Genesis 37:23–28

In its context

Its words in the original

• יְהִיyehi· be, become, happen

  Be, exist; also "become" or "happen". It is the verb of "there was", "it was" and "it came to pass".

• בָּאba· come, go in, bring

  Come, arrive, go in, enter. In the causative form, "bring" or "carry in". "Go in to" a woman is to have marital relations with her.

• יוֹסֵףyosef· Joseph

  Joseph, a name borne by several Israelites, above all the son of Jacob and Rachel, sold into Egypt, who became ruler there and saved his family; his sons Ephraim and Manasseh became tribes. The name means "may he add".

• אֶחָיechay· brother

  Brother; also a close relative, or someone of the same people.

• יַּפְשִׁיטוּyafshitu· strip

  Strip off clothing, strip someone; also raid, make a dash against.

• כֻּתָּנְתּkutant· tunic, robe

  Tunic, robe: a long garment covering the body.

• פַּסִּיםpasim· long robe

  A word of uncertain meaning describing a special tunic: long, reaching to the hands and feet, or of many colors.

• יִּקָּחֻyikachu· take

  Take: seize, take along, receive. Also "take a wife" (marry).

• יַּשְׁלִכוּyashlichu· throw

  Throw, cast, cast away.

• בֹּרָbora· pit, cistern

  Pit or cistern dug to keep rainwater; when empty, it served as a prison; also the grave.

• רֵקrek· empty

  Empty; figuratively, worthless, idle.

• מָיִםmayim· water

  Water. In Hebrew it is always plural ("waters").

• יֵּשְׁבוּyeshvu· sit, dwell

  Sit, sit down; from there stay in a place, live, dwell. In the causative form, settle someone, make to dwell. Also sit as judge or as king.

• אֱכָלechal· eat

  Eat; also consume, devour (said of fire or the sword).

• לֶחֶםlechem· bread, food

  Bread; in a wide sense, food.

• יִּשְׂאוּyisu· lift, carry, bear

  Lift up, carry, bear. "Bear sin" is to suffer its consequences; said of God, "taking away" sin is forgiving it. "Lift up the eyes" is to look.

• עֵינֵיene· eye

  Eye. "In someone's eyes" means "in his opinion"; "find favor in the eyes of" is to please him. Also a spring of water.

• יִּרְאוּyiru· see

  See. Also look, observe, notice, consider; in some forms, "appear" or "show".

• אֹרְחַתorchat· caravan

  Caravan: a company of travelers or merchants with their animals.

• יִשְׁמְעֵאלִיםyishmelim· Ishmaelite

  Ishmaelite: a descendant of Ishmael, son of Abraham and Hagar.

• גִּלְעָדgilad· Gilead

  Gilead, the hill country east of the Jordan; also the name of Israelites.

• גְמַלֵּיgemale· camel

  Camel.

• נְכֹאתnechot· gum

  Aromatic gum: a fragrant resin sold as perfume or medicine.

• צְרִיtseri· balm

  Balm: a resin used as medicine; Gilead was famous for it.

• לֹטlot· ladanum

  Ladanum: an aromatic resin from a shrub.

• הוֹלְכִיםholchim· go, walk

  Go, walk, come. Figuratively, the way one lives ("walk with God").

• הוֹרִידhorid· go down, bring down

  Go down, come down, descend. In the causative form, bring down, take down. Going from Canaan to Egypt is "going down".

• מִצְרָיְמָmitsrayma· Egypt, Mizraim

  Mizraim, the Hebrew name of Egypt; also the Egyptians. As a person, a son of Ham, ancestor of the Egyptians.

• יֹּאמֶרyomer· say

  Say, speak. The most common verb for bringing in what someone says; sometimes "think" (say to oneself) or "command".

• יְהוּדָהyehuda· Judah

  Judah, the fourth son of Jacob and Leah; also the tribe that came from him and its land, and later the southern kingdom; King David came from it. The name sounds like "give thanks". Borne also by other Israelites.

• בֶּצַעbetsa· gain, profit

  Gain, profit; often gain got by wrongdoing.

• נַהֲרֹגnaharog· kill

  Kill, slay.

• כִסִּינוּchisinu· cover

  Cover, hide; also cover over (sin), conceal.

• דָּמdam· blood

  Blood. In the Bible blood stands for life; "shed blood" is to kill; "bloodguilt" is guilt for killing.

• לְכוּlechu· go, walk

  Go, walk, depart; in the causative form, lead or bring.

• נִמְכְּרֶnimkre· sell

  Sell; figuratively, hand someone over.

• יָדֵyade· hand, power

  Hand. Figuratively, power or control ("into the hand of" = into the power of); also side, part, or share. Also a projecting piece, such as a tenon.

• בְשָׂרֵvesare· flesh

  Flesh: the body, and the person as weak and mortal. "One flesh" is the union of husband and wife; "my flesh" can mean "my family". "All flesh" is every living being. In the Old Testament it does not mean something bad in itself.

• יִּשְׁמְעוּyishmu· hear, listen, obey

  Hear, listen. In the Bible listening truly includes paying heed; so it often means "obey". In the causative form, make heard, proclaim.

• יַּעַבְרוּyaavru· pass, cross over

  Pass by, pass through, cross over; also go beyond, transgress (a command). In the causative form, make pass, bring across, take away.

• אֲנָשִׁיםanashim· man, husband, each

  Man, male; with a possessive, husband. Also "each one", "anyone". It is "ish", distinct from "adam" (human being); it is used for the man in contrast with the woman ("ishah").

• מִדְיָנִיםmidyanim· Midianite

  Midianite: a descendant of Midian, son of Abraham and Keturah.

• סֹחֲרִיםsocharim· trade, trader

  Go about trading; merchant, trader.

• יִּמְשְׁכוּyimshchu· draw, drag; prolong

  Draw, pull, drag out; also prolong, sound a long note.

• יַּעֲלוּyaalu· go up, offer up

  Go up, ascend, climb. It is also used for "offering" a sacrifice (making it go up), and for coming up from Egypt.

• עֶשְׂרִיםesrim· twenty

  Twenty; also "twentieth".

• כָּסֶףkasef· silver, money

  Silver. Since payment was made by weighing silver, the word also means "money".