Genesis 37:22

Genesis 37:22 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.
• New International Version (NIV)“Don’t shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And Reuben said to them, "Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him"—that he might rescue him out of their hand to restore him to his father.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit which is in the wilderness, and do not lay a hand on him”—that he might deliver him out of their hands, and bring him back to his father.

Context of Genesis 37:22

20Come now, let’s kill him, throw him into one of the cisterns, and then say that a wild animal ate him. Then we’ll see how his dreams turn out!” 21When Reuben heard this, he rescued Joseph from their hands, saying, “Let’s not take his life!” Reuben continued, “Don’t shed blood! Throw him into this cistern that is here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” (Reuben said this so he could rescue Joseph from them and take him back to his father.) 23When Joseph reached his brothers, they stripped him of his tunic, the special tunic that he wore. 24Then they took him and threw him into the cistern. (Now the cistern was empty; there was no water in it.)

Genesis 37:22 word by word

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֣ם׀ רְאוּבֵן֮ אַל־תִּשְׁפְּכוּ־דָם֒ הַשְׁלִ֣יכוּ אֹת֗וֹ אֶל־הַבּ֤וֹר הַזֶּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר וְיָ֖ד אַל־תִּשְׁלְחוּ־ב֑וֹ לְמַ֗עַן הַצִּ֤יל אֹתוֹ֙ מִיָּדָ֔ם לַהֲשִׁיב֖וֹ אֶל־אָבִֽיו׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Reubenרְאוּבֵןre'ûbên · ReubenH7205
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto them, Shedשָׁפַךְshâphak · to pour: killH8210
• no bloodדָּםdâm · bloodH1818
• castשָׁלַךְshâlak · to throwH7993
• him into this pitבּוֹרbôr · pitH953
• in the wildernessמִדְבָּרmidbâr · wildernessH4057
• and layשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: reachH7971
• no handיָדyâd · handH3027
• upon him; that he might ridנָצַלnâtsal · to rescueH5337
• to deliverשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
• him to his fatherאָב'âb · fatherH1

Cross-references for Genesis 37:22

• Genesis 42:22Reuben said to them, “Didn’t I say to you, ‘Don’t sin against the boy,’ but you wouldn’t listen? So now we must pay for shedding his blood!”
• Matthew 27:24When Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but that instead a riot was starting, he took some water, washed his hands before the crowd and said, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. You take care of it yourselves!”
• Genesis 22:12“Do not harm the boy!” the angel said. “Do not do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God because you did not withhold your son, your only son, from me.”
• Exodus 24:11But he did not lay a hand on the leaders of the Israelites, so they saw God, and they ate and they drank.
• Deuteronomy 13:9Instead, you must kill him without fail! Your own hand must be the first to strike him, and then the hands of the whole community.
• Acts 12:1About that time King Herod laid hands on some from the church to harm them.

Commentaries on Genesis 37:22

• 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. 21-24Reuben might have been trying to regain his father's favor (35:22) by acting as the firstborn leader (compare 42:22). Reuben succeeded in saving Joseph's life, but he did not win his father's favor (37:29–30).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 37:22

• Brother
• Intercession
• Jealousy
• Joseph
• Reuben

In the dictionaries

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

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