Genesis 37:21

But Joseph’s oldest brother Reuben, he heard his brothers say those things, and he wanted to save Joseph. So Reuben said, “No. We can’t kill him.”

Plain English Version

In The King James Version

And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him.

In Context

20Let’s kill him, and let’s throw his body into one of those big holes in the ground. Then we will tell our father, ‘A wild animal ate Joseph.’” Then they said, “If we kill Joseph, that will show that his dreams are rubbish, and that he will never be boss over us.”

22Then Reuben said to his brothers, “Don’t murder Joseph. Just chuck him into one of those big holes in the ground, here in the desert. Don’t hurt him yourselves, just leave him there to die.” You see, Reuben wanted to save Joseph from his brothers. He thought, “Later on, I will pull Joseph out of that hole, and I will take him home to our father.”

Read all of Genesis 37

Cross References

Genesis 9:5And I will punish anyone and anything that kills a person dead. If an animal kills somebody, it has to die. And it is the same for a person that kills another person, that murderer has to die.

Genesis 42:22Then Joseph’s oldest brother Reuben, he said to the others, “You know, I told you mob not to hurt Joseph, but you didn’t listen to me. And look, now God is doing payback to us.”

Matthew 10:28Don’t be frightened of those people that can only kill your body. They can’t kill your soul. But you have to listen to God. If you don’t do what he says, you have to be frightened. He can finish up your body, and then he can also finish up your soul too, in that bad place called hell.

Matthew Henry on Genesis 37:13-23

12 And his brethren went to feed their father's flock in Shechem. 13 And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I. 14 And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. 15 And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying,… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Genesis 37:21