Genesis 37:25Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Deserting him, they settled down to share a meal. How deep the cruelty! How great the inhumanity! He had journeyed so far, diligently seeking them, eager to share their story with his father; yet they, acting like ruthless marauders, chose to let him perish rather than heed Reuben’s counsel to spare his life. However, in His mercy, God swiftly rescued him from his brothers’ wrath. They sat down, as the Scriptures relate, to eat bread, and then they noticed a caravan of travelers from Israel on their way to Egypt.

Joseph's siblings, while dining together, betrayed him by willfully selling him into slavery; similarly, the wicked Jews, during the Passover feast, condemned the Savior. Once they had thrown Joseph into the pit, they sat down to feast and drink in their delight; just as one feels uplifted after defeating a foe, they reclined at the table, filled with joy. After enjoying their meal, they suddenly looked up and noticed the caravan of Ishmaelite merchants approaching, traveling to Egypt with incense loaded on their camels.

Joseph, after facing rejection from his brothers, found acceptance among the Ishmaelites. This mirrors our Lord and Savior, who, after being rejected by the Jewish people, garnered acceptance from the Gentiles (cf. Acts 13:45-49). Ultimately, the Ishmaelites who welcomed Joseph transported different kinds of incense, symbolizing how the nations embracing the faith disseminate various offerings of righteousness across the globe.

The heartless brothers cast Joseph into a pit and proceeded to feast joyfully. They reclined with an air of celebration, as though they had vanquished an adversary or seized a stronghold. Amid their revelry, they spotted the approaching Ishmaelite traders journeying from Gilead to Egypt. Accompanying the merchants were camels laden with spices, including incense and myrrh.

Joseph cast into the pit. What are the brothers up to? They have settled down to eat... A matured animosity. When a feeling has fully taken root in the heart, the soul becomes numb to its earthly suffering. It is far more daunting to be present in such depths of wickedness with a heart consumed by evil than to find oneself, body and soul, in a far worse place. The sons of Jacob perpetrated their crime as if fulfilling a duty; their animosity towards their brother felt entirely instinctive. “And they sat down to eat bread,” states the Scripture. In that moment of sharing a meal, it is certain that no goodness was present. It was riotous. How could those who commit such heinous acts partake in a meal otherwise?

Stiraxeus. The Hebrew term נכאת is rendered as ςυρακα by Aquila. Bochart has demonstrated that the Syriac styraxoi were plentiful. Balsam refers to the resin derived from the tree of the same name. R. Simeon provides this interpretation for צרי.