12
His brothersאֶחָיוwentוַיֵּלְכוּto pastureלִרְעוֹתtheir father’sאֲבִיהֶםflockאֶׄתׄ צֹאןat Shechem.בִּשְׁכֶם
Genesis 37:12
Study it in the app“His brothers went to pasture their father’s flock at Shechem.”
With the Hebrew beneath
Genesis 37:12, word by word
- His brothersאֶחָיechay
brother
A son of the same father or the same mother.
Where else “echay” appears- wentיֵּלְכוּyelchu
go
To head for a place, to leave where one is in order to reach another.
Where else “yelchu” appears- to pastureרְעוֹתreot
graze
To tend a flock, or eat grass.
Where else “reot” appears- their father’sאֲבִיavi
father
The man who begets a child and heads his household.
Where else “avi” appears- flockצֹאןtson
flock
A flock of sheep and goats.
Where else “tson” appears- at Shechemשְׁכֶםshechem
Shechem
See it on the mapWhere else “shechem” appears
Places in this verse
Shechem
Today: Tell Balata ruins, near Nablus, West Bank
A city in the hills of central Israel, between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, about 30 miles (50 km) north of Jerusalem.
Abram came there when he entered Canaan, and God promised him the land (Gen 12:6-7). Joshua gathered all Israel there to renew the covenant (Josh 24:1).
The context
11His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.
12 · This verse (above)
13Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flock at Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them.” He said to him, “Here I am.”
To study Genesis 37 in a group
1. What it says
What did the brothers do to Joseph, and what did they tell Jacob (vv. 23-33)?
2. What it means
What reasons did the brothers have for hating Joseph (vv. 3-4, 8)?
3. How I live it
How do you handle envy when someone receives more attention than you?