Genesis 37:11

Gen 37:11 And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.

Ver. 11. And his brethren envied him.] Envy is a filthy fruit of the flesh {Gal 5:21} and the devil; who is called, the envious man; {Mat 13:19; Mat 13:25} and such wisdom is said to be "devilish." {Jas 3:15} The Pharisees, envying our Saviour, did the devil’s work. {Joh 8:41} So did Cain, the devil’s patriarch, when he laid his cruel club on the innocent head of his brother Abel. And Saul, when, seized upon by the evil spirit more than a melancholy humour, he envied David, and sought his death. For, this vice, as it makes the heart to boil with hellish venom, so it blisters out at the tongue, as here; "They could not speak peaceably to Joseph," but scoff, and consult his ruin. It sits, also, looking out at the windows of the eyes; and, as a basilisk, blasteth the object. {a} Hence, invidere; to see with an evil eye, and naughty mind: and our English saith, to overlook a thing; that is, to bewitch it. This very looking upon other precellencies, whereby we are over shined, so as to lust to have that light put out, that our candle might shine above it - this is every man’s sin - though it act nothing, yet it is abominable. {Jas 4:5} As, on the other side, to rejoice in the good parts of others, though it eclipseth our light, and this from the heart; this is indeed more than to excel others in any excellency, if this be wanting. For this, it is good to get the heart fraught with mercy, meekness of wisdom, fear of God, - whose providence cuts us out our various conditions and proportions, - zeal for his glory, as Moses; humility, charity ("Love envieth not," 1Co 13:4); and to take heed of strife. {Rom 13:13} "Envy and strife" go coupled; they are brought in there by the brace, as it were twisted together. Likewise, of pride and vain-glory; {Php 2:3} covetousness; {Pro 28:22} contention about words; {1Ti 6:4} self-love, ignorance, &c.; all which make the soul sick of the fret, {Psa 37:8; Psa 73:3} and to pierce itself through with many sorrows. For, this sin killeth the silly one, {Job 5:2} if it kill no other. Envy and murder {b} go coupled. {Rom 1:29 Gal 5:21} A hectic it is to itself, however; the same that rust is to iron, blasting to corn, or a moth to the cloth it breeds in. It drinketh the most part of its own venom, gnaws on its own heart, is consumed in its own fire, as Nadab and Abihu were; and, like the snake in the fable, licks off its own tongue, as envying teeth to the file in the forge. Socrates called it, the saw of the soul. {c} David compares it to fire in billets of juniper, which burns vehemently, and continues, they say, more years than one. Simul peccat et plectitur: expedita iustitia, saith Petrarch. Other sins have some pleasure; this hath none, but torment. It is a very hell above ground, and paves a way to the unpardonable sin, as in Saul, and the Pharisees.

{a} Nescio quis teneros, &c.; fascino, Bασκαινω, i.e., τοις φαεσι κτεινειν.

{b} φθονου και φονου. φθονος, of φθινω, to consume.

{c} Serram animae.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Gen 37:11. But his father observed the saying — The words of Joseph, or the dream which he told, well knowing that God did frequently reveal his will, or foretel future events by dreams, and perceiving something singular and extraordinary in this dream, and especially in its being doubled.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

37:11 His brothers hated Joseph because they were jealous of him. Rather than recognize the hand of God, the brothers tried to prevent the dream from being fulfilled (37:18-36). These actions show that they were not fit to lead the household of faith. God’s sovereign choice of a leader, especially if the one chosen is young or appears unqualified, often brings out the true colors of those who have to submit to that leader’s authority. The brothers represent people throughout history who have been driven by envy and malice because they were not committed to doing the Lord’s will. • Jacob wondered what the dreams meant because he knew that God would choose the next leader, that God could choose the younger son to rule over the older sons, and that God could reveal all this in dreams.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

He knew that God was author of the dream, but he understood not the meaning.

Or, kept diligently.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

11. envied] This is the envy of malice rather than of jealousy: it denotes resentment against Joseph for being favoured, and a desire to see him deprived of his privileges.

kept the saying in mind] Lit. “kept the word.” LXX διετήρησεν. Lat. rem tacitus considerabat. This phrase is the origin of the words in Luk_2:51, “kept all these sayings in her heart.” Jacob rebuked Joseph, but evidently was so deeply impressed with the remarkable and seemingly improbable character of the twice repeated dream, that he secretly cherished a presentiment of its fulfilment (Gen_42:6).

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And his brethren went to feed their father's flock in Shechem. Very probably some considerable time after the telling of the above dreams; it was usual to remove flocks from place to place for the sake of pasturage; and sometimes at a great distance, as Shechem was from Hebron, where Jacob now dwelt, said (i) to be about sixty miles; but this is not so much to be marvelled at as the place itself, whither they went, for though Jacob had bought a parcel of a field in this place, Gen 33:19; which might be a reason for their going thither to feed their father's flocks in his own field; yet it was the place where they had committed a most outrageous action in destroying all, the males there, and therefore might fear the inhabitants of the neighbouring cities would rise upon them and cut them off.

(i) Bunting's Travels, p. 79. Ainsworth in loc.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

With himself: not doubting but it was prophetical. Thus acted the Blessed Virgin. (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

The words of Joseph; or the thing, the dream which he told; well knowing that God did frequently at that time signify his mind by dreams, and perceiving something singular and extraordinary in this dream, and especially in the doubling of it.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

11. But his father observed the saying — “So strange and mysterious. So Mary ‘pondered’ and ‘kept in her heart’ the strange sayings of Jesus, which others understood not. Luk_2:50-51.” — Newhall.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And his brethren envied him. The verb anq (unused in Kal), to become red in the face, seems to indicate that the hatred of Joseph"s brethren revealed itself in scowling looks. But his father observed the saying literally, kept the word, diethrhse to rJhma (LXX). Cf. Dan_7:28; Luk_2:51.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

שמר את הדבר OBSERVED THE MATTER — He awaited and looked forward to the time when this would come to pass. In the same sense we have (Isaiah 26:2) “that watch (שומר) for faithfulness” (i.e., for the performance of a promise) and (Job 14:16) — “לא תשמור for my sin” — which means “thou dost not wait for my sin”.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

הדבר, even though Yaakov had been angry at Joseph he was worried about what the dream might forecast and he remembered it.

Radak on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash” (CC BY 4.0); “Rabbi Mike Feuer, Jerusalem Anthology” (CC BY 4.0); and “R. David Kimhi on the first book of Psalms, Translated by R.G. Finch, London, 1919” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.