God’s Word Translation
Genesis 37:26
26Judah asked his brothers, “What will we gain by killing our brother and covering up his death?
Genesis 37:26 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?
- New International Version (NIV)Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood?
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then Judah said to his brothers, "What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood?
- New King James Version (NKJV)So Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is there if we kill our brother and conceal his blood?
Context of Genesis 37:26
24Then they took him and put him into an empty cistern. It had no water in it. 25As they sat down to eat, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying the materials for cosmetics, medicine, and embalming. They were on their way to take them to Egypt. Judah asked his brothers, “What will we gain by killing our brother and covering up his death? 27Let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites. Let’s not hurt him, because he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.” His brothers agreed. 28As the Midianite merchants were passing by, the brothers pulled Joseph out of the cistern. They sold him to the Ishmaelites for eight ounces of silver. The Ishmaelites took him to Egypt.
Read all of Genesis 37Genesis 37:26 word by word
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהוּדָ֖ה אֶל־אֶחָ֑יו מַה־בֶּ֗צַע כִּ֤י נַהֲרֹג֙ אֶת־אָחִ֔ינוּ וְכִסִּ֖ינוּ אֶת־דָּמֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Genesis 37:26
- Genesis 25:32“I’m about to die.” Esau said. “What good is my inheritance to me?”
- Psalms 30:9“How will you profit if my blood is shed, if I go into the pit? Will the dust ⌞of my body⌟ give thanks to you? Will it tell about your truth?”
- Jeremiah 41:8However, ten men from the group had said to Ishmael, “Don’t kill us! We have wheat, barley, olive oil, and honey hidden in the country.” So he left them alone and didn’t kill them along with the others.
- Matthew 16:26What good will it do for people to win the whole world and lose their lives? Or what will a person give in exchange for life?
- Romans 6:21What did you gain by doing those things? You’re ashamed of what you used to do because it ended in death.
- Genesis 37:20Let’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 4:10The Lord asked, “What have you done? Your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground.
- Deuteronomy 17:8There may be a case that is too hard for you to decide. It may involve murder, assault, or a dispute—any case which may be brought to court in your cities. Take this case to the place that the Lord your God will choose.
- 2 Samuel 1:16while David said, “You are responsible for spilling your own blood. You testified against yourself when you said, ‘I killed the Lord’s anointed king.’ ”
- Job 16:18“Earth, don’t cover my blood. Don’t ever let my cry ⌞for justice⌟ be stopped.
- Ezekiel 24:7Blood is still in that city. The blood was poured on a bare rock. It wasn’t poured on the ground where dust would cover it.
Commentaries on Genesis 37:26
- 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. 23-30Verses 23-30 They threw Joseph into a pit, to perish there with hunger and cold; so cruel were their tender mercies. They slighted him when he was in distress, and were not grieved for the affliction of Joseph, see Am 6:6; for when he was pining in the pit, they sat down to eat bread. They felt no remorse of conscience for the sin. But the wrath of man shall praise God, and the remainder of wrath he will restrain, Psa 76:10. Joseph's brethren were…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 26Judah began to take a leadership role, which he continued to develop as the story goes on (see 43:8–10).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 26-2826-28. Judah said, ... What profit is it if we slay our brother?--The sight of these travelling merchants gave a sudden turn to the views of the conspirators; for having no wish to commit a greater degree of crime than was necessary for the accomplishment of their end, they readily approved of Judah's suggestion to dispose of their obnoxious brother as a slave. The proposal, of course, was founded on their knowledge that the Arabian merchants trafficked…Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 37:26
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries