Joseph and His Brothers: Jealousy and Betrayal

Joseph and His Brothers: Jealousy and Betrayal

Genesis 37 begins the long narrative arc of Joseph, one of the most vivid characters in the Old Testament. This chapter sets the stage for everything that follows, exposing the fractures in Jacob’s family and the envy that drives Joseph’s brothers to betrayal. More than just a family quarrel, this account reveals the destructive power of jealousy, the cost of favoritism, and the beginning of a divine plan that will preserve nations.

The Favored Son

Genesis 37:3–4 (NASB) records: “Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his other sons, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a multicolored tunic. And his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers; so they hated him and could not speak to him on friendly terms.”

The gift of the multicolored robe symbolized Jacob’s favoritism and Joseph’s special status. It marked him as exempt from manual labor and perhaps even as the heir. This favoritism planted seeds of resentment that soon blossomed into hatred.

The Dreams That Divided

Joseph dreamed that his brothers’ sheaves bowed to his (Genesis 37:7), and later that the sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed before him (37:9). While the dreams were prophetic, the way Joseph relayed them deepened his brothers’ hostility.

“Then his brothers said to him, ‘Are you actually going to reign over us? Or are you really going to rule over us?’ So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.” (Genesis 37:8, NASB).

The dreams were not arrogance but revelation. Yet in the moment, they seemed to confirm the brothers’ fear: Joseph was destined for preeminence.

The Betrayal

When Joseph was sent to check on his brothers near Dothan, their hatred reached its climax. “Now then, come, and let’s kill him and throw him into one of the pits… Then we will say, ‘A vicious animal devoured him.’” (Genesis 37:20, NASB).

Reuben, the eldest, intervened to spare his life, suggesting they throw him into a pit. But when a caravan of Ishmaelites passed by, Judah proposed selling Joseph: “What profit is it if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come, and let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” (Genesis 37:26–27, NASB).

For twenty shekels of silver, the beloved son was sold, stripped of his robe, and taken away to Egypt (Genesis 37:28).

Misconceptions: Was Joseph an Arrogant Dreamer?

Some readers portray Joseph as naïve or arrogant in boasting of his dreams. But the text never condemns him—only his brothers. The dreams were God-given prophecy, not self-promotion. The brothers’ envy, not Joseph’s pride, is the real sin here.

Theological Reflection

Joseph’s betrayal at the hands of his brothers echoes forward through redemptive history. Envy blinded them to God’s purposes, just as envy later drove the religious leaders to deliver Christ to Pilate (Mark 15:10). The stripping of Joseph’s robe and the sale for silver foreshadow the betrayal of Jesus by Judas.

This account also shows how God’s providence begins with human sin. Joseph’s descent into Egypt, born of treachery, would become the very path by which God saves Jacob’s family. What seems like loss is the seed of deliverance.

Christ-Centered Conclusion

The story of Joseph’s betrayal teaches us that God’s purposes often begin in places of pain. The pit, the robe soaked in blood, and the silver coins all whisper of a greater betrayal and a greater salvation. Like Joseph, Christ was hated without cause, betrayed for silver, stripped of His garments, and handed over to foreigners. Yet just as Joseph’s suffering led to the saving of many lives, so Christ’s suffering secured the salvation of the world.

What the brothers meant for evil, God meant for good. In Christ, we see the ultimate proof that betrayal cannot stop God’s plan of redemption.