Brothers in the Bible

• Abram tells his nephew Lot, “We are brothers”Gen 12:5, Gen 13:8
  The verses

  Gen 12:5And Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all the possessions and people they had acquired in Haran, and set out for the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan,

  Gen 13:8So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no contention between you and me, or between your herdsmen and my herdsmen. After all, we are brothers.
• Cain kills Abel: “Am I my brother’s keeper?”Gen 4:8–9
  The verses

  Gen 4:8–9Then Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. And the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I do not know!” he answered. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”
• Esau sells Jacob his birthright for stewGen 25:29–34
  The verses

  Gen 25:29–34One day, while Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the field and was famished. He said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am famished.” (That is why he was also called Edom.) “First sell me your birthright,” Jacob replied. “Look,” said Esau, “I am about to die, so what good is a birthright to me?” “Swear to me first,” Jacob said. So Esau swore to Jacob and sold him the birthright. Then Jacob gave some bread and lentil stew to Esau, who ate and drank and then got up and went away. Thus Esau despised his birthright.
• Esau plans to kill Jacob after their father’s deathGen 27:41
  The verses

  Gen 27:41Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. And Esau said in his heart, “The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then I will kill my brother Jacob.”
• Jacob fears Esau and his four hundred menGen 32:6–7
  The verses

  Gen 32:6–7When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, “We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you—he and four hundred men with him.” In great fear and distress, Jacob divided his people into two camps, as well as the flocks and herds and camels.
• Esau runs to embrace Jacob, and they both weepGen 33:4
  The verses

  Gen 33:4Esau, however, ran to him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. And they both wept.
• Simeon and Levi avenge their sister DinahGen 34:25, Gen 34:31
  The verses

  Gen 34:25Three days later, while they were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons (Dinah’s brothers Simeon and Levi) took their swords, went into the unsuspecting city, and slaughtered every male.

  Gen 34:31But they replied, “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?”
• Reuben tries to rescue Joseph from the pitGen 37:21–22, Gen 37:29
  The verses

  Gen 37:21–22When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue Joseph from their hands. “Let us not take his life,” he said. “Do not shed his blood. Throw him into this pit in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this so that he could rescue Joseph from their hands and return him to his father.

  Gen 37:29When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes,
• Judah: “Let us sell him … for he is our brother”Gen 37:26–27
  The verses

  Gen 37:26–27Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay a hand on him; for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And they agreed.
• “Your servants are twelve brothers … and one is no more”Gen 42:13
  The verses

  Gen 42:13But they answered, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more.”
• Joseph goes to a private room to weep on seeing BenjaminGen 43:30
  The verses

  Gen 43:30Joseph hurried out because he was moved to tears for his brother, and he went to a private room to weep.
• Judah offers to stay as a slave in place of BenjaminGen 44:33–34
  The verses

  Gen 44:33–34Now please let your servant stay here as my lord’s slave in place of the boy. Let him return with his brothers. For how can I go back to my father without the boy? I could not bear to see the misery that would overwhelm him.”
• “I am Joseph, your brother, the one you sold into Egypt!”Gen 45:3–4
  The verses

  Gen 45:3–4Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But they were unable to answer him, because they were terrified in his presence. Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near me.” And they did so. “I am Joseph, your brother,” he said, “the one you sold into Egypt!
• Joseph embraces Benjamin and kisses all his brothersGen 45:14–15
  The verses

  Gen 45:14–15Then Joseph threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin wept as they embraced. Joseph kissed each of his brothers as he wept over them. And afterward his brothers talked with him.
• Joseph: “Do not quarrel on the way!”Gen 45:24
  The verses

  Gen 45:24Then Joseph sent his brothers on their way, and as they were leaving, he said to them, “Do not quarrel on the way!”
• After Jacob’s death Joseph reassures his frightened brothersGen 50:15–21
  The verses

  Gen 50:15–21When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph bears a grudge? Then he will surely repay us for all the evil that we did to him.” So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Before he died, your father commanded, ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I beg you, please forgive the transgression and sin of your brothers, for they did you wrong.’ So now, Joseph, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept. His brothers also came to him, bowed down before him, and said, “We are your slaves!” But Joseph replied, “Do not be afraid. Am I in the place of God? As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this—to preserve the lives of many people. Therefore do not be afraid. I will provide for you and your little ones.” So Joseph reassured his brothers and spoke kindly to them.
• Aaron is to speak to the people for his brother MosesExod 4:14–16
  The verses

  Exod 4:14–16Then the anger of the LORD burned against Moses, and He said, “Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well, and he is now on his way to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. You are to speak to him and put the words in his mouth. I will help both of you to speak, and I will teach you what to do. He will speak to the people for you. He will be your spokesman, and it will be as if you were God to him.
• Abimelech murders his brothers; the youngest, Jotham, hidesJudg 9:5
  The verses

  Judg 9:5He went to his father’s house in Ophrah, and on one stone murdered his seventy brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, survived, because he hid himself.
• Jephthah’s brothers drive him out of their father’s houseJudg 11:2–3
  The verses

  Judg 11:2–3And Gilead’s wife bore him sons who grew up, drove Jephthah out, and said to him, “You shall have no inheritance in our father’s house, because you are the son of another woman.” So Jephthah fled from his brothers and settled in the land of Tob, where worthless men gathered around him and traveled with him.
• Jesse’s sons: David is the seventh1 Chr 2:13–15
  The verses

  1 Chr 2:13–15Jesse was the father of Eliab his firstborn; Abinadab was born second, Shimea third, Nethanel fourth, Raddai fifth, Ozem sixth, and David seventh.
• Eliab, the oldest, scolds his brother David1 Sam 17:28
  The verses

  1 Sam 17:28Now when David’s oldest brother Eliab heard him speaking to the men, his anger burned against David. “Why have you come down here?” he asked. “And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and wickedness of heart—you have come down to see the battle!”
• Joab, Abishai and Asahel, the three sons of Zeruiah2 Sam 2:18
  The verses

  2 Sam 2:18The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was fleet of foot like a wild gazelle,
• Absalom has Amnon killed for disgracing their sister Tamar2 Sam 13:22, 2 Sam 13:28–29
  The verses

  2 Sam 13:22And Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad, because he hated Amnon for disgracing his sister Tamar.

  2 Sam 13:28–29Now Absalom had ordered his young men, “Watch Amnon until his heart is merry with wine, and when I order you to strike Amnon down, you are to kill him. Do not be afraid. Have I not commanded you? Be courageous and valiant!” So Absalom’s young men did to Amnon just as Absalom had ordered. Then all the other sons of the king got up, and each one fled on his mule.
• Solomon has his older brother Adonijah put to death1 Kgs 2:22–25
  The verses

  1 Kgs 2:22–25King Solomon answered his mother, “Why do you request Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Since he is my older brother, you might as well request the kingdom for him and for Abiathar the priest and for Joab son of Zeruiah!” Then King Solomon swore by the LORD: “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if Adonijah has not made this request at the expense of his life. And now, as surely as the LORD lives—the One who established me, who set me on the throne of my father David, and who founded for me a dynasty as He promised—surely Adonijah shall be put to death today!” So King Solomon sent the order to Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who struck down Adonijah, and he died.
• Jehoram puts all his brothers to the sword2 Chr 21:4
  The verses

  2 Chr 21:4When Jehoram had established himself over his father’s kingdom, he strengthened himself by putting to the sword all his brothers along with some of the princes of Israel.
• Two pairs of fishermen brothers by the Sea of GalileeMatt 4:18, Matt 4:21
  The verses

  Matt 4:18As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.

  Matt 4:21Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. Jesus called them,
• Andrew first finds his brother Simon and brings him to JesusJohn 1:40–42
  The verses

  John 1:40–42Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard John’s testimony and followed Jesus. He first found his brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated as Christ). Andrew brought him to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which is translated as Peter).
• Martha and Mary: “My brother would not have died”John 11:21, John 11:32
  The verses

  John 11:21Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.

  John 11:32When Mary came to Jesus and saw Him, she fell at His feet and said, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”
• Jesus’ brothers James, Joses, Judas and SimonMark 6:3
  The verses

  Mark 6:3Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? Aren’t His sisters here with us as well?” And they took offense at Him.
• His brothers did not believe, but later prayed with the disciplesJohn 7:5, Acts 1:14
  The verses

  John 7:5For even His own brothers did not believe in Him.

  Acts 1:14With one accord they all continued in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

In the Law and sayings

• Do not harbor hatred against your brotherLev 19:17
  The verses

  Lev 19:17You must not harbor hatred against your brother in your heart. Directly rebuke your neighbor, so that you will not incur guilt on account of him.
• Return your brother’s straying ox or sheepDeut 22:1–2
  The verses

  Deut 22:1–2If you see your brother’s ox or sheep straying, you must not ignore it; be sure to return it to your brother. If your brother does not live near you, or if you do not know who he is, you are to take the animal home to remain with you until your brother comes seeking it; then you can return it to him.
• How good when brothers live together in harmonyPs 133:1
  The verses

  Ps 133:1A song of ascents. Of David. Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony!
• An offended brother is harder to win than a fortified cityProv 18:19
  The verses

  Prov 18:19An offended brother is harder to win than a fortified city, and disputes are like the bars of a castle.
• First be reconciled to your brother, then offer your giftMatt 5:23–24
  The verses

  Matt 5:23–24So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.