What is the meaning behind the eleven stars in Joseph's dream?
Genesis 37:9
ESV - 9 Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, "Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.
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Asked May 22 2015
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Malcolm N Kylie Harihari
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Singapore Moses
The sun, the moon, and eleven stars in Joseph's dream is a symbol of Israel, the sun representing Jospeh, the moon his wives and the eleven stars his eleven sons (cp. 12 stars,Rev 12:1)
Bruce Morgan
Joseph's father says exactly what the dream means in Gen 37:10 and refuses to believe it. Young Joseph, having already angered his older brothers by their father's show of favoritism (the famous 'coat of many colors' in Gen 37:3-4) now blurts out his dreams to them. His brothers' sheaves of wheat bow down to his sheaf (Gen 37:5-8) and then even his father Jacob/Israel (sun), his mother (moon), and.all of his brothers (stars) bow down to him! His brothers sell him into slavery (Gen 37:28) - after all, nobody ever bowed down to a slave! Yet by God's great plans Joseph became a great man in Egypt, his brothers DID bow down to him (Gen 42:6), and his entire family was saved from the Great Famine and prospered. See also Psalm 105:16-24 and Acts 7:9-17
Christian Black
My opinion is that the dream of Joseph can be interpreted literally, in that Joseph's family did indeed bow down to him when he reigned in Egypt. This dream, however, can be seen also as a prophecy of the coming of Christ, in which the eleven disciples (discounting Judas Iscariot) bow down before Him. And thus, this can also be interpreted as the church itself, the fruit of the disciples' spreading of the gospel. The sun and the moon could mean a number of things. These forms of exegesis can be controversial; however we know the story of Joseph, etc. And in Genesis 50:20 we see Joseph says something very reminiscent of Jesus Christ: "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today."
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