Joseph Shares His Dreams

Genesis 37:1-36

The Big Idea

Jealousy and favoritism can hurt families. We should speak and act with humility, honesty, and care for others.

The Bible Story

Joseph and His Brothers

Genesis 37:1–11 describes Joseph’s family life and dreams. Jacob favors Joseph and gives him a distinctive long garment, which makes Joseph’s brothers hate him. Joseph then tells them about dreams in which they bow before him. Their resentment grows. Jacob rebukes Joseph but continues to consider what Joseph has said. This passage reports the dreams and the family’s reactions; it does not show the dreams being fulfilled or explain their purpose. The main concern is the growing resentment within the family and the harmful effect of favoritism and jealousy.

Themes

Betrayal and loss of freedom Deception and grief Favoritism and family resentment Jealousy and wrongdoing Reuben’s attempted intervention The account’s unresolved ending

Bible moment

The Bible moment

Look closely

What children can notice

Joseph speaks to his brothers while simple dream symbols—such as sheaves bowing and stars—appear in the background or inside thought-cloud-like panels. The brothers look resentful, and Jacob looks thoughtful as he rebukes Joseph.

Talk together

Talk about it

How do the brothers respond to Joseph’s dreams?
What harmful choices can jealousy lead people to make?

For families, church, and class

Use this page

Use this page to introduce Genesis 37:1–11 before discussing the later events in the chapter. Invite children to notice each person’s response without adding an interpretation of the dreams. Emphasize that the dreams are reported, not shown as fulfilled here, and that the family’s resentment leads to wrong choices.

Source note