Genesis 37:22 - Printer Friendly

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.

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.

NASB: Then Reuben said to them, 'Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him'—so that later he might rescue him out of their hands, to return him to his father.

CSB: Reuben also said to them, "Don’t shed blood. Throw him into this pit in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him"—intending to rescue him from them and return him to his father.

NLT: Why should we shed any blood? Let’s just throw him into this empty cistern here in the wilderness. Then he’ll die without our laying a hand on him.' Reuben was secretly planning to rescue Joseph and return him to his father.

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.

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.

The oldest of Joseph's ten brothers is attempting to save Joseph's life from their murderous rage. The rest of his brothers have described a plan to kill Joseph and report that he was eaten by a wild animal (Genesis 37:18–20). Reuben says no (Genesis 37:21). His hope is that by preventing Joseph from being killed outright, he can rescue him and present Jacob's favorite son, safe and sound (Genesis 37:3).

Perhaps Reuben hopes that by saving Joseph, he will regain the favor he lost when he slept with his father's concubine (Genesis 35:22). This would be a poignant echo of his mother's own hopes; Leah had dreamed that by bearing a son to Jacob, she would be loved (Genesis 29:31–32). Or maybe he just wants to do the right thing.

In either case, Reuben urges his brothers to throw Joseph into a dry cistern (Genesis 37:24) without hurting him. His brothers likely believe he is suggesting they leave Joseph in the pit to die in the wilderness. In that way, they can deceptively claim they did not "kill" Joseph. Reuben's real plan is to come back and free Joseph, to return him to their father.

Genesis 37:12–36 describes how Joseph's wildly resentful brothers finally get rid of him. They hate Joseph for being Jacob's favorite (Genesis 37:3) and for his grandiose dreams (Genesis 37:5, 9). When Joseph arrives alone at the camp of his brothers, very far from home, they have an opportunity. Only Reuben's intervention keeps them from killing Joseph outright. Instead, while Reuben is absent, the brothers sell Joseph to passing slave traders and later convince their father he has been killed by a wild animal. Joseph becomes a slave in an Egyptian home. Genesis 39 will return to Joseph's story.

Joseph, 17, is deeply loved by his father Jacob and deeply resented by his ten older brothers thanks to Jacob's favoritism. Jacob gives Joseph a princely robe, and Joseph reports dreams that predict his family will one day bow before him. When alone with Joseph in the wilderness, the brothers decide to kill him. Reuben stops them, suggesting they throw him alive into a pit, instead. While Reuben is gone, however, the brothers sell Joseph to slave-traders, later convincing their father Joseph has been killed by a wild animal. Joseph is placed in the home of an Egyptian nobleman.

Following the death of Isaac and the story of Esau's people, Genesis begins a section called the "generations of Jacob." The story will focus primarily on Jacob's son Joseph. Joseph is deeply hated by his brothers. While alone with him in the wilderness, they sell him to slave-traders, who take Joseph to Egypt. Chapter 38 details some of the scandals which happened while Joseph was gone. Genesis 39 will resume a focus on Joseph's experiences.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.