Genesis 37:20

Genesis 37:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.
• New International Version (NIV)“Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Come therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, ‘Some wild beast has devoured him.’ We shall see what will become of his dreams!”

Context of Genesis 37:20

18But his brothers recognized Joseph, while he was still far away. Before he had arrived where they were, they decided on a way to kill him. 19They said to each other, ‘Here comes the man who likes to dream! We will kill him. We can throw him into one of the dry wells. We can tell people that a wild animal ate him. Then his dreams will never become true!’ 21When Reuben heard this, he tried to save Joseph from the other brothers. He said, ‘We should not kill him. 22Do not even get his blood on your hands. Just throw him into this dry well here in the wilderness. But do not attack him.’ Reuben said this to save Joseph, so that his brothers would not kill him. Then later, Reuben could take Joseph back to his father.

Genesis 37:20 word by word

וְעַתָּ֣ה׀ לְכ֣וּ וְנַֽהַרְגֵ֗הוּ וְנַשְׁלִכֵ֙הוּ֙ בְּאַחַ֣ד הַבֹּר֔וֹת וְאָמַ֕רְנוּ חַיָּ֥ה רָעָ֖ה אֲכָלָ֑תְהוּ וְנִרְאֶ֕ה מַה־יִּהְי֖וּ חֲלֹמֹתָֽיו׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Comeיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• now therefore, and let us slayהָרַגhârag · to killH2026
• him, and castשָׁלַךְshâlak · to throwH7993
• him into someאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• pitבּוֹרbôr · pitH953
• and we will sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Some evilרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: harmfulH7451
• beastחַיָּהchay · living thingH2416
• hath devouredאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• him: and we shall seeרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• what will become of his dreamsחֲלוֹםchălôm chălôm · dreamH2472

Cross-references for Genesis 37:20

• Psalms 64:5They help each other to do evil things. They decide where they will hide their traps, and they say, ‘Nobody will see them!’
• Proverbs 1:11They may say, ‘Come with us. We will find someone to murder. We will attack any helpless person that we choose.
• Proverbs 6:17Eyes that show how proud a person is. A mouth that speaks lies. Hands that kill people who have done nothing wrong.
• Proverbs 27:4An angry person does cruel things that can destroy people. But a jealous person is much worse.
• John 3:12I have told you about things that happen in this world. And you do not believe me. But now I am telling you about things that happen in heaven. So I do not think that you will ever believe me about those things.
• 1 Kings 13:24But as God's servant from Judah was travelling along the road, a lion attacked him. The lion killed him and it left his body on the road. The donkey and the lion stood beside the dead body.
• 2 Kings 2:24Elisha turned around and he looked at them. He asked the Lord to punish them. Two bears came out from the forest. They tore 42 of the boys in pieces.
• Proverbs 10:18If you hate somebody but you try to hide it, you are telling lies. And if you say false things about other people, you are a fool.
• Proverbs 28:13Anyone who hides his sins will never do well. But God will forgive somebody, if he agrees that he has done wrong things, and if he turns away from his sins.
• 1 Samuel 24:20I know that you will be the king of Israel one day. The kingdom will be strong when you rule.
• 1 Samuel 26:2So Saul went to the desert of Ziph to look for David. He took 3,000 strong Israelite soldiers with him.
• Matthew 2:2When they arrived there, they asked people, ‘Where is the baby who has been born as the king of the Jews? We saw his special star when it first appeared in the sky. So now we have come here to worship him.’
• Matthew 27:40and they said, ‘You said that you could destroy the temple and then build it again in three days. If you really are the Son of God, save yourself. Come down from the cross.’
• Mark 15:29The people who walked near there insulted Jesus. They laughed at him and they said, ‘Oh! You said that you would destroy the temple. And you said that in three days you would build it again.
• John 12:10So the leaders of the priests decided to kill not only Jesus, but Lazarus too.
• Acts 4:16‘What should we do with these men?’ they said. ‘Everyone who lives in Jerusalem knows about this miracle. They know that Peter and John did a great thing for that man. So we cannot say that they did not do it.

Commentaries on Genesis 37:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20Come now and let us slay him - What unprincipled savages these must have been to talk thus coolly about imbruing their hands in an innocent brother's blood! How necessary is a Divine revelation, to show man what God hates and what he loves! Ferocious cruelty is the principal characteristic of the nations and tribes who receive not the law at his mouth.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-36Verses 1-36 - Joseph Was Sold into Egypt 17. דתין dotayı̂n Dothain, “two wells?” (Gesenius) 25. נכאת neko't “tragacanth” or goat‘s-thorn gum, yielded by the “astragalus gummifer”, a native of Mount Lebanon. צרי tsērı̂y “opobalsamum,” the resin of the balsam tree, growing in Gilead, and having healing qualities. לט loṭ ͂ lēdon “ledum, ladanum,” in the Septuagint ́ staktē The former is a gum produced from the cistus rose. The latter is a gum resembling…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-22Verses 12-22 How readily does Joseph wait his father's orders! Those children who are best beloved by their parents, should be the most ready to obey them. See how deliberate Joseph's brethren were against him. They thought to slay him from malice aforethought, and in cold blood. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer, 1Jo 3:15. The sons of Jacob hated their brother because their father loved him. New occasions, as his dreams and the like, drew them…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18-20When Joseph's brothers saw him coming, they plotted to kill … that dreamer and stop his dreams. Earlier, they had unjustly killed the men of Shechem to avenge their sister (chapter 34). Now, in the region of Shechem, they plotted to unjustly kill their own brother out of jealousy.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 5-365. Joseph dreamed a dream--Dreams in ancient times were much attended to, and hence the dream of Joseph, though but a mere boy, engaged the serious consideration of his family. But this dream was evidently symbolical. The meaning was easily discerned, and, from its being repeated under different emblems, the fulfilment was considered certain (compare Ge 41:32), whence it was that "his brethren envied him, but his father observed the saying" [Ge 37:11].Read the comment

Topics related to Genesis 37:20

• Conspiracy
• Envy
• Jealousy
• Joseph
• Sin

In the dictionaries

• Coat
• Conceal
• Deceitfully
• Devour
• Doubt
• Evil
• Flesh
• Obeisance
• Rid
• Seek

Commentaries on Genesis 37

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings