Genesis 37:28 records the pivotal moment when Joseph's brothers pull him out of a pit and sell him into slavery to passing traders for twenty pieces of silver. Jealous of their father Jacob's favoritism and Joseph's prophetic dreams, the brothers initially plotted to kill Joseph. Judah persuaded them instead to sell Joseph to make a profit and avoid direct bloodshed. In nomadic trading cultures of that era, these terms were often used interchangeably Joseph was pulled from the pit and the Ishmaelites bought him. Twenty shekels of silver was the standard market price for a young slave aged five to twenty in ancient times. Though intended as an act of cruel betrayal, this event launched Joseph toward Egypt, where God ultimately used him to save his family from famine.