Genesis 37:27-28

Context
37:27 Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites, but let’s not lay a hand on him,¹ for after all, he is our brother, our own flesh.” His brothers agreed.² 37:28 So when the Midianite³ merchants passed by, Joseph’s brothers pulled⁴ him⁵ out of the cistern and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. The Ishmaelites⁶ then took Joseph to Egypt.

Genesis 37:36

Context

37:36 Now⁷ in Egypt the Midianites⁸ sold Joseph⁹ to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard.¹⁰

[37:27] ¹tn Heb “let not our hand be upon him.”

[37:27] ²tn Heb “listened.”

[37:28] ³sn On the close relationship between Ishmaelites (v. 25) and Midianites, see Judg 8:24.

[37:28] ⁴tn Heb “they drew and they lifted up.” The referent (Joseph’s brothers) has been specified in the translation for clarity; otherwise the reader might assume the Midianites had pulled Joseph from the cistern (but cf. NAB).

[37:28] ⁵tn Heb “Joseph” (both here and in the following clause); the proper name has been replaced both times by the pronoun “him” in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[37:28] ⁶tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Ishmaelites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:36] ⁷tn The disjunctive clause formally signals closure for this episode of Joseph’s story, which will be resumed in Gen 39.

[37:36] ⁸tc The MT spells the name of the merchants as מְדָנִים (mÿdanim, “Medanites”) rather than מִדְיָנִים (midyanim, “Midianites”) as in v. 28. It is likely that the MT is corrupt at this point, with the letter yod (י) being accidentally omitted. The LXX, Vulgate, Samaritan Pentateuch, and Syriac read “Midianites” here. Some prefer to read “Medanites” both here and in v. 28, but Judg 8:24, which identifies the Midianites and Ishmaelites, favors the reading “Midianites.”

[37:36] ⁹tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:36] ¹⁰sn The expression captain of the guard might indicate that Potiphar was the chief executioner.