The Dreamer and the Hypocrite
How does jealousy blind us to the pain we cause our own family?
Genesis 37:1-38:30
Read the whole passage before anything else. Everything below exists to help you understand what you just read.
1Jacob lived in the land of his father’s travels, in the land of Canaan.
2This is the history of the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. Joseph brought an evil report of them to their father.
3Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age, and he made him a tunic of many colors.
4His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, and they hated him, and couldn’t speak peaceably to him.
5Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brothers, and they hated him all the more.
6He said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed:
7for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and behold, your sheaves came around, and bowed down to my sheaf.”
8His brothers asked him, “Will you indeed reign over us? Will you indeed have dominion over us?” They hated him all the more for his dreams and for his words.
9He dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his brothers, and said, “Behold, I have dreamed yet another dream: and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars bowed down to me.”
10He told it to his father and to his brothers. His father rebuked him, and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Will I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves down to the earth before you?”
11His brothers envied him, but his father kept this saying in mind.
12His brothers went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem.
13Israel said to Joseph, “Aren’t your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them.” He said to him, “Here I am.”
14He said to him, “Go now, see whether it is well with your brothers, and well with the flock; and bring me word again.” So he sent him out of the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
15A certain man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the field. The man asked him, “What are you looking for?”
16He said, “I am looking for my brothers. Tell me, please, where they are feeding the flock.”
17The man said, “They have left here, for I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.’” Joseph went after his brothers, and found them in Dothan.
18They saw him afar off, and before he came near to them, they conspired against him to kill him.
19They said to one another, “Behold, this dreamer comes.
20Come now therefore, and let’s kill him, and cast him into one of the pits, and we will say, ‘An evil animal has devoured him.’ We will see what will become of his dreams.”
21Reuben heard it, and delivered him out of their hand, and said, “Let’s not take his life.”
22Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but lay no hand on him”—that he might deliver him out of their hand, to restore him to his father.
23When Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colors that was on him;
24and they took him, and threw him into the pit. The pit was empty. There was no water in it.
25They sat down to eat bread, and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing spices and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.
26Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood?
27Come, and let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites, and not let our hand be on him; for he is our brother, our flesh.” His brothers listened to him.
28Midianites who were merchants passed by, and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. The merchants brought Joseph into Egypt.
29Reuben returned to the pit, and saw that Joseph wasn’t in the pit; and he tore his clothes.
30He returned to his brothers, and said, “The child is no more; and I, where will I go?”
31They took Joseph’s tunic, and killed a male goat, and dipped the tunic in the blood.
32They took the tunic of many colors, and they brought it to their father, and said, “We have found this. Examine it, now, and see if it is your son’s tunic or not.”
33He recognized it, and said, “It is my son’s tunic. An evil animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn in pieces.”
34Jacob tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days.
35All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. He said, “For I will go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” His father wept for him.
36The Midianites sold him into Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, the captain of the guard.
1At that time, Judah went down from his brothers, and visited a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.
2There, Judah saw the daughter of a certain Canaanite man named Shua. He took her, and went in to her.
3She conceived, and bore a son; and he named him Er.
4She conceived again, and bore a son; and she named him Onan.
5She yet again bore a son, and named him Shelah. He was at Chezib when she bore him.
6Judah took a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.
7Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the LORD’s sight. So the LORD killed him.
8Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her, and raise up offspring for your brother.”
9Onan knew that the offspring wouldn’t be his; and when he went in to his brother’s wife, he spilled his semen on the ground, lest he should give offspring to his brother.
10The thing which he did was evil in the LORD’s sight, and he killed him also.
11Then Judah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father’s house, until Shelah, my son, is grown up;” for he said, “Lest he also die, like his brothers.” Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.
12After many days, Shua’s daughter, the wife of Judah, died. Judah was comforted, and went up to his sheep shearers to Timnah, he and his friend Hirah, the Adullamite.
13Tamar was told, “Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.”
14She took off the garments of her widowhood, and covered herself with her veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gate of Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she wasn’t given to him as a wife.
15When Judah saw her, he thought that she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face.
16He turned to her by the way, and said, “Please come, let me come in to you,” for he didn’t know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?”
17He said, “I will send you a young goat from the flock.” She said, “Will you give me a pledge, until you send it?”
18He said, “What pledge will I give you?” She said, “Your signet and your cord, and your staff that is in your hand.” He gave them to her, and came in to her, and she conceived by him.
19She arose, and went away, and put off her veil from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.
20Judah sent the young goat by the hand of his friend, the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman’s hand, but he didn’t find her.
21Then he asked the men of her place, saying, “Where is the prostitute, that was at Enaim by the road?” They said, “There has been no prostitute here.”
22He returned to Judah, and said, “I haven’t found her; and also the men of the place said, ‘There has been no prostitute here.’”
23Judah said, “Let her keep it, lest we be shamed. Behold, I sent this young goat, and you haven’t found her.”
24About three months later, Judah was told, “Tamar, your daughter-in-law, has played the prostitute. Moreover, behold, she is with child by prostitution.” Judah said, “Bring her out, and let her be burned.”
25When she was brought out, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, “I am with child by the man who owns these.” She also said, “Please discern whose these are—the signet, and the cords, and the staff.”
26Judah acknowledged them, and said, “She is more righteous than I, because I didn’t give her to Shelah, my son.” He knew her again no more.
27In the time of her travail, behold, twins were in her womb.
28When she travailed, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, “This came out first.”
29As he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out, and she said, “Why have you made a breach for yourself?” Therefore his name was called Perez.
30Afterward his brother came out, who had the scarlet thread on his hand, and his name was called Zerah.
What just happened?
Jacob, now known as Israel, settled his family in Canaan. His story continues with Joseph, his youngest son by Rachel, whom he openly favored. Joseph, still a teenager, became the apple of his father's eye, receiving a distinctive, expensive tunic. His brothers, born to other mothers and some to Jacob’s concubines, deeply resented this favoritism. Their animosity festered when Joseph shared two dreams where his family, including his parents and brothers, bowed down to him. These dreams, rather than being kept private, were paraded before a family already seething with jealousy, turning their simmering dislike into outright hatred and a conspiracy.
When Joseph was sent by his father to check on his brothers tending flocks near Shechem, they saw their chance. Recognizing him from a distance, they immediately plotted to kill him. Reuben, the eldest, intervened, suggesting they throw him into a dry pit instead, secretly intending to rescue him later. But while Reuben was away, the others, at Judah’s suggestion, sold Joseph to a passing caravan of Ishmaelite traders for twenty pieces of silver. To cover their crime, they slaughtered a goat, dipped Joseph’s prized tunic in its blood, and presented it to Jacob, leading him to believe his favorite son had been devoured by a wild animal, plunging the patriarch into inconsolable grief.
Chapter 38 abruptly shifts focus to Judah, one of Joseph's brothers. He leaves his family and marries a Canaanite woman, having three sons: Er, Onan, and Shelah. Er marries Tamar, but he is described as "wicked" and dies. Following ancient custom (levirate marriage, though not yet codified), Onan is to marry Tamar and raise offspring for his deceased brother. Onan, however, refused to fulfill this duty, spilling his semen on the ground, which also led to his death. Judah, fearing for Shelah, postpones giving Tamar to his youngest son, sending her back to her father's house. Tamar, realizing Judah had no intention of fulfilling his promise, takes matters into her own hands. She disguises herself as a roadside prostitute, seduces Judah, and becomes pregnant by him, securing his staff and signet as a pledge. When her pregnancy is discovered, Judah condemns her to death, but Tamar reveals his items, proving he is the father. Judah acknowledges her righteousness, and she gives birth to twin sons, Perez and Zerah, ancestors in the lineage of David and, much later, Jesus.
The Tunic and the Tumult
Jacob, now called Israel, makes no secret of his favoritism toward Joseph. The text states, "Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age, and he made him a tunic of many colors." The 'tunic of many colors' (or sometimes translated as a 'long-sleeved tunic' or 'ornamented robe') was not just a fashion statement; it was a symbol of status, perhaps even authority, within the family. It signified Joseph's special place, potentially even implying an inheritance or leadership role usually reserved for the firstborn, a position Reuben had squandered.
The brothers' reaction is swift and severe: "His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, and they hated him, and couldn’t speak peaceably to him." The Hebrew word for 'hated' here, *sane*, is strong. It's not mere annoyance but a deep-seated antagonism. This isn't just sibling rivalry; it's a profound fracturing of family bonds, fueled by Jacob's unwise favoritism and Joseph's perhaps naive display of it. The inability to "speak peaceably" indicates a complete breakdown of communication and respect, a toxic environment where resentment is allowed to grow unchecked.
The Dreamer's Downfall
Joseph, sent by his father, approaches his brothers, who are out pasturing the flocks. Even from afar, they recognize him and their rage boils over. They declare, "Behold, this dreamer comes. Come now therefore, and let’s kill him, and cast him into one of the pits, and we will say, ‘An evil animal has devoured him.’ We will see what will become of his dreams." Their intent is lethal and direct. The nickname "this dreamer" is dripping with contempt, a mocking reference to the dreams Joseph had so unwisely shared.
This moment is a stark illustration of how jealousy can escalate. It begins with favoritism, moves to hatred, and culminates in a conspiracy to murder. Their plan isn't just to eliminate Joseph, but to completely erase his future, to ensure his prophetic dreams of superiority never materialize. Their proposed lie, that a wild animal devoured him, is ironic, given the family's own history of deception, but also deeply cruel, knowing the pain it would inflict on their father.
Tamar's Boldness and Judah's Confession
Years later, Judah, unaware of his own role in Joseph's ultimate destiny in Egypt, finds himself in a moral crisis. Tamar, his daughter-in-law, is pregnant, and he, believing she has acted as a prostitute, condemns her to death: "Bring her out, and let her be burned." This harsh judgment is delivered before he knows the full truth, highlighting his immediate reaction to what he perceives as a violation of familial honor and law. The penalty of burning for certain sexual offenses is mentioned elsewhere in ancient Near Eastern law codes and later in Israelite law, reflecting the gravity of such perceived transgressions.
Tamar's shrewd move forces Judah to confront his own hypocrisy. She sends a message: "I am with child by the man who owns these. Please discern whose these are—the signet, and the cords, and the staff." Faced with his own possessions, Judah is cornered. His response is remarkable: "She is more righteous than I, because I didn’t give her to Shelah, my son." The Hebrew word *tsaddiq* (righteous) carries significant weight. Judah admits that Tamar, in her desperate and unconventional actions, has acted with more integrity and justice than he has. He had failed to fulfill his familial duty, leaving her in a vulnerable state, and she had taken steps to secure her future and the family line. This moment is a profound confession of personal failure and a recognition of a different kind of justice.
What are we supposed to see?
This passage shows a God who works through flawed, messy human families, even when they are fractured by jealousy and deceit. God’s overarching plan is not derailed by Jacob’s favoritism, Joseph’s youthful arrogance, or his brothers’ murderous envy. Instead, these very human failures become threads in a larger tapestry, moving Joseph toward Egypt, a crucial step in the unfolding story of Israel's formation. Even Judah's deeply compromised actions with Tamar, which appear to be a detour into personal moral chaos, are ultimately woven into the lineage that will lead to the promised Messiah, demonstrating divine patience and purpose amidst human brokenness.
The narrative also subtly reveals God's justice, even when not explicitly stated. Er and Onan are killed by God for their wickedness, though the exact nature of their 'wickedness' is not fully detailed beyond Onan's refusal to fulfill his duty to Tamar. This illustrates that personal moral conduct and adherence to familial responsibility, especially concerning the continuity of the family line, are significant. The Lord is actively involved in the moral order, not just in grand covenants but also in the intimate details of family behavior and justice within the patriarchal society. God’s presence isn't always marked by miracles, but often by the consequences that naturally flow from human choices, both good and bad, ultimately steering the narrative toward His larger redemptive goals.
- 1WHAT HE VALUES
God values the continuation of the covenant line, even when human means are ethically questionable, as seen in Tamar's determination and God's acceptance of her actions to secure descendants.
- 2WHAT HE CONFRONTS
God confronts individual wickedness and negligence within families, as demonstrated by the deaths of Er and Onan for their moral failures and refusal to uphold familial duty.
- 3IDENTITY
God is the sovereign architect of history, using human failures and decisions, both good and bad, to advance His long-term purposes, making a way for His chosen family to grow despite internal strife.
Where this sits in the whole Bible
Genesis 37:28 → Matthew 27:3
Joseph is sold for twenty pieces of silver, a detail that echoes much later in the New Testament when Judas betrays Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, establishing a long biblical tradition of monetary betrayal involving a significant figure.
Genesis 37:34-35 → Genesis 45:26-28
Jacob's deep grief for Joseph is heart-wrenching, believing him dead and refusing comfort. This intense sorrow is contrasted later when he learns Joseph is alive, demonstrating the powerful emotional toll of loss and the profound joy of unexpected restoration.
Genesis 38:29 → Matthew 1:3
Perez, born from Tamar and Judah's unconventional union, is explicitly named in the genealogy of Jesus, highlighting how God works through unexpected and morally complex circumstances to bring about His ultimate plan of redemption.
The two stories, Joseph's betrayal and Judah's scandalous encounter with Tamar, initially seem disconnected, but they are deliberately interwoven to show the pervasive moral decay within Jacob's family, yet also how God's purposes continue to unfold despite—or even through—this brokenness.
Don't rush past this
The raw, unvarnished depiction of family dysfunction is deeply uncomfortable. Jacob's blatant favoritism, Joseph's naive arrogance, and his brothers' murderous hatred shatter any idealized notion of a 'godly' family. The brothers' casual brutality—selling their own flesh and blood into slavery and then cruelly deceiving their grieving father—is shocking. This isn't just a story of bad decisions; it’s a narrative of extreme malice and psychological torture within the very family chosen to carry God's promises, demonstrating that even foundational figures in faith could be capable of profound evil.
The story of Judah and Tamar introduces an equally uncomfortable narrative. Tamar's method of securing her future—disguising herself as a prostitute to sleep with her father-in-law—is morally complex and challenging. It forces us to confront cultural norms of the time (levirate marriage, the vulnerability of widows) and the lengths to which individuals might go when neglected or deprived of their rights. Judah's quick judgment, then his confession, further muddies the waters, revealing hypocrisy and a nuanced understanding of 'righteousness' that challenges simplistic moral categories. It's a tale of desperate acts, not easily reconciled with modern ethics, yet integral to the biblical lineage.
Turn it inward
Three questions from this passage. Answer them or just sit with them — nothing here is required to finish the lesson.
God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, forgive us for the ways we allow favoritism and jealousy to poison our relationships. Help us to see others, especially our own family, through Your eyes, rather than through the lens of envy or bias. Give us the courage to speak truth in love, to confront our own hypocrisy, and to heal the divisions we create. Guide us to foster love and respect, even when it's hard, trusting that Your purposes will prevail through our imperfect lives.
This week, identify one relationship in your life where unspoken resentment or unaddressed favoritism might be festering. Instead of letting it grow, commit to having an honest, humble conversation to understand the other person's perspective and seek reconciliation or clarity, however uncomfortable it may be.
History, language, objections and sources. None of it is needed to understand the passage.
Why does God allow so much evil and dysfunctional behavior within the families he chooses, like Jacob's, especially if they are meant to be examples?
The Bible is relentlessly honest about human nature, never presenting its heroes as flawless. This passage, like many others, doesn't gloss over the moral failings of Abraham's descendants. Instead, it portrays them as real people, prone to jealousy, deceit, and violence, just like any other family. The text doesn't explicitly explain *why* God permits these things, but it consistently shows that God's plan is not dependent on human perfection. Instead, His faithfulness persists *despite* human imperfection, often using these very struggles to shape individuals and nations. The narrative focuses less on excusing the evil and more on demonstrating how God continues to work towards His larger purposes amidst it.
Is Tamar's deception and sexual encounter with Judah justifiable, or is it just a crude act that the Bible records without endorsing?
This is a complex ethical question. The narrative doesn't explicitly endorse Tamar's actions as morally perfect. However, it does highlight that Judah himself declares her 'more righteous' than he, recognizing his own failure to provide her with a legal and culturally expected heir (Shelah). In that ancient context, a widow without children and without hope of remarriage within her husband's family was left destitute and vulnerable, stripped of social standing and future security. Tamar's desperate act can be seen as an attempt to secure her rights and lineage within the patriarchal system, ensuring the continuation of her husband's line, which was a significant social and religious obligation. The Bible records the event, and Judah's judgment of her 'righteousness,' without offering a blanket moral approval, but it clearly uses this complex situation to show how the Davidic, and later messianic, line was preserved through unconventional means.
How can we reconcile Jacob's blatant favoritism and the brothers' violent response with the idea of a family blessed by God?
The blessings of God in Genesis don't guarantee perfect family dynamics; rather, they operate within the messy realities of human relationships. Jacob's favoritism toward Joseph, echoing the favoritism he himself experienced from Rebekah, directly violates the principle of treating all children equally and breeds severe resentment. The brothers' violent reaction is a direct consequence of this unaddressed tension and jealousy, fueled further by Joseph's dreams. The text demonstrates that even within a 'blessed' family, human sin and poor choices have devastating consequences. The 'blessing' of God here is not an exemption from human nature, but rather a promise that God will work through this flawed family to bring about His purposes, refining and shaping them through their struggles, rather than discarding them for their failures.
The Significance of the Tunic
The 'tunic of many colors' (kethoneth passim in Hebrew) given to Joseph by Jacob is a point of scholarly discussion. While some translations suggest 'many colors,' others interpret *passim* to mean 'long-sleeved' or 'reaching to the ankles and wrists.' This longer garment would have been impractical for field labor, signifying that Joseph was exempt from the arduous work his brothers performed. Such a garment was typically worn by royalty or those of high status. For instance, Tamar, David's daughter, wears a similar garment (2 Samuel 13:18). This visual cue of a favored, privileged son, not required to toil like the others, would have been a constant, infuriating reminder of Jacob's favoritism to his brothers, escalating their resentment beyond simple sibling rivalry to a deep-seated grievance about unfair labor and inheritance implications.
The use of the tunic as evidence of Joseph's supposed death is also significant. The brothers' deception with the bloody tunic not only fools Jacob but also uses the very symbol of his favoritism against him, turning his gift into a source of his greatest sorrow. The vivid imagery of the blood-stained tunic would have been particularly convincing in a society where evidence was often visual and visceral. The fact that Jacob immediately recognizes it underscores its uniqueness and his attachment to the symbol of his love for Joseph, making the deceit all the more painful and effective.