וַיֵּלְכ֖וּ אֶחָ֑יו לִרְע֛וֹת אֶׄתׄ־צֹ֥אן אֲבִיהֶ֖ם בִּשְׁכֶֽם׃

His brothers went to herd their father’s flock in Shekhem.

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל אֶל־יוֹסֵ֗ף הֲל֤וֹא אַחֶ֙יךָ֙ רֹעִ֣ים בִּשְׁכֶ֔ם לְכָ֖ה וְאֶשְׁלָחֲךָ֣ אֲלֵיהֶ֑ם וַיֹּ֥אמֶר ל֖וֹ הִנֵּֽנִי׃

Israel said to Joseph: Aren’t your brothers herding in Shekhem? Go, and I will send you to them. It is normal for a flock to spend weeks or even months outside its pen. Jacob wished to maintain contact with his sons, who had wandered with the flock all the way from Hebron to Shekhem. He, Joseph, said to him: Here I am.

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֗וֹ לֶךְ־נָ֨א רְאֵ֜ה אֶת־שְׁל֤וֹם אַחֶ֙יךָ֙ וְאֶת־שְׁל֣וֹם הַצֹּ֔אן וַהֲשִׁבֵ֖נִי דָּבָ֑ר וַיִּשְׁלָחֵ֙הוּ֙ מֵעֵ֣מֶק חֶבְר֔וֹן וַיָּבֹ֖א שְׁכֶֽמָה׃

He said to him: Go now, see the status of your brothers and the status of the flock and bring back word. He sent him from the Valley of Hebron. Although Hebron itself is situated on mountainous terrain, it is possible that Jacob’s family dwelled in the valley below. Alternatively, the family lived in Hebron itself, but Jacob accompanied his son until they reached the valley, at which point Jacob sent Joseph on his own. And he, Joseph, came to Shekhem.

וַיִּמְצָאֵ֣הוּ אִ֔ישׁ וְהִנֵּ֥ה תֹעֶ֖ה בַּשָּׂדֶ֑ה וַיִּשְׁאָלֵ֧הוּ הָאִ֛ישׁ לֵאמֹ֖ר מַה־תְּבַקֵּֽשׁ׃

A man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the field. Despite the fact that Joseph was seeking an entire group of shepherds herding a large flock, he could not locate them. The man asked him, saying: What do you seek?

וַיֹּ֕אמֶר אֶת־אַחַ֖י אָנֹכִ֣י מְבַקֵּ֑שׁ הַגִּֽידָה־נָּ֣א לִ֔י אֵיפֹ֖ה הֵ֥ם רֹעִֽים׃

He said: I seek my brothers. Please tell me where they are herding. Joseph undoubtedly described their appearances to the man.

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר הָאִישׁ֙ נָסְע֣וּ מִזֶּ֔ה כִּ֤י שָׁמַ֙עְתִּי֙ אֹֽמְרִ֔ים נֵלְכָ֖ה דֹּתָ֑יְנָה וַיֵּ֤לֶךְ יוֹסֵף֙ אַחַ֣ר אֶחָ֔יו וַיִּמְצָאֵ֖ם בְּדֹתָֽן׃

The man said: They traveled from here; for I heard them saying to each other: We shall go to Dotan, and it is likely that they arrived there. Joseph went after his brothers, and he found them in Dotan.

וַיִּרְא֥וּ אֹת֖וֹ מֵרָחֹ֑ק וּבְטֶ֙רֶם֙ יִקְרַ֣ב אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם וַיִּֽתְנַכְּל֥וּ אֹת֖וֹ לַהֲמִיתֽוֹ׃

They saw him from afar, and he was alone and likely in an isolated place, and before he approached them, they conspired against him to kill him. Their hatred of Joseph was so intense that once they encountered him alone and outside their father’s home, they were stirred to rid themselves of him.

וַיֹּאמְר֖וּ אִ֣ישׁ אֶל־אָחִ֑יו הִנֵּ֗ה בַּ֛עַל הַחֲלֹמ֥וֹת הַלָּזֶ֖ה בָּֽא׃

They said one to another: Here comes that dreamer. Joseph’s dreams caused the brothers’ hatred toward him to intensify. By mockingly referring to Joseph as “that dreamer,” the brothers expressed their deep animosity toward him. Furthermore, the word “that” indicates that the brothers viewed Joseph as a hostile stranger, and not as their brother.

וְעַתָּ֣ה ׀ לְכ֣וּ וְנַֽהַרְגֵ֗הוּ וְנַשְׁלִכֵ֙הוּ֙ בְּאַחַ֣ד הַבֹּר֔וֹת וְאָמַ֕רְנוּ חַיָּ֥ה רָעָ֖ה אֲכָלָ֑תְהוּ וְנִרְאֶ֕ה מַה־יִּהְי֖וּ חֲלֹמֹתָֽיו׃

Now let us go and kill him and cast him into one of the nearby pits, and we will say: A wild beast devoured him. Since wild animals are commonly found in uninhabited areas, if someone inquires about the fate of Joseph, we will claim that his death was caused by a predatory animal in the area. And we shall see what will become of his dreams.

וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע רְאוּבֵ֔ן וַיַּצִּלֵ֖הוּ מִיָּדָ֑ם וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לֹ֥א נַכֶּ֖נּוּ נָֽפֶשׁ׃

Reuben, the oldest son, heard, and delivered him from their hand, as he felt responsible for whatever was about to take place; and he said: Let us not smite him mortally; there is no need for us to kill him.

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֣ם ׀ רְאוּבֵן֮ אַל־תִּשְׁפְּכוּ־דָם֒ הַשְׁלִ֣יכוּ אֹת֗וֹ אֶל־הַבּ֤וֹר הַזֶּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר וְיָ֖ד אַל־תִּשְׁלְחוּ־ב֑וֹ לְמַ֗עַן הַצִּ֤יל אֹתוֹ֙ מִיָּדָ֔ם לַהֲשִׁיב֖וֹ אֶל־אָבִֽיו׃

Reuben said to them: Do not shed blood; cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him. Left alone, he will die of starvation; there is no need for us to kill him with our own hands. The verse points out that Reuben suggested this course of action only in order to deliver him from their hand, to restore him to his father. Perhaps Reuben did not join his brothers in their hatred of Joseph, and he therefore urged the brothers not to murder Joseph. He then attempted to convince them to cast Joseph into a pit, with the intention to later return and extract Joseph from the pit and bring him home.