God’s Word Translation
Genesis 37:20
20Let’s kill him, throw him into one of the cisterns, and say that a wild animal has eaten him. Then we’ll see what happens to his dreams.”
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
18They saw him from a distance. Before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. 19They said to each other, “Look, here comes that master dreamer! Let’s kill him, throw him into one of the cisterns, and say that a wild animal has eaten him. Then we’ll see what happens to his dreams.” 21When Reuben heard this, he tried to save Joseph from their plot. “Let’s not kill him,” he said. 22“Let’s not have any bloodshed. Put him into that cistern that’s out in the desert, but don’t hurt him.” Reuben wanted to rescue Joseph from them and bring him back to his father.
Read all of Genesis 37Genesis 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 encourage one another in their evil plans. They talk about setting traps and say, “Who can see them?”
- Proverbs 1:11If they say, “Come with us. Let’s set an ambush to kill someone. Let’s hide to ambush innocent people for fun.
- Proverbs 6:17arrogant eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill innocent people,
- Proverbs 27:4Anger is cruel, and fury is overwhelming, but who can survive jealousy?
- John 3:12If you don’t believe me when I tell you about things on earth, how will you believe me when I tell you about things in heaven?
- 1 Kings 13:24The man of God left. A lion found him ⌞as he traveled⌟ on the road and killed him. His dead body was thrown on the road. The donkey and the lion were standing by the body.
- 2 Kings 2:24Looking back, he saw them and cursed them in the Lord’s name. Two bears came out of the woods and tore 42 of these youths apart.
- Proverbs 10:18Whoever conceals hatred has lying lips. Whoever spreads slander is a fool.
- Proverbs 28:13Whoever covers over his sins does not prosper. Whoever confesses and abandons them receives compassion.
- 1 Samuel 24:20Now I know that you certainly will rule as king, and under your guidance the kingdom of Israel will prosper.
- 1 Samuel 26:2Saul went to the desert of Ziph, taking with him 3,000 of Israel’s best-trained men to search for David.
- Matthew 2:2They asked, “Where is the one who was born to be the king of the Jews? We saw his star rising and have come to worship him.”
- Matthew 27:40and said, “You were going to tear down God’s temple and build it again in three days. Save yourself! If you’re the Son of God, come down from the cross.”
- Mark 15:29Those who passed by insulted him. They shook their heads and said, “What a joke! You were going to tear down God’s temple and build it again in three days.
- John 12:10The chief priests planned to kill Lazarus too.
- Acts 4:16They said, “What should we do to these men? Clearly, they’ve performed a miracle that everyone in Jerusalem knows about. We can’t deny that.
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
In the dictionaries
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
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