(2-minute read)
In the aftermath of betrayal, the sons of Jacob are consumed with regret after selling their brother Joseph into the hands of Midianites. Reuben’s frantic search reveals the pit empty, triggering a wave of despair among the brothers as they grapple with the gravity of their actions. Desperation drives them to a dark pact of silence, and with Issachar’s cunning plan, they stain Joseph’s coat in blood to deceive their father. Jacob’s heart-wrenching grief is unveiled when he beholds the tattered, blood-soaked garment, collapsing in devastation. His sons, trapped in their web of lies, can only watch as Jacob’s anguish consumes him, echoing his cries for his lost son.
As Jacob weeps bitterly for Joseph, the weight of their sin falls heavier on the brothers, who witness the devastation their lie has unleashed. Judah, overcome with guilt, cradles his father’s head, and a profound sorrow engulfs the entire household. Yet, despite the depths of his despair, Jacob rises, determined to avenge Joseph’s death. His sons, in a desperate attempt to fulfill their father’s wish, bring forth a wolf, only to face the startling revelation that the beast was not Joseph’s killer. This unexpected moment only deepens the enigma surrounding Joseph’s fate, leaving Jacob in unrelenting sorrow.
The story reaches its somber resolution as tragedy befalls Israel once more, with the deaths of Bilhah and Dinah in the wake of Joseph’s disappearance. Jacob’s mourning extends for an entire year, his grief so profound that it gives rise to a sacred day of atonement for the children of Israel. On the 10th of the 7th month, they forever commemorate the sorrowful day when Jacob received the devastating news of Joseph’s fate, turning their collective remorse into a ritual of cleansing, binding their souls to this legacy of grief and redemption.
Major Characters
Minor Characters
Insignificant Characters
GENESIS
19%
JASHER
75%
JUBILEES
6%
Exposition
J: 46 | Y: 2220 | Jacob dwells in Hebron and his sons feed their flocks in Shechem
Genesis 37:1-2a, Jasher 41:1, Jubilees 39:1
Leah died and was buried in Machpelah
Jasher 41:2-4
Rising Action
Y: 2222 | Joseph didn’t fight with his brothers but brings evil reports concerning them
Genesis 37:2b, Jasher 41:5, 7
Jacob gives Joseph a coat of many colors which causes his brothers to hate him
Genesis 37:3-4, Jasher 41:6, 8-9
Joseph has a dream about the bowing sheaves and tells his family
Genesis 37:5-8, Jasher 41:10-13
Joseph has a dream about the bowing luminaries and tells his family
Genesis 37:9-11, Jasher 41:14-17
Climax
Jacob sends Joseph to check on his brothers in Shechem
Genesis 37:12-14, Jasher 41:18-21, Jubilees 34:10
Joseph is told by a man that his brothers went to Dothan
Genesis 37:15-17, Jasher 41:22-23
The sons of Jacob conspire against Jacob
Genesis 37:18-22, Jasher 41:24-26
The sons of Jacob strip Joseph of his coat and throw him in a pit
Genesis 37:23-24, Jasher 41:27-28
Joseph cries to his brothers for help
Jasher 41:29-34
The sons of Jacob decide to sell Joseph to the Ishmaelites
Genesis 37:25-27, Jasher 42:1-4
The sons of Jacob sell Joseph to some Midianites
Genesis 37:28a, Jasher 42:5-23
The Midianites sell Joseph to the Ishmaelites
Genesis 37:28b, Jasher 42:24-25, Jubilees 34:11a
Joseph is punished for his weeping and YHWH smites the Ishmaelites
Jasher 42:26-29a
Joseph sees his mother’s grave and asks her for help
Jasher 42:29b-40
Joseph is punished again and YHWH smites the Ishmaelites again
Jasher 42:41-46
Joseph intercedes on behalf of the Ishmaelites
Jasher 42:47-48
The Ishmaelites conspire to sell Joseph in Egypt
Jasher 42:49-53
Falling Action
The sons of Jacob regret selling Joseph to the Midianites
Jasher 43:1
Reuben searches for Joseph
Genesis 37:29-30, Jasher 43:2-4
The sons of Jacob conspire on what to tell their father
Jasher 43:5-12
M: 7 | D: 10 | The sons of Jacob bring evidence to Jacob of a beast killing Joseph
Genesis 37:31-34, Jasher 43:13-16, Jubilees 34:12-13
Jacob confronts his sons
Jasher 43:17-21
Jacob mourns over Joseph
Jasher 43:22-33
Jacob refuses comfort from his family and servants
Genesis 37:35, Jasher 43:34-35, Jubilees 34:14
Jacob forms a hunting party to find Joseph
Jasher 43:36-39
The sons of Jacob bring back a wolf and Jacob interrogates him
Jasher 43:40-48
Resolution
Bilhah and Dinah died and was buried
Jubilees 34:15-16
Jacob mourns for Joseph for a year
Jubilees 34:17-19
Jubilee: 46
Year: 2220
Jacob dwells in Hebron and his sons feed their flocks in Shechem
Genesis 37:1-2a
1 And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.
2a These are the generations of Jacob.
Jubilees 39:1
1 And Jacob dwelt in the land of his father’s sojournings in the land of Canaan. These are the generations of Jacob.
Jasher 41:1
1 And at the revolution of the year the sons of Jacob journeyed from Shechem, and they came to Hebron, to their father Isaac, and they dwelt there, but their flocks and herds they fed daily in Shechem, for there was there in those days good and fat pasture, and Jacob and his sons and all their household dwelt in the valley of Hebron.
Leah died and was buried in Machpelahi
Jasher 41:2-4
2 And it was in those days, in that year, being the hundred and sixth year of the life of Jacob, in the tenth year of Jacob’s coming from Padan-aram, that Leah the wife of Jacob died; she was fifty-one years old when she died in Hebron.
3 And Jacob and his sons buried her in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which is in Hebron, which Abraham had bought from the children of Heth, for the possession of a burial place.
4 And the sons of Jacob dwelt with their father in the valley of Hebron, and all the inhabitants of the land knew their strength and their fame went throughout the land.
Year: 2222
Joseph didn’t fight with his brothers but brings evil reports concerning themii
Jasher 41:5
5 And Joseph the son of Jacob, and his brother Benjamin, the sons of Rachel, the wife of Jacob, were yet young in those days, and did not go out with their brethren during their battles in all the cities of the Amorites.
Genesis 37:2b
2b Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.
Jasher 41:7
7 And when Joseph saw that his father loved him more than his brethren, he continued to exalt himself above his brethren, and he brought unto his father evil reports concerning them.
Jacob gives Joseph a coat of many colors which causes his brothers to hate him
Genesis 37:3-4
3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.
4 And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.
Jasher 41:6
6 And when Joseph saw the strength of his brethren, and their greatness, he praised them and extolled them, but he ranked himself greater than them, and extolled himself above them; and Jacob, his father, also loved him more than any of his sons, for he was a son of his old age, and through his love toward him, he made him a coat of many colors.
Jasher 41:8
8 And the sons of Jacob seeing the whole of Joseph’s conduct toward them, and that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him all the days.
Jasher 41:9
9 And Joseph was seventeen years old, and he was still magnifying himself above his brethren, and thought of raising himself above them.
Joseph has a dream about the bowing sheaves and tells his family
Genesis 37:5-8
5 And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
6 And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:
7 For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.
8 And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.
Jasher 41:10-11
10 At that time he dreamed a dream, and he came unto his brothers and told them his dream, and he said unto them, I dreamed a dream, and behold we were all binding sheaves in the field, and my sheaf rose and placed itself upon the ground and your sheaves surrounded it and bowed down to it.
11 And his brethren answered him and said unto him, What meaneth this dream that thou didst dream? dost thou imagine in thy heart to reign or rule over us?
Jasher 41:12-13
12 And he still came, and told the thing to his father Jacob, and Jacob kissed Joseph when he heard these words from his mouth, and Jacob blessed Joseph.
13 And when the sons of Jacob saw that their father had blessed Joseph and had kissed him, and that he loved him exceedingly, they became jealous of him and hated him the more.
Joseph has a dream about the bowing luminaries and tells his family
Genesis 37:9-11
9 And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.
10 And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
11 And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.
Jasher 41:14-17
14 And after this Joseph dreamed another dream and related the dream to his father in the presence of his brethren, and Joseph said unto his father and brethren, Behold I have again dreamed a dream, and behold the sun and the moon and the eleven stars bowed down to me.
15 And his father heard the words of Joseph and his dream, and seeing that his brethren hated Joseph on account of this matter, Jacob therefore rebuked Joseph before his brethren on account of this thing, saying, What meaneth this dream which thou hast dreamed, and this magnifying thyself before thy brethren who are older than thou art?
16 Dost thou imagine in thy heart that I and thy mother and thy eleven brethren will come and bow down to thee, that thou speakest these things?
17 And his brethren were jealous of him on account of his words and dreams, and they continued to hate him, and Jacob reserved the dreams in his heart.
Jacob sends Joseph to check on his brothers in Shechem
Genesis 37:12
12 And his brethren went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem.
Jasher 41:18
18 And the sons of Jacob went one day to feed their father’s flock in Shechem, for they were still herdsmen in those days; and whilst the sons of Jacob were that day feeding in Shechem they delayed, and the time of gathering in the cattle was passed, and they had not arrived.
Jasher 41:19
19 And Jacob saw that his sons were delayed in Shechem, and Jacob said within himself, Peradventure the people of Shechem have risen up to fight against them, therefore they have delayed coming this day.
Genesis 37:13-14
13 And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I.
14 And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
Jasher 41:20
20 And Jacob called Joseph his son and commanded him, saying, Behold thy brethren are feeding in Shechem this day, and behold they have not yet come back; go now therefore and see where they are, and bring me word back concerning the welfare of thy brethren and the welfare of the flock.
Jubilees 34:10
10 And in the seventh year of this week [2149 A.M.] he sent Joseph to learn about the welfare of his brothers from his house to the land of Shechem, and he found them in the land of Dothan.
Jasher 41:21
21 And Jacob sent his son Joseph to the valley of Hebron, and Joseph came for his brothers to Shechem, and could not find them, and Joseph went about the field which was near Shechem, to see where his brothers had turned, and he missed his road in the wilderness, and knew not which way he should go.
Joseph is told by a man that his brothers went to Dothan
Genesis 37:15-17
15 And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou?
16 And he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks.
17 And the man said, They are departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan.
Jasher 41:22-23
22 And an angel of the Lord found him wandering in the road toward the field, and Joseph said unto the angel of the Lord, I seek my brethren; hast thou not heard where they are feeding? and the angel of the Lord said unto Joseph, I saw thy brethren feeding here, and I heard them say they would go to feed in Dothan.
23 And Joseph hearkened to the voice of the angel of the Lord, and he went to his brethren in Dothan and he found them in Dothan feeding the flock.
The sons of Jacob conspire against Jacob
Genesis 37:18-22
18 And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.
19 And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.
20 Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.
21 And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him.
22 And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.
Jasher 41:24-26
24 And Joseph advanced to his brethren, and before he had come nigh unto them, they had resolved to slay him.
25 And Simeon said to his brethren, Behold the man of dreams is coming unto us this day, and now therefore come and let us kill him and cast him in one of the pits that are in the wilderness, and when his father shall seek him from us, we will say an evil beast has devoured him.
26 And Reuben heard the words of his brethren concerning Joseph, and he said unto them, You should not do this thing, for how can we look up to our father Jacob? Cast him into this pit to die there, but stretch not forth a hand upon him to spill his blood; and Reuben said this in order to deliver him from their hand, to bring him back to his father.
The sons of Jacob strip Joseph of his coat and throw him in a pit
Genesis 37:23-24
23 And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him;
24 And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.
Jasher 41:27-28
27 And when Joseph came to his brethren he sat before them, and they rose upon him and seized him and smote him to the earth, and stripped the coat of many colors which he had on.
28 And they took him and cast him into a pit, and in the pit there was no water, but serpents and scorpions. And Joseph was afraid of the serpents and scorpions that were in the pit. And Joseph cried out with a loud voice, and the Lord hid the serpents and scorpions in the sides of the pit, and they did no harm unto Joseph.
Joseph cries to his brothers for help
Jasher 41:29-34
29 And Joseph called out from the pit to his brethren, and said unto them, What have I done unto you, and in what have I sinned? why do you not fear the Lord concerning me? am I not of your bones and flesh, and is not Jacob your father, my father? why do you do this thing unto me this day, and how will you be able to look up to our father Jacob?
30 And he continued to cry out and call unto his brethren from the pit, and he said, O Judah, Simeon, and Levi, my brethren, lift me up from the place of darkness in which you have placed me, and come this day to have compassion on me, ye children of the Lord, and sons of Jacob my father. And if I have sinned unto you, are you not the sons of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? if they saw an orphan they had compassion over him, or one that was hungry, they gave him bread to eat, or one that was thirsty, they gave him water to drink, or one that was naked, they covered him with garments!
31 And how then will you withhold your pity from your brother, for I am of your flesh and bones, and if I have sinned unto you, surely you will do this on account of my father!
32 And Joseph spoke these words from the pit, and his brethren could not listen to him, nor incline their ears to the words of Joseph, and Joseph was crying and weeping in the pit.
33 And Joseph said, O that my father knew, this day, the act which my brothers have done unto me, and the words which they have this day spoken unto me.
34 And all his brethren heard his cries and weeping in the pit, and his brethren went and removed themselves from the pit, so that they might not hear the cries of Joseph and his weeping in the pit.
The sons of Jacob decide to sell Joseph to the Ishmaelites
Genesis 37:25-27
25 And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.
26 And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?
27 Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content.
Jasher 42:1-4
1 And they went and sat on the opposite side, about the distance of a bow-shot, and they sat there to eat bread, and whilst they were eating, they held counsel together what was to be done with him, whether to slay him or to bring him back to his father.
2 They were holding the counsel, when they lifted up their eyes, and saw, and behold there was a company of Ishmaelites coming at a distance by the road of Gilead, going down to Egypt.
3 And Judah said unto them, What gain will it be to us if we slay our brother? peradventure God will require him from us; this then is the counsel proposed concerning him, which you shall do unto him: Behold this company of Ishmaelites going down to Egypt,
4 Now therefore, come let us dispose of him to them, and let not our hand be upon him, and they will lead him along with them, and he will be lost amongst the people of the land, and we will not put him to death with our own hands. And the proposal pleased his brethren and they did according to the word of Judah.
The sons of Jacob sell Joseph to some Midianites
Jasher 42:5-6
5 And whilst they were discoursing about this matter, and before the company of Ishmaelites had come up to them, seven trading men of Midian passed by them, and as they passed they were thirsty, and they lifted up their eyes and saw the pit in which Joseph was immured, and they looked, and behold every species of bird was upon him.
6 And these Midianites ran to the pit to drink water, for they thought that it contained water, and on coming before the pit they heard the voice of Joseph crying and weeping in the pit, and they looked down into the pit, and they saw and behold there was a youth of comely appearance and well favored.
Genesis 37:28a
28a Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit,
Jasher 42:7
7 And they called unto him and said, Who art thou and who brought thee hither, and who placed thee in this pit, in the wilderness? And they all assisted to raise up Joseph and they drew him out, and brought him up from the pit, and took him and went away on their journey and passed by his brethren.
Jasher 42:8-23
8 And these said unto them, Why do you do this, to take our servant from us and to go away? Surely we placed this youth in the pit because he rebelled against us, and you come and bring him up and lead him away; now then give us back our servant.
9 And the Midianites answered and said unto the sons of Jacob, Is this your servant, or does this man attend you? Peradventure you are all his servants, for he is more comely and well favored than any of you, and why do you all speak falsely unto us?
10 Now therefore we will not listen to your words, nor attend to you, for we found the youth in the pit in the wilderness, and we took him; we will therefore go on.
11 And all the sons of Jacob approached them and rose up to them and said unto them, Give us back our servant, and why will you all die by the edge of the sword? And the Midianites cried out against them, and they drew their swords, and approached to fight with the sons of Jacob.
12 And behold Simeon rose up from his seat against them, and sprang upon the ground and drew his sword and approached the Midianites and he gave a terrible shout before them, so that his shouting was heard at a distance, and the earth shook at Simeon’s shouting.
13 And the Midianites were terrified on account of Simeon and the noise of his shouting, and they fell upon their faces, and were excessively alarmed.
14 And Simeon said unto them, Verily I am Simeon, the son of Jacob the Hebrew, who have, only with my brother, destroyed the city of Shechem and the cities of the Amorites; so shall God moreover do unto me, that if all your brethren the people of Midian, and also the kings of Canaan, were to come with you, they could not fight against me.
15 Now therefore give us back the youth whom you have taken, lest I give your flesh to the birds of the skies and the beasts of the earth.
16 And the Midianites were more afraid of Simeon, and they approached the sons of Jacob with terror and fright, and with pathetic words, saying,
17 Surely you have said that the young man is your servant, and that he rebelled against you, and therefore you placed him in the pit; what then will you do with a servant who rebels against his master? Now therefore sell him unto us, and we will give you all that you require for him; and the Lord was pleased to do this in order that the sons of Jacob should not slay their brother.
18 And the Midianites saw that Joseph was of a comely appearance and well-favored; they desired him in their hearts and were urgent to purchase him from his brethren.
19 And the sons of Jacob hearkened to the Midianites and they sold their brother Joseph to them for twenty pieces of silver, and Reuben their brother was not with them, and the Midianites took Joseph and continued their journey to Gilead.
20 They were going along the road, and the Midianites repented of what they had done, in having purchased the young man, and one said to the other, What is this thing that we have done, in taking this youth from the Hebrews, who is of comely appearance and well favored.
21 Perhaps this youth is stolen from the land of the Hebrews, and why then have we done this thing? And if he should be sought for and found in our hands we shall die through him.
22 Now surely hardy and powerful men have sold him to us, the strength of one of whom you saw this day; perhaps they stole him from his land with their might and with their powerful arm, and have therefore sold him to us for the small value which we gave unto them.
23 And whilst they were thus discoursing together, they looked, and behold the company of Ishmaelites which was coming at first, and which the sons of Jacob saw, was advancing toward the Midianites, and the Midianites said to each other, Come let us sell this youth to the company of Ishmaelites who are coming toward us, and we will take for him the little that we gave for him, and we will be delivered from his evil.
The Midianites sell Joseph to the Ishmaelites
Genesis 37:28b
28b and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.
Jasher 42:24-25
24 And they did so, and they reached the Ishmaelites, and the Midianites sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver which they had given for him to his brethren.
25 And the Midianites went on their road to Gilead, and the Ishmaelites took Joseph and they let him ride upon one of the camels, and they were leading him to Egypt.
Jubilees 34:11a
11a And they dealt treacherously with him, and formed a plot against him to slay him, but changing their minds, they sold him to Ishmaelite merchants, and they brought him down into Egypt,
Joseph is punished for his weeping and YHWH smites the Ishmaelites
Jasher 42:26-29a
26 And Joseph heard that the Ishmaelites were proceeding to Egypt, and Joseph lamented and wept at this thing that he was to be so far removed from the land of Canaan, from his father, and he wept bitterly whilst he was riding upon the camel, and one of their men observed him, and made him go down from the camel and walk on foot, and notwithstanding this Joseph continued to cry and weep, and he said, O my father, my father.
27 And one of the Ishmaelites rose up and smote Joseph upon the cheek, and still he continued to weep; and Joseph was fatigued in the road, and was unable to proceed on account of the bitterness of his soul, and they all smote him and afflicted him in the road, and they terrified him in order that he might cease from weeping.
28 And the Lord saw the ambition of Joseph and his trouble, and the Lord brought down upon those men darkness and confusion, and the hand of every one that smote him became withered.
29a And they said to each other, What is this thing that God has done to us in the road? and they knew not that this befell them on account of Joseph.
Joseph sees his mother’s grave and asks her for help
Jasher 42:29b-40
29b And the men proceeded on the road, and they passed along the road of Ephrath where Rachel was buried.
30 And Joseph reached his mother’s grave, and Joseph hastened and ran to his mother’s grave, and fell upon the grave and wept.
31 And Joseph cried aloud upon his mother’s grave, and he said, O my mother, my mother, O thou who didst give me birth, awake now, and rise and see thy son, how he has been sold for a slave, and no one to pity him.
32 O rise and see thy son, weep with me on account of my troubles, and see the heart of my brethren.
33 Arouse my mother, arouse, awake from thy sleep for me, and direct thy battles against my brethren. O how have they stripped me of my coat, and sold me already twice for a slave, and separated me from my father, and there is no one to pity me.
34 Arouse and lay thy cause against them before God, and see whom God will justify in the judgment, and whom he will condemn.
35 Rise, O my mother, rise, awake from thy sleep and see my father how his soul is with me this day, and comfort him and ease his heart.
36 And Joseph continued to speak these words, and Joseph cried aloud and wept bitterly upon his mother’s grave; and he ceased speaking, and from bitterness of heart he became still as a stone upon the grave.
37 And Joseph heard a voice speaking to him from beneath the ground, which answered him with bitterness of heart, and with a voice of weeping and praying in these words:
38 My son, my son Joseph, I have heard the voice of thy weeping and the voice of thy lamentation; I have seen thy tears; I know thy troubles, my son, and it grieves me for thy sake, and abundant grief is added to my grief.
39 Now therefore my son, Joseph my son, hope to the Lord, and wait for him and do not fear, for the Lord is with thee, he will deliver thee from all trouble.
40 Rise my son, go down unto Egypt with thy masters, and do not fear, for the Lord is with thee, my son. And she continued to speak like unto these words unto Joseph, and she was still.
Joseph is punished again and YHWH smites the Ishmaelites again
Jasher 42:41-46
41 And Joseph heard this, and he wondered greatly at this, and he continued to weep; and after this one of the Ishmaelites observed him crying and weeping upon the grave, and his anger was kindled against him, and he drove him from there, and he smote him and cursed him.
42 And Joseph said unto the men, May I find grace in your sight to take me back to my father’s house, and he will give you abundance of riches.
43 And they answered him, saying, Art thou not a slave, and where is thy father? and if thou hadst a father thou wouldst not already twice have been sold for a slave for so little value; and their anger was still roused against him, and they continued to smite him and to chastise him, and Joseph wept bitterly.
44 And the Lord saw Joseph’s affliction, and Lord again smote these men, and chastised them, and the Lord caused darkness to envelope them upon the earth, and the lightning flashed and the thunder roared, and the earth shook at the voice of the thunder and of the mighty wind, and the men were terrified and knew not where they should go.
45 And the beasts and camels stood still, and they led them, but they would not go, they smote them, and they crouched upon the ground; and the men said to each other, What is this that God has done to us? what are our transgressions, and what are our sins that this thing has thus befallen us?
46 And one of them answered and said unto them, Perhaps on account of the sin of afflicting this slave has this thing happened this day to us; now therefore implore him strongly to forgive us, and then we shall know on whose account this evil befalleth us, and if God shall have compassion over us, then we shall know that all this cometh to us on account of the sin of afflicting this slave.
Joseph intercedes on behalf of the Ishmaelites
Jasher 42:47-48
47 And the men did so, and they supplicated Joseph and pressed him to forgive them; and they said, We have sinned to the Lord and to thee, now therefore vouchsafe to request of thy God that he shall put away this death from amongst us, for we have sinned to him.
48 And Joseph did according to their words, and the Lord hearkened to Joseph, and the Lord put away the plague which he had inflicted upon those men on account of Joseph, and the beasts rose up from the ground and they conducted them, and they went on, and the raging storm abated and the earth became tranquilized, and the men proceeded on their journey to go down to Egypt, and the men knew that this evil had befallen them on account of Joseph.
The Ishmaelites conspire to sell Joseph in Egypt
Jasher 42:49-53
49 And they said to each other, Behold we know that it was on account of his affliction that this evil befell us; now therefore why shall we bring this death upon our souls? Let us hold counsel what to do to this slave.
50 And one answered and said, Surely he told us to bring him back to his father; now therefore come, let us take him back and we will go to the place that he will tell us, and take from his family the price that we gave for him and we will then go away.
51 And one answered again and said, Behold this counsel is very good, but we cannot do so for the way is very far from us, and we cannot go out of our road.
52 And one more answered and said unto them, This is the counsel to be adopted, we will not swerve from it; behold we are this day going to Egypt, and when we shall have come to Egypt, we will sell him there at a high price, and we will be delivered from his evil.
53 And this thing pleased the men and they did so, and they continued their journey to Egypt with Joseph.
The sons of Jacob regret selling Joseph to the Midianites
Jasher 43:1
1 And when the sons of Jacob had sold their brother Joseph to the Midianites, their hearts were smitten on account of him, and they repented of their acts, and they sought for him to bring him back, but could not find him.
Reuben searches for Joseph
Genesis 37:29
29 And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.
Jasher 43:2
2 And Reuben returned to the pit in which Joseph had been put, in order to lift him out, and restore him to his father, and Reuben stood by the pit, and he heard not a word, and he called out Joseph! Joseph! and no one answered or uttered a word.
Jasher 43:3
3 And Reuben said, Joseph has died through fright, or some serpent has caused his death; and Reuben descended into the pit, and he searched for Joseph and could not find him in the pit, and he came out again.
Genesis 37:30
30 And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go?
Jasher 43:4
4 And Reuben tore his garments and he said, The child is not there, and how shall I reconcile my father about him if he be dead? and he went to his brethren and found them grieving on account of Joseph, and counseling together how to reconcile their father about him, and Reuben said unto his brethren, I came to the pit and behold Joseph was not there, what then shall we say unto our father, for my father will only seek the lad from me.
The sons of Jacob conspire on what to tell their father
Jasher 43:5-12
5 And his brethren answered him saying, Thus and thus we did, and our hearts afterward smote us on account of this act, and we now sit to seek a pretext how we shall reconcile our father to it.
6 And Reuben said unto them, What is this you have done to bring down the grey hairs of our father in sorrow to the grave? the thing is not good, that you have done.
7 And Reuben sat with them, and they all rose up and swore to each other not to tell this thing unto Jacob, and they all said, The man who will tell this to our father or his household, or who will report this to any of the children of the land, we will all rise up against him and slay him with the sword.
8 And the sons of Jacob feared each other in this matter, from the youngest to the oldest, and no one spoke a word, and they concealed the thing in their hearts.
9 And they afterward sat down to determine and invent something to say unto their father Jacob concerning all these things.
10 And Issachar said unto them, Here is an advice for you if it seem good in your eyes to do this thing, take the coat which belongeth to Joseph and tear it, and kill a kid of the goats and dip it in its blood.
11 And send it to our father and when he seeth it he will say an evil beast has devoured him, therefore tear ye his coat and behold his blood will be upon his coat, and by your doing this we shall be free of our father’s murmurings.
12 And Issachar’s advice pleased them, and they hearkened unto him and they did according to the word of Issachar which he had counselled them.
Month: 7
Day: 10
The sons of Jacob bring evidence to Jacob of a beast killing Joseph
Genesis 37:31-34
31 And they took Joseph’s coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood;
32 And they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it be thy son’s coat or no.
33 And he knew it, and said, It is my son’s coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces.
34 And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days.
Jasher 43:13-16
13 And they hastened and took Joseph’s coat and tore it, and they killed a kid of the goats and dipped the coat in the blood of the kid, and then trampled it in the dust, and they sent the coat to their father Jacob by the hand of Naphtali, and they commanded him to say these words:
14 We had gathered in the cattle and had come as far as the road to Shechem and farther, when we found this coat upon the road in the wilderness dipped in blood and in dust; now therefore know whether it be thy son’s coat or not.
15 And Naphtali went and he came unto his father and he gave him the coat, and he spoke unto him all the words which his brethren had commanded him.
16 And Jacob saw Joseph’s coat and he knew it and he fell upon his face to the ground, and became as still as a stone, and he afterward rose up and cried out with a loud and weeping voice and he said, It is the coat of my son Joseph!
Jubilees 34:12-13
12 And the sons of Jacob slaughtered a kid, and dipped the coat of Joseph in the blood, and sent (it) to Jacob their father on the tenth of the seventh month.
13 And he mourned all that night, for they had brought it to him in the evening, and he became feverish with mourning for his death, and he said: ‘An evil beast hath devoured Joseph’; and all the members of his house [mourned with him that day, and they] were grieving and mourning with him all that day.
Jacob confronts his sons
Jasher 43:17-21
17 And Jacob hastened and sent one of his servants to his sons, who went to them and found them coming along the road with the flock.
18 And the sons of Jacob came to their father about evening, and behold their garments were torn and dust was upon their heads, and they found their father crying out and weeping with a loud voice.
19 And Jacob said unto his sons, Tell me truly what evil have you this day suddenly brought upon me? and they answered their father Jacob, saying, We were coming along this day after the flock had been gathered in, and we came as far as the city of Shechem by the road in the wilderness, and we found this coat filled with blood upon the ground, and we knew it and we sent unto thee if thou couldst know it.
20 And Jacob heard the words of his sons and he cried out with a loud voice, and he said, It is the coat of my son, an evil beast has devoured him; Joseph is rent in pieces, for I sent him this day to see whether it was well with you and well with the flocks and to bring me word again from you, and he went as I commanded him, and this has happened to him this day whilst I thought my son was with you.
21 And the sons of Jacob answered and said, He did not come to us, neither have we seen him from the time of our going out from thee until now.
Jacob mourns over Joseph
Jasher 43:22-33
22 And when Jacob heard their words he again cried out aloud, and he rose up and tore his garments, and he put sackcloth upon his loins, and he wept bitterly and he mourned and lifted up his voice in weeping and exclaimed and said these words,
23 Joseph my son, O my son Joseph, I sent thee this day after the welfare of thy brethren, and behold thou hast been torn in pieces; through my hand has this happened to my son.
24 It grieves me for thee Joseph my son, it grieves me for thee; how sweet wast thou to me during life, and now how exceedingly bitter is thy death to me.
25 0 that I had died in thy stead Joseph my son, for it grieves me sadly for thee my son, O my son, my son. Joseph my son, where art thou, and where hast thou been drawn? arouse, arouse from thy place, and come and see my grief for thee, O my son Joseph.
26 Come now and number the tears gushing from my eyes down my cheeks, and bring them up before the Lord, that his anger may turn from me.
27 0 Joseph my son, how didst thou fall, by the hand of one by whom no one had fallen from the beginning of the world unto this day; for thou hast been put to death by the smiting of an enemy, inflicted with cruelty, but surely I know that this has happened to thee, on account of the multitude of my sins.
28 Arouse now and see how bitter is my trouble for thee my son, although I did not rear thee, nor fashion thee, nor give thee breath and soul, but it was God who formed thee and built thy bones and covered them with flesh, and breathed in thy nostrils the breath of life, and then he gave thee unto me.
29 Now truly God who gave thee unto me, he has taken thee from me, and such then has befallen thee
30 And Jacob continued to speak like unto these words concerning Joseph, and he wept bitterly; he fell to the ground and became still.
31 And all the sons of Jacob seeing their father’s trouble, they repented of what they had done, and they also wept bitterly.
32 And Judah rose up and lifted his father’s head from the ground, and placed it upon his lap, and he wiped his father’s tears from his cheeks, and Judah wept an exceeding great weeping, whilst his father’s head was reclining upon his lap, still as a stone.
33 And the sons of Jacob saw their father’s trouble, and they lifted up their voices and continued to weep, and Jacob was yet lying upon the ground still as a stone.
Jacob refuses comfort from his family and servants
Genesis 37:35
35 And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him.
Jasher 43:34
34 And all his sons and his servants and his servant’s children rose up and stood round him to comfort him, and he refused to be comforted.
Jubilees 34:14
14 And his sons and his daughter rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted for his son.
Jasher 43:35
35 And the whole household of Jacob rose up and mourned a great mourning on account of Joseph and their father’s trouble, and the intelligence reached Isaac, the son of Abraham, the father of Jacob, and he wept bitterly on account of Joseph, he and all his household, and he went from the place where he dwelt in Hebron, and his men with him, and he comforted Jacob his son, and he refused to be comforted.
Jacob forms a hunting party to find Joseph
Jasher 43:36-39
36 And after this, Jacob rose up from the ground, and his tears were running down his cheeks, and he said unto his sons, Rise up and take your swords and your bows, and go forth into the field, and seek whether you can find my son’s body and bring it unto me that I may bury it.
37 Seek also, I pray you, among the beasts and hunt them, and that which shall come the first before you seize and bring it unto me, perhaps the Lord will this day pity my affliction, and prepare before you that which did tear my son in pieces, and bring it unto me, and I will avenge the cause of my son.
38 And his sons did as their father had commanded them, and they rose up early in the morning, and each took his sword and his bow in his hand, and they went forth into the field to hunt the beasts.
39 And Jacob was still crying aloud and weeping and walking to and fro in the house, and smiting his hands together, saying, Joseph my son, Joseph my son.
The sons of Jacob bring back a wolf and Jacob interrogates him
Jasher 43:40-48
40 And the sons of Jacob went into the wilderness to seize the beasts, and behold a wolf came toward them, and they seized him, and brought him unto their father, and they said unto him, This is the first we have found, and we have brought him unto thee as thou didst command us, and thy son’s body we could not find.
41 And Jacob took the beast from the hands of his sons, and he cried out with a loud and weeping voice, holding the beast in his hand, and he spoke with a bitter heart unto the beast, Why didst thou devour my son Joseph, and how didst thou have no fear of the God of the earth, or of my trouble for my son Joseph?
42 And thou didst devour my son for naught, because he committed no violence, and didst thereby render me culpable on his account, therefore God will require him that is persecuted.
43 And the Lord opened the mouth of the beast in order to comfort Jacob with its words, and it answered Jacob and spoke these words unto him,
44 As God liveth who created us in the earth, and as thy soul liveth, my lord, I did not see thy son, neither did I tear him to pieces, but from a distant land I also came to seek my son who went from me this day, and I know not whether he be living or dead.
45 And I came this day into the field to seek my son, and your sons found me, and seized me and increased my grief, and have this day brought me before thee, and I have now spoken all my words to thee.
46 And now therefore, O son of man, I am in thy hands, and do unto me this day as it may seem good in thy sight, but by the life of God who created me, I did not see thy son, nor did I tear him to pieces, neither has the flesh of man entered my mouth all the days of my life.
47 And when Jacob heard the words of the beast he was greatly astonished, and sent forth the beast from his hand, and she went her way.
48 And Jacob was still crying aloud and weeping for Joseph day after day, and he mourned for his son many days.
Bilhah and Dinah died and was buriediii
Jubilees 34:15-16
15 And on that day Bilhah heard that Joseph had perished, and she died mourning him, and she was living in Qafratef, and Dinah also, his daughter, died after Joseph had perished.
16 And there came these three mournings upon Israel in one month. And they buried Bilhah over against the tomb of Rachel, and Dinah also, his daughter, they buried there.
Jacob mourns for Joseph for a year
Jubilees 34:17-19
17 And he mourned for Joseph one year, and did not cease, for he said ‘Let me go down to the grave mourning for my son’.
18 For this reason it is ordained for the children of Israel that they should afflict themselves on the tenth of the seventh month -on the day that the news which made him weep for Joseph came to Jacob his father- that they should make atonement for themselves thereon with a young goat on the tenth of the seventh month, once a year, for their sins; for they had grieved the affection of their father regarding Joseph his son.
19 And this day has been ordained that they should grieve thereon for their sins, and for all their transgressions and for all their errors, so that they might cleanse themselves on that day once a year.
i. See the comments in Jasher 36:3 to see why Leah is 55 and not 51. There is a difference of 18 years from when Jasher 41:2 states when Leah died and Jubilees 36:21 which states she died when she was 73. Also, this is the 14th year from when Jacob left Padan-aram, not the 10th.
ii. Jubilees 34:10 states that the year is 2149 but Joseph was 15 during that year. Genesis 37:2, Jasher 41:9, Jubilees 39:2, and Jubilees 46:3 state that Joseph was 17. Jasher 59:20 states that Joseph was in Egypt for 93 years which also confirms that he was 17 at this time.
iii. Jubilees 34:15 seems to indicate that Dinah died in the same year that Joseph “died”, however, Jasher 45:2 says that Simeon married Dinah this year and had 5 sons. Also in 21 years, Joseph gives Dinah provisions.
(53-minute read)
Exposition
J: 46 | Y: 2220 | Jacob dwells in Hebron and his sons feed their flocks in Shechem
Genesis 37:1-2a, Jasher 41:1, Jubilees 39:1
Jacob lived in the land where his father had once been a stranger—the land of Canaan. These are the generations of Jacob.
When the year came full circle, Jacob’s sons traveled from Shechem to Hebron to see their grandfather Isaac. They settled there, but each day they took their flocks and herds back to graze in Shechem, since the pasture there was rich and fertile in those days. Jacob, his sons, and their whole household lived in the valley of Hebron.
Leah died and was buried in Machpelah
Jasher 41:2-4
During that time, in the 106th year of Jacob’s life and the 10th year since he had returned from Padan-aram, Leah, Jacob’s wife, died. She was 51 years old when she passed away in Hebron. Jacob and his sons buried her in the cave in the field of Machpelah in Hebron, the burial place Abraham had bought from the children of Heth. Afterward, Jacob’s sons continued living with him in the valley of Hebron, and everyone in the land knew of their strength. Their fame spread far and wide.
Rising Action
Y: 2222 | Joseph didn’t fight with his brothers but brings evil reports concerning them
Genesis 37:2b, Jasher 41:5, 7
Joseph and his brother Benjamin, the sons of Rachel, were still young at that time and didn’t accompany their brothers in the battles against the Amorite cities.
When Joseph was 17 years old, he was out in the field tending the flock with his brothers. He was with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. Seeing that his father loved him more than the others, Joseph kept elevating himself above his brothers, and he brought bad reports about them back to their father.
Jacob gives Joseph a coat of many colors which causes his brothers to hate him
Genesis 37:3-4, Jasher 41:6, 8-9
Even though Joseph recognized the strength and greatness of his brothers and praised them, he still considered himself above them and boasted about it. Israel loved Joseph more than all his other children because he was born to him in his old age, so he made him a coat of many colors. When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than the rest, they hated him and couldn’t even speak to him kindly.
At 17, Joseph was still lifting himself up above his brothers and thinking about how he could rise above them even more.
Joseph has a dream about the bowing sheaves and tells his family
Genesis 37:5-8, Jasher 41:10-13
Joseph had a dream and shared it with his brothers, which only made them hate him more. He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had. We were out in the field binding sheaves, and suddenly my sheaf stood up and remained standing. Then your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to my sheaf.”
His brothers replied, “Are you really going to rule over us? Will you truly have dominion over us?”
They hated him even more for both his dreams and the way he spoke.
Later, Joseph told the dream to his father Jacob, who kissed him when he heard it and gave him a blessing. When the rest of the brothers saw that their father had kissed Joseph, blessed him, and loved him so deeply, their jealousy grew, and they hated him even more.
Joseph has a dream about the bowing luminaries and tells his family
Genesis 37:9-11, Jasher 41:14-17
After that, Joseph had another dream and shared it with his father in front of his brothers. He said, “Look, I had another dream, and in it the sun, the moon, and 11 stars bowed down to me.”
Jacob heard the dream and, noticing how much his sons already resented Joseph, he scolded him in front of his brothers. He said, “What is this dream you’ve had, and why do you keep exalting yourself above your older brothers? Do you really believe that I, your mother, and your 11 brothers will all bow down to you one day? Is that what you think?”
His brothers were even more jealous because of the dream and his words, and their hatred deepened. But Jacob kept the dreams in mind and pondered them in his heart.
Climax
Jacob sends Joseph to check on his brothers in Shechem
Genesis 37:12-14, Jasher 41:18-21, Jubilees 34:10
One day, Jacob’s sons went out to tend their father’s flock in Shechem, as they were still herdsmen in those days. While they were in Shechem feeding the flock, they stayed longer than expected. The time for gathering the cattle had passed, and they still hadn’t returned. Jacob noticed the delay and thought to himself, “Maybe the people of Shechem have risen up against them, and that’s why they’re late today.”
Israel then said to Joseph, “Aren’t your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, and I’ll send you to them.”
Joseph replied, “Here I am.”
Jacob said, “Go now, check on your brothers and the flock, and bring me back word.”
So, in the 7th year of this week, Jacob sent Joseph out from the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. But when Joseph got to Shechem, he couldn’t find his brothers. He wandered around the field near Shechem, trying to figure out where they might have gone. Lost in the wilderness, he didn’t know which way to turn.
Joseph is told by a man that his brothers went to Dothan
Genesis 37:15-17, Jasher 41:22-23
Then, an angel of the Lord found him wandering along the road near the field. The man asked him, “What are you looking for?”
Joseph replied, “I’m looking for my brothers. Have you heard where they’re feeding the flock?”
The angel of the Lord said, “I saw your brothers feeding here, and I heard them say they were heading to Dothan to feed there.”
Joseph listened to the angel and went on to Dothan, where he found his brothers feeding the flock.
The sons of Jacob conspire against Jacob
Genesis 37:18-22, Jasher 41:24-26
When they saw him approaching from a distance, before he got close, they plotted to kill him. Simeon said to his brothers, “Look, here comes that dreamer. Come on, let’s kill him and throw him into some pit. We’ll say a wild beast devoured him. Then we’ll see what becomes of his dreams.”
Reuben heard their plan and intervened to save him. He said, “You shouldn’t do this. How can we face our father Jacob? Let’s not kill him.”
Reuben added, “Don’t shed any blood. Just throw him into this pit in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” He said this hoping to rescue Joseph later and return him to their father.
The sons of Jacob strip Joseph of his coat and throw him in a pit
Genesis 37:23-24, Jasher 41:27-28
When Joseph reached his brothers, he sat before them, but they rose up, grabbed him, threw him to the ground, and stripped off the coat of many colors he was wearing. Then they threw him into a pit. There was no water in the pit, but it was filled with serpents and scorpions. Joseph was terrified of the creatures, and he cried out loudly. The Lord hid the serpents and scorpions in the sides of the pit, and they didn’t harm Joseph.
Joseph cries to his brothers for help
Jasher 41:29-34
From the pit, Joseph cried out to his brothers, “What have I done to you? How have I sinned? Don’t you fear the Lord concerning me? Am I not your own flesh and blood? Isn’t Jacob my father also your father? Why are you doing this to me? How will you even face our father Jacob?”
He kept calling out from the pit, saying, “Judah, Simeon, Levi—my brothers—lift me out of this place of darkness where you’ve thrown me! Have mercy on me today, children of the Lord, sons of our father Jacob. If I’ve wronged you, aren’t you descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? If they saw an orphan, they had compassion. If someone was hungry, they gave him bread; if thirsty, they gave water; if naked, they gave clothing. So how can you withhold pity from your own brother? I’m your own flesh and blood. If I’ve sinned against you, at least have mercy for our father’s sake!”
Joseph continued crying and weeping from the pit, but his brothers refused to listen or even pay attention. He wept and said, “Oh, if only my father knew what my brothers have done to me today, and the things they’ve said to me.”
All of them heard his cries but walked away from the pit so they wouldn’t have to hear him weeping.
The sons of Jacob decide to sell Joseph to the Ishmaelites
Genesis 37:25-27, Jasher 42:1-4
They sat down at a distance to eat, about a bow-shot away, and as they were eating, they discussed what to do with Joseph—whether to kill him or return him to their father. As they talked, 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 Egypt.
Judah said, “What will we gain if we kill our brother? Maybe God will hold us accountable. Here’s what we should do: look, a company of Ishmaelites is heading to Egypt. Let’s sell him to them. That way our hands won’t be on him, and he’ll be taken far away. We won’t have to kill him ourselves.”
His brothers agreed, and they followed Judah’s suggestion.
The sons of Jacob sell Joseph to some Midianites
Genesis 37:28a, Jasher 42:5-23
While they were still talking and before the Ishmaelites reached them, 7 Midianite traders passed by. They were thirsty and noticed the pit, thinking it might contain water. As they approached, they heard Joseph crying and weeping from the pit. Looking in, they saw a handsome young man.
They called out, “Who are you? Who put you here in the wilderness?” Then they all helped to lift Joseph out of the pit and started to leave with him, passing by his brothers.
Jacob’s sons said to them, “Why are you taking our servant? We put him in the pit because he rebelled against us. Now you’re taking him away—give him back!”
The Midianites replied, “Is he really your servant? Maybe you’re his servants. He’s better looking than any of you! Why are you lying to us? We found him in the pit and took him. We’re not listening to you—we’re leaving.”
Then the sons of Jacob confronted them, saying, “Give him back or you’ll all die by the sword!”
The Midianites shouted in response and drew their swords, preparing to fight. Then Simeon stood up, jumped to the ground, drew his sword, and gave a terrifying shout that echoed far away. The earth shook, and the Midianites were terrified. They fell on their faces, overwhelmed with fear.
Simeon said, “I’m Simeon, son of Jacob the Hebrew. With just one brother, I destroyed Shechem and the Amorite cities. If all the Midianites and Canaanite kings came with you, you still couldn’t fight me. Now hand over the youth, or I’ll feed your flesh to the birds and beasts.”
The Midianites, terrified, spoke to them with trembling voices: “You said the youth is your servant and that he rebelled. What would you do to a servant who rebelled against his master? Sell him to us—we’ll pay whatever you ask.”
The Lord allowed this so that Joseph wouldn’t be killed by his brothers. The Midianites admired Joseph’s looks and desperately wanted to buy him.
So Jacob’s sons agreed and sold Joseph to the Midianites for 20 pieces of silver. Reuben wasn’t with them at the time. The Midianites took Joseph and continued on toward Gilead.
As they traveled, they regretted what they had done. One said, “What have we done, taking this youth from the Hebrews? He’s handsome and well-favored. Maybe he was stolen, and if someone comes looking for him, we’ll be in trouble. Surely the men who sold him were strong and powerful—remember the one we saw today? Maybe they kidnapped him and sold him cheaply.”
While they were discussing this, the Ishmaelites—the ones the sons of Jacob had first seen—were approaching. The Midianites said, “Let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites. We’ll get back what we paid and be free of this mess.”
The Midianites sell Joseph to the Ishmaelites
Genesis 37:28b, Jasher 42:24-25, Jubilees 34:11a
They had originally plotted to kill him but changed their minds. When they reached the Ishmaelites, the Midianites sold Joseph to them for the same 20 pieces of silver they had paid to his brothers. The Midianites continued on toward Gilead, and the Ishmaelites took Joseph, placing him on one of their camels and heading for Egypt.
Joseph is punished for his weeping and YHWH smites the Ishmaelites
Jasher 42:26-29a
When Joseph realized the Ishmaelites were taking him to Egypt, he wept bitterly, mourning how far he would be from Canaan and his father. As he cried while riding a camel, one of the men forced him off and made him walk. But Joseph kept weeping, saying, “Oh, my father, my father!”
One Ishmaelite struck him on the cheek, but Joseph continued crying. Exhausted from grief, he struggled to walk, so they all beat him and mistreated him to silence his cries.
But the Lord saw Joseph’s suffering and sent darkness and confusion on the men. Each one who had struck Joseph had their hand withered. They said to each other, “What is this that God has done to us on the road?”
They didn’t realize it happened because of Joseph.
Joseph sees his mother’s grave and asks her for help
Jasher 42:29b-40
As they traveled, they passed by Ephrath, where Rachel was buried. When Joseph saw his mother’s grave, he ran to it, fell on it, and wept. He cried out, “My mother, my mother, wake up and see your son! I’ve been sold as a slave, and no one pities me. Wake up and weep with me! Look at what my brothers have done. Rise and plead with God! See how they stripped me, sold me twice, and separated me from my father. No one cares! Plead my case before God—see who He justifies! Wake up and see how my father’s soul is tied to mine. Comfort him!”
Joseph wept bitterly on the grave and then fell silent, motionless like a stone. Then he heard a voice from under the ground, filled with sorrow and tears: “My son Joseph, I hear your cries and see your tears. I know your suffering—it adds to my grief. But have hope in the Lord and don’t be afraid. He is with you and will deliver you. Go down to Egypt with your masters. The Lord is with you, my son.”
She continued speaking to him and then fell silent.
Joseph is punished again and YHWH smites the Ishmaelites again
Jasher 42:41-46
Joseph heard everything, and he was deeply troubled and kept crying. One of the Ishmaelites saw him weeping by the grave and got angry. He drove Joseph away, hit him, and cursed at him.
Joseph pleaded with them, saying, “Please show me mercy and take me back to my father’s house—he’ll give you plenty of riches.”
But they replied, “Aren’t you just a slave? Where’s your father now? If you really had a father, you wouldn’t have been sold twice already for such a low price.” Their anger didn’t subside—they kept beating him and punishing him while Joseph cried bitterly.
YHWH saw Joseph’s suffering, and once again He struck the men and punished them. Darkness covered the earth, lightning flashed, thunder roared, and the ground shook from the sound of the thunder and the strong wind. The men were terrified and didn’t know where to go. The animals and camels froze in place. The men tried to lead them, but they wouldn’t move—when they hit them, the animals just crouched down. The men said to each other, “What has God done to us? What sin or wrongdoing caused this disaster?”
Then one of them spoke up: “Maybe this is happening because we mistreated this slave. Let’s beg him to forgive us. Then we’ll find out if this is happening because of him, and if God shows us mercy, we’ll know for sure that all this came on us because of what we did to him.”
Joseph intercedes on behalf of the Ishmaelites
Jasher 42:47-48
So they did as he said—they begged Joseph and urged him to forgive them. They said, “We’ve sinned against YHWH and against you. Please, ask your God to take this death away from us, because we have sinned against Him.”
Joseph did what they asked, and YHWH listened to him. He lifted the plague He had brought on them because of Joseph. The animals got up from the ground and began to walk again, the storm calmed down, and the earth was at peace. The men continued their journey toward Egypt, now fully aware that all of this had happened because of Joseph.
The Ishmaelites conspire to sell Joseph in Egypt
Jasher 42:49-53
The men said to each other, “It’s clear this disaster happened because of how we treated him. Why should we bring more death on ourselves? Let’s figure out what to do with this slave.”
One of them said, “He told us to take him back to his father. Let’s do that. He can guide us to his family, and they’ll pay us back what we spent on him. Then we’ll leave.”
Another replied, “That sounds good, but we can’t do it—the way back is too far, and we can’t go off our path.”
Then someone else said, “Here’s the plan—we’re already headed to Egypt today. When we get there, let’s sell him for a high price. That’ll free us from this burden.”
The others agreed, and they stuck to that plan. So they continued their journey to Egypt with Joseph.
Falling Action
The sons of Jacob regret selling Joseph to the Midianites
Jasher 43:1
After the sons of Jacob sold their brother Joseph to the Midianites, they were filled with guilt and regret. They tried to find him and bring him back, but he was nowhere to be found.
Reuben searches for Joseph
Genesis 37:29-30, Jasher 43:2-4
Reuben went back to the pit where Joseph had been placed. He planned to lift Joseph out and return him to their father. When Reuben got there, he stood by the pit and didn’t hear anything. He called out, “Joseph! Joseph!” but there was no answer—no sound at all.
Reuben said, “Joseph must have died from fright, or maybe a snake killed him.”
He climbed down into the pit and searched for Joseph, but he wasn’t there. So Reuben came out again.
He tore his clothes and said, “The boy is gone! How am I supposed to face our father if he’s dead?”
Reuben found his brothers already mourning Joseph and trying to figure out how they could explain things to their father. He said to them, “I went to the pit, but Joseph wasn’t there. What are we going to tell our father? He’ll expect me to be responsible for the boy.”
The sons of Jacob conspire on what to tell their father
Jasher 43:5-12
His brothers replied, “This is what we did, and afterward we felt guilty about it. Now we’re just trying to come up with something to tell our father.”
Reuben said, “How could you do this and bring our father’s gray hair down to the grave in sorrow? What you’ve done is terrible.”
He sat with them, and they all stood up and made a pact not to tell Jacob what had happened. They all agreed, “If anyone tells our father or anyone in his household—or even someone else in the land—we’ll all rise up and kill him with the sword.”
The sons of Jacob were afraid of each other over this matter—from the youngest to the oldest. No one said a word. They kept everything to themselves.
Then they sat down to figure out what story they could tell Jacob about everything that had happened. Issachar said, “Here’s an idea—if it sounds good to you, let’s do it. Take Joseph’s coat and tear it. Kill a young goat and dip the coat in its blood. Then send it to our father. When he sees it, he’ll assume a wild animal has killed Joseph. The blood on the torn coat will convince him, and that way, we’ll be free from our father’s complaints.”
Issachar’s plan sounded good to them, so they followed his advice and did exactly what he suggested.
M: 7 | D: 10 | The sons of Jacob bring evidence to Jacob of a beast killing Joseph
Genesis 37:31-34, Jasher 43:13-16, Jubilees 34:12-13
They quickly took Joseph’s coat, tore it, killed a young goat, and dipped the coat in its blood. Then they trampled it in the dust. They sent the coat to their father Jacob, with Naphtali delivering it. They told him exactly what to say: “We had gathered in the cattle and had come as far as the road to Shechem and farther, when we found this coat on the road in the wilderness, dipped in blood and in dust; now therefore know whether it be your son’s coat or not.”
On the 10th day of the 7th month, Naphtali came to his father, gave him the coat, and repeated all the words his brothers had instructed him to say.
Jacob recognized Joseph’s coat immediately. He fell face down on the ground and lay still like a stone. Then he got up and cried out in a loud, weeping voice, “It is the coat of my son Joseph! An evil beast has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn in pieces.”
Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and he and his whole household mourned Joseph for many days.
Jacob confronts his sons
Jasher 43:17-21
Jacob quickly sent one of his servants to find his sons. The servant found them coming along the road with the flock. As they arrived around evening, their clothes were torn, dust was on their heads, and they saw their father crying and weeping loudly.
Jacob said to his sons, “Tell me truly—what evil have you suddenly brought upon me this day?”
They answered, “We were returning today after gathering in the flock, and we came as far as the city of Shechem by the road in the wilderness. We found this coat, covered in blood, lying on the ground. We recognized it, and we sent it to you so you could confirm whether it was Joseph’s.”
When Jacob heard their words, he cried out in a loud voice and said, “It is the coat of my son! An evil beast has devoured him. Joseph is torn in pieces. I sent him today to see how you and the flocks were doing and to bring back a report, and now this has happened to him, while I believed he was with you.”
His sons replied, “He didn’t come to us. We haven’t seen him since we left you until now.”
Jacob mourns over Joseph
Jasher 43:22-33
When Jacob heard their words, he cried out again and tore his clothes. He put on sackcloth around his waist, wept bitterly, mourned, and lifted his voice in deep sorrow. He said, “Joseph my son, oh my son Joseph! I sent you today to check on your brothers’ well-being, and now you’ve been torn to pieces. This has happened by my hand. It grieves me for you, Joseph my son, it grieves me. How sweet you were to me in life, and how bitter your death is to me now. Oh, that I had died in your place, Joseph my son. It grieves me deeply, my son, oh my son, my son. Joseph my son, where are you? Where have you gone? Rise up from wherever you are and see how I grieve for you, my son Joseph. Come now and count the tears pouring from my eyes down my cheeks, and bring them before the Lord so that His anger may turn from me. Oh Joseph my son, how did you fall, by the hand of one who has never caused anyone to fall before, from the beginning of the world until now? You were killed cruelly by an enemy, but I know this has happened because of the multitude of my sins. Rise up now and see how bitter my pain is for you, my son. Though I did not create you, shape you, or give you breath and life—it was God who formed you, built your bones, covered them with flesh, and breathed into your nostrils the breath of life—He gave you to me. And now God, who gave you to me, has taken you away, and this is what has happened.”
Jacob continued to speak words like these about Joseph and wept bitterly. He collapsed to the ground and became still. When Jacob’s sons saw how deeply distressed he was, they regretted what they had done and also wept bitterly.
Judah got up and lifted his father’s head from the ground, resting it in his lap. He wiped the tears from Jacob’s cheeks and wept intensely as his father’s head lay motionless on his lap. All Jacob’s sons saw their father’s distress and lifted their voices to weep, while Jacob remained lying on the ground, still as a stone.
Jacob refuses comfort from his family and servants
Genesis 37:35, Jasher 43:34-35, Jubilees 34:14
All his sons, his daughter, his servants, and the children of his servants gathered around him to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted.
He said, “I will go down to the grave mourning for my son.”
So his father wept for him. The entire household of Jacob joined in the mourning, deeply grieving both for Joseph and for Jacob’s anguish. The news reached Isaac, the son of Abraham and father of Jacob. He and his entire household wept bitterly for Joseph. Isaac left his home in Hebron, and his men came with him. He tried to comfort Jacob, but Jacob still refused to be comforted.
Jacob forms a hunting party to find Joseph
Jasher 43:36-39
After this, Jacob got up from the ground, tears still streaming down his cheeks, and said to his sons, “Get up, take your swords and bows, go out into the field, and see if you can find my son’s body so I may bury him. Also, go after the beasts and hunt them. The first one you encounter—capture it and bring it to me. Perhaps the Lord will have pity on me today and lead you to the one that tore my son to pieces. Bring it to me, and I will avenge my son.”
His sons obeyed, got up early the next morning, and each took a sword and bow before heading out to the field to hunt wild beasts. Meanwhile, Jacob kept crying and weeping as he paced back and forth in the house, clapping his hands together and saying, “Joseph my son, Joseph my son.”
The sons of Jacob bring back a wolf and Jacob interrogates him
Jasher 43:40-48
Jacob’s sons went into the wilderness to hunt beasts. A wolf came toward them, and they captured it and brought it to their father. They said, “This is the first one we found. We brought it to you as you asked, but we couldn’t find your son’s body.”
Jacob took the beast from their hands and cried out in a loud, weeping voice. Holding the animal, he spoke with a bitter heart: “Why did you devour my son Joseph? How did you have no fear of the God of the earth or of my sorrow for my son? You ate him for no reason—he did nothing wrong—and now I bear the blame. Therefore, God will seek justice for the one who was persecuted.”
Then the Lord opened the mouth of the beast to comfort Jacob. The wolf said, “As God lives who created us on the earth, and as you live, my lord, I did not see your son, nor did I tear him apart. I came from a distant land looking for my own son who disappeared today. I don’t know whether he’s alive or dead. I came into the field today searching for him when your sons found me, seized me, added to my sorrow, and brought me to you. I’ve now told you everything. So, son of man, I’m in your hands—do whatever seems right to you. But by the life of God who made me, I did not see your son, I did not harm him, and I’ve never eaten human flesh in all my life.”
When Jacob heard the beast’s words, he was shocked. He let the wolf go, and she went her way. But Jacob continued crying and weeping for Joseph day after day and mourned for him many days.
Resolution
Bilhah and Dinah died and was buried
Jubilees 34:15-16
On that day, when Bilhah heard that Joseph had died, she passed away from mourning. She had been living in Qafratef. Dinah, his daughter, also died after hearing that Joseph had perished. So Israel experienced 3 losses in 1 month. They buried Bilhah near Rachel’s tomb, and Dinah, his daughter, was buried there as well.
Jacob mourns for Joseph for a year
Jubilees 34:17-19
Jacob mourned for Joseph for 1 year and did not stop, saying, “Let me go down to the grave mourning for my son.”
Because of this, it was ordained for the children of Israel to afflict themselves on the 10th day of the 7th month—the day the sorrowful news came to Jacob about Joseph. On that day each year, they were to make atonement for themselves with a young goat for their sins, because they had hurt their father’s heart regarding Joseph. This day was set aside for grieving over their sins, transgressions, and all their errors, so they could be cleansed once a year on that day.
This chart shows who was alive in the years 2220-2222.