Genesis 37:21

Reuben heard what they were saying, so he tried to persuade them not to kill [MTY] Joseph. He said, “No, we should not kill him.

Translation for Translators

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

20and “Hey, let’s kill him, and then throw his body into one of the pits/cisterns. Then we will tell people that a ferocious/wild animal attacked and killed him and ate him. And then we will ◄find out whether his dreams come true/make sure that his dreams do not come true►!”

22Do not even shed his blood! We can throw him into this pit/cistern in the desert, but we should not harm him [MTY].” He said that, and then left them, planning to rescue Joseph later and take him back to his father.

Read all of Genesis 37

Cross References

Genesis 9:5I insist that murderers must be executed. Animals that kill people must also be executed. The reason that everyone who murders someone else must be executed is that

Genesis 42:22Reuben said to them, “I told you not to harm the boy [RHQ], but you did not pay attention to what I said! Now we are being ◄paid back/punished► for killing him [MTY]!”

Matthew 10:28Do not be afraid of people who are able to kill your body [SYN] but are not able to destroy your soul. Instead, fear God because he is able to destroy both a person’s body and a person’s soul in 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