Dreams in the Bible: Joseph and the Sheaves

Vincent Van Gogh, Sheaves of wheat

And Joseph dreamed a dream…

We were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.

And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.

Genesis: 37: 5-8


 

Joseph had this dream when he was seventeen; needless to say, it didn’t make him popular with his eleven brothers. It doesn’t take an expert in dream symbolism to figure out that Joseph is seeing himself as better than his brothers. This is the kind of arrogance one might expect out of a seventeen year old — his brother’s weren’t just upset with him about his dream, but about his “words” — i.e., his choice to tell the dream.

Interestingly, it is very difficult to find any classic paintings about this dream, unlike the other dreams of Joseph. I don’t think painters liked the dream either.

 




 

Comments

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *