Who Sold Yosef?

Points of Dispute

These are some of the central points of dispute (נקודות המחלוקת) between the various exegetes:

• "וַיִּמְשְׁכוּ, וַיַּעֲלוּ... וַיִּמְכְּרוּ"
  • The brothers are the subject of all three verbs – Rashi, maybe R. Yosef Bekhor Shor
  • The brothers sold Yosef while the Midianites pulled him out of the pit – Ma'asei Hashem, maybe R. Yosef Bekhor Shor
  • The Midianites are the subject of all three verbs – Rashbam, R. Yehuda HeChasid, Shadal, Malbim
• Reuven's surprise
  • Reuven was not with the brothers during the sale
    • Reuven was atoning for his actions with Bilhah – Bereshit Rabbah, Rashi
    • He had gone to serve his father back home – Bereshit Rabbah, Rashi
    • Reuven was watching the sheep – R. Yosef Bekhor Shor,¹ Radak
  • Reuven was with the brothers when plotting the sale but the first to discover him missing from the pit – Rashbam, R. Yehuda HeChasid, Shadal, Malbim
• Yishmaelites, Midianites, and Medanites
  • These are three different names for one group of people - probably Ibn Ezra, Radak
  • These are three separate groups traveling in one caravan – R. Yosef Bekhor Shor, R. Avraham b. HaRambam
  • The Midianites and Medanites are equated but distinct from the Yishmaelites – R. Tam, Ramban, Ma'asei Hashem, Malbim, Shadal²
  • The Yishmaelites and Medanites are one group, distinct from the Midianites – Rashbam, Shadal's cousin
• How many sales?
  • Two –
    • The brothers to the caravan of Yishmaelites, and the Yishmaelites to Potiphar – Ibn Ezra, R. Tam, R. Yosef Bekhor Shor, R. Avraham b. HaRambam, Ramban, Ma'asei Hashem
    • The Midianites sell him to the Yishmaelites who, in turn, sell him to Potiphar – Rashbam, R. Yehuda HeChasid, Shadal, Malbim
  • Three – The brothers sell Yosef to the Yishmaelites, who sell him to the Medanites or Midianites, who,in turn, sell him to Potiphar – Tanchuma (Buber), Rashi on Bereshit 37:28³
  • Four or five – R. Yudan and R. Chona in Bereshit Rabbah
• "אֲנִי יוֹסֵף אֲחִיכֶם אֲשֶׁר מְכַרְתֶּם אֹתִי מִצְריְמָה"
  • The brothers did sell Yosef – Targum Yerushalmi (Yonatan), Bereshit Rabbah, Rashi, Ibn Ezra, R. Tam, R. Yosef Bekhor Shor, R. Avraham b. HaRambam, Ramban, Ma'asei Hashem
  • The brothers actions resulted in Yosef's sale – Rashbam, R. Yehuda HaChasid
  • Yosef assumed the brothers sold him even though this was not true – Shadal's cousin

¹ He asserts that Reuven was accompanied by some of his brothers who were also unaware of the sale.

² These commentators disagree regarding the specific role played by each in the transaction(s).

³ See the Approaches page and discussion there regarding Rashi's seemingly contradictory statement in his comments on Bereshit 37:3 where he asserts that Yosef was sold to four groups.