Genesis 37:4 · Bible study
Genesis 37:4 Commentary: The Salam Denied
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Joseph's brothers refused even the common greeting 'peace be to thee.' The salam custom reveals the depth of hatred and the seeds of violence.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The brothers' hatred was so deep that they refused even the common greeting of peace (salam), a cultural declaration of enmity.
- Key words: “Speak peaceably” (דַּבְּרוֹ לְשָׁלוֹם, dabbero l'shalom), a greeting invoking well-being. “Were able” (יָכְל֖וּ, yakhlu), moral refusal, not physical.
- Main debate: No significant debate; the cultural meaning is widely established among commentators.
- Theological theme: Sin (jealousy) disrupts community and opens the door to violence; God's providence works through human failure.
- Best use: Preaching or teaching on family dysfunction, the seeds of violence, and the power of withheld civility.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.
WEB World English Bible 2000
His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, and they hated him, and couldn’t speak peaceably to him.
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren; and they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and his brethren see that their father hath loved him more than any of his brethren, and they hate him, and have not been able to speak to him peaceably.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, and they hated him, and could not greet him with friendliness.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And his brethren seeing that he was loved by his father, more than all his sons, hated hem, and could not speak peaceably to him.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y viendo sus hermanos que su padre lo amaba más que á todos sus hermanos, aborrecíanle, y no le podían hablar pacíficamente.
E vendo seus irmãos que seu pai o amava mais que a todos os seus irmãos, odiavam-lhe, e não lhe podiam falar pacificamente.
Ses frères virent que leur père l’aimait plus qu’ eux tous, et ils le prirent en haine. Ils ne pouvaient lui parler avec amitié.
Da nun seine Brüder sahen, daß ihn ihr Vater lieber hatte als alle seine Brüder, waren sie ihm feind und konnten ihm kein freundlich Wort zusprechen.
Als nu zijn broeders zagen, dat hun vader hem boven al zijn broederen liefhad, haatten zij hem, en konden hem niet vredelijk toespreken.
E i suoi fratelli, vedendo che il loro padre l’amava più di tutti gli altri fratelli, l’odiavano, e non gli potevan parlare amichevolmente.
A widząc bracia jego, że go miłował ojciec ich nad wszystkę bracią jego, nienawidzili go, i nie mogli nic łaskawie z nim mówić.
И увидели братья его, что отец их любит его более всех братьев его; и возненавидели его и не могли говорить с ним дружелюбно.
約瑟的哥哥們 見 父親 愛 約瑟 過於 愛他們，就恨 約瑟，不 與他說 和睦的話。
And because his brothers saw that Joseph was dearer to his father than all the others, they were full of hate for him, and would not say a kind word to him.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Genesis 37:4
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree on a key cultural point: the brothers' failure to speak peaceably was not simply rudeness, but a refusal to offer the standard greeting, 'Peace be to thee' (shalom lecha). Clarke, Gill, and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown note that in eastern custom this salutation (the salam) was a sacred duty among friends; to withhold it signaled deep hostility and left the way open for injury. Keil and Delitzsch explain that the greeting expressed a wish for complete well-being. The Hebrew bears this out: they 'were not able to speak to him in peace' (dabbero l'shalom). The verb yakhlu ('were able') suggests not a physical incapacity but a moral and emotional refusal. The hatred that began with jealousy over favoritism now manifests as a deliberate breach of basic courtesy, a quiet declaration of war.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: What is not in dispute is that the brothers deliberately refused the standard greeting of peace ('shalom'), a culturally significant act that reveals their deep-seated hatred and sets the stage for the conspiracy that follows.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Cultural meaning of 'speak peaceably' | All cited commentators agree it refers to withholding the greeting 'Peace be to thee' (shalom lecha), a culturally significant act of hostility. | No substantial debate; the reading is consistent across the sources. |
| Cause of the brothers' hatred | The brothers’ hatred arose directly from Jacob's open favoritism toward Joseph (vv. 3-4). | Some commentators, like Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, call Jacob's favoritism 'great and criminal indiscretion,' suggesting he bears partial responsibility for the family conflict. Others focus solely on the brothers' moral choice to hate. |
| Role of divine providence | The narrative is shaped by God's larger plan; the events of Joseph's life prepare the way for the preservation of Israel (Keil & Delitzsch). | Traditions differ on the extent to which God actively directs the brothers' evil actions or merely permits them, but the supplied commentary does not detail this nuance. |
Historical & Cultural Context
This verse sits within a story of a family warped by favoritism. Jacob (Israel) loved Joseph more than all his other children because he was the son of his beloved Rachel, born in his old age (Gen 37:3). He made Joseph a long-sleeved tunic, not a coat of many colors, but an upper garment worn by nobility and royalty (Keil and Delitzsch). This partiality was impossible to hide. Joseph, at seventeen, tended flocks with the sons of Jacob's concubines, Bilhah and Zilpah, and brought a bad report about them to his father (v. 2). That action alone would have bred resentment.
In the ancient Near East, greetings were not trivial. 'Peace be to you' (shalom lecha) was a blessing that invoked completeness, safety, and prosperity. Clarke compares the practice of Arabs and Turks, who hesitated to return the salam to those they disliked; withholding it was an unmistakable mark of hostility and an implied permission to harm. The brothers' refusal meant they cut off Joseph from the basic bond of community. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown call Jacob's favoritism 'great and criminal indiscretion,' but the responsibility for the hatred that followed belongs to the brothers. The silent refusal of peace here is the first step toward the pit.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts, and the meaning is well preserved.
Reception History
This verse has been used in Christian tradition to illustrate the sin of envy and its consequences, often cited in moral instruction on family relationships. The Joseph narrative was read by the early church as a type of Christ, with the brothers’ rejection prefiguring the rejection of Jesus by his own people (John 1:11). In Jewish tradition, the story highlights the danger of sin'at chinam (baseless hatred), later seen as a root cause of the destruction of the Second Temple. Medieval Jewish commentators expanded the cultural meaning of the salam greeting, noting its significance as a blessing.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Favoritism breeds resentment. Jacob’s love for Joseph was public and provocative. The brothers saw it, and it kindled their hatred.
- Hatred silences even common grace. They could not speak peaceably, no blessing, no greeting, no wish for well-being. Refusing the salam is a withdrawal of shared humanity.
- Refusal of peace prepares the way for violence. The same brothers who refused the greeting will soon plot murder (Gen 37:18-24). A closed mouth leads to closed hands.
Five-point outline
- The spectacle of favoritism: Jacob’s visible love for Joseph provokes the siblings.
- Smoldering anger: the brothers’ hatred is not hidden, it is sensed and seen.
- The silent treatment as a weapon: withholding the salam is a cultural marker of deep enmity.
- Escalation: the refusal to speak peace leads to the conspiracy to kill (v. 24).
- God’s providence: even this hatred serves a larger purpose, though that does not excuse it.
Illustration hooks
- A family dinner where one child is endlessly praised while others are ignored; the chilly silence that follows.
- A workplace where a newly promoted colleague is met with frosty avoidance by former peers.
- The power of shunning in some communities, an exclusion that says more than words.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why does hatred often first show itself in what we refuse to say?
- How can we guard against favoritism in our families and churches?
- What does our speech, or our silence, toward the difficult person reveal about our heart?
Leading a Discussion
This verse shows the anatomy of hatred: it starts with a comparison, festers in silence, and refuses the most basic gift of peace. As your group studies, consider how our own words, or the words we withhold, might reveal hidden resentments.
Discussion questions
- What did the brothers see that triggered their hatred? (Observation)
- Why does Moses record that they “could not speak peaceably”? What does that phrase mean in its cultural context? (Interpretation)
- How might Jacob’s actions have contributed to the family’s fracture? (Interpretation)
- In what everyday ways do we withhold peace from others, through silence, coldness, or refusing blessing? (Application)
- How is the refusal of a greeting connected to the later violence of the pit? (Interpretation)
- What does this passage teach us about God’s ability to work even through human failure? (Application)
- What one change could your group make to replace silence with peace in a difficult relationship? (Application)
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 4:5 | but he didn’t respect Cain and his offering. Cain was very angry, and the expression on his face fell. |
| Genesis 27:41 | Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father blessed him. Esau said in his heart, “The days of mourning for my father are at hand. Then I will kill my brother Jacob.” |
| Genesis 37:5 | Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brothers, and they hated him all the more. |
| Genesis 37:11 | His brothers envied him, but his father kept this saying in mind. |
| Genesis 37:18 | They saw him afar off, and before he came near to them, they conspired against him to kill him. |
| Genesis 37:24 | and they took him, and threw him into the pit. The pit was empty. There was no water in it. |
| Genesis 49:23 | The archers have severely grieved him, shot at him, and persecuted him: |
| I Samuel 16:12 | He sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with a handsome face and good appearance. Yahweh said, “Arise! Anoint him, for this is he.” |
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
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke explains that the brothers could not greet Joseph with the customary eastern salutation of peace. In their culture, withholding this greeting was a deliberate act of hostility, signaling not just ill will but a readiness to harm him.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentary identifies Joseph as a young shepherd living with his half-brothers, the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, in Hebron. It suggests this domestic arrangement was unlikely to be happy due to the tension between the favorite son and those born to concubines. The report Joseph brought was likely viewed negatively by his brothers as tale-bearing rather than honest feedback.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes highlight a direct causal link between perceived favoritism and familial hostility. It argues that the brothers’ hatred was not merely jealousy but a specific reaction to seeing their father’s clear preference for Joseph above all other siblings. This visible disparity made it impossible for them to maintain peaceful relations with him, turning love into bitter resentment.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasizes that the brothers' hatred was not just an inner feeling but openly betrayed in how they spoke to Joseph. They could not even offer him a common greeting or speak to him in a civil manner, but only in a cross and surly tone.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB points out that Joseph's brothers refused him the customary greeting "peace be to thee," a clear cultural sign of hostility in that society. The commentator also notes that Jacob showed serious indiscretion by openly favoring Joseph in a family with multiple wives and children.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch trace the crucial background: Jacob's settling in Canaan continues the patriarchal pilgrim-life, with Joseph's story setting the stage for God's promise to Abraham. They argue the famous coat was not multi-colored but a long tunic reaching wrists and ankles, marking Joseph as favored and provoking his brothers' hatred.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange observes that Joseph’s brothers hated him not merely for his dreams but because they recognized the royal ambition those visions implied. This hatred escalated when he shared the dreams, turning familial jealousy into a lethal conspiracy to silence the "dreamer" and test whether his prophecies would truly come to pass.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry highlights that Joseph, though his father's favorite, was not raised in idleness but worked as a shepherd. Henry sees this as a lesson: true love for children involves training them in discipline and labor, not spoiling them. He also notes Joseph's youthful maturity, calling him a child yet not childish.