Joseph’s brothers mockingly dismissed his divine dreams, paving the way for God to bring about deliverance through unexpected means.
They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer!” (v.19). These words come from Joseph’s brothers, who spotted him approaching from a distance in the region of Dothan, located in northern Israel (Genesis 37:17-18). Joseph (c. 1914-1804 BC) was the eleventh son of the patriarch Jacob and already bore the envy of his older brothers because of their father’s special love for him and because of the dreams he had shared—dreams in which he seemed destined for authority over them. By calling him “this dreamer,” they taunted Joseph’s divine revelations and signaled the contempt that was brewing in their hearts, ultimately leading to their decision to betray him. Their mockery also sets the stage for the entire arc of Joseph’s extraordinary preservation and rise to power.When Joseph arrived, he had come from the Valley of Hebron, nearly 60 miles to the south, in obedience to his father’s request to check on his brothers. This journey took him to Shechem first, then later to Dothan, a pastureland known for trade routes passing through the region. Even with a seemingly mundane task of finding his brothers, Joseph’s unexpected role in God’s larger redemptive plan was already in motion. The brothers’ scornful remark, “Here comes this dreamer!” (v.19), expressed how threatened they were by Joseph’s God-given vision. Their response also foreshadows Christ, who was despised and rejected by His own people (John 1:11), yet would fulfill divine prophecy in spite of disbelief.Joseph’s hardships after this moment parallel the future sufferings of the Messiah. Just as Joseph was handed over to foreigners (Genesis 37:28) and later exalted to save his family, Jesus was rejected by Israel’s leaders but exalted by God to save humanity (Philippians 2:9-11). God would use Joseph’s trials to sustain the entire family of Israel through famine, preserving the line through which the Messiah would eventually come. Centuries later, Jesus Himself would be the ultimate fulfillment of God’s rescue plan, though He too faced disdain from many in His day.
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Genesis 37:19 meaning
They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer!” (v.19). These words come from Joseph’s brothers, who spotted him approaching from a distance in the region of Dothan, located in northern Israel (Genesis 37:17-18). Joseph (c. 1914-1804 BC) was the eleventh son of the patriarch Jacob and already bore the envy of his older brothers because of their father’s special love for him and because of the dreams he had shared—dreams in which he seemed destined for authority over them. By calling him “this dreamer,” they taunted Joseph’s divine revelations and signaled the contempt that was brewing in their hearts, ultimately leading to their decision to betray him. Their mockery also sets the stage for the entire arc of Joseph’s extraordinary preservation and rise to power.When Joseph arrived, he had come from the Valley of Hebron, nearly 60 miles to the south, in obedience to his father’s request to check on his brothers. This journey took him to Shechem first, then later to Dothan, a pastureland known for trade routes passing through the region. Even with a seemingly mundane task of finding his brothers, Joseph’s unexpected role in God’s larger redemptive plan was already in motion. The brothers’ scornful remark, “Here comes this dreamer!” (v.19), expressed how threatened they were by Joseph’s God-given vision. Their response also foreshadows Christ, who was despised and rejected by His own people (John 1:11), yet would fulfill divine prophecy in spite of disbelief.Joseph’s hardships after this moment parallel the future sufferings of the Messiah. Just as Joseph was handed over to foreigners (Genesis 37:28) and later exalted to save his family, Jesus was rejected by Israel’s leaders but exalted by God to save humanity (Philippians 2:9-11). God would use Joseph’s trials to sustain the entire family of Israel through famine, preserving the line through which the Messiah would eventually come. Centuries later, Jesus Himself would be the ultimate fulfillment of God’s rescue plan, though He too faced disdain from many in His day.