Genesis 37:12-17 · Bible study
Genesis 37:12-17 Commentary: Joseph Sent to His Brothers at Shechem
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why does Joseph journey to Shechem? Exegesis of the passage from Hebron to Dothan, with historical context and theological meaning.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Joseph's obedient journey from Hebron to Shechem to Dothan, guided by a stranger, leads him into his brothers' murderous plot.
- Key words: Shalom (welfare/peace), Jacob's concern; ta'ah (wandering), Joseph's lost state; baqash (seeking), Joseph's earnest search; matsa (find), the man finds Joseph, then Joseph finds his brothers.
- Main debate: Is the 'certain man' an angel (some Jewish traditions cited by Gill) or a human traveller/field worker (Aben Ezra, most moderns)? The text does not identify him supernaturally.
- Theological theme: Obedience and providence. God uses ordinary conversations and a willing servant to advance his plan, even when that plan includes suffering.
- Best use: Preaching on trusting God's leading through uncertain journeys, or as part of a series on Joseph's character development.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
12Some time later, Joseph’s brothers had gone to pasture their father’s flocks near Shechem.
13Israel said to him, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flocks at Shechem? Get ready; I am sending you to them.” “I am ready,” Joseph replied.
14Then Israel told him, “Go now and see how your brothers and the flocks are faring, and bring word back to me.” So he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron. And when Joseph arrived in Shechem,
15a man found him wandering in the field and asked, “What are you looking for?”
16“I am looking for my brothers,” Joseph replied. “Can you please tell me where they are pasturing their flocks?”
17“They have moved on from here,” the man answered. “I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” So Joseph set out after his brothers and found them at Dothan.
WEB World English Bible 2000
12His brothers went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem.
13Israel said to Joseph, “Aren’t your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them.” He said to him, “Here I am.”
14He said to him, “Go now, see whether it is well with your brothers, and well with the flock; and bring me word again.” So he sent him out of the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
15A certain man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the field. The man asked him, “What are you looking for?”
16He said, “I am looking for my brothers. Tell me, please, where they are feeding the flock.”
17The man said, “They have left here, for I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.’” Joseph went after his brothers, and found them in Dothan.
KJV King James Version 1769
12And his brethren went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem.
13And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I.
14And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
15And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou?
16And he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks.
17And the man said, They are departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
12And his brethren went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem.
13And Israel said unto Joseph, Are not thy brethren feeding the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I.
14And he said to him, Go now, see whether it is well with thy brethren, and well with the flock; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
15And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou?
16And he said, I am seeking my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they are feeding the flock.
17And the man said, They are departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
12And his brethren go to feed the flock of their father in Shechem,
13and Israel saith unto Joseph, `Are not thy brethren feeding in Shechem? come, and I send thee unto them;' and he saith to him, `Here am I;'
14and he saith to him, `Go, I pray thee, see the peace of thy brethren, and the peace of the flock, and bring me back word;' and he sendeth him from the valley of Hebron, and he cometh to Shechem.
15And a man findeth him, and lo, he is wandering in the field, and the man asketh him, saying, `What seekest thou?'
16and he saith, `My brethren I am seeking, declare to me, I pray thee, where they are feeding?'
17And the man saith, `They have journeyed from this, for I have heard some saying, Let us go to Dothan,' and Joseph goeth after his brethren, and findeth them in Dothan.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
12And his brethren went to feed their father's flock at Shechem.
13And Israel said to Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed [the flock] at Shechem? Come, that I may send thee to them. And he said to him, Here am I.
14And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see after the welfare of thy brethren, and after the welfare of the flock; and bring me word again. And he sent him out of the vale of Hebron; and he came towards Shechem.
15And a man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the country; and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou?
16And he said, I am seeking my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed [their flocks].
17And the man said, They have removed from this; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them at Dothan.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
12And when his brethren abode in Sechem, feeding their father's flocks,
13Israel said to him: Thy brethren feed the sheep in Sichem: come, I will send thee to them. And when he answered:
14I am ready: he said to him: Go, and see if all things be well with thy brethren, and the cattle: and bring me word again what is doing. So being sent from the vale of Hebron, he came to Sichem:
15And a man found him there wandering in the field, and asked what he sought.
16But he answered: I seek my brethren, tell me where they feed the flocks.
17And the man said to him: They are departed from this place: for I heard them say: Let us go to Dothain. And Joseph went forward after his brethren, and found them in Dothain.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Genesis 37:12
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
The commentators agree that this passage builds the dramatic tension for the brothers' conspiracy. Calvin emphasizes that Moses 'amplifies, by many circumstances, the atrocity of the crime', Joseph approaches them in obedience to his father, makes a fraternal inquiry, and spares no effort even when they had moved. The Cambridge Bible and Keil & Delitzsch note that Shechem was 'famously fertile' but also the site of the massacre in Genesis 34. Adam Clarke and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown suggest Jacob's concern for his sons' safety arose precisely because of that violent history: 'lest the neighboring tribes should rise against them, and revenge the murder of the Shechemites.' The narrative thus portrays Joseph as a dutiful, unsuspecting son walking into danger. Gill mentions the Jewish tradition that 'certain man' was an angel, but most commentators (including Aben Ezra cited by Gill) take it as a human traveller or field worker. The core consensus: the journey highlights Joseph's innocence and diligence, making his brothers' hatred even less excusable.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Angel/direct supernatural guidance: Jewish tradition (cited by Gill) holds the man was an angel; the question 'What are you looking for?' echoes angelic encounters elsewhere.
- Human encounter with ordinary providence: Most modern commentators and Calvin view the man as a real field worker; God works through everyday conversations.
- Source-critical explanation: The Cambridge Bible suggests the Dinah story is from a separate tradition, so the brothers' presence in Shechem may reflect different narrative threads rather than a single historical event.
What is clear: Whatever the identity of the man, the passage presents Joseph as a faithful and obedient son who pursues his brothers out of concern, and God directs his steps through the man's information to bring him to Dothan.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of the 'certain man' (v. 15) | The man is a real person met in the field; the text does not explicitly call him an angel. | Some Jewish interpreters (cited by Gill) take him as an angel in human form; most Christian commentators (including Calvin, Clarke, and moderns) view him as an ordinary human, perhaps a field worker or traveller. |
| Why the brothers went to Shechem | Shechem had rich pastureland, making it a logical place for flocks. | Clarke and JFB suggest the brothers may have deliberately chosen a dangerous location to set Joseph up, while others see it as a routine move for grazing. The Cambridge Bible notes source-critical tensions with the Dinah account. |
| Jacob's motive for sending Joseph | Jacob was anxious about his sons' welfare, given the distance and the volatile region. | Some stress Jacob's concern for safety after the massacre (Clarke, JFB); others emphasize general pastoral oversight (Gill). Calvin focuses on Jacob's authority and Joseph's obedience as a model. |
| The significance of Joseph's 'wandering' (v. 15) | The verb <em>ta'ah</em> indicates physical disorientation; Joseph was lost. | Some see this as a symbol of Joseph's vulnerability and the danger he walks into; others read it simply as narrative detail that sets up the providential meeting. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Shechem lay about sixty miles north of Hebron in a fertile valley between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim. Jacob had purchased a plot of ground there (Genesis 33:18-19), but the city was also the scene of horrific violence when Simeon and Levi killed all the males after the rape of Dinah (Genesis 34:25-31). Clarke notes that Jacob 'might feel more solicitous' about his sons' welfare 'lest the neighboring tribes should rise against them, and revenge the murder.' The phrase 'see whether it is well' renders the Hebrew shalom, health, peace, wholeness, suggesting Jacob wanted a full report on both safety and prosperity.
When Joseph arrived at Shechem, his brothers had already moved eight miles north to Dothan. The Hebrew name Dothan likely means 'two wells,' and the site is known from the Elisha narrative (2 Kings 6:13). The 'certain man' found Joseph 'wandering in the field', the verb ta'ah implies being lost or roaming. The man's question, 'What are you looking for?' (Hebrew baqash: to seek earnestly), and Joseph's reply, 'I am looking for my brothers' echo through the story as an ironic search. The man reports overhearing the brothers say 'Let us go to Dothan.' That overheard phrase becomes the means by which Joseph finds them, and walks into their plot.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Genesis 37:12-17. The passage is consistent across the Hebrew manuscripts and ancient versions. Minor differences in English translations reflect interpretive choices (e.g., 'vale of Hebron' vs. 'valley of Hebron'), not textual changes.
Reception History
This passage has been read throughout church history as an example of patient obedience and providential guidance. Early Christian commentators, including Chrysostom and Ambrose, saw in Joseph a type of Christ, the obedient Son sent by the Father to his brothers, who rejects him. The journey from Hebron to Shechem to Dothan was allegorized as the path of faithfulness that leads to suffering but ultimately to exaltation. Medieval Jewish exegetes like Rashi focused on the identity of the 'certain man,' often identifying him as the angel Gabriel preparing the way for Joseph to find his brothers. Reformation commentators (Calvin, Luther) stressed the moral lessons: Joseph's integrity contrasts with his brothers' hatred. Modern readings emphasize the narrative artistry, especially the way ordinary details (a wandering youth, a stranger's words) carry divine purpose. The passage also appears in hymns and devotional literature on guidance and trusting God in uncertain journeys.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- An obedient son sent by his father, Jacob uses the question 'Do not your brothers feed the flock in Shechem?' to prompt Joseph. Joseph's response, 'Here I am' (Hebrew hinneni), echoes Abraham, Isaac, and Samuel. He accepts the mission without hesitation, a model of filial obedience.
- A providential encounter on the road, The 'certain man' who finds Joseph wandering in the field serves as God's hidden agent. Whether angel or ordinary man, the encounter guides Joseph to Dothan. God works through unnamed people to direct his servants.
- A journey that leads into suffering, Joseph's faithfulness does not prevent the brothers' conspiracy. His obedience takes him into danger, yet God is already at work behind the scenes. The passage reminds us that walking in obedience does not guarantee safety, but it does place us within God's plan.
Five-point outline
- Jacob's concern for his sons at Shechem (vv. 12-14): The dangerous location prompts a father to send his beloved son.
- Joseph's willing obedience (v. 13): 'Here I am' shows readiness.
- The errand of peace (v. 14): Jacob sends Joseph to check the shalom of the brothers and the flocks.
- The wandering and the question (vv. 15-16): Lost in the field, Joseph seeks his brothers with earnestness.
- The divine direction from an unnamed source (v. 17): A man's overheard words lead Joseph to Dothan, setting the stage for the brothers' plot.
Illustration hooks
- Direction from a stranger: Think of a time you got lost and a passerby gave you directions that ended up being critical, only later did you see it as answered prayer.
- A parent's worry: A parent sends a child to check on an older sibling in a neighbourhood with a troubled history, aware of risks but trusting in oversight.
- Following orders into difficulty: A worker is asked by a manager to deliver a message to a colleague who is hostile, doing the right thing can feel risky.
Questions your congregation is asking
- 'Why did Jacob send Joseph, knowing his brothers hated him?'
- 'Was the man in the field an angel or just a helpful stranger?'
- 'If I am walking in obedience, why does suffering still come?'
Leading a Discussion
This passage shows Joseph's obedience and God's unseen guidance, even when events head toward betrayal. As you discuss these verses, notice how the story highlights human choices, Jacob's concern, Joseph's willingness, the brothers' move to Dothan, yet God is present in every detail.
Discussion questions
- What might have prompted Jacob to send Joseph from Hebron to Shechem (sixty miles away)? How does the history of Genesis 34 shape your answer?
- Joseph's reply 'Here I am' (v. 13) is used elsewhere in the Bible (Genesis 22, 1 Samuel 3). What does this phrase suggest about Joseph's character and his relationship with his father?
- Why do you think the narrator includes the detail that Joseph was 'wandering in the field' (v. 15)? What does this tell us about his experience of the journey?
- The 'certain man' asks, 'What are you looking for?' Joseph answers, 'I am looking for my brothers.' How does this exchange echo the larger themes of seeking and finding in Scripture?
- The man reports hearing the brothers say 'Let us go to Dothan.' In what ways does this simple overheard comment function as divine guidance?
- How does this passage increase the dramatic irony? We know what the brothers are planning, but Joseph does not. How does that affect your reading?
- Where have you experienced God's guidance through ordinary people or circumstances, even in situations that later turned difficult?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 33:18 | Jacob came in peace to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan Aram; and encamped before the city. |
| Genesis 34:25 | On the third day, when they were sore, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword, came upon the unsuspecting city, and killed all the males. |
| Genesis 34:31 | They said, “Should he deal with our sister as with a prostitute?” |
| Genesis 37:1 | Jacob lived in the land of his father’s travels, in the land of Canaan. |
| Genesis 22:1 | After these things, God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” He said, “Here I am.” |
| Genesis 27:1 | When Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his elder son, and said to him, “My son?” He said to him, “Here I am.” |
| Genesis 27:18 | He came to his father, and said, “My father?” He said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?” |
| I Samuel 3:4 | Yahweh called Samuel. He said, “Here I am.” |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that Jacob's concern for his sons may have been heightened because they were grazing near Shechem, the site of their earlier massacre. He feared neighboring tribes might retaliate. Clarke also observes that the distances to Shechem and Dothan are uncertain, as place names often shifted.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin stresses that Moses deliberately shows Joseph's innocent, obedient errand to make his brothers' crime far worse. Joseph came as a dutiful messenger, searching tirelessly even when they moved. Their cruelty in plotting murder against such a faithful brother was sheer madness, utterly without excuse.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentary highlights that Joseph’s role as a young shepherd with his half-brothers created an unhappy domestic dynamic, which likely fueled the negative reports he brought to Jacob. It notes that these events occurred in Shechem and Dothan, far from Jacob’s home in Hebron, suggesting the narrative assumes the region was open grazing land rather than settled territory.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The notes highlight Joseph’s literal obedience to his father as he travels from Hebron to Shechem. They emphasize that his search leads him astray until a stranger guides him toward Dothan, where he finally locates his brothers. This narrative detail underscores the specific journey Joseph undertook to fulfill his father's request.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill argues that Jacob’s decision to send Joseph to Shechem was driven by a misplaced sense of security rather than ignorance, as he likely believed his brothers’ hostility had faded over time. He emphasizes that Jacob remained entirely unaware of any lethal intent, even interpreting the returned coat as evidence of animal attack rather than fratricide. This highlights Jacob’s tragic blindness to the depth of his sons’ hatred despite the obvious dangers of the location.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown notes that the brothers traveled nearly fifty miles to Shechem because its pasture was unusually rich, far surpassing Hebron. They later moved to Dothan, likely because the massacre there had made their name detested in Shechem. Joseph accepted his father's mission with ready obedience and followed them.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch trace the brothers' hatred hardening into a deliberate plot to murder Joseph. They note the malice was aimed directly at destroying the God-given dreams by killing the dreamer and covering it up, showing how sin escalates from resentment to a calculated attack on divine revelation.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange views this passage not merely as Joseph’s story but as the history of Jacob living on through his sons. He argues that the narrative serves a triple purpose: it records the origins of Israel in Egypt, illustrates God’s providence turning evil into good, and prefigures the pattern of suffering leading to exaltation seen throughout biblical history.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights the innocence of both Joseph and his father Jacob, noting they lacked the wisdom of serpents that might have avoided danger. Their simple obedience led Joseph directly into the hands of those who hated him, yet this vulnerability was part of God’s plan to bring good out of evil.