Category: Genesis

“…the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their master… Pharaoh was angry with his two officials… and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the same prison where Joseph was confined. The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he attended them….

We catch up with Joseph, who was sold into slavery by his older brothers. Joseph is purchased from the traders by a high-ranking Egyptian official named Potiphar. “When [Potiphar] saw that the Lord was with [Joseph] and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became…

Once more, this chapter proves that truth can be stranger than fiction. It follows Judah, Israel’s fourth son, and his initial lineage. It’s convoluted, so I will attempt to summarize. Judah marries a Canaanite woman who bears him three sons, Er, Onan, and Shelah. Judah finds a wife for Er, named Tamar, but God “puts…

Joseph, Israel’s eleventh son, was his father’s favorite. Israel made a special robe for Joseph. Since his father loved Joseph more than the other 11, it says his brothers hated him. “[Joseph] said to them, ‘Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf…

It’s a little tough to find a takeaway in this chapter, it is a genealogy and account of kings/chiefs of the land of Esau (that is, Edom). “Esau took his wives from the women of Canaan: Adah daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Oholibamah daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite – also…

There are too many details in this chapter to cover them all. “Then God said to Jacob, ‘Go up to Bethel and settle there, and build an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.’ … After Jacob returned [to Bethel] from Paddan Aram, God appeared to…

“When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the ruler of that area, saw [Dinah, the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob], he took her and raped her. His heart was drawn to Dinah… And Shechem said to his father Hamor, ‘Get me this girl as my wife.’ … Hamor said to [Jacob and his sons],…

Jacob and Esau meet face to face after a 20-year silence. “Jacob looked up and there was Esau, coming with his four hundred men… He himself went on ahead and bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother. But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms…

There are two sections, both of which are rich and critical, so I will attempt to cover both without making this too long, please bear with me. In section 1, Jacob prepares to reconcile with his brother, Esau. “Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau… He instructed them: ‘This is what you…

I’m not sure where to begin, there is so much happening in this chapter. Jacob, after receiving a dream from God, packs up his wives and children and leaves Laban to return to Canaan and his father Isaac. This wasn’t a small feat, since he now had 11 children and hundreds or thousands of animals….