The following commentary covers Chapters 37 through 41.
Joseph,
the beloved of his father, in humiliation
What follows from chapter
37 is the interesting history of Joseph, to which even
children ever yield a ready ear, although ignorant of all
the beauties which the believer finds who knows Jesus,
and recognises Him as prefigured there: for there is an
intrinsic beauty, where the heart is not yet hardened, in
all that reveals Him. Joseph, as revealed in his dreams
(faith alone could thus own it), is, in the counsels of
God, heir of the glory and chief of all the family. His
brothers are jealous of this; so much the more that he is
the beloved of his father. He is sold to the Gentiles by
his brethren, and, in the figure, instead of being put to
death, as the Jews did to the true Joseph (that being not
possible), is passed for dead. Meanwhile Judah falls into
every kind of shame and sin, which does not deprive him,
however, of the royal genealogy. Joseph is brought low
among the Gentiles, through false accusations put in
prison, his "feet made fast in the stocks."
"The iron enters into his soul:" "till the
time came that his cause was known, the word of the Lord
tried him."
All power
committed to Joseph in his elevation
Rising out of his
humiliation, he is elevated, unknown now of his brethren,
to the right hand of the throne; and the administration
of all power over the Gentiles committed to him. In his
humiliation, interpreter of the thoughts and counsels of
God; in his elevation, he administers with power
according to the same wisdom, and reduces all under the
immediate authority of him who was seated on the throne.
Genesis 39 Bible Commentary
John Darby’s Synopsis
Joseph, the beloved of his father, in humiliation
What follows from chapter 37 is the interesting history of Joseph, to which even children ever yield a ready ear, although ignorant of all the beauties which the believer finds who knows Jesus, and recognises Him as prefigured there: for there is an intrinsic beauty, where the heart is not yet hardened, in all that reveals Him. Joseph, as revealed in his dreams (faith alone could thus own it), is, in the counsels of God, heir of the glory and chief of all the family. His brothers are jealous of this; so much the more that he is the beloved of his father. He is sold to the Gentiles by his brethren, and, in the figure, instead of being put to death, as the Jews did to the true Joseph (that being not possible), is passed for dead. Meanwhile Judah falls into every kind of shame and sin, which does not deprive him, however, of the royal genealogy. Joseph is brought low among the Gentiles, through false accusations put in prison, his "feet made fast in the stocks." "The iron enters into his soul:" "till the time came that his cause was known, the word of the Lord tried him."
All power committed to Joseph in his elevation
Rising out of his humiliation, he is elevated, unknown now of his brethren, to the right hand of the throne; and the administration of all power over the Gentiles committed to him. In his humiliation, interpreter of the thoughts and counsels of God; in his elevation, he administers with power according to the same wisdom, and reduces all under the immediate authority of him who was seated on the throne.