“This is the history of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. And the lad was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives; and Joseph brought a bad report of them to his father. Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.”
Genesis 37:2-4 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/gen.37.2-4.NKJV
Even though Joseph's technicolor dreamcoat steals the show as far as why his brothers hated him, two other items popped up: 1.) according to the Bible, Joseph's bad report was specifically against his half-brothers who were sons of Jacob's wives' maids, Bilhah and Zilpah. This already stands out because, in this culture, any child that a patriarch has with not his wife but his wife's maid is already considered a "lesser" child and therefore a "lesser" heir. 2.) Although Jacob's first wife Leah's children are not implicated (at least according to the text) in Joseph's bad report, we know from previous Scriptures that Joseph's mother Rachel was father Jacob's favorite gal (and by extension Joseph and Benjamin his favorite children), and I believe the whole family knew that. Understandably, there would be resentment among the others for that reason as well.
Other things that jumped out in this particular read-through:
Reuben decided against killing Joseph at all.
“But Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands, and said, “Let us not kill him.” And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit which is in the wilderness, and do not lay a hand on him”—that he might deliver him out of their hands, and bring him back to his father.”
Genesis 37:21-22 NKJV
Judah decided Joseph should be sold into slavery instead (without Reuben’s knowledge).
“So Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is there if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh.” And his brothers listened. Then Midianite traders passed by; so the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt.”
Genesis 37:26-28 NKJV
Without Reuben’s knowledge because….
“Then Reuben returned to the pit, and indeed Joseph was not in the pit; and he tore his clothes. And he returned to his brothers and said, “The lad is no more; and I, where shall I go?””
Genesis 37:29-30 NKJV
In subsequent Scriptures, God works it out for Joseph's good, which ultimately proves to be for the entire family's good. But I still continue to be amazed as this hearkens back to the prophecy that God gave Abraham many, many years earlier in Genesis 15:12-16. Later, it is revealed that He used a famine (which He had given Joseph foreknowledge about) to work out all of His purposes at once. (See all of Genesis 41.)
God is always faithful to fulfill what He says He will do. No matter what any person's start looks like.
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