So when Joseph came up to his brothers, they stripped him of his tunic, the long ornamented tunic he had on; 24 then they took him and threw him into the cistern. The cistern was empty; there was no water in it. 25 Then they sat down to eat. Looking up, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, their camels laden with gum, balm, and resin to be taken down to Egypt. 26 Judah said to his brothers: “What is to be gained by killing our brother and concealing his blood? 27 Come, let us sell him to these Ishmaelites, instead of doing away with him ourselves. After all, he is our brother, our own flesh.” His brothers agreed. 28 Midianite traders passed by, and they pulled Joseph up out of the cistern. They sold Joseph for twenty pieces of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt. 29 When Reuben went back to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not in it, he tore his garments, 30 and returning to his brothers, he exclaimed: “The boy is gone! And I—where can I turn?” 31 They took Joseph’s tunic, and after slaughtering a goat, dipped the tunic in its blood. 32 Then they sent someone to bring the long ornamented tunic to their father, with the message: “We found this. See whether it is your son’s tunic or not.” 33 He recognized it and exclaimed: “My son’s tunic! A wild beast has devoured him! Joseph has been torn to pieces!” 34 Then Jacob tore his garments, put sackcloth on his loins, and mourned his son many days. 35 Though his sons and daughters tried to console him, he refused all consolation, saying, “No, I will go down mourning to my son in Sheol.” Thus did his father weep for him. 36 The Midianites, meanwhile, sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, an official of Pharaoh and his chief steward.
Joseph's brothers betrayed him out of jealousy and hatred (Gen. 37:4, 11). They envied their father Jacob's special love for Joseph, symbolized by the ornate tunic, and resented Joseph’s dreams, which foretold his future authority over them (Gen. 37:5-8). This envy drove them to conspire against him, selling him into slavery.
Joseph’s brothers strip him of his tunic, the symbol of their father’s favor (Gen. 37:3), and throw him into an empty cistern. The tunic signifies Joseph's unique role in God's plan, just as Christ's seamless garment (John 19:23-24) points to His priestly and redemptive mission.
Joseph’s brothers sell him to Ishmaelite traders for twenty pieces of silver. This act of betrayal parallels Judas Iscariot’s betrayal of Christ for thirty pieces of silver (Mt. 26:15). Joseph’s suffering is a foreshadowing of the suffering servant in Isaiah 53:3-7, who is despised and rejected but whose suffering brings salvation.
The brothers deceive Jacob by dipping Joseph’s tunic in goat's blood, making him believe Joseph was killed by a wild animal. This deceit parallels other examples of familial betrayal in Scripture, such as Cain’s murder of Abel (Gen. 4:8-9) and Absalom’s rebellion against David (2 Sam. 15).
Joseph is sold to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh in Egypt, setting the stage for his eventual rise to power and the preservation of his family during famine. This foreshadows the Holy Family's flight into Egypt (Mt. 2:13-15), where God’s providence protects and sustains them.
Joseph’s betrayal by his brothers parallels Christ's rejection by His own people (John 1:11). Just as Joseph's suffering leads to his eventual exaltation and the salvation of his family, Christ’s Passion and Death lead to His Resurrection and the salvation of humanity (Phil. 2:8-11). Stephen’s speech in Acts 7:9-10 highlights this connection, showing Joseph as a type of Christ who endures betrayal and suffering but is exalted by God to bring life to others.
Almighty God, in Joseph’s betrayal by his brothers, we see Your hand at work, turning suffering into salvation. Help us to trust in Your providence, even in trials, and to forgive as Joseph forgave. May we follow the example of Christ, who endured rejection to bring us redemption. This we pray through the same Christ our Lord. Amen!
Sources
- McSorley, Joseph. An Outline History of the Church by Centuries (From St. Peter to Pius XII). 2nd ed., B. Herder Book Co., 1944.
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
- Charpentier, Etienne. How to Read the Old Testament. Translated by John Bowden, 1981.
- Komonchak, Joseph, et al., editors. The New Dictionary of Theology.
Comments