36
Meanwhile the Medanitesוְהַמְּדָנִיםsoldמָכְרוּhimאֹתוֹin Egyptאֶל מִצְרָיִםto Potiphar,לְפוֹטִיפַרan officialסְרִיסof Pharaoh,פַּרְעֹהthe chiefשַׂרof the guard.הַטַּבָּחִים
Genesis 37:36
Study it in the app“Meanwhile the Medanites sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an official of Pharaoh, the chief of the guard.”
With the Hebrew beneath
Genesis 37:36, word by word
- Meanwhile the Medanitesמְּדָנִיםmedanim
Medanite
Medanite: a descendant of Medan, brother of Midian; in the story of Joseph, the merchants who sold him in Egypt, also called Midianites.
Where else “medanim” appears- soldמָכְרוּmachru
sell
To give something or someone to another in exchange for payment.
Where else “machru” appears- in Egyptמִצְרָיִםmitsrayim
Egypt, Mizraim
See it on the mapWhere else “mitsrayim” appears- to Potipharפוֹטִיפַרfotifar
Potiphar
Potiphar, the Egyptian officer who bought Joseph.
Where else “fotifar” appears- an officialסְרִיסseris
official, eunuch
Court official. The word can also mean eunuch.
Where else “seris” appears- of Pharaohפַּרְעֹהparo
Pharaoh
Pharaoh: the title of the kings of Egypt, not a personal name.
Where else “paro” appears- the chiefשַׂרsar
chief
Someone set over others, in the army or in the state.
Where else “sar” appears- of the guardטַּבָּחִיםtabachim
guard
The king's guards.
Where else “tabachim” appears
Translation note
סָרִיס (“official”) can also mean “eunuch.”
Places in this verse
Egypt
Today: Egypt (Nile Valley)
A country in northeast Africa along the Nile River, southwest of Israel.
Joseph was sold into it, and his family went down to live there (Gen 37:28; 46:6). God brought Israel out of it with a mighty hand (Exod 12:41). The child Jesus fled there with his parents (Matt 2:14).
The context
35All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted, and said, “Indeed, I will go down to my son mourning, to Sheol.” Thus his father wept for him.
36 · This verse (above)
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?