God’s Word Translation
Genesis 37:25
25As they sat down to eat, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying the materials for cosmetics, medicine, and embalming. They were on their way to take them to Egypt.
Genesis 37:25 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then they sat down to eat. And looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry it down to Egypt.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And they sat down to eat a meal. Then they lifted their eyes and looked, and there was a company of Ishmaelites, coming from Gilead with their camels, bearing spices, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry them down to Egypt.
Context of Genesis 37:25
23So when Joseph reached his brothers, they stripped him of his special robe with long sleeves. 24Then they took him and put him into an empty cistern. It had no water in it. As they sat down to eat, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying the materials for cosmetics, medicine, and embalming. They were on their way to take them to Egypt. 26Judah asked his brothers, “What will we gain by killing our brother and covering up his death? 27Let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites. Let’s not hurt him, because he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.” His brothers agreed.
Read all of Genesis 37Genesis 37:25 word by word
וַיֵּשְׁבוּ֮ לֶֽאֱכָל־לֶחֶם֒ וַיִּשְׂא֤וּ עֵֽינֵיהֶם֙ וַיִּרְא֔וּ וְהִנֵּה֙ אֹרְחַ֣ת יִשְׁמְעֵאלִ֔ים בָּאָ֖ה מִגִּלְעָ֑ד וּגְמַלֵּיהֶ֣ם נֹֽשְׂאִ֗ים נְכֹאת֙ וּצְרִ֣י וָלֹ֔ט הוֹלְכִ֖ים לְהוֹרִ֥יד מִצְרָֽיְמָה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And they sat downיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- to eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
- breadלֶ֫חֶםlechem · foodH3899
- and they lifted upנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: lookH5375
- their eyesעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eye: seeingH5869
- and lookedרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- and, behold, a companyאֹרְחָה'ôrchâh · caravanH736
- of Ishmeelitesיִשְׁמְעֵאלִיyishmâ‛ê'lîy · IshmaeliteH3459
- cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- from Gileadגִּלְעָדgil‛âd · GileadH1568
- with their camelsגָּמָלgâmâl · camelH1581
- bearingנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: bearH5375
- spiceryנְכֹאתnek'ôth · tragacanth gumH5219
- and balmצֳרִיtserîy tsŏrîy · balsamH6875
- and myrrhלֹטlôţ · myrrhH3910
- goingהָלַךְhâlak · to go: journeyH1980
- downיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
- to Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםmitsrayim · EgyptH4714
Cross-references for Genesis 37:25
- Esther 3:15The messengers hurried out as the king told them. The decree was also issued at the fortress of Susa. So the king and Haman sat down to drink a toast, but the city of Susa was in turmoil.
- Psalms 14:4Are all those troublemakers, those who devour my people as if they were devouring food, so ignorant that they do not call on the Lord?
- Proverbs 30:20This is the way of a woman who commits adultery: She eats, wipes her mouth, and says, “I haven’t done anything wrong!”
- Amos 6:6How horrible it will be for those who drink wine by the jugful. They rub the finest oils all over themselves and are not sorry for the ruin ⌞of the descendants⌟ of Joseph.
- Genesis 37:28As the Midianite merchants were passing by, the brothers pulled Joseph out of the cistern. They sold him to the Ishmaelites for eight ounces of silver. The Ishmaelites took him to Egypt.
- Genesis 16:11Then the Messenger of the Lord said to her, “You are pregnant, and you will give birth to a son. You will name him Ishmael [God Hears], because the Lord has heard your cry of distress.
- Genesis 25:1Abraham married again, and his wife’s name was Keturah.
- Genesis 31:23He and his relatives pursued Jacob for seven days. Laban caught up with him in the mountains of Gilead.
- Psalms 83:6the tents from Edom and Ishmael, Moab and Hagar,
- Genesis 31:21So he left in a hurry with all that belonged to him. He crossed the Euphrates River and went toward the mountains of Gilead.
- Genesis 43:11Then their father Israel said to them, “If that’s the way it has to be, then take the man a gift. Put some of the best products of the land in your bags. Take a little balm, a little honey, gum, myrrh, pistachio nuts, and almonds.
- Jeremiah 8:22Isn’t there medicine in Gilead? Aren’t there doctors there? Then why hasn’t the health of my dear people been restored?
Commentaries on Genesis 37:25
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 25They sat down to eat bread - Every act is perfectly in character, and describes forcibly the brutish and diabolic nature of their ruthless souls. A company of Ishmaelites - We may naturally suppose that this was a caravan, composed of different tribes that, for their greater safety, were traveling together, and of which Ishmaelites and Midianites made the chief. In the Chaldee they are called Arabians, which, from ערב arab, to mingle, was in all…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-36Verses 1-36 - Joseph Was Sold into Egypt 17. דתין dotayı̂n Dothain, “two wells?” (Gesenius) 25. נכאת neko't “tragacanth” or goat‘s-thorn gum, yielded by the “astragalus gummifer”, a native of Mount Lebanon. צרי tsērı̂y “opobalsamum,” the resin of the balsam tree, growing in Gilead, and having healing qualities. לט loṭ ͂ lēdon “ledum, ladanum,” in the Septuagint ́ staktē The former is a gum produced from the cistus rose. The latter is a gum resembling…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 23-30Verses 23-30 They threw Joseph into a pit, to perish there with hunger and cold; so cruel were their tender mercies. They slighted him when he was in distress, and were not grieved for the affliction of Joseph, see Am 6:6; for when he was pining in the pit, they sat down to eat bread. They felt no remorse of conscience for the sin. But the wrath of man shall praise God, and the remainder of wrath he will restrain, Psa 76:10. Joseph's brethren were…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 25-28The Ishmaelite traders were descendants of the slave child who was cast out for mocking Isaac. Now they would enslave Joseph. When he was sold for 20 pieces of silver and carried to Egypt, he was at least preserved alive.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2525. they sat down to eat bread--What a view does this exhibit of those hardened profligates! Their common share in this conspiracy is not the only dismal feature in the story. The rapidity, the almost instantaneous manner in which the proposal was followed by their joint resolution, and the cool indifference, or rather the fiendish satisfaction, with which they sat down to regale themselves, is astonishing. It is impossible that mere envy at his dreams…Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 37:25
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Genesis 37
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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