Genesis 37:12

Genesis 37:12

 

And his brethren went to feed their father's flock in Shechem.

a. ASV: And his brethren went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem.  [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

b. YLT: And his brethren go to feed the flock of their father in Shechem,  [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. Classic Amplified:  Joseph’s brothers went to shepherd and feed their father’s flock near Shechem. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

d. NLT: Soon after this, Joseph’s brothers went to pasture their father’s flocks at Shechem.  [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

e. Stone Edition THE CHUMASH, Rabbinic Commentary: Now, his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock in Shechem.  [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE CHUMASH Copyright 1998, 2000 by MESORAH PUBLICATIONS, Ldt.]

f. The Israel Bible: One time, when his brothers had gone to pasture theri father’s flock at Shechem. [The English Translation was adapted by Israel 365 from the JPS Tanakh. Copyright Ⓒ 1985 by the Jewish Publication Society. All rights reserved.]

1. “And his brethren went to feed their father's flock in Shechem.”

a. [And his] brethren [Strong: 251 ʼâch, awkh; a primitive word; a brother (used in the widest sense of literal relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance [like H1]):—another, brother(-ly); kindred, like, other.]

b. went [Strong: 3212 yâlak, yaw-lak'; a primitive root (compare H1980); to walk (literally or figuratively); causatively, to carry (in various senses):—× again, away, bear, bring, carry (away), come (away), depart, flow, follow(-ing), get (away, hence, him), (cause to, made) go (away, -ing, -ne, one's way, out), grow, lead (forth), let down, march, prosper, pursue, cause to run, spread, take away (-journey), vanish, (cause to) walk(-ing), wax, × be weak.]

c. [to] feed [Strong: 7462 râʻâh, raw-aw'; a primitive root; to tend a flock; i.e. pasture it; intransitively, to graze (literally or figuratively); generally to rule; by extension, to associate with (as a friend):—× break, companion, keep company with, devour, eat up, evil entreat, feed, use as a friend, make friendship with, herdman, keep (sheep) (-er), pastor, shearing house, shepherd, wander, waste.]

d. [their] father’s [Strong: 1 ʼâb, awb; a primitive word; father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application:—chief, (fore-) father(-less), × patrimony, principal.]

e. flock [Strong: 6629 tsôʼn, tsone; or צאוֹן tsʼôwn; (Psalm 144:13), from an unused root meaning to migrate; a collective name for a flock (of sheep or goats); also figuratively (of men):—(small) cattle, flock (+ -s), lamb (+ -s), sheep(-cote, -fold, -shearer, -herds).]

f. [in] Shechem [Strong: 7927 Shᵉkem, shek-em'; the same as H7926; ridge; Shekem, a place in Palestine:—Shechem.]

1). Shechem was an area where Jacob had lived and had bought property right after he returned from Haran.

a).  Genesis 33:18-20 And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padanaram; and pitched his tent before the city.

33:19 And he bought a parcel of a field, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem's father, for an hundred pieces of money.

33:20 And he erected there an altar, and called it Elelohe-Israel.

b). Before this the brothers had the flocks in Hebron. Why they traveled 50 miles away to Shechem where Jacob probably still owned the property is unknown. It is easy to guess that the enmity in the brothers because of Jacob’s favoritism of Joseph and Joseph receiving prophetic dreams from the LORD and Joseph blabbing them to the family contributed to the hatred they felt toward Joseph.

c). It was also at Shechem where the horrible incident occurred over the defiling of their sister Dinah (Genesis 34).