Summary: This article explores the figure of Joseph in Genesis 37–50 through the lens of patristic and early Christian interpretation, highlighting his role as a prefiguration of Christ. It examines how the narrative—Joseph’s mission to find his brothers, their rejection, his sale into slavery, his rise to power, and ultimately his act of forgiveness—anticipates key aspects of the Passion and the mystery of salvation. The text also considers symbolic readings of places, the anonymous guide, and Joseph’s distant recognition, as well as the typology of his multicoloured coat, all of which deepen his representation as one of the most complete figures of Christ in the Old Testament. Through these insights, the article shows how the patristic tradition interprets Joseph’s life as a profound model of obedience, providence, mercy, and the salvific plan of God.
The Father Sends His Son
When we read the following passage: “Israël said: ‘Are not your brothers pasturing the flock at Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.’ […] Joseph found them at Dothan” (Genesis 37:13–17), a question arises: how did the Fathers of the Church understand this verse? How did they interpret: “Shechem” and “Dothan”?
The Fathers of the Church almost always read the story of Joseph (Genesis 37–50) in a typological manner, that is, as a figure of Christ. This method of interpretation consists in seeing in the events of the Old Testament a prefiguration of the mystery of Christ and of the Church. As the Christian tradition recalls: “The events, persons or realities of the First Testament are anticipations, figures of the mystery of Christ.”
Within this perspective, the passage above — Joseph sent to his brothers at Shechem and eventually finding them at Dothan (Gen 37:13–17) — received several spiritual interpretations among the Fathers. First, many see in it the image of Christ sent by the Father to his brothers. The movement of the narrative — the father sending his son to his brothers in order to inquire about their welfare — is interpreted as a prefiguration of the Incarnation. Joseph willingly sets out to accomplish the mission entrusted to him by his father, which evokes the sending of the Son into the world. In patristic tradition, taken up by many commentators, Joseph is thus presented as a figure of Christ “sent by his father to his brothers, yet rejected by them.” This analogy structures the whole Christian reading of the story of Joseph.
Secondly, some Fathers emphasise the dramatic significance of the place. “Shechem” had already been a location marked by violence in the history of Jacob (see the episode of Dinah in Genesis 34). Thus Joseph’s mission to his brothers in that region symbolically becomes a journey towards rejection. The fact that he searches for his brothers and wanders in the countryside before finding them reinforces the image of the righteous one seeking those who will ultimately reject him.
Thirdly, the most striking element for the Fathers is the movement from “Shechem” to “Dothan”. Joseph must continue his journey in order to find his brothers. This perseverance is interpreted spiritually: Joseph continues his mission despite the absence of his brothers, which evokes the faithfulness of Christ seeking humanity. Several patristic homilies describe this movement as the image of Christ who comes in search of lost humanity.
In certain homilies attributed to patristic authors such as John Chrysostom, Joseph is explicitly compared to Christ: “Joseph is sent by his father to his brothers; but those whom he comes to visit plot against him. Thus Christ came to his own, and his own did not receive him.” (John 1)
The typology becomes even stronger when Joseph is sold by his brothers. The Fathers see in this a direct correspondence with the Passion of Christ.
Finally, some ancient commentaries also read this passage in a spiritual sense: Joseph seeking his brothers represents the righteous man seeking unity and peace. The text indeed emphasises the mission entrusted by Jacob: “Go now, see if it is well with your brothers and with the flock” (Genesis 37:14). Several patristic authors insist on this peaceful intention of both father and son, in contrast with the hatred of the brothers.
In summary, for the Fathers of the Church this passage is not merely a narrative detail. It becomes a figure of the mystery of Christ: the father who sends his son; the son who seeks his brothers; the brothers who plot against him; and the beginning of the path that will lead to suffering and ultimately to exaltation.
From “Shechem” to “Dothan“
It is helpful to note that some of the Fathers interpreted “Shechem” and “Dothan” themselves symbolically, and this reading becomes particularly profound in the monastic tradition.
Indeed, patristic authors and the spiritual tradition sometimes sought a symbolic meaning in the places themselves, which corresponds to the way ancient exegesis often read Scripture. In the episode of Joseph (Genesis 37:13–17), the movement from “Shechem” to “Dothan” is therefore not merely geographical; it can also receive a spiritual significance.
Let us begin with “Shechem”. In the Bible, Shechem is a place filled with historical meaning in the life of Israel. It is there that Abraham built one of the first altars to the Lord in the promised land (Gen 12:6–7), and it is also there that Joshua later renewed the covenant with Israel (Josh 24). Yet the place is also marked by violence, notably in the episode of Dinah (Gen 34). Thus Shechem already appears as an ambivalent space: a place of promise and at the same time a place of moral disorder.
Some spiritual commentators have seen in this tension a symbol of the human world. Joseph is sent to Shechem to seek his brothers and to verify their peace. The mission is explicitly formulated in these words: “Go now, see if it is well with your brothers and with the flock” (Gen 37:14). In the Christian reading, Joseph setting out to seek the peace of his brothers can be related to the mission of Christ. As a traditional patristic interpretation expresses it: “Joseph was sent by his father to his brothers; yet those whom he came to visit conspired against him, just as Christ was sent to his own and was not received by them.”
Then comes “Dothan”. “Dothan” is the place where Joseph finally finds his brothers and where the drama begins: they conspire against him, throw him into the cistern, and sell him. In the Christian tradition, this place therefore becomes symbolically the point at which the mission of the son encounters rejection.
The Christological typology becomes very strong at this point. Joseph continues his mission despite not finding his brothers at Shechem: he keeps searching for them until he reaches Dothan. This detail struck several spiritual authors. Joseph could have returned to his father and reported that he had not found them. Yet he perseveres in the mission. In the Christian reading, this evokes the faithfulness of Christ who comes in search of humanity even when it has strayed.
Some medieval authors, heirs of patristic exegesis, summarised this dynamic in a very expressive way: “Joseph seeks his brothers and finds them where they plot against him; thus Christ came to seek men precisely where they were about to deliver him up.”
Finally, in a more contemplative reading developed within the monastic tradition, Joseph searching for his brothers in the countryside is sometimes seen as the image of Christ seeking lost humanity. The narrative indeed says that a man met him wandering in the fields (Gen 37:15). This scene has been interpreted as the image of a faithful messenger continuing his mission despite uncertainty.
Within this perspective, the whole passage becomes a true prefiguration of the Passion: the father who sends the son, the son who seeks his brothers, the brothers who plot against him, and the place where the betrayal begins.
What are you Seeking?
There is something even more striking: some of the Fathers noticed that the question asked of Joseph in this passage (“What are you seeking?” (John 1:38)) reappears in the Gospel of John, and they drew a very profound theological connection between the two scenes.
Indeed, a detail in the Genesis narrative strongly impressed early Christian readers. When Joseph is wandering in the countryside looking for his brothers, a man asks him: “What are you seeking?” (Gen 37:15). In the Christian tradition this question was compared with a well-known scene in the Gospel of John. When the first disciples begin to follow Jesus, he turns around and asks them exactly the same question: “Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, ‘What are you seeking?’” (John 1:38).
This parallel struck several spiritual commentators, because the question seems to function as a fundamental question of revelation. In Genesis, Joseph is seeking his brothers. In the Gospel, it is the disciples who are seeking Jesus. Scripture thus appears to reverse the perspective: God seeks man, and man is called to seek God.
Some authors in the Christian tradition perceived in this correspondence a deep theological meaning. Joseph is the image of the righteous one sent by his father; yet he also appears as the one who searches for his lost brothers. In the Christian reading, this prefigures Christ who comes to seek humanity. The Gospel of John expresses this movement explicitly: “He came to his own home, and his own people did not receive him” (John 1:11).
The scene in Genesis then becomes almost prophetic: Joseph walks through the countryside to find his brothers without knowing precisely where they are. In a similar way, in Christian theology Christ comes into the world to reach a scattered humanity.
Several spiritual authors have also observed that the question “What are you seeking?” becomes in the Gospel a question addressed to every disciple. It marks the beginning of the spiritual journey. As Augustine of Hippo writes in his reflections on the search for God: “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you” (Confessions, I.1).
Within this perspective, the biblical movement becomes very profound. In Genesis, Joseph seeks his brothers. In the Gospel, the disciples seek Jesus. Yet on the theological level it is always God who takes the initiative. Man discovers that he seeks God only because God has already sought him first.
Some commentators therefore saw in this detail of Genesis a true figure of the dynamic of salvation: God sends the righteous one to men; the righteous one seeks his brothers; they reject him; yet this rejection will ultimately become the path of their salvation — just as the story of Joseph will lead to reconciliation and to the saving of his family.
Joseph’s Brothers and Judas
Some of the Fathers drew a very precise parallel between Joseph being sold for money and Judas selling Christ, and they noted several remarkably exact correspondences between the two narratives. In fact, the patristic tradition developed the parallel between Joseph and Christ in a very rich manner. For the Fathers, the story of Joseph, the son of Jacob, is not merely a beautiful narrative of the Old Testament; it constitutes one of the most complete figures of the mystery of Christ. Several correspondences were recognised very early.
First, Joseph is sent by his father to his brothers, just as Christ is sent by the Father to humanity. The narrative of Genesis states: “Go now, see if it is well with your brothers and with the flock” (Gen 37:14). In the Christian reading, this mission evokes the sending of the Son into the world. The Gospel of John expresses this theology explicitly: “God sent his Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:17).
Next comes the rejection. Joseph approaches his brothers with a mission of peace, yet they plot against him. The text says: “They said to one another, ‘Here comes this dreamer. Come now, let us kill him’” (Gen 37:19–20). The Fathers immediately recognised here a figure of the rejection of Christ. The Gospel of John summarises it in these words: “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him” (John 1:11).
An even more striking correspondence appears in the sale for money. Joseph’s brothers eventually decide not to kill him but to sell him. Genesis reports: “They sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver” (Gen 37:28). The Fathers associated this detail with the betrayal of Judas Iscariot. In the Gospel of Matthew we read: “They paid him thirty pieces of silver” (Matt 26:15). For the Fathers the difference in number is not essential; what matters is the theological structure of the narrative. In both cases, the righteous one is handed over for money by those who should have been closest to him.
Another element that received much attention is the descent into the cistern. Before being sold, Joseph is thrown into a pit. The text specifies: “They took him and threw him into the pit; the pit was empty, there was no water in it” (Gen 37:24). Several Christian authors saw here a foreshadowing of Christ’s descent into death. Yet, as with Jesus, this descent does not constitute the end of the story.
Indeed, the final parallel may be the most important. Joseph, rejected and sold, ultimately becomes the saviour of his brothers. Through him the entire family is preserved from famine. In Genesis Joseph himself declares: “God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to keep alive many survivors” (Gen 45:7). For the Fathers, this statement is almost a Christological key. The rejection of the righteous one mysteriously becomes the means of salvation. This corresponds exactly to the theology of the Cross in the New Testament.
Thus, for the early Christian tradition, the story of Joseph becomes a genuine narrative prophecy of Christ: the beloved son sent by his father, rejected by his brothers, sold for money, delivered to suffering, and then raised up in order to save those very ones who had rejected him. As a commentary attributed to Ambrose of Milan summarises it: “In Joseph we recognise the figure of Christ: sold by his own, yet becoming for them the author of salvation.”
Joseph, Almost a Complete Parable of the Christian Mystery
However, there is yet another striking aspect that the Fathers observed in this story: Joseph saves precisely those who sold him. This was read in Christian tradition as a profound foreshadowing of the forgiveness offered by Christ on the Cross, and the theological implications of this insight are very far-reaching.
Indeed, one of the elements that most deeply impressed the Fathers is the final reconciliation between Joseph and his brothers. After all the injustices he endured—jealousy, conspiracy, and being sold as a slave—Joseph eventually finds himself in a position of authority in Egypt. Yet when his brothers come before him, he does not choose vengeance but forgiveness.
The decisive moment occurs when Joseph reveals himself to them. Genesis recounts: “Joseph said to his brothers, ‘I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life’” (Gen 45:4–5). The Fathers recognised in this statement an extraordinary theological depth. Joseph does not deny the evil committed by his brothers, yet he reveals that through this evil God was preparing salvation. This passage became a classic text for reflecting upon the mystery of divine providence.
In the Christian interpretation, this scene prefigures the mystery of the Cross. Christ is rejected and handed over by human beings, yet that very rejection becomes the instrument of salvation. As Peter the Apostle declares in the Acts of the Apostles: “This man, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men” (Acts 2:23).
The Fathers were also struck by the fact that Joseph feeds those who betrayed him. During the famine, his brothers come to Egypt seeking grain, and it is precisely Joseph who gives them food. The symbolic reversal is powerful: the one who was rejected becomes the source of life. In Christian tradition this has frequently been connected with the Eucharist. Christ gives his life for those very people who rejected him. As he says in the Gospel of Luke: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).
Some ancient authors also emphasised a particularly moving detail of the narrative. When Joseph reveals himself to his brothers, he bursts into tears. The book of Book of Genesis states: “He fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck” (Gen 45:14).
For the Fathers, these tears reveal the depth of mercy. Joseph does not merely grant forgiveness in a juridical sense; he manifests a reconciliation of the heart.
Thus, in the patristic reading, the story of Joseph becomes almost a complete parable of the Christian mystery: the beloved son sent by his father, rejected by his brothers, sold for money, humiliated, then raised up in order to save those who had betrayed him, and finally offering them forgiveness and life.
Augustine of Hippo expresses a principle that corresponds remarkably well to this theological logic: “God judged it better to bring good out of evil than not to permit any evil to exist” (Enchiridion, XI).
Withdrawal From the Visible Scene
There is yet another extremely fascinating biblical detail in this story: several of the Fathers observed that Joseph then practically disappears from the history of Israel, and some saw in this a further correspondence with Christ, who, after accomplishing the work of salvation, withdraws from the visible scene.
Indeed, a final aspect of Joseph’s story, the son of Jacob, has often struck Christian readers: after saving his family, Joseph practically disappears from the biblical narrative. He dies in Egypt, yet the narrative thereafter focuses on other figures and the destiny of the people. This withdrawal has sometimes been interpreted spiritually.
Genesis simply concludes his life: “Joseph died at the age of one hundred and ten. They embalmed him, and he was placed in a coffin in Egypt” (Gen 50:26). Yet just before his death, Joseph utters a prophetic word concerning Israel’s future: “God will surely visit you, and you shall bring up my bones from this place to the land that he swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob” (Gen 50:24).
In the Christian tradition, some authors saw in this scene a figure of the mystery of Christ after his work of salvation. Christ accomplishes the work of salvation in the visible world and then withdraws from the earthly scene. The Gospel of Luke describes this moment at the Ascension: “While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven” (Luke 24:51). Thus, like Joseph, Christ disappears from the visible scene, yet his work continues to bear fruit in history.
Another detail caught the attention of commentators: Joseph requests that his bones be carried with them when God visits his people. Genesis reports: “Joseph made the children of Israel swear, saying, ‘God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones with you from here’” (Gen 50:25). This promise was fulfilled several centuries later when Moses led Israel out of Egypt. The book of Exodus specifies: “Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the Israelites swear, saying, ‘God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones with you’” (Ex 13:19).
In the Christian tradition, this detail has been interpreted as an expression of Joseph’s faith in God’s promises. The Letter to the Hebrews explicitly emphasises this aspect: “By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions concerning his bones” (Heb 11:22). Thus, Joseph does not merely disappear from the story; he leaves behind a hope oriented towards the future of God.
For many Christian authors, this ending profoundly corresponds to the logic of salvation: the righteous act within history, save their people, then withdraw, yet leave a promise that continues to accompany God’s people.
From this perspective, Joseph’s story appears as one of the great biblical figures prefiguring the mystery of Christ: sent by the Father, rejected by his brothers, handed over for money, humbled then exalted to save those who rejected him, and finally leaving behind a promise that opens the future. An early author such as Ambrose of Milan summarised this typological reading by stating: “In Joseph, we see the figure of the Lord: sold by his brothers, humiliated, then exalted to give life to those very ones who had delivered him.”
The Mysterious Man
There is yet another element that some ancient exegetes found very mysterious in the initial passage (Gen 37:15): the anonymous man who directs Joseph to his brothers. Several of the Fathers wondered who this man was and offered a very interesting symbolic interpretation.
Indeed, in the passage of Gen 37:15–17, a particularly enigmatic detail often intrigued early readers: the anonymous man who encounters Joseph in the fields. The text states: “A man met him as he wandered in the fields and asked, ‘What are you seeking?’ He answered, ‘I am seeking my brothers.’ The man said, ‘They have gone from here, for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan.’” (Gen 37:15–17) This man is never identified. The narrative does not say who he is, where he comes from, or what becomes of him afterwards. This sudden and mysterious character led several Fathers and spiritual authors to seek a symbolic meaning.
Some thought he was simply a providential passer-by. Yet in the spiritual tradition, this figure was often seen as a representation of divine providence guiding history. Joseph might never have found his brothers; without this encounter, the whole story of salvation described in the subsequent narrative would not have occurred. The man thus appears as a discreet instrument of God’s design.
In certain spiritual readings inherited from patristic exegesis, this man was even interpreted as an angelic figure. In the Old Testament, angels sometimes appear in the guise of ordinary men. The book of Hebrews alludes to this possibility: “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing so some have entertained angels without knowing it” (Heb 13:2).
Other commentators offered an even more symbolic interpretation. In this reading, the man represents the Word of God or divine wisdom guiding the righteous towards the fulfilment of their mission. Joseph seeks his brothers but does not know where to go; he receives a direction that leads him precisely to the decisive event of his life.
Thus, the anonymous man becomes a subtle sign that human history is guided by God even when its actors do not perceive it.
In a Christological reading, some authors even saw in this detail an image of the mystery of Christ. Joseph seeks his brothers; a man indicates the path that will lead to his suffering and future exaltation. Similarly, in Christ’s life, several episodes show a providential guidance towards the fulfilment of his mission.
An ancient theological principle summarises this type of reading of biblical history: God often acts through humble and almost invisible mediations. As Augustine of Hippo writes regarding divine providence: “Nothing happens by chance in the universe; all is ordered by the wisdom of God” (City of God, V,9).
Thus, this apparently insignificant figure becomes, in the spiritual tradition, a discreet sign of how God guides history: through small interventions that orient events towards the accomplishment of his design.
“He humbled Himself even to death”
Here is another very interesting observation made by some early commentators: Joseph does not find his brothers where they ought to be (in Shechem). He must go further to meet them in Dothan. Several spiritual authors saw here a very profound image of the human condition and of the mission of Christ. Let us explain this interpretation, which becomes remarkably rich theologically.
The passage initially cited belongs to the book of Genesis 37:13–17. The text states: “Israel said to Joseph, ‘Are not your brothers pasturing the flock in Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.’ … Joseph found them in Dothan.” The Fathers of the Church very often read this narrative as a figure of Christ sent by the Father to his brothers, who do not receive him. In their exegesis, the geography (“Shechem” and then “Dothan”) is not merely narrative; it becomes symbolic.
For Saint Ambrose, Joseph is explicitly interpreted as a figure of Christ sent to his own. In De Joseph Patriarcha, he writes: “Joseph is sent by his father to seek his brothers; likewise, Christ is sent by the Father to visit the people of Israel.” He adds: “He is sent to those who hate him, as Christ came to those who were to crucify him.”
Saint John Chrysostom emphasises rather the initiative of the father and Joseph’s obedience. For him, this obedience prefigures that of Christ. He comments: “See the obedience of Joseph: scarcely has his father spoken when he sets out without hesitation, an image of Him who will say, ‘I have come down from heaven to do the will of Him who sent me.’”
Saint Augustine also reads this episode typologically. In his commentaries on Genesis, he underlines the correspondence between Joseph sent and Christ sent: “Joseph, sent by his father to his brothers, is an evident figure of Christ sent to his brothers according to the flesh.”
Some Fathers go further and interpret the movement “from Shechem to Dothan” as an image of the mystery of salvation. Saint Bede the Venerable observes that Joseph must search long for his brothers before finding them. He sees here the image of God seeking the lost human being: “Joseph seeks his brothers and does not find them at first; thus the Lord seeks wandering sinners until he meets them.”
In the patristic tradition, therefore, three main lines of interpretation emerge: first, Joseph sent by Jacob is a figure of Christ sent by the Father; second, Joseph’s obedience manifests the obedience of the Son to the will of the Father; third, the search for the brothers prefigures God’s salvific quest for humanity.
It should be noted that this typological reading was classical. The Fathers considered Joseph one of the great prophetic figures of Christ in the Old Testament.
“He, though in the form of God, did not cling to equality with God, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in human likeness. He humbled Himself even to death—death on a cross.” (Phil 2:6-8)
More on “Shechem” and “Dothan”
Let us now consider something very interesting: how certain Fathers interpret “Shechem” and “Dothan” themselves symbolically, for here the exegesis becomes much deeper and almost mystical.
In patristic exegesis, some authors sought to understand the spiritual significance of the places mentioned in the narrative of Genesis 37. Why are Joseph’s brothers no longer in Shechem? Why must Joseph go as far as Dothan? The Fathers often read these geographical details from a symbolic perspective.
For Saint Bede the Venerable, Shechem primarily represents a place rich in biblical history. It is the site where God renewed the covenant with Israel in the book of Joshua. Yet in the story of Jacob, Shechem is also marked by violence (the episode of Dinah in Gn 34). Bede sees in this ambiguity an image of humanity called by God but often unfaithful. He writes in essence that Joseph is sent to Shechem as Christ is sent to the people of the covenant. Yet his brothers are no longer there: they have gone astray. In spiritual reading, this movement signifies that humanity has departed from the vocation God had given it.
Dothan, by contrast, becomes the place where the drama unfolds: it is there that Joseph will be cast into the pit and then sold. The Fathers therefore see it as the place where hatred against the righteous is revealed. Saint Ambrose develops this idea in his commentary on Joseph. He sees in Dothan a figure of the world where Christ will be rejected. He writes: “Joseph is found in Dothan by his brothers who conspire against him; thus Christ is found by those who plot against him.”
Some medieval commentators extend this interpretation. They observe that Joseph must search long for his brothers before finding them, which becomes an image of the divine search. In this perspective, Joseph’s mission already anticipates the mystery of salvation: the righteous one sent by the Father must go to the place where his brothers will reject him.
Saint Augustine often summarises this general principle of reading the Old Testament with a famous formula: “The New Testament is hidden in the Old, and the Old is revealed in the New.” (Quaestiones in Heptateuchum, II,73).
Thus, for the Fathers, the geography of the narrative is not a mere narrative detail. Shechem represents the place of the covenant; Dothan becomes the place of the righteous one’s rejection. Joseph traversing this distance then becomes a figure of Christ, who comes to his own and encounters their refusal.
“They saw him from afar”
There is yet another striking detail that several Fathers noted: Joseph sees his brothers from a distance before they recognise him, and it is at that moment that they plot against him. This verse has inspired a very profound interpretation in the Christian tradition, as some saw in it a precise foreshadowing of the Passion of Christ.
The Fathers reflected deeply on the following verse from the narrative in the Book of Genesis: “They saw him from afar, and before he came near them, they conspired to kill him.” (Gn 37,18) In the early Christian reading, this verse was often understood as a very precise prefiguration of Christ’s Passion.
For Saint Ambrose, the emphasis is on the fact that the hatred of the brothers precedes even the encounter. Joseph has done nothing yet: they merely see him coming, and they already decide to kill him. Ambrose sees here an image of the mystery of Christ rejected in advance. He writes: “They saw him coming and they plotted his death; thus the rulers of the people saw Christ coming and resolved to destroy him.”
This logic appears in the Gospels as well. Hostility toward Jesus emerges very early. The Gospel of Matthew reports: “The Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.” (Mt 12,14) The Fathers therefore saw in this moment of Genesis a dramatic foreshadowing: the righteous one sent by the father approaches his brothers, and they are already preparing his death.
Saint John Chrysostom highlights another aspect: Joseph approaches them simply, unaware of their hatred. He comments: “Joseph advances with a simple heart, suspecting nothing; yet they already harbour crime in their hearts.” This opposition between the innocence of the righteous and the hatred of those who plot becomes a major theme in the Christian interpretation of the Passion.
The parallel becomes even more striking when the brothers say: “Here comes the dreamer. Come now, let us kill him.” (Gn 37,19-20) Some Fathers connected these words to the mockery directed at Christ during his Passion. The Gospel of Luke reports: “The rulers jeered at him, saying, ‘He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God.’” (Lc 23,35) In both cases, the righteous one is mocked before being delivered.
But the Fathers also see something deeper: the distance mentioned in the verse. Joseph is “seen from afar.” For several spiritual commentators, this means that his brothers do not truly recognise him. They see him outwardly, but they do not understand who he is. Christians often applied this idea to the mystery of Christ. As the Gospel of John says: “He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world did not recognise him.” (Jn 1,10) In this perspective, the scene becomes almost prophetic: the righteous one comes to his brothers, yet they see in him only an enemy.
Finally, several Fathers stress the final paradox: the brothers’ plot becomes the means of salvation. By selling Joseph, they unknowingly set in motion the events that will later save their entire family from famine. This logic is often connected to the mystery of the Cross. As an ancient sermon attributed to Augustine of Hippo states: “Through the crime of men, God accomplished the salvation of the world.”
Thus, in patristic interpretation, the story of Joseph is not merely a moral tale. It becomes a genuine figure of the economy of salvation: the son sent by the father, rejected by his brothers, delivered for money, humiliated, and then raised up to save precisely those who had rejected him. For several Fathers, this parallel is so precise that Joseph appears as one of the greatest figures of Christ in the Old Testament.
Finally, let us consider something quite fascinating: some Fathers even interpreted Joseph’s tunic (the coat of many colours) as a symbol of the mystery of Christ and the Church. This interpretation is very rich and little known today.
The Fathers of the Church indeed noticed the moment when Joseph sees his brothers from a distance, even before they recognise him. For them, this was often seen as a foreshadowing of Christ’s Passion. Joseph, sent by his father, is rejected by his brothers, just as Jesus, sent by the Father, is rejected by Israel. This initial distance, this delayed recognition, symbolises the moment when the world, inattentive, has not yet perceived the salvation offered to it. As Saint Augustine says, “Christ was seen from afar by those who did not yet know him, yet they were surprised by his coming at the time appointed by God.” Thus, every detail of Joseph’s journey becomes a mirror of Christ’s path to the Cross.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the story of Joseph, as recounted in Genesis 37–50, emerges in the patristic and early Christian tradition as far more than a historical or moral narrative. Every element—the journey “from Sichem to Dotan”, the distant recognition by his brothers, the hatred and conspiracy that precede any wrongdoing on his part, the sale for silver, the descent into the pit, and the eventual rise to power—has been read as a profound typology of Christ. Joseph is not merely a figure of wisdom, virtue, or providence; he embodies the full mystery of the just one sent by the Father, rejected and betrayed, yet raised to bring life and salvation to those who once opposed him.
The Fathers discern in him the obedience of the Son, who follows the will of the Father without hesitation; the mercy that anticipates the Cross, offering forgiveness to those who have caused suffering; and the providential guidance of God, often working through seemingly insignificant mediations, as seen in the anonymous guide in the fields. Even the multicoloured tunic and the geographical movement “from Sichem to Dotan” acquire a spiritual significance, prefiguring the universality of the Church and the salvific journey of Christ into the world.
Joseph’s life also illuminates the paradoxical logic of salvation: the malice of his brothers becomes the instrument of divine providence; his humiliation and betrayal become the path to reconciliation and life. As such, the Old Testament narrative is revealed as a living prophecy of the New, in which the just one suffers, is rejected, and yet becomes the source of blessing, echoing the words of Augustine: “God judges it better to draw good from evil than to allow no evil at all” (Enchiridion, XI).
Ultimately, Joseph stands as one of the most complete figures of Christ in the Old Testament, a model through which the Church has understood the dynamics of divine salvation, the interplay of human freedom and divine providence, and the inexhaustible depth of mercy. His story invites the reader to see in every act of betrayal, every moment of suffering, the hidden hand of God at work, shaping history toward the ultimate reconciliation of humanity. In this light, Joseph is more than a patriarch of Israel; he is a living icon of the Christ who comes to seek, to suffer, and to save, revealing the enduring mystery of God’s love in both Old and New Testaments.