Genesis 37:18 kjv
And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.
Genesis 37:18 nkjv
Now when they saw him afar off, even before he came near them, they conspired against him to kill him.
Genesis 37:18 niv
But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him.
Genesis 37:18 esv
They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him.
Genesis 37:18 nlt
When Joseph's brothers saw him coming, they recognized him in the distance. As he approached, they made plans to kill him.
Genesis 37 18 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 4:8 | Cain spoke to Abel his brother... and killed him. | Early familial murder fueled by jealousy. |
| 1 Sam 18:8-9 | Saul was very angry... "they have ascribed to David ten thousands...". Saul eyed David from that day forward. | Royal envy leading to homicidal intent. |
| Ps 37:12-13 | The wicked plots against the just and gnashes at him with his teeth. The Lord laughs at him. | Plotting of the wicked against the righteous. |
| Ps 64:2-4 | Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked... to shoot in secret at the upright. | Secret plotting to harm the innocent. |
| Prov 27:4 | Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy? | Envy's destructive power. |
| Jer 11:19 | I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter... they have devised devices against me. | Conspiracies against God's messengers. |
| Mat 21:38-39 | But when the tenants saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him...’ | Parable illustrating rejection and murder of God's son/heir. |
| Mat 26:3-4 | The chief priests and the elders of the people gathered... and plotted to kill Jesus by deceit. | Religious leaders conspiring to kill Jesus. |
| Mk 14:1 | The chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him by cunning and kill him. | Similar plotting against Christ. |
| Jn 11:53 | So from that day on they made plans to put him to death. | Sanhedrin's decision to kill Jesus. |
| Acts 7:9 | The patriarchs, out of envy, sold Joseph into Egypt; but God was with him. | Direct confirmation of the brothers' motive. |
| Acts 13:45 | But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict... | Envy against divine messengers/truth. |
| Rom 8:28 | And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good... | God's sovereignty over evil actions. |
| Gal 5:21 | Envyings, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you... | Envy as a work of the flesh leading to sin. |
| Phil 1:15 | Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill. | Envy as a motivator, even in ministry. |
| Jas 3:14, 16 | But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts... for where envy and self-ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil practice. | Envy as a source of all evil. |
| 1 Pet 2:1 | So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. | Call to shed destructive character traits. |
| 1 Jn 3:12 | We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil. | Cain as an archetype of evil driven by malice. |
| Jude 1:11 | Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam’s error and perished in Korah’s rebellion. | Condemnation of the path of Cain-like evil. |
| Rev 12:12 | Woe to the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short! | Evil's destructive intent against the chosen. |
Genesis 37 verses
Genesis 37 18 Meaning
Gen 37:18 reveals the depth of Joseph's brothers' hatred and malice: upon seeing him from a distance, even before he was close enough to speak, they immediately entered into a wicked conspiracy to murder him. This act demonstrates their premeditated intent to eliminate him, fueled by extreme jealousy and animosity, marking a critical turning point in the biblical narrative of Joseph and his family.
Genesis 37 18 Context
Genesis 37 sets the stage for Joseph's remarkable life journey. The immediate context shows Joseph, favored by his father Jacob and receiving a special tunic, sharing prophetic dreams that signify his future dominion over his brothers and parents. This favoritism and the nature of the dreams provoke deep envy and hatred among his older brothers (Gen 37:4, 8, 11). Jacob then sends Joseph to check on his brothers tending flocks in Dothan. Verse 18 marks the moment of Joseph's arrival in their vicinity, solidifying their existing malicious intent into a murderous plot, demonstrating the dangerous escalation of their long-held animosity. This familial dysfunction highlights the broader theme of sin's corruption, even within the family chosen by God.
Genesis 37 18 Word analysis
- Now (וְעַתָּה - wəʿattâ): A temporal conjunction, introducing a new, significant turn in the narrative. It emphasizes the immediate shift from Joseph's approach to the brothers' response.
- when they saw him (וַיִּרְאוּ אֹתוֹ - wayyirʾû ʾôtô): Literal observation. The plural verb indicates a collective action, highlighting the unified malicious gaze of the brothers. Their seeing Joseph initiates their wicked decision.
- afar off (מֵרָחֹוק - mērāḥōq): "From a distance." This emphasizes the premeditated nature of their plot. They had sufficient time to see Joseph, recognize him, and then form their plan before he could even greet them. It wasn't a spur-of-the-moment reaction to an immediate confrontation.
- even before he came near unto them (וּבְטֶרֶם יִקְרַב אֲלֵיהֶם - ûvəṭerem yiqqrav ʾălêhem): Reinforces the idea of premeditation. The Hebrew word beṭerem means "before." This detail underlines the immediate and cold-hearted formation of their murderous intent, unprovoked by any action or word from Joseph upon his arrival.
- they conspired (וַיִּתְנַכְּלוּ - wayyitnakklû): This is the Hithpael form of the Hebrew root נכל (nakal), meaning "to be cunning, insidious, crafty." The Hithpael intensive form conveys a strong sense of deliberate, malicious plotting, devising a treacherous scheme with cunning. This is not just thinking but actively plotting with evil intent, akin to deception and treachery.
- against him (אותו - ʾôtô implicit): The direct object of their scheme. The hatred is intensely focused on Joseph himself.
- to slay him (לְהָמִיתוֹ - ləhāmîtô): Hiphil infinitive construct of the root מוּת (mûth), "to die." The Hiphil signifies "to cause to die," hence "to kill" or "to murder." This makes their intent explicit and ultimate—they aimed for his death.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "Now when they saw him afar off": The brothers had a clear view and ample time for observation and internal deliberation, highlighting the deliberate nature of their subsequent actions. The distance underscores the premeditation, rather than a spontaneous reaction to an immediate encounter.
- "even before he came near unto them": This phrase amplifies the coldness and depth of their malice. Their decision was solidified before any verbal exchange, revealing deep-seated hatred rather than a response to any fresh provocation.
- "they conspired against him to slay him": This concise declaration captures the gravity of their sin. "Conspired" (wayyitnakklû) is a strong term denoting malicious, treacherous plotting. Their collective decision was not just to harm but specifically to murder, exposing the raw hatred stemming from jealousy.
Genesis 37 18 Bonus section
- Typological Significance: Joseph's experience in Gen 37:18 and subsequent events (rejection, suffering, being sold for silver, elevation) prefigures aspects of Jesus Christ's life. Jesus, the beloved Son, was also rejected by His own (Jn 1:11), plotted against (Mat 26:3-4), and handed over to be killed by His own people for envy (Mat 27:18). Just as Joseph's suffering ultimately led to salvation for his family, Christ's death led to salvation for humanity.
- Psychological Insight: The brothers' ability to plot murder from a distance, without any fresh provocation from Joseph's immediate presence or words, reveals an already dehumanized view of their brother. Their envy had grown to such an extreme that it warped their perception and allowed for a violent, definitive solution in their minds.
- Cain's Echo: The narrative intentionally echoes Cain's murder of Abel (Gen 4:8) where envy (Gen 4:5) led to the plotting and act of fratricide. Both accounts present the tragic reality of human sin within the closest familial bonds and underscore the early unfolding of moral depravity post-Fall.
Genesis 37 18 Commentary
Genesis 37:18 marks a pivotal and dark moment in the Joseph narrative. It unveils the corrupting power of envy, showing how it escalates into murderous intent within a family. The detail that they saw Joseph "afar off" and plotted "before he came near" is crucial, underscoring the premeditation and deep-rooted malice of the brothers. This was not a moment of passionate rage but a cold, calculated decision born out of their deep-seated resentment against Jacob's favoritism and Joseph's prophetic dreams. This conspiracy foreshadows the larger biblical theme of the rejection of God's chosen ones by their own people, paralleling instances such as the nation of Israel rejecting their prophets and, ultimately, Jesus Christ. Despite the wicked intentions of the brothers, this moment ironically sets in motion God's providential plan to save the family and eventually the region from famine, fulfilling Joseph's dreams in unexpected ways. It highlights God's ability to orchestrate His redemptive purposes even through the sinful actions of humanity, turning evil intentions for good.