“And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.”
My Notes
What Does Genesis 37:18 Mean?
The brothers see Joseph approaching from a distance—"afar off, even before he came near"—and immediately conspire to kill him. The conspiracy is premeditated: they form the plan before he arrives. The murder is decided while the victim is still a dot on the horizon. The hatred has been building for so long that the sight of Joseph's silhouette is enough to trigger the death plot.
The phrase "even before he came near" emphasizes the distance at which the conspiracy forms. Joseph hasn't said anything yet. He hasn't reported another dream or flaunted another gift from their father. His mere approach—his existence in their field of vision—is enough. The hatred has passed the point where provocation is necessary. His presence is the provocation.
The plan to "slay him" is collective: "they conspired." Not one brother alone. The group. The conspiracy is communal, which makes it more dangerous—individual murder can be restrained by conscience; group murder is reinforced by shared anger. Each brother's willingness validates every other brother's. The moral resistance that might exist in one person collapses in the group dynamic.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Have you ever approached a situation with good intentions only to discover the decision against you was already made?
- 2.The conspiracy formed before Joseph arrived. What happens when hatred reaches the point where your presence alone is the provocation?
- 3.Group dynamics enabled the murder plot. Where have you seen collective anger produce decisions that no individual would make alone?
- 4.Joseph was looking for their peace while they plotted his death. When has your mission of goodwill been met with hostility?
Devotional
They saw him coming from far away. And before he reached them—while he was still a silhouette on the horizon—they decided to kill him. The conspiracy was formed at a distance. The murder was planned before the victim arrived. The hatred was so complete that his approaching figure was all the trigger they needed.
Joseph is still walking toward them, still running his father's errand, still carrying the message "see the peace of thy brethren." He doesn't know that his brothers have already decided he dies today. The gap between his expectation and their intention is the gap between innocence and conspiracy. He's bringing peace. They're planning murder. He's looking for their wellbeing. They're plotting his death.
The group dynamic matters: "they conspired." Not one angry brother. All of them. The collective conspiracy removes the individual brakes that might have stopped any one of them alone. In a group, murder becomes possible because responsibility is diffused. Nobody feels fully responsible when everybody agrees. The shared anger validates the shared plan.
If you've ever been the person approaching from a distance—walking toward a situation with good intentions while the people waiting for you have already decided your fate—Joseph's walk toward his brothers is your walk. The innocence of the approach doesn't protect you from the conspiracy of the reception. Sometimes the people you're trying to serve have already decided against you before you arrive. And the decision was made while you were still too far away to hear it.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And they said one to another,.... According to the Targum of Jonathan, Simeon and Levi said what follows: nor is it…
- Joseph Was Sold into Egypt 17. דתין dotayı̂n Dothain, “two wells?” (Gesenius) 25. נכאת neko't “tragacanth” or…
Here is, I. The kind visit which Joseph, in obedience to his father's command, made to his brethren, who were feeding…
(JE). Joseph sold into Egypt
2 b (J). and he was a lad with, &c. The English here gives an awkward rendering. The…
Cross References
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