New King James Version
Genesis 37:20
20Come 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!”
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 Living Translation (NLT)“Come on, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns. We can tell our father, ‘A wild animal has eaten him.’ Then we’ll see what becomes of his dreams!”
Context of Genesis 37:20
18Now when they saw him afar off, even before he came near them, they conspired against him to kill him. 19Then they said to one another, “Look, this dreamer is coming! 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!” 21But Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands, and said, “Let us not kill him.” 22And 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.
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 themselves in an evil matter; They talk of laying snares secretly; They say, “Who will see them?”
- Proverbs 1:11If they say, “Come with us, Let us lie in wait to shed blood; Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;
- Proverbs 6:17A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood,
- Proverbs 27:4Wrath is cruel and anger a torrent, But who is able to stand before jealousy?
- John 3:12If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
- 1 Kings 13:24When he was gone, a lion met him on the road and killed him. And his corpse was thrown on the road, and the donkey stood by it. The lion also stood by the corpse.
- 2 Kings 2:24So he turned around and looked at them, and pronounced a curse on them in the name of the Lord. And two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths.
- Proverbs 10:18Whoever hides hatred has lying lips, And whoever spreads slander is a fool.
- Proverbs 28:13He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.
- 1 Samuel 24:20And now I know indeed that you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand.
- 1 Samuel 26:2Then Saul arose and went down to the Wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the Wilderness of Ziph.
- Matthew 2:2saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”
- Matthew 27:40and saying, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”
- Mark 15:29And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who destroy the temple and build it in three days,
- John 12:10But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also,
- Acts 4:16saying, “What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny 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
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries