And he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks.

GENESIS 37:16KJV
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Genesis 37:16 (KJV)

What does Genesis 37:16 mean?

Genesis 37:16 shows Joseph asking a man for help in finding his brothers, saying he is looking for them and asking where they are pasturing their flocks. Joseph is searching for his brothers as his father Jacob had sent him to check on them.

Joseph is speaking to an unnamed man he meets while wandering in the fields near Shechem. Joseph’s brothers are not where Jacob expected them to be, so Joseph asks for directions. This verse sets up the next events, as Joseph’s search leads him to Dothan, where his brothers will betray him.

The Hebrew behind Genesis 37:16

  • "seek" (בָּקַשׁ, baqash): This word means to look for or search out. Joseph’s use of this word shows he is actively and earnestly trying to find his brothers, not just casually asking.
  • "brethren" (אַח, ach): This word means brothers or close relatives. Here, it emphasizes Joseph’s family relationship and his duty to them.
  • "feed" (רָעָה, ra‘ah): This word means to pasture or tend flocks. It highlights the brothers’ work as shepherds, which is a central part of their family life.

Why Genesis 37:16 matters

  • This verse shows Joseph’s obedience to his father and his concern for his brothers, setting the stage for the dramatic events that follow.
  • The detail that Joseph cannot find his brothers where they are supposed to be hints at the distance—both physical and relational—between Joseph and his brothers.
  • The verse connects to the larger story by showing how a simple act of searching leads to a major turning point in Joseph’s life and the history of his family.

Where else these words appear

“where” Hebrew H375 · used in 10 verses

  • Judges 8:18 Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men were they whom ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou art, so were they; each one resembled the children of a king.
  • 2 Samuel 9:4 And the king said unto him, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lodebar.
  • Isaiah 49:21 Then shalt thou say in thine heart, Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children, and am desolate, a captive, and removing to and fro? and who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where had they been?

“feed” Hebrew H7462 · used in 144 verses

  • Genesis 4:2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
  • Psalms 49:14 Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling.
  • Jeremiah 33:12 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Again in this place, which is desolate without man and without beast, and in all the cities thereof, shall be an habitation of shepherds causing their flocks to lie down.