV footnotes, the name "Hadad" in verse 39 is another place where ancient manuscripts differ. Some manuscripts have "Hadar" instead. Like almost all manuscript differences, this slight change, a confusion between an 'r' and a 'd' in an ancient name, is irrelevant to our story. In this case we have a standard copyist issue we will see in other places: copyists often confused the Hebrew dalet (ד) with the Hebrew resh (ר.)

Genesis 36: 40-43, The chiefs of Edom
These were the chiefs descended from Esau, by name, according to their clans and regions: Timna, Alvah, Jetheth, Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, Magdiel and Iram. 

These were the chiefs of Edom, according to their settlements in the land they occupied. This was Esau the father of the Edomites.

Esau, even though he didn't get the birthright from Isaac, is still the ancestor of numerous tribes in the region of Edom (in modern southern Jordan.)

Some Hebrew vocabulary

Our Hebrew word for the day is alluwph

אַלּוּף

a (masculine) adjective meaning chief or chief friend. It appears more than two dozen times in this chapter, describing the descendants of Esau.

Some Random Thoughts

This chapter has one priority -- to trace the lineage of future Edomite rulers and leaders. This would be of significance to the judges and kings who would later face them. Verse 31 suggests that this lineage may have been compiled during that later time.

First published Feb 11, 2023; updated Feb 11, 2026