GEN 37

Genesis 37:9

WEB

He dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his brothers, and said, “Behold, I have dreamed yet another dream: and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars bowed down to me.”

BSB

Then Joseph had another dream and told it to his brothers. “Look,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”

KJV

¶ 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.

Matthew Henry

Verses 5–11

Genesis 37:5–11

Here, I. Joseph relates the prophetical dreams he had, Gen 37:6, Gen 37:7, Gen 37:9, Gen 37:10. Though he was now very young (about seventeen years old), yet he was pious and devout, and well-inclined, and this fitted him for God's gracious discoveries of himself to him. Joseph had a great deal of trouble before him, and therefore God gave him betimes this prospect of his advancement, to support and comfort him under the long and grievous troubles with which he was to be exercised. Thus Christ had a joy set before him, and so have Christians. Note, God has ways of preparing his people beforehand for the trials which they cannot foresee, but which he has an eye to in the comforts with which he furnishes them. His dreams were, 1. That his brethren's sheaves all bowed to his, intimating upon what occasion they should be brought to do homage to him, namely, in seeking to him for corn; their empty sheaves should bow to his full one. 2. That the sun, and moon, and eleven stars, did obeisance to him, Gen 37:9. Joseph was more of a prophet than a politician, else he would have kept this to himself, when he could not but know that his brethren did already hate him and that this would but the more exasperate them. But, if he told it in his simplicity, yet God directed it for the mortification of his brethren. Observe, Joseph dreamed of his preferment, but he did not dream of his imprisonment. Thus many young people, when they are setting out in the world, think of nothing but prosperity and pleasure, and never dream of trouble.

II. His brethren take it very ill, and are more and more enraged against him (Gen 37:8): Shalt thou indeed reign over us? See here, 1. How truly they interpreted his dream, that he should reign over them. Those become the expositors of his dream who were enemies to the accomplishment of it, as in Gideon's story (Jdg 7:13, Jdg 7:14); they perceived that he spoke of them, Mat 21:45. The event exactly answered to this interpretation, Gen 42:6, etc. 2. How scornfully they resented it: "Shalt thou, who are but one, reign over us, who are many? Thou, who are the youngest, over us who are older?" Note, The reign and dominion of Jesus Christ, our Joseph, have been, and are, despised and striven against by a carnal and unbelieving world, who cannot endure to think that this man should reign over them. The dominion also of the upright, in the morning of the resurrection, is thought of with the utmost disdain.

III. His father gives him a gentle rebuke for it, yet observes the saying, Gen 37:10, Gen 37:11. Probably he checked him for it, to lessen the offence which his brethren would be apt to take at it; yet he took notice of it more than he seemed to do: he insinuated that it was but an idle dream, because his mother was brought in, who had been dead some time since; whereas the sun, moon, and eleven stars, signify no more than the whole family that should have a dependence upon him, and be glad to be beholden to him. Note, The faith of God's people in God's promises is often sorely shaken by their misunderstanding the promises and then suggesting the improbabilities that attend the performance; but God is doing his own work, and will do it, whether we understand him aright or no. Jacob, like Mary (Luk 2:51), kept these things in his heart, and no doubt remembered them long afterwards, when the event answered to the prediction.

Cross-references: Gen 37:6 · Gen 37:7 · Gen 37:9 · Gen 37:10 · Gen 37:8 · Judg 7:13 · Judg 7:14 · Matt 21:45 · Gen 42:6 · Gen 37:11 · Luke 2:51

Hebrew interlinear

לִֽיliprep + suffix · pronominal · 1st · common · sing

H2492

חָלַםchâlam/khaw-lam'/

v — bind firmly, be, make, plump, dream

Derivation: a primitive root;

properly, to bind firmly, i.e. (by implication) to be (causatively to make) plump; also (through the figurative sense of dumbness) to dream

KJV: (cause to) dream(-er), be in good liking, recover.

חָלַם

vb — be healthy

[חָלַם] vb. be healthy, strong

Qal their young are healthy

Hiph. and restore me to health

חָלַם

vb — dream

חָלַם vb. dream

Qal dream

Hiph. dream

H5750

עוֹדʻôwd/ode/

adv — iteration, continuance, again, repeatedly, still, more

Derivation: or עֹד; from 5749;

properly, iteration or continuance; used only adverbially (with or without preposition), again, repeatedly, still, more

KJV: again, × all life long, at all, besides, but, else, further(-more), henceforth, (any) longer, (any) more(-over), × once, since, (be) still, when, (good, the) while (having being), (as, because, whether, while) yet (within).

עוֹד

subst — a going round

עוֹד and (14 t.) עֹד subst. a going round, continuance, but used mostly as adv. acc. still, yet, again, besides

H2472

חֲלוֹםchălôwm/khal-ome'/

n-m — dream

Derivation: or (shortened) חֲלֹם; from 2492;

a dream

KJV: dream(-er).

חֲלוֹם

n.m — dream

חֲלוֹם n.m. dream

1. ordinary dream of sleep

2. dreams with prophetic meaning

H312

אַחֵרʼachêr/akh-air'/

a — hinder, next, other

Derivation: from 309;

properly, hinder; generally, next, other, etc.

KJV: (an-) other man, following, next, strange.

אַחֵר

adj — another

אַחֵר adj. another

H5608

סָפַרçâphar/saw-far'/

v n-m — score, inscribe, enumerate, recount, celebrate

Derivation: a primitive root;

properly, to score with a mark as a tally or record, i.e. (by implication) to inscribe, and also to enumerate; intensively, to recount, i.e. celebrate

KJV: commune, (ac-) count; declare, number, penknife, reckon, scribe, shew forth, speak, talk, tell (out), writer.

סָפַר

vb — count

סָפַר 107 vb. count, Pi. recount, relate

Qal 27

1. count things, to learn their number

2. number = take account of, carefully observe and consider, reckon

Niph. be counted, numbered

Pi. 67 recount, rehearse, declare

Pu. be recounted, related, rehearsed

סֹפֵר

n.m — enumerator

סֹפֵר, סוֹפֵר n.m. enumerator, muster-officer, secretary, scribe

H853

אֵתʼêth/ayth/

prt — self, even, namely

Derivation: apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of entity;

properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)

KJV: [as such unrepresented in English].

אֵת

mark of the accusative

אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

H251

אָחʼâch/awkh/

n-m — brother

Derivation: a primitive word;

a brother (used in the widest sense of literal relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance [like 1])

KJV: another, brother(-ly); kindred, like, other. Compare also the proper names beginning with 'Ah-' or 'Ahi-'.

אָח

n.m — brother

אָח 630 n.m. brother

1. brother, born of same mother (& father)

2. indef. = relative

3. fig. of resemblance

4. in phr. one … another

H559

אָמַרʼâmar/aw-mar'/

v — say

Derivation: a primitive root;

to say (used with great latitude)

KJV: answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, × desire, determine, × expressly, × indeed, × intend, name, × plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), × still, × suppose, talk, tell, term, × that is, × think, use (speech), utter, × verily, × yet.

אָמַר

vb — utter

אָמַר 5287 vb. utter, say

Qal

1. Say

2. Say in the heart (= think)

3. Promise

4. Command (esp. late)

Niph. be said, told

Hiph. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)

Hithp. act proudly, boast

H2009

הִנֵּהhinnêh/hin-nay'/

dp — lo!

Derivation: prolongation for 2005;

lo!

KJV: behold, lo, see.

הִנֵּה

demonstr.part — lo!

הִנֵּה, once הִנֶּה־ Gn 19:2, demonstr.part. lo!, behold!

H8121

שֶׁמֶשׁshemesh/sheh'-mesh/

n — sun, east, ray, battlement

Derivation: from an unused root meaning to be brilliant;

the sun; by implication, the east; figuratively, a ray, i.e. (architectural) a notched battlement

KJV: east side(-ward), sun (rising), west(-ward), window. See also 1053.

שֶׁ֫מֶשׁ

n.f — sun

שֶׁ֫מֶשׁ 133 n.f. et m. sun

1. sun

2. of direction: toward sun-rise, = East

3. obj. of worship

4. other phr.

5. pinnacle, as glittering, shining

H3394

יָרֵחַyârêach/yaw-ray'-akh/

n-m — moon

Derivation: from the same as 3391;

the moon

KJV: moon. Yrechow. See 3405.

יָרֵחַ

n.m — moon

יָרֵחַ n.m. moon, esp. poet.

H259

אֶחָדʼechâd/ekh-awd'/

a — united, one, first

Derivation: a numeral from 258;

properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) first

KJV: a, alike, alone, altogether, and, any(-thing), apiece, a certain, (dai-) ly, each (one), eleven, every, few, first, highway, a man, once, one, only, other, some, together,

אֶחָד

adj.num — one

אֶחָד 972 adj.num. one

1. one

2. = each, every

3. = a certain

4. = indef. art.

5. only, & (fem.) once

6. oneanother, onethe other

7. as ordinal first

8. in combin.

H6240

עָשָׂרʻâsâr/aw-sawr'/

n — ten, -teen, -teenth

Derivation: for 6235;

ten (only in combination), i.e. -teen; also (ordinal) -teenth

KJV: (eigh-, fif-, four-, nine-, seven-, six-, thir-) teen(-th), + eleven(-th), + sixscore thousand, + twelve(-th).

עָשָׂר

ten

עָשָׂר, עֶשְׂרֵה ten, only after units to make num. 11-19, both cardinal and ordinal

H3556

כּוֹכָבkôwkâb/ko-kawb'/

n-m — star, prince

Derivation: probably from the same as 3522 (in the sense of rolling) or 3554 (in the sense of blazing);

a star (as round or as shining); figuratively, a prince

KJV: star(-gazer).

כּוֹכָב

n.m — star

כּוֹכָב n.m. star

H7812

שָׁחָהshâchâh/shaw-khaw'/

v — depress, prostrate

Derivation: a primitive root;

to depress, i.e. prostrate (especially reflexive, in homage to royalty or God)

KJV: bow (self) down, crouch, fall down (flat), humbly beseech, do (make) obeisance, do reverence, make to stoop, worship.

שָׁחָה

vb — bow down

[שָׁחָה] 172 vb. bow down

Qal bow down

Hiph. fig., anxiety depresses it

Hithpa‛lēl

1. bow down, prostrate oneself, before a monarch or superior, in homage, etc.

2. before God, in worship

3. before other gods

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