God’s Word Translation
Genesis 37:28
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 37:28 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.
- New International Version (NIV)So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then Midianite traders passed by; so the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt.
Context of Genesis 37:28
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. As 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. 29When Reuben came back to the cistern and saw that Joseph was no longer there, he tore his clothes in grief. 30He went back to his brothers and said, “The boy isn’t there! What am I going to do?”
Read all of Genesis 37Genesis 37:28 word by word
וַיַּֽעַבְרוּ֩ אֲנָשִׁ֨ים מִדְיָנִ֜ים סֹֽחֲרִ֗ים וַֽיִּמְשְׁכוּ֙ וַיַּֽעֲל֤וּ אֶת־יוֹסֵף֙ מִן־הַבּ֔וֹר וַיִּמְכְּר֧וּ אֶת־יוֹסֵ֛ף לַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִ֖ים בְּעֶשְׂרִ֣ים כָּ֑סֶף וַיָּבִ֥יאוּ אֶת־יוֹסֵ֖ף מִצְרָֽיְמָה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Then there passedעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
- by Midianitesמִדְיָנִיmidyânîy · MidianiteH4084
- merchantmenסָחַרsâchar · to tradeH5503
- merchantmenאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
- and they drewמָשַׁךְmâshak · to drawH4900
- and lifted upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: establishH5927
- Josephיוֹסֵףyôsêph · JosephH3130
- out of the pitבּוֹרbôr · pitH953
- and soldמָכַרmâkar · to sellH4376
- to the Ishmeelitesיִשְׁמְעֵאלִיyishmâ‛ê'lîy · IshmaeliteH3459
- for twentyעֶשְׂרִים‛eώrîym · twentyH6242
- of silverכֶּ֫סֶףkeseph · silver: moneyH3701
- and they broughtבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): bringH935
- into Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםmitsrayim · EgyptH4714
Cross-references for Genesis 37:28
- Genesis 37:25As 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 25:2Keturah gave birth to these sons of Abraham: Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.
- Exodus 2:16seven daughters of the priest of Midian came. They drew water and filled the troughs to water their father’s sheep.
- Numbers 25:15The name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi, daughter of Zur. (Zur was the head of a family from the Midianite tribes.)
- Numbers 31:2“Get even with the Midianites for what they did to the Israelites. After that you will join your ancestors ⌞in death⌟.”
- Judges 6:1The people of Israel did what the Lord considered evil. So the Lord handed them over to Midian for seven years.
- Psalms 83:9Do to them what you did to Midian, to Sisera and Jabin at the Kishon River.
- Isaiah 60:6“Many camels will cover your ⌞land⌟, young camels from Midian and Ephah. Everyone from Sheba will come. They will bring gold and incense. They will sing the praises of the Lord.
- Genesis 45:4“Please come closer to me,” Joseph said to his brothers. When they did so, he said, “I am Joseph, the brother you sold into slavery in Egypt!
- Psalms 105:17He sent a man ahead of them. He sent Joseph, who was sold as a slave.
- Zechariah 11:12Then I said to them, “If it’s alright with you, pay me my wages. But if it’s not, don’t.” And they paid me my wages—30 pieces of silver.
- Matthew 26:15He asked, “What will you pay me if I hand him over to you?” They offered him 30 silver coins.
- Matthew 27:9Then what the prophet Jeremiah had said came true, “They took the 30 silver coins, the price the people of Israel had placed on him,
- Acts 7:9“Jacob’s sons were jealous of their brother Joseph. They sold him into slavery, and he was taken to Egypt. But God was with Joseph
Commentaries on Genesis 37:28
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 28For twenty pieces of silver - In the Anglo-Saxon it is thirty pence. This, I think, is the first instance on record of selling a man for a slave; but the practice certainly did not commence now, it had doubtless been in use long before. Instead of pieces, which our translators supply, the Persian has miskal, which was probably intended to signify a shekel; and if shekels be intended, taking them at three shillings each, Joseph was sold for about three…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. 28The Ishmaelites are called Midianite traders (that is, traders from Midian). Ishmaelites were descendants of Abraham through Hagar (16:5). Midianites were descendants of Abraham through Keturah (25:1–2). The term Ishmaelite may have been used more generally for desert tribes (nomadic groups who move from place to place). The Midianites may also have been traveling with a separate group of Ishmaelite traders (37:27). Kidnapping (taking a person by force)…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 26-2826-28. Judah said, ... What profit is it if we slay our brother?--The sight of these travelling merchants gave a sudden turn to the views of the conspirators; for having no wish to commit a greater degree of crime than was necessary for the accomplishment of their end, they readily approved of Judah's suggestion to dispose of their obnoxious brother as a slave. The proposal, of course, was founded on their knowledge that the Arabian merchants trafficked…Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 37:28
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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