Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brothers were content.
Read Chapter 37
Ambrose of Milan
AD 397
Here too, so that you may note the symbolic representation of the Lord’s passion, the patriarch Judah says, “Let us sell Joseph to the Ishmaelites and let not our hands be laid upon him.” And earlier he had done well to say, “Do not lay hands upon him,” which is what the Jews said in the Lord’s passion, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.” Thus the word of Jesus could be fulfilled, signifying by what death he was going to die.
And so that we may recognize that all this is a mystery in reference to the people and to the Lord Jesus, “Come, let us sell Joseph to the Ishmaelites.” What is the interpretation of the name Joseph? Only that it means “God’s grace” and “expression of God the highest.” And so who is being sold? Only that man who “since he was in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant.” … They sold him to traders; the latter bought a good fragrance from traitors. Judah sold him, the Ishmaelites bought him, and in our tongue their name means “holding their own God in hatred.” Therefore we find that Joseph was bought for twenty gold pieces by one account, for twentyfive by another and thirty by another, because Christ is not valued at the same price by all people. To some he is worth less, to others more. The faith of the buyer determines the increase in the price. To one who is more pious, God is more valuable; to a sinner a Redeemer...
