וַיַּ֨עַן רֵעֵ֤הוּ וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֵ֣ין זֹ֔את בִּלְתִּ֗י אִם־חֶ֛רֶב גִּדְע֥וֹן בֶּן־יוֹאָ֖שׁ אִ֣ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל נָתַ֤ן הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ בְּיָד֔וֹ אֶת־מִדְיָ֖ן וְאֶת־כָּל־הַֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃ (פ)
At sumagot ang kanyang kasama at sinabi: “Wala nang ibang kahulugan ito kundi ang tabak ni Gideon na anak ni Joas, isang lalaki ng Israel. Ibinigay ng Diyos sa kanyang kamay ang Midian at ang buong kampo.”
Radak
O ye sons of men (בני איש): He addresses the great ones of Israel who were with Absalom. So “both low (בני אדם) and high (אישׁ בני)” (Ps. 49:3): בני אדם (are) the multitude, אישׁ בני the great ones. So also, “Art not thou a great man (אישׁ) and who is like to thee in Israel?” (1 Sam. 26:15); “Gideon the son of Joash, the great man (אישׁ) of Israel” (Judges 7:14).
Rav Hirsch
V. 3. כלם אנשים, sie waren alle "Männer", individuell tüchtig und ausgezeichnet. Vergl. מי שמך לאיש (Schmot 2, 14). So nannten die Midjaniter Gideon לארשי שיא (Richter 7, 14). So David zu Awner: הלוא איש אתה ומי כמוך בישראל (Sam. I. 26, 15). So auch התחזקו והיו לאנשים (Sam. I. 4, 9; — siehe V. 2).
Rabbeinu Bahya
והנה אנחנו מאלמים אלומים וגו, “and here we were binding sheaves, etc.” They realised in their wisdom that the meaning of the dream was that the sheaves bowing to Joseph’s sheaf meant that he viewed himself as enjoying Royal authority. over them. This feeling of theirs was reinforced by his use of the words נצבה, an expression which is associated with Royalty such as in Kings I 22,48 נצב המלך, ”he acted as king.” It was because they were aware of this interpretation of his dream that they said to Joseph sarcastically: “are you planning to rule over us as a king?” What the brothers were not aware of was the fact that Joseph’s eventual appointment as king would be triggered by the subject of corn harvests (i.e. his prediction of abundance of such harvests and subsequent failure of such harvests).
Seeing that they hated Joseph already it is quite understandable that they interpreted his nocturnal dreams as boding no good for them instead of seeing the positive element that might be presaged by such dreams. Actually, even their interpretation of Joseph’s dreams was inspired by G’d who caused them to verbalise such thoughts. This is reminiscent of something we read in connection with Gideon (Judges 7,10) to whom G’d had said that in preparation for his battle against the Midianites and in order to reassure him, he should go down amongst the camp of the Midianites and listen to what they had to say. Gideon did so and overheard a Midianite soldier tell his companion that he had dreamt that there was a commotion; a loaf of barley bread was whirling through the Midianite camp. It came to a tent, struck it, and the tent collapsed and turned upside down and collapsed. To this his companion responded: “this can only mean the sword of the Israelite Gideon son of Yoash. G’d is delivering Midian and the entire camp into his hands.” When Gideon heard the dream told and interpreted, he bowed low. (to G’d in gratitude) This was another instance when G’d inspired someone to interpret and verbalise a dream which subsequently came true. This may be the source of the Talmud saying in Berachot 58 that “all dreams are influenced by the interpretation which is being “given by the mouth,” [i.e. which has been verbalised. Ed.] Here too G’d placed the words in the mouths of the brothers so that eventually Joseph’s dreams would become true.
Seeing that they hated Joseph already it is quite understandable that they interpreted his nocturnal dreams as boding no good for them instead of seeing the positive element that might be presaged by such dreams. Actually, even their interpretation of Joseph’s dreams was inspired by G’d who caused them to verbalise such thoughts. This is reminiscent of something we read in connection with Gideon (Judges 7,10) to whom G’d had said that in preparation for his battle against the Midianites and in order to reassure him, he should go down amongst the camp of the Midianites and listen to what they had to say. Gideon did so and overheard a Midianite soldier tell his companion that he had dreamt that there was a commotion; a loaf of barley bread was whirling through the Midianite camp. It came to a tent, struck it, and the tent collapsed and turned upside down and collapsed. To this his companion responded: “this can only mean the sword of the Israelite Gideon son of Yoash. G’d is delivering Midian and the entire camp into his hands.” When Gideon heard the dream told and interpreted, he bowed low. (to G’d in gratitude) This was another instance when G’d inspired someone to interpret and verbalise a dream which subsequently came true. This may be the source of the Talmud saying in Berachot 58 that “all dreams are influenced by the interpretation which is being “given by the mouth,” [i.e. which has been verbalised. Ed.] Here too G’d placed the words in the mouths of the brothers so that eventually Joseph’s dreams would become true.