And when his brethren abode in Sechem, feeding their father's flocks,
וַיֵּלְכ֖וּ אֶחָ֑יו לִרְע֛וֹת אֶׄתׄ־צֹ֥אן אֲבִיהֶ֖ם בִּשְׁכֶֽם׃
3 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Shechem translates to 'shoulder,' which can symbolize a labor of love. Scripture often employs the shoulder as a metaphor for strength and diligence. For example, the phrase 'turn thy heart to the way, to the path' (Jer. 31:21) relates to the act of devotion.
One day, while the brothers were pasturing their flocks in Shechem, Joseph found himself in the valley of Hebron with his father.
Notes: Shechem is the ancient city located in the promised land, situated in Samaria on Mount Ephraim. It is approximately 18 hours from Jerusalem and 16 from Nazareth, nestled between the valleys of Garizim and Geval, and is rich in apricots, peaches, pomegranates, plums, roses, and myrtles. When Abraham first arrived, the only notable landmark was the Oak Tree of Moreh (Genesis 12:6). Upon Jacob's return from Mesopotamia, the area had already come to be known as Shechem (Genesis 33:18-19).
Jacob purchased a section of land from Emmor, the father of Shechem, where he established his encampment, built an altar, and called upon the name of the Lord God of Israel (Genesis 33:19-20). This plot of land was Jacob's sole possession in the land of promise. Nearby lay Jacob's well, referenced in the New Testament (John 4:5-6). It was to this location that Jacob sent Joseph to find his brothers, and it was here that he was subsequently sold to the Ishmaelites. Before his passing, Jacob bequeathed a plot of land in the vicinity to Joseph, who was later laid to rest there (Num. 24:32). Today, Shechem, known as Nablus, serves as a center for the Samaritans.
On a certain occasion, they took the herds to Shechem... Joseph, a holy account drawn from the book of Genesis
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS