Genesis 37:22
New International Version
“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.

New Living Translation
“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.

English Standard Version
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.

Berean Standard Bible
“Do not shed his blood. Throw him into this pit in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this so that he could rescue Joseph from their hands and return him to his father.

King James Bible
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 King James Version
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.

New American Standard Bible
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.

NASB 1995
Reuben further said to them, “Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but do not lay hands on him"— that he might rescue him out of their hands, to restore him to his father.

NASB 1977
Reuben further said to them, “Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but do not lay hands on him”—that he might rescue him out of their hands, to restore him to his father.

Legacy Standard Bible
Reuben further said to them, “Shed no blood. Cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but do not put forth your hands against him”—that he might deliver him out of their hands to return him to his father.

Amplified Bible
Reuben said to them, “Do not shed his blood, but [instead] throw him [alive] into the pit that is here in the wilderness, and do not lay a hand on him [to kill him]”—[he said this so] that he could rescue him from them and return him [safely] to his father.

Christian Standard Bible
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.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
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 their hands and return him to his father.

American Standard Version
And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood; cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but lay no hand upon him: that he might deliver him out of their hand, to restore him to his father.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Rubyl said to them, “You shall not shed blood. Throw him into this pit in the wilderness and do not stretch a hand against him”, so that he would save him from their hands and return him to his father.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Ruben said to them, Shed not blood; cast him into one of these pits in the wilderness, but do not lay your hands upon him; that he might rescue him out of their hands, and restore him to his father.

Contemporary English Version
"Don't murder him or even harm him. Just throw him into a well out here in the desert." Reuben planned to rescue Joseph later and take him back to his father.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Do not take away his life, nor shed his blood: but cast him into this pit, that is in the wilderness, and keep your hands harmless: now he said this, being desirous to deliver him out of their hands and to restore him to his father.

English Revised Version
And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood; cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but lay no hand upon him: that he might deliver him out of their hand, to restore him to his father.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Let's not have any bloodshed. Put him into that cistern that's out in the desert, but don't hurt him." Reuben wanted to rescue Joseph from them and bring him back to his father.

Good News Translation
"Just throw him into this well in the wilderness, but don't hurt him." He said this, planning to save him from them and send him back to his father.

International Standard Version
Reuben told them. "And no blood shedding, either. Instead, let's toss him into this cistern that's way out here in the wilderness. But don't lay a hand on him." (Reuben intended to free Joseph and return him to his father.)

JPS Tanakh 1917
And Reuben said unto them: 'Shed no blood; cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but lay no hand upon him'--that he might deliver him out of their hand, to restore him to his father.

Literal Standard Version
and Reuben says to them, “Shed no blood; cast him into this pit which [is] in the wilderness, and do not put forth a hand on him,” in order to deliver him out of their hand, to bring him back to his father.

Majority Standard Bible
“Do not shed his blood. Throw him into this pit in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this so that he could rescue Joseph from their hands and return him to his father.

New American Bible
Then Reuben said, “Do not shed blood! Throw him into this cistern in the wilderness; but do not lay a hand on him.” His purpose was to save him from their hands and restore him to his father.

NET Bible
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.)

New Revised Standard Version
Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but lay no hand on him”—that he might rescue him out of their hand and restore him to his father.

New Heart English Bible
Reuben said to them, "Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but lay no hand on him"�that he might deliver him out of their hands, to restore him to his father.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Reuben said to them, Shed no blood; cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might deliver him from their hands, to bring him back to his father.

World English Bible
Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but lay no hand on him”—that he might deliver him out of their hand, to restore him to his father.

Young's Literal Translation
and Reuben saith unto them, 'Shed no blood; cast him into this pit which is in the wilderness, and put not forth a hand upon him,' -- in order to deliver him out of their hand, to bring him back unto his father.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Joseph Sold by His Brothers
21When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue Joseph from their hands. “Let us not take his life,” he said. 22“Do not shed his blood. Throw him into this pit in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this so that he could rescue Joseph from their hands and return him to his father. 23So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the robe of many colors he was wearing—…

Cross References
Genesis 37:21
When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue Joseph from their hands. "Let us not take his life," he said.

Genesis 37:23
So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe--the robe of many colors he was wearing--

Genesis 42:22
And Reuben responded, "Didn't I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you would not listen. Now we must account for his blood!"

Jeremiah 36:25
Even though Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them.


Treasury of Scripture

And Reuben said to them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand on him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.

Reuben said.

Genesis 42:22
And 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.

Shed.

Matthew 27:24
When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.

lay.

Genesis 22:12
And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

Exodus 24:11
And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.

Deuteronomy 13:9
But thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people.

Jump to Previous
Blood Cast Cistern Death Deliver Desert Forth Further Hand Hands Holes Lay Pit Placed Purpose Rescue Restore Reuben Rid Safe Shed Throw Violent Wilderness
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Blood Cast Cistern Death Deliver Desert Forth Further Hand Hands Holes Lay Pit Placed Purpose Rescue Restore Reuben Rid Safe Shed Throw Violent Wilderness
Genesis 37
1. Joseph is loved by Jacob, but hated by his brothers.
5. His dreams and the interpretation.
12. Jacob sends him to his brothers, who counsel to slay him.
21. At Reuben's desire they cast him into a pit;
25. and afterwards sell him to the Ishmaelites;
29. while Ruben grieves at not finding him.
31. His coat, covered with blood, is sent to Jacob, who mourns him inordinately.
36. Joseph is brought to Egypt and sold to Potiphar.














(22) Into this pit that is in the wilderness.--Reuben apparently pointed to some cistern in the desolate region which girds the little valley of Dothan around. We learn from Genesis 42:21 that Joseph begged hard for mercy, and to be spared so painful a death, but that his brothers would not hear.

Though never represented in the Scriptures as a type of Christ, yet the whole of the Old Testament is so full of events and histories, which reappear in the Gospel narrative, that the Fathers have never hesitated in regarding Joseph, the innocent delivered to death, but raised thence to glory, as especially typifying to us our Lord. Pascal (Pensees, 2:9. 2) sums up the points of resemblance--in his father's love for him, his being sent to see after the peace of his brethren, their conspiring against him, his being sold for twenty pieces of silver, his rising from his humiliation to be the lord and saviour of those who had wronged him; and with them the saviour also of the world. As too, he was in prison with two malefactors, so was our Lord crucified between two thieves and as one of these was saved and one left to his condemnation, so Joseph gave deliverance to the chief butler, but to the chief baker punishment. It would be easy to point out other resemblances, but, leaving these, it is important also to notice that Joseph's history is likewise a vindication of God's providential dealings with men. He is innocent, and pure in life, but wronged again and again; yet every wrong was but a step in the pathway of his exaltation. And like the histories of all great lives, Joseph's adventures do not begin and end in himself. Upon him depended a great future. Noble minds care little for personal suffering, if from their pain springs amelioration for the world. Now Joseph's descent into Egypt was: not only for the good and preservation of the people there, but was also an essential condition for the formation of the Jewish Church. In Egypt alone could Israel have multiplied into a nation fit to be the depositaries of God's law, and to grow into a church of prophets.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“Do not shed
תִּשְׁפְּכוּ־ (tiš·pə·ḵū-)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 8210: To spill forth, to expend, to sprawl out

[his] blood.
דָם֒ (ḏām)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1818: Blood, of man, an animal, the juice of the grape, bloodshed

Throw
הַשְׁלִ֣יכוּ (haš·lî·ḵū)
Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 7993: To throw out, down, away

him into
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

this
הַזֶּה֙ (haz·zeh)
Article | Pronoun - masculine singular
Strong's 2088: This, that

pit
הַבּ֤וֹר (hab·bō·wr)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 953: A pit, cistern, well

in the wilderness,
בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר (bam·miḏ·bār)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4057: A pasture, a desert, speech

but do not
אַל־ (’al-)
Adverb
Strong's 408: Not

lay
תִּשְׁלְחוּ־ (tiš·lə·ḥū-)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

a hand
וְיָ֖ד (wə·yāḏ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 3027: A hand

on him.”
ב֑וֹ (ḇōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew

Reuben
רְאוּבֵן֮ (rə·’ū·ḇên)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 7205: Reuben -- 'behold a son!' oldest son of Jacob, also his desc

said this
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

so that
לְמַ֗עַן (lə·ma·‘an)
Conjunction
Strong's 4616: Purpose -- intent

he could rescue
הַצִּ֤יל (haṣ·ṣîl)
Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct
Strong's 5337: To strip, plunder, deliver oneself, be delivered, snatch away, deliver

[Joseph]
אֹתוֹ֙ (’ō·ṯōw)
Direct object marker | third person masculine singular
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

from their hands
מִיָּדָ֔ם (mî·yā·ḏām)
Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 3027: A hand

and return
לַהֲשִׁיב֖וֹ (la·hă·šî·ḇōw)
Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

him to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

his father.
אָבִֽיו׃ (’ā·ḇîw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1: Father


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OT Law: Genesis 37:22 Reuben said to them Shed no blood (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 37:21
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