Single lesson
Joseph's Dreams
Genesis 37:1–11
In this lesson, children trace the first part of Joseph’s story and notice how family favouritism, unkind speech and strong reactions shape what happens. They will also hear that Joseph’s dreams become a major focus in the passage.
Before you teach
Genesis 37:1–11 begins Jacob’s family story in Canaan. Joseph is seventeen and working with his brothers. The passage highlights three connected details: Joseph’s report to his father, Jacob’s special love shown in a distinctive tunic, and two dreams that increase his brothers’ hatred and envy.
Students will be able to put Genesis 37:1–11 in order and explain how Joseph’s report, Jacob’s favouritism and Joseph’s dreams led to hatred, rebuke and envy in the family.
Welcome: Spot the repeated reactions
4 minInvite children to listen for repeated words as the passage is read aloud. Explain that Joseph is seventeen, lives in Canaan with Jacob’s family, and is with some of his brothers caring for the flock. Ask children to listen especially for how the brothers respond to Joseph across the story.
Genesis 37:1, Genesis 37:2, Genesis 37:4, Genesis 37:5, Genesis 37:8, Genesis 37:11
Read and explain: Joseph, the report and the special tunic
7 minRead verses 1–4 slowly. Explain that Joseph brings his father a bad report about his brothers, and that Jacob, also called Israel here, loves Joseph more than the others. The special tunic makes that favour visible. The brothers notice this and cannot speak peacefully to Joseph.
Genesis 37:2, Genesis 37:3, Genesis 37:4
Discuss: The first dream and its effect
6 minRead verses 5–8. Help children picture sheaves as tied bundles from the field. In Joseph’s dream, his sheaf stands while the others bow. The brothers respond with questions about ruling and dominion. The text does not say they are calm or curious. It says they hate him even more for his dreams and words.
Genesis 37:5, Genesis 37:6, Genesis 37:7, Genesis 37:8
Make and respond: Sequence the account carefully
8 minChildren make simple sequence cards for Joseph’s bad report, the special tunic, the brothers’ hatred, the first dream, the brothers hating him even more, the second dream, the father’s rebuke, and the brothers’ envy. As they place the cards in order, ask them to match each one with the verse that names that event or response.
Genesis 37:2, Genesis 37:3, Genesis 37:4, Genesis 37:5, Genesis 37:8, Genesis 37:9, Genesis 37:10, Genesis 37:11
Closing: Different responses in one family
5 minRead verses 9–11 again. Point out that Joseph tells the second dream to both his father and brothers. Jacob rebukes Joseph and asks whether the family will bow before him. The brothers envy Joseph, while his father keeps the saying in mind. Close by reviewing how different choices and responses appear in this one passage.
Genesis 37:9, Genesis 37:10, Genesis 37:11
Questions to explore
What three things in this passage increase tension between Joseph and his brothers?
Look at Joseph’s bad report, Jacob’s special love shown by the tunic, and Joseph telling his dreams, then notice the brothers’ hatred and envy growing after each part.
Genesis 37:2, Genesis 37:3, Genesis 37:4, Genesis 37:5, Genesis 37:8, Genesis 37:11
What do the brothers say after the first dream, and what later summary is given after the second dream and the father’s rebuke?
After the first dream they ask whether Joseph will reign and have dominion over them, and later the passage says the brothers envied him.
Genesis 37:8, Genesis 37:10, Genesis 37:11
How does Jacob respond to Joseph in this passage?
Notice that Jacob loves Joseph more than the others and gives him a special tunic, then later rebukes Joseph about the dream and still keeps the saying in mind.
Genesis 37:3, Genesis 37:10, Genesis 37:11
Make, think or respond
Joseph’s Dreams Sequence Cards
What you’ll need
- plain paper or card
- pencils or textas
- scissors
- Bible
Try it together
- Draw or write eight simple cards: Joseph’s bad report, special tunic, brothers hate him, first dream, brothers hate him even more, second dream, father rebukes him, brothers envy him.
- Mix the cards up and have children work in pairs to place them in order from Genesis 37:2–11.
- Ask children to add a verse reference or key word from the passage beside each card, such as report, loved, hated, dreamed, rebuked or envied.
- Review the order together and ask which responses came from the brothers and which came from the father.
This activity helps children follow the sequence of Genesis 37:1–11 and connect each event with the exact reactions named in the passage.
Adapt for your group
- For younger children, prepare the cards in advance with simple pictures and let them sort them before discussing the verses.
- For older or more confident readers, have them write the verse reference on each card and explain why each event leads to the next response in the text.
An optional closing prayer
Dear God, please help us listen carefully to your word and notice our words, attitudes and actions toward others. Help us learn from this passage. Amen.
Read the Bible passage World English Bible Classic
Genesis 37
1 Jacob lived in the land of his father’s travels, in the land of Canaan.
2 This is the history of the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. Joseph brought an evil report of them to their father.
3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age, and he made him a tunic of many colors.
4 His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, and they hated him, and couldn’t speak peaceably to him.
5 Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brothers, and they hated him all the more.
6 He said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed:
7 for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and behold, your sheaves came around, and bowed down to my sheaf.”
8 His brothers asked him, “Will you indeed reign over us? Will you indeed have dominion over us?” They hated him all the more for his dreams and for his words.
9 He dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his brothers, and said, “Behold, I have dreamed yet another dream: and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars bowed down to me.”
10 He told it to his father and to his brothers. His father rebuked him, and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Will I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves down to the earth before you?”
11 His brothers envied him, but his father kept this saying in mind.
World English Bible Classic. Public domain.