And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him.
Parallel translations
- WEB Reuben heard it, and delivered him out of their hand, and said, “Let’s not take his life.”
- BSB When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue Joseph from their hands. “Let us not take his life,” he said.
- NKJV But Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands, and said, “Let us not kill him.”
- NASB But Reuben heard this and rescued him out of their hands by saying, “Let’s not take his life.”
- NLT But when Reuben heard of their scheme, he came to Joseph’s rescue. “Let’s not kill him,” he said.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Reuben intervenes to save Joseph's life, urging the others not to kill him. The eldest brother restrains the murderous plot.
Overview
Reuben, the firstborn, hears the plot and acts to deliver Joseph, insisting they not take his life. As the eldest, he bore responsibility for his brother's safety and likely hoped to restore Joseph to their father. God uses Reuben's intervention to spare Joseph from death, preserving the one through whom He would save many.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Gen 42:22And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.
- Josh 10:28And that day Joshua took Makkedah, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof he utterly destroyed, them, and all the souls that were therein; he let none remain: and he did to the king of Makkedah as he did unto the king of Jericho.
- Gen 9:5And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man’s brother will I require the life of man.
- Gen 35:22And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine: and Israel heard it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve:
- Matt 10:28And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
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Christ at the center
From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 37:21 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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