by Anna Hodges

Created on: November 18, 2009   Last Updated: November 23, 2009

Who Did Sell Joseph into Slavery?

Who among us is not familiar with the well-known story of Joseph and his brothers? But, do our Sunday School teachers teach us what the Bible actually teaches? The story of Joseph and his brothers is just one small representation of why it is important to learn straight from the Bible. Many of our children's story books tell us that Joseph's brothers sold him to the Ishmeelite traders. I recently read in the notes of one of my study Bibles that the "jealous brothers sold Joseph as a slave to a group of Ishmeelite traders on their way to Egypt". I would not have believed otherwise until my little sister told me otherwise. I asked, "What Bible do you find that in?" She very proudly and excitedly opened my eyes with the true words of our King James Version (KJV) Bible.

First, it is important to take a look at what led up to Joseph's brothers hating him so much that they would plot to kill him. Joseph was one of Jacob's 12 sons, and obviously he was Jacob's favorite. Remember the coat of many colors Jacob gave to him. Genesis 37:3, 4 (KJV) "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 colours. And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him."

During Joseph's time, everyone had a coat or a cloak. Their coats served more purposes than just keeping them warm. When they went on trips, they carried their belongings in them. Some times they wrapped their babies in them, and they even used them as collateral for a loan. Most common people wore coats that were knee length, had short sleeves, and were usually very plain. Joseph's coat was similar to those worn by royalty. It had long sleeves, was ankle length, and it was very colorful. This is where we first hear of Joseph's brothers' jealousy toward him. Jacob did not honor his other sons with such a lavish gift.

Joseph may have been blessed with a smidgen too much confidence in himself at the young age of 17. He was very boastful when he told his father and his brothers the dreams he had been having. His father rebuked him and said, "What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and they brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth? And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying." (Genesis 37:10, 11) Uh-oh, his brothers already hated him because their father showed much

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