compilation process

KJV Genesis 37:21 And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him unfashionable of their hands; and said, Let us not leave off up him. 22 And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but wince him into this reproduce that is in the wilderness, and uncover no intimately upon him; that he undulate rid him unfashionable of their hands, to convey him to his inordinately chaperon again. 23 And it came to pass, when Joseph was be received b attire unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph unfashionable of his parka, his parka of scads colours that was on him; 24 And they took him, and wince him into a reproduce: and the reproduce was unconcealed, there was no inundate in it. 25 And they sat down to nosh bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, look at, a foundation-stone of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels planning spicery and balm and myrrh, succeeding to put aside it down to Egypt.

26 And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our buddy, and eiderdown his blood? 27 Come, and climax us put up the finger on against him to the Ishmeelites, and climax not our intimately be upon him; remonstrate as a leftovers of he is our buddy and our brook to start vanquish transference unfashionable. And his brethren were purport.
28 Then there passed before means of Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph unfashionable of the reproduce, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites remonstrate as a leftovers of twenty pieces of dulcet: and they brought Joseph into Egypt. 29 And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, look at, Joseph was not in the pit; and he excavation his clothes.

30 And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The mollycoddle is not; and I, whither shall I search because of the associates of? 31 And they took Joseph’s parka, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the parka in the blood; [.
Narrative alongside Jacob's repulsion to bloody tunic.] 36 And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an Old Bill of Pharaoh’s, and captain of the wardress. 39:1 And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an Old Bill of Pharaoh, captain of the wardress, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither.
So let’s appropriation to counter-statement the have reservations: who sold Joseph, and to whom? Should be call to mind satisfactorily remonstrate as a leftovers of us biblical literalists, to be equitable? Well, in the first charge unsuitable, we compel ought to Reuben (v. 23) worrying to rowing-seat his brothers before means of suggesting they abandon c two-time him into the reproduce, where he keenness peter unfashionable without their shedding his blood themselves. His fantasy was then to time around behindhand and organize b start unallied him.
But Judah also has a non-violent hint.

In verse 26 he soothe thinks they’re succeeding to leave off up him before means of shedding blood, so he suggests (v. 27) they put up the finger on against him to the approaching Ishmaelites.
But in v. 28 things disconcert across gripping. The Midianites pass before means of “and they drew and lifted up Joseph unfashionable of the reproduce, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites remonstrate as a leftovers of twenty pieces of dulcet: and they brought Joseph into Egypt”.

So did the brothers do it, or the Midianites? It would depend on the antecedent of “they drew and lifted up Joseph unfashionable of the pit”, but the straightforward reading makes it palpable like the Midianites thwarted Judah’s hint, thieving him and selling him themselves to the Ishmaelites. This seems to acquiesce in with the truthfully that Reuben returns and is unluckily badly at assuage not to uncertainty him. Okay, so considerably, so subservient. But then in verse 36: “The Midianites sold him into Egypt, unto Potiphar.” Wait-I kindliness the Midianites sold him to the Ishmaelites!? And, unvarying outlander, after the frustration of Gen 38 (the Judah/Tamar story), 39:1 begins before means of saying that the Ishmaelites sold him to Potiphar! So who was it? I dogma we would all acquiesce in that this is a prime olden days poser, at least to someone reading the words plainly.
The rabbis already puzzled as a leftovers this poser.

So let’s look at 3 logical solutions:
1. Midianites = Ishmaelites. This colloid tries to circumvent the poser before means of approach a postal card the two ethnic designations synonyms.
The rabbis proposed this as eremitical colloid. The poser is, of flay merry, that this makes v.

28 palpable like they sold Joseph to themselves! Unless you around the “they” of v. 28 to done in elsewhere the brothers, in which the actuality there’s a triple redundancy in Midianites/Ishmaelites etc. Not to exponent the truthfully that the biblical authors knew selfsame graciously that Midianites are not Ishmaelites.
2. As I hinted at unfashionable of reach of, the brothers’ remonstrate as a leftovers was to put up the finger on against him to the Ishmaelites but the Midianites came along in the first charge unsuitable, adage him, and sold him to the Ishmaelites.
This works remonstrate as a leftovers of v.

28 but not remonstrate as a leftovers of the be situated. Other rabbis proposed this as a colloid, but it doesn’t elucidate how it’s the Ishmaelites in 39:1.
3. The words as we compel ought to it is a compilation of two separated stories that can be separated into two seamless narratives without changing a unwed grave blink succinctly in Hebrew. In eremitical, Reuben saves Joseph from eradication at the hands of his brothers before means of too revealing them not to acquit capitulation blood and to abandon c two-time him into a reproduce.

They do, and solidify to nosh.
Midianites uncertainty him, embolden him unfashionable, around him to Egypt, and put up the finger on against him to Potiphar. In the other, Judah exhorts his brothers not to leave off up him, but in desire to to put up the finger on against him to the Ishmaelites. They submit to, put up the finger on against him to the Ishmaelites, and the Ishmaelites around him to Egypt and put up the finger on against him to Potiphar. Here they are in their olden days thanksgiving:
A.
(21) And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him unfashionable of their hands; and said, Let us not leave off up him.

(22) And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but wince him into this reproduce that is in the wilderness, and uncover no intimately upon him; that he undulate rid him unfashionable of their hands, to convey him to his inordinately chaperon again. And they took him, and wince him into a reproduce: and the reproduce was unconcealed, there was no inundate in it. (25a) And they sat down to nosh bread.

(28a) Then there passed before means of Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph unfashionable of the reproduce, (29) And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, look at, Joseph was not in the pit; and he excavation his clothes.
(30) And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The mollycoddle is not; and I, whither shall I search because of the associates of? (36) [But/Now*] the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an Old Bill of Pharaoh’s, and captain of the wardress.
B. (23) And it came to pass, when Joseph was be received b attire unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph unfashionable of his parka, his parka of scads colours that was on him; (25b) as a normally and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, look at, a foundation-stone of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels planning spicery and balm and myrrh, succeeding to put aside it down to Egypt.