Genesis 37: The bigger the smile, the sharper the knife

 Genesis 37 accounts for Joseph's journey to Egypt.

The subplot of this story is that Joseph's brothers became very angry with Joseph on account of his confrontational dreams they kept hearing about and their jealousy that their father Jacob had given Joseph a special robe. In their anger and jealousy, they mistreated Joseph who eventually wound up in the hands of merchants who took Joseph to Egypt and sold him there.

Matthew Henry noticed that Joseph's story parallel's Christ's since Jacob sent Joseph to check on the welfare (Shalom) of his brothers; but the brothers mistreated him.

Joseph was a type of Christ; for though he was the beloved Son of his Father, and hated by a wicked world, yet the Father sent him out of his bosom to visit us in great humility and love. He came from heaven to earth to seek and save us; yet then malicious plots were laid against him. His own not only received him not, but crucified him. This he submitted to, as a part of his design to redeem and save us.

 With respect to the sharp conflict between the sons of Jacob, Terence Fretheim saw an application to denominationalism.

Eventually no one will be excluded; all twelve carry the promises into the future (Genesis 50:24). These intrafamilial conflicts mirror exclusivistic efforts among the people of God in every age. This story finally witnesses to reconciliation among the brothers and the end of exclusion. No individual in this story emerges innocent. Even Joseph, though certainly the primary victim, furnishes fuel for his own troubles. Everyone in his own way contributes to the mess in which the family finds itself; at the same time, to level out the sins of the characters and to make everyone equally irresponsible is to fail to consider issues of communal consequence. ("Genesis," NIB, OliveTree e-resource)

I am fascinated by Genesis 37:35

All his sons and all his daughters sought to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted, and said, “No, I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” Thus his father bewailed him.

These sons were the primary cause of their father's grief. What consolation did they offer?

I think of the Ferengi Rule Of Acquisition #48:
"The bigger the smile, the sharper the knife."

I am also reminded of the Psalm where the psalmist was deathly sick and a false friend came and consoled him and wished for his recovery but privately hoped for his death.

Psalms 41:5-9
My enemies wonder in malice
when I will die, and my name perish.
And when they come to see me, they utter empty words,
while their hearts gather mischief;
when they go out, they tell it abroad.
All who hate me whisper together about me;
they imagine the worst for me.
They think that a deadly thing has fastened on me,
that I will not rise again from where I lie.
Even my bosom friend in whom I trusted,
who ate of my bread, has lifted the heel against me.