Joseph and His Brothers
From the pit to the palace
This story includes a young man sold into slavery by his brothers, a woman pressuring him for sex and then lying about him, and years in prison.
Two things you can tap
- A verse number shows the Bible’s exact words.
- An underlined word shows what it means.
Story
What happened?
Tap a verse number, like , to read the Bible’s exact words.
Who’s who and what came beforePeople, places, and the story so far. Open it anytime.
Scene Card
Cast
- Joseph: Jacob's favorite son. He is 17 when the story begins.
- Jacob: Joseph's father. He is also called Israel. He is old, and he loves Joseph more than his other sons.
- Joseph's brothers: Ten older brothers. Reuben is the oldest. Judah often speaks for the group.
- Benjamin: Joseph's younger brother. Joseph and Benjamin had the same mother, Rachel.
- Potiphar: An Egyptian officer who buys Joseph as a slave.
- Pharaoh: The king of Egypt.
Setting
- The land of Canaan, where Jacob's family keeps sheep and goats. Then Egypt, a rich land along the Nile River.
When
- Long before Moses, many centuries before Jesus. The story covers more than 20 years (37:2, 41:46, 45:6).
Before the Story
God made a promise to this family. God promised Abraham that his family would become a great nation and a blessing to the whole world (Genesis 12:2-3). Jacob is Abraham's grandson.
It was a family full of hurt. Jacob had twelve sons with four different women. He loved Rachel most, and Rachel was Joseph's mother (Genesis 29:30, 30:22-24).
Rachel had died. She died giving birth to Benjamin, Joseph's only full brother (Genesis 35:16-19).
Here's what you know that almost nobody in this story knows: God is at work the whole time. Nobody in the family can see it until the very end.
Map of the Story
| Scene | Verses | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The favorite son | 37:1-4 | Jacob gives Joseph a special robe. The brothers hate Joseph |
| 2. Two dreams | 37:5-11 | Joseph dreams that his family bows to him |
| 3. The pit | 37:12-24 | The brothers throw Joseph into a dry pit |
| 4. Sold | 37:25-36 | The brothers sell Joseph. Jacob thinks he is dead |
| 5. In Potiphar's house | 39:1-6 | Joseph is a slave in Egypt. The LORD is with him |
| 6. A lie | 39:7-23 | Potiphar's wife lies about Joseph. He goes to prison |
| 7. Two prisoners' dreams | 40:1-23 | Joseph explains two dreams. Then he is forgotten |
| 8. Pharaoh's dreams | 41:1-57 | Joseph explains Pharaoh's dreams and rules Egypt |
| 9. The brothers bow | 42:1-38 | The brothers come for food. Joseph tests them |
| 10. The silver cup | 43:1-44:34 | Judah offers himself in Benjamin's place |
| 11. "I am Joseph" | 45:1-15 | Joseph tells his brothers who he is |
| 12. "God intended it for good" | 46:1-50:21 | Jacob dies. Joseph forgives his brothers again |
Plain Retelling
Scene 1 of 12The Favorite Son
Joseph was 17 years old. He took care of the flocks with some of his older brothers.
Joseph brought his father a bad report about those brothers.
Jacob loved Joseph more than his other sons. The reason was that Joseph was born when Jacob was old.
So Jacob made Joseph a special robe. The Bible calls it "a robe of many colors" (37:3).
The brothers saw that their father loved Joseph most. They hated Joseph for it. They could not say one kind word to him.
Scene 2 of 12Two Dreams
Then Joseph had a dream, and he told his brothers about it.
In the dream, Joseph and his brothers were tying up bundles of grain in a field. Joseph's bundle stood up tall. The brothers' bundles gathered around it and bowed down.
His brothers said, "Do you think you are going to rule over us?" The brothers hated Joseph even more.
Then Joseph had a second dream. "The sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me" (37:9).
Joseph told this dream to his father too. Jacob scolded Joseph. He asked if the whole family was really going to bow down to Joseph.
The brothers were jealous of Joseph. But Jacob kept thinking about what Joseph had said.
Scene 3 of 12The Pit
Some time later, the brothers took their father's flocks to graze near a town called Shechem. Jacob sent Joseph to check on them.
Joseph could not find his brothers at Shechem. A man told him they had moved on to a place called Dothan. Joseph found them there.
The brothers saw Joseph coming from far away. They called him "that dreamer." They made a plan to kill Joseph. They would throw his body into a pit and say a wild animal ate him. Then they would see what happened to his dreams.
Reuben, the oldest brother, said, "Let's not kill him." He told them to throw Joseph into a pit alive. Reuben secretly planned to rescue Joseph and take him back to their father.
So when Joseph arrived, the brothers pulled off his special robe. They threw Joseph into the pit. The pit was empty and dry, with no water.
Scene 4 of 12Sold
Then the brothers sat down to eat a meal.
They looked up and saw traders coming with camels. The traders were on their way to Egypt.
Judah said they would gain nothing by killing their brother. They could sell him instead. "He is our brother, our own flesh" (37:27). The others agreed.
They pulled Joseph out of the pit. They sold him for twenty shekels of silver. That was about 10 ounces of silver. The traders took Joseph to Egypt.
Years later, the brothers remembered this moment. They had seen Joseph's deep distress as he begged them for help. They would not listen.
Reuben came back to the pit. Joseph was gone. Reuben tore his clothes to show his grief. He cried to his brothers, "The boy is gone!"
The brothers killed a young goat and dipped Joseph's robe in its blood. They sent the robe to their father.
Jacob recognized the robe. He cried, "It is my son's robe" (37:33). He believed a wild animal had killed Joseph.
Jacob grieved for his son for many days. All his sons and daughters tried to comfort him, but Jacob refused to be comforted.
Scene 5 of 12In Potiphar's House
In Egypt, Joseph was sold again. An officer of Pharaoh named Potiphar bought him. Joseph was now a slave.
"And the LORD was with Joseph" (39:2). LORD in capital letters stands for God's personal name. Jewish readers traditionally don't say it aloud, out of respect.
Potiphar saw that the LORD made Joseph successful in everything he did. So Potiphar put Joseph in charge of his whole house.
The LORD blessed Potiphar's house because of Joseph. Potiphar left everything in Joseph's care. He did not worry about anything except the food he ate.
Scene 6 of 12A Lie
Joseph was strong and handsome. Potiphar's wife noticed him. She tried to get Joseph to sleep with her.
Joseph said no. His master trusted him with everything. "So how could I do such a great evil and sin against God?" (39:9).
She kept asking him, day after day. Joseph kept saying no. He would not even be near her.
One day no other servants were in the house. She grabbed Joseph by his cloak. Joseph pulled away and ran outside. His cloak stayed in her hand.
Then she lied. She told the household servants that Joseph had attacked her. She kept his cloak until her husband came home. Then she told Potiphar the same lie.
Potiphar was furious. He had Joseph thrown into the prison where the king's prisoners were kept.
Joseph had done the right thing. He was punished anyway. But even in prison, "the LORD was with him" (39:21). The LORD gave Joseph favor with the warden, the man in charge of the prison. The warden put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners.
Halfway thereThis is a good place for a break. Your spot is saved on this device.
Scene 7 of 12Two Prisoners' Dreams
Some time later, two of Pharaoh's officials made Pharaoh angry. One was his chief cupbearer, who served the king's drinks. The other was his chief baker. Pharaoh put them both in the prison where Joseph was.
One night both men had dreams. In the morning they looked upset. No one could tell them what their dreams meant.
Joseph said, "Don't interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams" (40:8).
Joseph explained the cupbearer's dream first. In three days, Pharaoh would give the cupbearer his job back.
Joseph asked the cupbearer for one favor. "Remember me. Tell Pharaoh about me." Joseph said he had been kidnapped and had done nothing wrong.
Then Joseph explained the baker's dream. In three days, the baker would be put to death.
Three days later, it happened exactly as Joseph said.
But the cupbearer forgot all about Joseph. Joseph stayed in prison two more years.
Scene 8 of 12Pharaoh's Dreams
Then Pharaoh had two strange dreams. In the first dream, seven thin, ugly cows ate seven fat cows. In the second dream, seven thin heads of grain swallowed seven full ones. None of Pharaoh's wise men could explain the dreams.
At last the cupbearer remembered Joseph and told Pharaoh about him. Pharaoh sent for Joseph. Joseph was rushed out of the dungeon. He shaved and changed his clothes. Then he went in to see Pharaoh.
Pharaoh said he had heard that Joseph could explain dreams. "I myself cannot do it," Joseph replied, "but God will give Pharaoh a sound answer" (41:16).
Joseph explained that both dreams meant the same thing. God was showing Pharaoh what God was about to do. Seven years of plenty were coming. Then seven years of famine would follow. A famine is a long time without enough food. Joseph said Egypt should store extra grain during the good years.
Pharaoh said, "Can we find anyone like this man, in whom the Spirit of God abides?" (41:38).
Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of all Egypt. Only Pharaoh was greater. Pharaoh put his own signet ring on Joseph's finger. Joseph was 30 years old.
During the seven good years, Joseph stored up so much grain that he stopped counting it. The Bible compares it to the sand of the sea. Then the famine came. People from every land came to Joseph to buy food.
Scene 9 of 12The Brothers Bow
The famine reached Canaan too. Jacob sent ten of his sons to Egypt to buy grain. Jacob kept Benjamin at home. Jacob was afraid something bad would happen to Benjamin.
The brothers came before the ruler of Egypt. They bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. The ruler was Joseph.
Joseph recognized his brothers right away. They did not recognize him. Joseph remembered his dreams. In the first dream, his brothers' bundles of grain bowed down to his bundle.
Joseph spoke harshly to them. He said they were spies. He put all ten brothers in prison for three days.
Then Joseph said one brother must stay in prison. The rest could take grain home. But they had to come back with their youngest brother.
Joseph said this was a test to see if they told the truth. The Bible doesn't say if Joseph had other reasons. But remember: they had once sold a younger brother. One likely reason: Joseph wanted to see how they would treat Benjamin.
The brothers talked among themselves. Joseph spoke to them through an interpreter, so they did not know he understood them. They said, "We are being punished for what we did to our brother."
Joseph turned away from them and wept. Then he chose Simeon, one of the brothers, and had him tied up in front of them. Simeon stayed behind in Egypt.
Scene 10 of 12The Silver Cup
The famine went on, and the family ate all the grain from Egypt. Jacob did not want to send Benjamin. Judah promised to keep Benjamin safe. If Judah failed, he would carry the blame all his life.
In Egypt, Joseph saw Benjamin, his own mother's son. Joseph was so moved that he hurried to a private room and cried. Then he washed his face and came back.
Joseph tested his brothers one more time. He had his silver cup hidden in Benjamin's grain sack. The brothers started for home. Then Joseph's steward, the servant in charge of his house, chased them. He searched their sacks and found the cup in Benjamin's sack.
The brothers tore their clothes in grief. They all went back to Joseph's house.
Joseph said Benjamin would be his slave. The others could go home to their father.
This was the brothers' chance to leave a younger brother behind again. Instead, Judah stepped forward.
Judah said their father would die of grief. Then he made an offer. "Now please let your servant stay here as my lord's slave in place of the boy" (44:33).
Years before, Judah had said, "Let's sell him." Now Judah offered himself so that Benjamin could go home.
Scene 11 of 12"I Am Joseph"
Joseph could not control his feelings anymore. He sent all the Egyptians out of the room.
He wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him.
"I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?" (45:3).
His brothers could not answer. They were terrified to be standing in front of him.
Joseph said, "Come near me." He told them he was their brother, the one they sold into Egypt.
Then Joseph told them not to be upset or angry with themselves. "It was to save lives that God sent me before you" (45:5).
The famine would last five more years. Joseph told his brothers to bring their father to Egypt. Joseph would provide for the whole family there.
Joseph hugged Benjamin and cried. Benjamin cried too. Joseph kissed all his brothers and wept over them. After that, his brothers talked with him.
Scene 12 of 12"God Intended It for Good"
The brothers went home and told Jacob that Joseph was alive. At first Jacob did not believe them. Then he saw the wagons Joseph had sent to carry him. Jacob said he would go and see his son before he died.
Jacob set out for Egypt with his whole family. At a place called Beersheba, God spoke to Jacob in a vision at night. God told Jacob not to be afraid to go to Egypt. God promised to make his family a great nation there. "I will go down with you to Egypt" (46:4).
The family arrived in Egypt. Joseph threw his arms around his father and cried for a long time.
Jacob lived in Egypt for 17 more years. Then Jacob died. Joseph wept over his father.
Now that their father was dead, the brothers were afraid again. They said, "What if Joseph still holds a grudge? He might pay us back for all the evil we did." They sent Joseph a message begging him to forgive them.
When Joseph heard their message, he wept.
The brothers came and bowed down to Joseph. "We are your slaves," they said. Once again, Joseph's dreams had come true.
Joseph said, "Do not be afraid. Am I in the place of God?" (50:19).
"As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this—to preserve the lives of many people" (50:20).
Joseph promised to take care of them and their children. He spoke kindly to them and comforted them.
The brothers meant to do Joseph harm. God used what they did to rescue many people.
Meaning
What does it mean?
Read It
What Does This Mean?
| The text says | It means |
|---|---|
| "A robe of many colors" (37:3) | A special robe that showed Joseph was the favorite. It made the brothers' hurt worse. |
| "He is our brother, our own flesh" (37:27) | Judah knew Joseph was family. Judah still sold him. |
| "The LORD was with Joseph" (39:2) | Joseph was a slave, far from home. God had not left him. |
| "How could I do such a great evil and sin against God?" (39:9) | Joseph said no for two reasons. It would be a sin against God. It would betray his master's trust. |
| "Don't interpretations belong to God?" (40:8) | Joseph did not take credit. The answers came from God. |
| "In place of the boy" (44:33) | Judah offered to take Benjamin's punishment. The brother who once sold a brother now gave himself for one. |
| "God sent me before you" (45:5) | Joseph saw God at work in the worst thing that happened to him. |
| "Am I in the place of God?" (50:19) | Joseph's answer is no. Only God is the judge. So Joseph would not take revenge. |
| "God intended for good" (50:20) | The brothers' evil was real. God used it to save many lives. |
Back Then
Twenty shekels of silver was the price paid for Joseph. A shekel was a weight, a little more than half an ounce. So Joseph was sold for about 10 ounces of silver. (Easton's Bible Dictionary)
A cupbearer was an officer of high rank. (Easton's Bible Dictionary) He handed the king his cup (40:11, 40:21).
A signet ring was carved with a design. Pressing it into clay sealed a document. That was like the owner's signature. (Easton's Bible Dictionary) When Pharaoh gave Joseph his ring, he put Joseph over all Egypt (41:41-42).
Egypt's food depended on the Nile. The river flooded each year and watered the fields. When it did not rise high enough, people went hungry. (Smith's Bible Dictionary)
Egyptians and Hebrews did not eat together. The Bible says Egyptians would not share a meal with Hebrews (43:32). So Joseph ate at a separate table from his brothers.
Literal Reader Alert
Wasn't it a "coat of many colors"? Older Bibles, like the King James Version, say "coat of many colours." The BSB says "robe of many colors." The Hebrew word is hard to translate. Some Bibles say "a long robe with sleeves" or "an ornate robe." Either way, it was a special robe that marked Joseph as the favorite.
Was Joseph a perfect hero? The Bible does not say he was. His father openly loved him most (37:3). Joseph told dreams that made his brothers angrier (37:5-10). The Bible doesn't say whether his bad report about them was fair (37:2). Telling a trusted adult when something is wrong is not a sin. None of this made the brothers' cruelty right. These details show that this is a story about a real, messy family. God worked through that family anyway.
What did Potiphar's wife do? She pressured Joseph again and again to have sex with her. He said no. Then she lied and said he attacked her. Joseph was punished for something he did not do. If someone is pressuring you, or lying about you, that is not your fault. Tell a parent, pastor, or trusted adult.
Was Joseph mean to test his brothers? The Bible doesn't say exactly why Joseph tested them. He spoke harshly. He also wept, first in private and then so loudly that the Egyptians heard (42:24, 43:30, 45:2). It's okay to notice things like this. Careful readers have asked about it for centuries.
Does "God intended it for good" mean the evil was good? No. Joseph called what his brothers did evil (50:20). Selling their own brother was wrong. The verse means God is stronger than evil. God can bring rescue out of it. It does not mean God wants people to hurt you. Christians have struggled with this passage for a long time, especially people who have been badly hurt.
Does forgiving mean going back to someone who hurts you? Joseph forgave. But he did not tell his brothers who he was until after Judah offered himself in Benjamin's place (44:33, 45:1). Forgiving someone does not mean saying it was okay. It never means staying where you are unsafe. If someone is hurting you, tell a trusted adult today. If you are in danger, call 911 or your local emergency number. In the United States, you can call or text 988 any time. Outside the United States, findahelpline.com lists free helplines. If this story brings up big feelings, talk with a parent, pastor, or trusted adult.
How People Feel
| Who | Feeling | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The brothers | Jealous and full of hate | Their father loved Joseph most, and Joseph told his dreams (37:4, 37:11) |
| Jacob | Heartbroken | He thought a wild animal had killed Joseph (37:33-35) |
| Joseph | Forgotten | The cupbearer did not remember him for two years (40:23) |
| The brothers | Guilty | They remembered how Joseph begged them for help (42:21) |
| Joseph | Moved to tears | He saw his brothers again, and his own brother Benjamin (42:24, 43:30) |
| The brothers | Terrified | The ruler of Egypt was the brother they sold (45:3, 50:15) |
For you
What does it mean for me?
Your Turn
Where are you in this story today? Tap one.
Left out, like the brothers
The brothers were hurt by favoritism, and they did something terrible with that hurt. God did not give up on them. Judah changed from selling his brother to offering himself for his brother. God brought the family back together.
Stuck in the pit
Joseph was in a pit, then a slave, then in prison. The Bible says the LORD was with him the whole time. God is with you in hard times too.
Carrying guilt
The brothers felt guilty for more than 20 years. Joseph said, "Do not be afraid." In Jesus, God says the same to you.
Hurt by family
Your hurt is real. Joseph wept many times. You can bring your pain to God, and to a trusted adult.
It's really bad right now
Please tell a trusted adult today. In the U.S., you can call or text 988 any time. If you are in danger, call 911 or your local emergency number. Outside the U.S., find a helpline at findahelpline.com.
You Might Have Heard
"Joseph stayed good, so God rewarded him. If you do the right thing, you'll end up on top."
What's true: Joseph did refuse to sin with Potiphar's wife. That was brave and right.
What the story is mainly about: Doing right sent Joseph to prison. Joseph was not rescued because he was perfect. He was a favored son in a hurting family. The story is about God. God stayed with Joseph in the pit and in prison. God turned the brothers' evil into rescue for many people.
Where Jesus is: Jesus was also betrayed by Judas, one of his twelve disciples, and handed over for silver (Matthew 26:14-15). He was also punished for something he did not do. Jesus came from the family of Judah, the brother who offered himself in another's place (Hebrews 7:14). And on the cross, Jesus forgave the people who hurt him. "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34). What people meant for evil, God turned into the rescue of the world.
Good News
The brothers thought their sin was too big to forgive. They were afraid for years. Joseph said, "Do not be afraid" (50:21).
Joseph could not see God's plan while he sat in the pit. God worked anyway, even though nobody could see it during the worst days of Joseph's life. God often works this way. At the cross, the worst day looked like defeat. That day was God's rescue for you.
God can take what people meant for evil and turn it into rescue, and in Jesus, God forgives you.
Big Idea
God stayed with Joseph in the pit and in prison, and turned his brothers' evil into rescue for many people.
If this story brings up big feelings, talk with someone you trust, like a parent, pastor, or counselor.
For leaders and parentsLuther, church readings, and notes for teaching.
From Luther
Luther taught that God often hides his work under its opposite. God's help can look like suffering, and God's strength can look like weakness (Heidelberg Disputation, 1518). Joseph's story shows this. God used the pit and the prison to bring Joseph to the palace.
In his Lectures on Genesis (1535 to 1545), the last great work of his life, Luther taught on the Joseph story at length. He treated Joseph as an example of how God stays with his people and keeps his promise through long, hard trials.
In the Small Catechism, Luther explains the prayer "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us." He says we pray that God would forgive us by grace, even though we deserve nothing. He says we also, in turn, will gladly forgive and do good to those who sin against us.
In Church
Many churches follow the Revised Common Lectionary. In Year A, it reads Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28 and Genesis 45:1-15 on two Sundays in August. It reads Genesis 50:15-21 in September of Year A, on the same Sunday as Jesus's teaching about forgiving seventy-seven times (Matthew 18:21-35). In Year C, it reads Genesis 45:3-11, 15 on the Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany.
We quote Luther for what he got right about grace. He also wrote terrible things about Jewish people. Read our note on that.
Memorize
How do I keep it?
One line from this story to learn by heart. Practice a little now. It will come back later so it sticks.
As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good
How did that feel?