Genesis 37:20
“Come now therefore, and let’s kill him, and cast him into one of the pits, and we will say, ‘An evil animal has devoured him.’ We will see what will become of his dreams.””
What does Genesis 37:20 mean?
Joseph's older brothers are consumed with jealousy and anger. Their father Jacob has shown obvious favoritism toward Joseph, giving him a special coat and listening to his youthful dreams of one day ruling over them all. Rather than letting their resentment simmer, they've decided to act on it with violence, plotting to murder their own brother and cover it up with a lie. What's striking here is how quickly their envy transforms into something cold and calculated. They're not just angry in the heat of a moment, they're making plans, discussing alibis, and trying to erase evidence of their crime. The cruel detail about mocking his dreams shows how much his confidence in God's purposes for his life has threatened them. They want to kill not just the boy, but his hope. This moment marks a turning point in the Genesis story. But even in their darkness, God's plan for Joseph remains secure. His dreams won't be destroyed by their hands, no matter what they do.