conclusion: ‘It is my son’s robe.’ The phrase may be exclusive, as if Jacob has only one son, or only one son that truly matters. If so, and if the brothers had any twinges of conscience in their father’s presence, that remark smothered them. ‘A wild animal has devoured him,’ Jacob concludes. ‘Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces’ (verse 33). The brothers thought Joseph’s removal from the scene would improve matters at home. But they were mistaken. One after another, they—and their sisters (making