Read Genesis 37 here or at Bible Gateway.
The Hebrew paragraph:
37:1-36 {p} Joseph’s advancement and enslavement
Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a coat of many colors. And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him. Gen 37:3-4
Original Hebrew Roots
Loved is Strong’s H157, ahab, a primitive root, meaning “to desire, to breathe after.” The ancient pictographs are the aleph + hey + bet:
aleph = the ox head, thus strength, power, leader
hey = the man with upraised arms, thus look, reveal, wonder, worship, breath
bet = the house, thus house, household, family, in, within
The hey + bet pair is the heart of ahab. Thus, the sense of wonder, even astonishment, and appreciation the man feels when beholding (hey) his family (bet). We do not choose the family into which we are born. And even the man’s wife, in those days, was not chosen by him, but was chosen for him by his father. So in the Hebraic way of thinking, the family – parents, siblings, wife, children, extended family and tribal clan – is a gift chosen for him and given to him by God. Thus the verbal form of hey + bet means “to give.” The concrete form means “a gift.” The abstract form means “love;” from the complex emotion, desires, and protectiveness which is inspired in the heart for one’s cherished gifts; i.e., one’s family. The addition of the aleph intensifies the meaning: strong (aleph) love (hey + bet).
Hated is Strong’s H8130, sehnay, a primitive root, meaning “to hate.” The ancient pictographs are the shin + nun + aleph. The Ancient Hebrew Lexicon indicates that the original pictograph was the sin, being transposed to a shin over time.
sin = the thorn, thus grab, hate, protect
nun = the seed, thus continue, heir, son
aleph = the ox head, thus strength, power, leader
When a man comes into contact with a thorn (sin) he turns away from it. So hate begins as a turning away from someone or something. If that turning away (sin) is entertained instead of repented, a seed (nun) is planted in the heart or mind which grows in strength (aleph) until it produces the emotion of hatred with the fruit of murder (Gen 37:4, 18; Mat 5:21-24).
Sibling rivalry can result from a child’s perceived favoritism on the part of the parents, producing jealousy. Abel was favored above Cain because his righteous sacrifice was accepted while Cain’s unrighteous sacrifice was rejected. In Cain’s case the acceptance and rejection was not perceived, it was real. But it wasn’t a rejection of himself as a person, but only his action in a specific instance. And God, who is the perfect parent, does not apologize for rejecting an unworthy or lazy effort.
Isaac and Rebekah each favored their sons, but the sibling rivalry in Jacob and Esau’s case was from the womb.
Jacob never hid the fact that he favored Rachel and her children; she was the only wife he ever wanted. But when the brothers saw the evidence that their father favored Joseph above them, they hated Joseph and not their father. I think it is too painful for children to entertain negative emotions about their parents, whose love and regard they crave. They turn that negativity against their more favored sibling(s) instead, even though the sibling cannot control the favoritism of their parents.
The enemy is quick to exploit perceived rejection among the children. And rivalry is not a minor thing to brush off. With the enemy encouraging a seed of hatred to be planted in the children’s hearts, we see the Bible teach us that the fruit of such a seed can end lives and tear a family apart. Wise parents will practice Saturation Love for all their children to reduce sibling rivalry in the home and foster an atmosphere of peace.
If there are questions, these are good resources:
The Joseph Narrative in Archaeology – Associates for Biblical Research
Joseph: Hebrew word study – Brad Scott
Genesis 37:1-36 Chiastic Structure – Christine Miller
Saturation Love – Jim Wilson
Leave a Reply