Genesis 37 · Verse 25

Genesis 37:25

And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.
Genesis 37:25, King James Version

Genesis 37:25 in other translations

BSBAnd as they sat down to eat a meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh on their way down to Egypt.
WEBThey sat down to eat bread, and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing spices and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.
ASVAnd they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.
YLTAnd they sit down to eat bread, and they lift up their eyes, and look, and lo, a company of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, and their camels bearing spices, and balm, and myrrh, going to take them down to Egypt.
DARBYAnd they sat down to eat bread; and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites came from Gilead; and their camels bore tragacanth, and balsam, and ladanum — going to carry it down to Egypt.
BBEThen seating themselves, they took their meal: and looking up, they saw a travelling band of Ishmaelites, coming from Gilead on their way to Egypt, with spices and perfumes on their camels.
WebsterAnd they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and behold, a company of Ishmaelites came from Gilead, with their camels bearing spicery, and balm, and myrrh, going to carry them down to Egypt.

What does Genesis 37:25 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
25. they sat down to eat bread--What a view does this exhibit of those hardened profligates! Their common share in this conspiracy is not the only dismal feature in the story. The rapidity, the almost instantaneous manner in which the proposal was followed by their joint resolution, and the cool indifference, or rather the fiendish satisfaction, with which they sat down to regale themselves, is astonishing. It is impossible that mere envy at his dreams, his gaudy dress, or the doting partiality of their common father, could have goaded them on to such a pitch of frenzied resentment or confirmed them in such consummate wickedness. Their hatred to Joseph must have had a far deeper seat. It must have been produced by dislike to his piety and other excellencies, which made his character and conduct a constant censure upon theirs, and on account of which they found that they could never be at ease till they had rid themselves of his hated presence. This was the true solution of the mystery, just as it was in the case of Cain (1Jo 3:12). they lifted up their eyes, ... and, behold, a company of Ishmaelites--They are called Midianites (Ge 37:28), and Medanites, in Hebrew (Ge 37:36), being a travelling caravan composed of a mixed association of Arabians. Those tribes of Northern Arabia had already addicted themselves to commerce, and long did they enjoy a monopoly, the carrying trade being entirely in their hands. Their approach could easily be seen; for, as their road, after crossing the ford from the trans-jordanic district, led along the south side of the mountains of Gilboa, a party seated on the plain of Dothan could trace them and their string of camels in the distance as they proceeded through the broad and gently sloping valley that intervenes. Trading in the produce of Arabia and India, they were in the regular course of traffic on their way to Egypt: and the chief articles of commerce in which this clan dealt were spicery from India, that is, a species of resinous gum, called storax, balm--"balm of Gilead," the juice of the balsam tree, a native of Arabia-Felix, and myrrh--an Arabic gum of a strong, fragrant smell. For these articles there must have been an enormous demand in Egypt as they were constantly used in the process of embalming.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 25 They sat down to eat bread - Every act is perfectly in character, and describes forcibly the brutish and diabolic nature of their ruthless souls. A company of Ishmaelites - We may naturally suppose that this was a caravan, composed of different tribes that, for their greater safety, were traveling together, and of which Ishmaelites and Midianites made the chief. In the Chaldee they are called Arabians, which, from ערב arab, to mingle, was in all probability used by the Targumist as the word Arabians is used among us, which comprehends a vast number of clans, or tribes of people. The Jerusalem Targum calls them סרקין Sarkin, what we term Saracens. In the Persian, the clause stands thus: karavanee iskmaaleem araban aya. "A caravan of Ishmaelite Arabs came." This seems to give the true sense.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 37:23-30

They threw Joseph into a pit, to perish there with hunger and cold; so cruel were their tender mercies. They slighted him when he was in distress, and were not grieved for the affliction of Joseph, see Am 6:6; for when he was pining in the pit, they sat down to eat bread. They felt no remorse of conscience for the sin. But the wrath of man shall praise God, and the remainder of wrath he will restrain, Psa 76:10…

Read the full comment on Genesis 37:23-30 →

Genesis 37:25 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֵּשְׁבוּ֮vai.ye.she.Vuand they sat downH3427
לֶֽאֱכָל\־le.'e.khol-to eatH398
לֶחֶם֒le.ChembreadH3899
וַיִּשְׂא֤וּvai.yis.'Uand they lifted upH5375
עֵֽינֵיהֶם֙'ei.nei.Hemeyes theirH5869
וַיִּרְא֔וּvai.yir.'Uand they sawH7200
וְהִנֵּה֙ve.hi.Nehand there!H2009
אֹרְחַ֣ת'o.re.Chata caravan ofH736
יִשְׁמְעֵאלִ֔יםyish.me.'e.LimIshmaelitesH3459
בָּאָ֖הba.'Ah[was] comingH935
מִגִּלְעָ֑דmi.gil.'Adfrom GileadH1568
וּגְמַלֵּיהֶ֣םu.ge.ma.lei.Hemand camels theirH1581
נֹֽשְׂאִ֗יםno.se.'Im[were] carryingH5375
נְכֹאת֙ne.khoTspiceH5219
וּצְרִ֣יu.tze.Riand balmH6875
וָלֹ֔טva.Lotand myrrhH3910
הוֹלְכִ֖יםhol.KhimtravelingH1980
לְהוֹרִ֥ידle.ho.Ridto take [them] downH3381
מִצְרָֽיְמָה\׃mitz.Ra.ye.mahEgypt towardsH4714

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Genesis 37:25

  • Genesis 43:11

    And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:

  • Jeremiah 8:22

    Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?

  • Genesis 37:28

    Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.

  • Jeremiah 46:11

    Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt: in vain shalt thou use many medicines; for thou shalt not be cured.

  • Genesis 16:11-12

    And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the Lord hath heard thy affliction. And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.

  • Genesis 39:1

    And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither.

  • Genesis 25:16-18

    These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their towns, and by their castles; twelve princes according to their nations. And these are the years of the life of Ishmael, an hundred and thirty and seven years: and he gave up the ghost and died; and was gathered unto his people. And they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur, that is before Egypt, as thou goest toward Assyria: and he died in the presence of all his brethren.

  • Genesis 37:36

    And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, and captain of the guard.

  • Genesis 31:23

    And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days’ journey; and they overtook him in the mount Gilead.

  • Genesis 25:1-4

    Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah. And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. And Jokshan begat Sheba, and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim. And the sons of Midian; Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.

  • Psalms 14:4

    Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the Lord.

  • Esther 3:15

    The posts went out, being hastened by the king’s commandment, and the decree was given in Shushan the palace. And the king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city Shushan was perplexed.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
they sat.
Es 3:15; Ps 14:4; Pr 30:20; Am 6:6
Ishmeelites.
28,36; 16:11,12; 25:1-4,16-18; 31:23; Ps 83:6
Gilead.
31:21; 43:11; Jer 8:22
spicery.{Nechoth,} is rendered by the LXX. "incense;" Syriac, "resin;" Samaritan, "balsam;" Acquila, "storax;" which is followed by Bochart. This drug is abundant in Syria, and here Moses joins with it resin, honey, and myrrh; which agrees with the nature of the storax, which is the resin of a tree of the same name, of a reddish colour, and peculiarly pleasant fragrance.
balm{Tzeri,} which in Arabic, as a verb, is to flow, seems to be a common name, as balm or balsam with us, for many of those oily, resinous substances, which flow spontaneously, or by incision, from various trees or plants; accordingly the ancients have generally interpreted it resin.
myrrh.{Lot,} is probably, as Junius, De Dieu, Celsius, and Ursinus contend, the same as the Arabic {ladan}, Greek [ladanon,] and Latin {ladanum}.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Genesis 37:24

    And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.

  • Genesis 37:25

    And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.

  • Genesis 37:26

    And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?

Read all of Genesis 37

Genesis 37:25 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y sentáronse á comer pan: y alzando los ojos miraron, y he aquí una compañía de Ismaelitas que venía de Galaad, y sus camellos traían aromas y bálsamo y mirra, é iban á llevarlo á Egipto.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et ils s’assirent pour manger le pain; et ils levèrent les yeux et regardèrent, et voici, une caravane d’Ismaélites venait de Galaad; et leurs chameaux portaient des épices, du baume, et de la myrrhe, qu’ils allaient porter en Égypte.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und sie setzten sich, um zu essen. Und sie hoben ihre Augen auf und sahen: und siehe, ein Zug Ismaeliter kam von Gilead her; und ihre Kamele trugen Tragant und Balsamharz und Ladanum; sie zogen hin, um es nach Ägypten hinabzubringen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et sedentes ut comederent panem, viderunt Ismaëlitas viatores venire de Galaad, et camelos eorum portantes aromata, et resinam, et stacten in Ægyptum.