Genesis 37 31

Genesis 37:31 kjv

And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood;

Genesis 37:31 nkjv

So they took Joseph's tunic, killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the tunic in the blood.

Genesis 37:31 niv

Then they got Joseph's robe, slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood.

Genesis 37:31 esv

Then they took Joseph's robe and slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood.

Genesis 37:31 nlt

Then the brothers killed a young goat and dipped Joseph's robe in its blood.

Genesis 37 verses

Genesis 37 31 meaning

The verse describes the deliberate action taken by Joseph's brothers after selling him into slavery. They took Joseph's distinctive tunic, slaughtered a male goat, and then meticulously dipped the tunic in the goat's blood. This act was the calculated final step in their conspiracy to deceive their father, Jacob, into believing that Joseph had been violently killed by a wild animal.

Genesis 37 31 Context

Genesis chapter 37 marks a pivotal turn in the Genesis narrative, shifting focus from Jacob's personal story to that of his favored son, Joseph. Joseph's "coat of many colors," given by Jacob as a symbol of special affection, ignited bitter jealousy among his older brothers. This resentment was fueled further by Joseph's dreams, which prophetically depicted his future prominence over his family, leading them to despise him even more.

The brothers, finding an opportunity when Joseph came to check on them in the fields, conspired to kill him. Through Reuben's intervention, they instead cast him into an empty pit, and subsequently, by Judah's suggestion, sold him to Midianite traders on their way to Egypt. Having committed this grievous act, verse 31 describes their final step to cover their crime: fabricating the evidence of Joseph's death to present to their father, thereby securing his mourning and ending their search for their hated brother. This deliberate deception inflicted immense grief upon Jacob and unknowingly set in motion God's sovereign plan for Joseph and the eventual preservation of the Abrahamic family.

Historically and culturally, the bond between a father and son was paramount, especially the youngest son of the favored wife, which Joseph was for Jacob. Deceit was tragically present in patriarchal narratives, often having long-reaching consequences. Animal slaughter was common, used for food, sacrifice, or in this case, for a premeditated lie, indicating the lengths to which the brothers would go to conceal their wicked act.

Genesis 37 31 Word analysis

• וַיִּקְחוּ (Vayikchu): "And they took." This imperfect consecutive verb emphasizes the sequence of action, immediately following the sale of Joseph. "They" specifically refers to Joseph's brothers, collectively implicated in the deception, underscoring their shared culpability. This verb highlights the deliberateness and preparation behind their malicious act.
• אֶת־כְּתֹנֶת יוֹסֵף (et-kĕtonet Yosef): "Joseph's tunic."
  • כְּתֹנֶת (kĕtonet): This specific Hebrew word, often translated "tunic" or "robe," refers to the very garment given to Joseph by Jacob, signifying his favoritism and thus serving as the tangible source of the brothers' envy and hatred. Its use here weaponizes a symbol of love into an instrument of deceit, leveraging its familiarity to Jacob as proof of tragedy.
  • יוֹסֵף (Yosef): "Joseph." The mention of his name anchors the entire deception to his identity and fate, linking the beloved son directly to the manufactured evidence of his demise.
• וַיִּשְׁחֲטוּ (Vayishchăṭu): "and slaughtered." This verb implies a decisive and intentional killing, often for a specific purpose (whether ritual, food, or in this unique case, deception). It underscores the calculated nature of their act, indicating it was not accidental.
• שְׂעִיר עִזִּים (sĕ‘îr ‘izzîm): "a male goat" (literally "a hairy one of goats"). Young goats were common animals. Their blood closely resembles human blood in color and texture when fresh, making it a convincing substitute for their macabre theatrical performance. This choice demonstrates their practical shrewdness in carrying out the deceit. Irony exists in using an animal often associated with sacrifice (atonement) to create a false narrative of death.
• וַיִּטְבְּלוּ (Vayitbĕlū): "and dipped." This action implies thorough immersion, not just a casual splash. The brothers meticulously saturated the tunic with blood to make the deception as convincing as possible, demonstrating the depth of their intent to deceive their father convincingly.
• אֶת־הַכְּתֹנֶת (et-hakĕtonet): "the tunic." The definite article "the" re-emphasizes that this is the very special tunic of Joseph, critical for authenticating their lie to Jacob.
• בַּדָּם (baddām): "in the blood."
  • דָּם (dām): "Blood." A potent biblical symbol representing life itself (Lev 17:11) and, conversely, violent death. Here, it is twisted from its life-giving and atoning significance to become an agent of a cruel and deliberate lie, designed to create the illusion of Joseph's brutal demise.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "So they took Joseph's tunic, and slaughtered a male goat": This phrase highlights the two core elements orchestrated by the brothers: the undeniable physical proof (Joseph's unique tunic) and the means of faking death (the animal, source of "evidence"). This initial step reveals their premeditation, gathering the "props" for their deceptive act. It is a cynical combination of their brother's identity marker with an innocent animal's life.
• "and dipped the tunic in the blood": This action completes the visual fabrication. The verb "dipped" suggests intentional saturation, ensuring the tunic appeared convincingly drenched in blood, like it had been caught in a violent struggle. This carefully crafted "proof" was designed to break Jacob's heart and erase all suspicion of foul play on their part. The "blood" is not of covenant or sacrifice for good, but blood for a lie.

Genesis 37 31 Bonus section

• Echo of earlier deception: There's a subtle but significant echo of Jacob's own earlier act of deception in Genesis 27. Jacob, advised by Rebekah, deceived his blind father Isaac by wearing Esau's clothes and covering his hands with goatskins, leading Isaac to believe he was Esau. Now, Jacob's sons deceive him using his favored son's clothes and the blood of a goat. This can be viewed as an instance of poetic justice or the painful consequence of earlier familial patterns of deceit returning upon the perpetrator, albeit through others.
• Psychological impact: The meticulously faked evidence not only convinced Jacob but effectively prolonged his immense grief for decades, believing Joseph was dead and irretrievable. This speaks to the powerful, devastating effect of emotional manipulation backed by compelling "evidence."
• Divine irony: Unknown to the brothers, their cruel act, intended to eliminate Joseph from their lives forever, became a crucial step in God's overarching plan to position Joseph in Egypt, enabling him to preserve their entire family during the severe famine. The blood on the tunic, meant to signal an end, was providentially instrumental in securing a new beginning.

Genesis 37 31 Commentary

Genesis 37:31 is a profoundly impactful verse, not just describing a mundane action but setting in motion years of sorrow for Jacob and serving as the crucial lie foundational to the entire Joseph narrative. The brothers' methodical execution of this deception—taking Joseph's symbol of favor, sacrificing a harmless goat, and painstakingly smearing the tunic with its blood—reveals the chilling depth of their malice and the extent of their planning. This was not a crime of passion, but a calculated cover-up designed to elicit maximal grief from their father, securing their secret and ending his devotion to Joseph.

The imagery of blood is particularly stark. In the biblical narrative, blood frequently symbolizes life and sacrifice for atonement. Here, it is perverted into a tool of deceit and implied murder. The false death of Joseph, signified by this blood-stained tunic, stands in stark contrast to the redemptive blood of true sacrifice to come. This moment, fueled by jealousy and deception, inadvertently positions Joseph as a "type" of Christ: innocently suffering, sold for silver, believed dead, yet ultimately exalted by God to bring salvation to his family and many others.

Practical usage example:

• This verse can illustrate how deceit, especially within families, can cause profound, long-lasting pain and broken trust.
• It highlights the dangerous consequences of unchecked envy and hatred, leading to calculated malice.