Genesis 37:28

There passed by Midianites, merchantmen.

In verses 25 and 27 they are spoken of as Ishmaelites. Evidently it was. large caravan, such as are accustomed still to travel over parts of Asia and Africa, with merchants of various tribes, with the Ishmaelites and Midianites as the leaders. In the Chaldee version they are spoken of as Arabian merchants,. term which embraces both Ishmaelites and Midianites.

Sold Joseph for twenty pieces of silver.

"This is,. think, the oldest instance on record of selling. man for. slave, but the practice did not commence at this time. It had doubtless been in use long before.... If shekels be intended by "pieces of silver," taking them at three shillings each, Joseph was sold for about three pounds sterling ($15). As there were only ten brethren present, and they sold Joseph for twenty shekels, each had two shekels for his part in the infamous transaction."-- Clarke. Joseph was evidently sold under price. We learn from Exodus 21:32 that the regular price of. slave was thirty pieces of silver. Leviticus 27:5 gives twenty pieces as the price of one under twenty years of age, which was the case with Joseph.

And they brought Joseph into Egypt.

The country here named was more intimately associated with Jewish history than any other in the world. Long before Abraham had gone down there; it had been predicted to him that his seed should be oppressed there 400 years; Joseph was enslaved there; his father and brethren followed and settled in Egypt; it was from Egypt at. later period that the nation was delivered; during the whole period of the Jewish monarchy there was more or less association with Egypt. It was into Egypt that the "young child" was carried to escape the wrath of Herod. At the time Joseph was carried there Egypt was. flourishing kingdom with settled institutions, in. high state, of cultivation, and was the most powerful kingdom then on the earth.