Genesis 42:37 Then Reuben said to his father, "You may kill my two sons if I fail to bring him back to you. Put him in my care, and I will return him."

◄ Genesis 42:37 ►

New International Version
Then Reuben said to his father, “You may put both of my sons to death if I do not bring him back to you. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him back.”

New Living Translation
Then Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons if I don’t bring Benjamin back to you. I’ll be responsible for him, and I promise to bring him back.”

English Standard Version
Then Reuben said to his father, “Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you.”

Berean Standard Bible
Then Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons if I fail to bring him back to you. Put him in my care, and I will return him.”

King James Bible
And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.

New King James Version
Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you; put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you.”

New American Standard Bible
Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “You may put my two sons to death if I do not bring him back to you; put him in my care, and I will return him to you.”

NASB 1995
Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “You may put my two sons to death if I do not bring him back to you; put him in my care, and I will return him to you.”

NASB 1977
Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “You may put my two sons to death if I do not bring him back to you; put him in my care, and I will return him to you.”

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “You may put my two sons to death if I do not bring him back to you; put him in my hand, and I will return him to you.”

Amplified Bible
Then Reuben spoke to his father, “You may put my two sons to death if I do not bring Benjamin back to you; put him in my care, and I will return him to you.”

Christian Standard Bible
Then Reuben said to his father, “You can kill my two sons if I don’t bring him back to you. Put him in my care, and I will return him to you.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then Reuben said to his father, “You can kill my two sons if I don’t bring him back to you. Put him in my care, and I will return him to you.”

American Standard Version
And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.

Contemporary English Version
Reuben spoke up, "Father, if I don't bring Benjamin back, you can kill both of my sons. Trust me with him, and I'll bring him back."

English Revised Version
And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So Reuben said to his father, "You may put my two sons to death if I don't bring him back to you. Let me take care of him, and I'll bring him back to you."

Good News Translation
Reuben said to his father, "If I do not bring Benjamin back to you, you can kill my two sons. Put him in my care, and I will bring him back."

International Standard Version
"Feel free to put my own two sons to death," Reuben responded to his father, "if I don't bring him back to you. Trust me—I'll bring him back to you."

Majority Standard Bible
Then Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons if I fail to bring him back to you. Put him in my care, and I will return him.”

NET Bible
Then Reuben said to his father, "You may put my two sons to death if I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my care and I will bring him back to you."

New Heart English Bible
Reuben spoke to his father, saying, "Kill my two sons if I do not bring him to you. Put him in my care, and I will bring him back to you."

Webster's Bible Translation
And Reuben spoke to his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.

World English Bible
Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “Kill my two sons, if I don’t bring him to you. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him to you again.”

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And Reuben speaks to his father, saying, “You put to death my two sons, if I do not bring him to you; give him into my hand, and I bring him back to you”;

Young's Literal Translation
And Reuben speaketh unto his father, saying, 'My two sons thou dost put to death, if I bring him not in unto thee; give him into my hand, and I -- I bring him back unto thee;'

Smith's Literal Translation
And Reuben will speak to his father, saying, Kill my two sons, if I shall not bring him to thee: give him into my hand, and I will turn him back to thee.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Ruben answered him: Kill my two sons if I bring him not again to thee: deliver him unto my hand, and I will restore him to thee.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And Reuben answered him, “Put my two sons to death, if I do not lead him back to you. Deliver him into my hand, and I will restore him to you.”

New American Bible
Then Reuben told his father: “You may kill my own two sons if I do not return him to you! Put him in my care, and I will bring him back to you.”

New Revised Standard Version
Then Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you.”

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
Then Reuben said to his father, Put to death my two sons if I do not bring him back to you; intrust him to me, and I will bring him back to you.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Rubil said to his father, “Put my two sons to death if I shall not bring him to you; deliver him to me and I shall return him to you.”

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
And Reuben spoke unto his father, saying: 'Thou shalt slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee; deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him back to thee.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Ruben spoke to his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee; give him into my hand, and I will bring him back to thee.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Joseph's Brothers Return to Canaan
…36Their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my sons. Joseph is gone and Simeon is no more. Now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is going against me!” 37Then Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons if I fail to bring him back to you. Put him in my care, and I will return him.” 38But Jacob replied, “My son will not go down there with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If any harm comes to him on your journey, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.”…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Genesis 43:9
I will guarantee his safety. You may hold me personally responsible. If I do not bring him back and set him before you, then may I bear the guilt before you all my life.

Genesis 44:32-34
Indeed, your servant guaranteed the boy’s safety to my father, saying, ‘If I do not return him to you, I will bear the guilt before you, my father, all my life.’ / Now please let your servant stay here as my lord’s slave in place of the boy. Let him return with his brothers. / For how can I go back to my father without the boy? I could not bear to see the misery that would overwhelm him.”

Genesis 37:21-22
When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue Joseph from their hands. “Let us not take his life,” he said. / “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.

Genesis 37:26-27
Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? / Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay a hand on him; for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And they agreed.

Genesis 44:16
“What can we say to my lord?” Judah replied. “How can we plead? How can we justify ourselves? God has exposed the iniquity of your servants. We are now my lord’s slaves—both we and the one who was found with the cup.”

Genesis 45:5-8
And now, do not be distressed or angry with yourselves that you sold me into this place, because it was to save lives that God sent me before you. / For the famine has covered the land these two years, and there will be five more years without plowing or harvesting. / God sent me before you to preserve you as a remnant on the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. ...

Genesis 50:20
As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this—to preserve the lives of many people.

Exodus 32:32
Yet now, if You would only forgive their sin.... But if not, please blot me out of the book that You have written.”

1 Samuel 18:1-4
After David had finished speaking with Saul, the souls of Jonathan and David were knit together, and Jonathan loved him as himself. / And from that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return to his father’s house. / Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. ...

1 Samuel 20:8
Therefore show kindness to your servant, for you have brought me into a covenant with you before the LORD. If there is iniquity in me, then kill me yourself; why should you bring me to your father?”

1 Samuel 25:24
She fell at his feet and said, “My lord, may the blame be on me alone, but please let your servant speak to you; hear the words of your servant.

2 Samuel 14:9
But the woman of Tekoa said to the king, “My lord the king, may any blame be on me and on my father’s house, and may the king and his throne be guiltless.”

2 Samuel 18:33
The king was shaken and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And as he walked, he cried out, “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!”

1 Kings 3:26
Then the woman whose son was alive spoke to the king because she yearned with compassion for her son. “Please, my lord,” she said, “give her the living baby. Do not kill him!” But the other woman said, “He will be neither mine nor yours. Cut him in two!”

Job 1:18-19
While he was still speaking, another messenger came and reported: “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, / when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on the young people and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

Treasury of Scripture

And Reuben spoke to his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to you: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to you again.

Slay my.

Genesis 43:9
I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever:

Genesis 44:32-34
For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever…

Genesis 46:9
And the sons of Reuben; Hanoch, and Phallu, and Hezron, and Carmi.

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Genesis 42

1. Jacob sends his ten sons to buy grain in Egypt.
16. They are imprisoned by Joseph as spies.
18. They are set at liberty, on condition to bring Benjamin.
21. They have remorse for Joseph.
24. Simeon is kept for a pledge.
25. They return with grain, and their money.
29. Their relation to Jacob.
36. Jacob refuses to send Benjamin.

Berean Study Bible

Then Reuben said
Reuben, the firstborn of Jacob, often appears as a figure attempting to assert his leadership among his brothers. His name in Hebrew, "Re'uven," means "behold, a son," which reflects his status as the firstborn. Historically, the firstborn held a place of prominence and responsibility, yet Reuben's past actions, such as his sin with Bilhah (Genesis 35:22), had compromised his standing. Here, he seeks to redeem himself by taking responsibility for Benjamin's safety.

to his father
The relationship between Reuben and Jacob is complex, marked by both familial duty and past disappointments. In the patriarchal society of ancient Israel, the father was the head of the family, and his approval was crucial. Reuben's appeal to Jacob underscores the gravity of the situation and his desire to restore trust.

You may kill my two sons
This phrase reflects the seriousness of Reuben's pledge. Offering his own sons as collateral is a hyperbolic expression of commitment, emphasizing the dire circumstances and his desperation to convince Jacob. In the ancient Near Eastern context, such a vow would be seen as a binding and solemn promise, highlighting the weight of familial responsibility.

if I fail to bring him back to you
Reuben's promise is conditional, showing his confidence in fulfilling his duty. The phrase underscores the theme of accountability and the importance of keeping one's word, which is a recurring motif in the Bible. It also reflects the tension and fear within Jacob's family, as they face the prospect of losing another son.

Put him in my care
Reuben's request to take Benjamin under his protection is an assertion of his role as a leader and protector. The Hebrew concept of "care" involves not just physical safety but also moral and spiritual responsibility. This reflects the biblical principle of stewardship, where individuals are entrusted with the well-being of others.

and I will return him
The promise to return Benjamin is a pledge of faithfulness and reliability. In the broader scriptural context, the theme of return or restoration is significant, often symbolizing redemption and reconciliation. Reuben's assurance to bring Benjamin back safely is a foreshadowing of the eventual reconciliation and restoration of Jacob's family, which is a central theme in the Joseph narrative.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(37) Slay my two sons.--Reuben does not suppose that Jacob would really put his grandchildren to death. but simply means to offer his father a strong assurance that Benjamin would run no danger. He regarded the risk as so slight that he was willing to stake the lives of two of his children, perhaps all he then had, upon Benjamin's safe return. To take such a proposal as meant literally is irrational. But it was but feeble talk, in agreement with the general weakness of Reuben's character.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 37. - And Reuben spake unto his father, saying (Reuben was probably actuated by an ardent brotherly affection, which prompted him to endeavor to recover Simeon, as formerly he had sought to deliver Joseph), Slay my two sons - as Reuben had four sons (Genesis 46:9), he first be understood as meaning two of my sons (Ainsworth, Murphy), either the two then present (Junius) or the two oldest (Mercerus) - if I bring him (i.e. Benjamin) not to thee. Reuben's proposal, though in one sense "the greatest and dearest offer that a son could make to a father" (Keil), was either only a sample of strong rhetoric (like Joseph's "By the life of Pharaoh!") designed to assure his father of the impossibility of failure (Lawson, Candlish, Inglis), and of the fact that neither he nor his brethren entertained any injurious designs against Benjamin (Calvin); or, if seriously made, was not only inconsiderate and rash, spoken in the heat of the moment (Kurtz), but sinful and unnatural (Ainsworth), plusquam barbarura (Calvin), and absolutely worthless besides, as what consolation would it be to Jacob to add to the loss of a son the murder of his grandchildren? (Calvin, Willet). Deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again. Reuben might have learned to avoid strong asseverations on this point. "It was his wish to bring Joseph home to his father, and yet he could not persuade his brethren to comply with his intentions. It was his desire to bring Simeon safe to his father, and yet he was compelled to leave him in Egypt" (Lawson).

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

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

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

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

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

“You may kill
תָּמִ֔ית (tā·mîṯ)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill

my two
שְׁנֵ֤י (šə·nê)
Number - mdc
Strong's 8147: Two (a cardinal number)

sons
בָנַי֙ (ḇā·nay)
Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 1121: A son

if
אִם־ (’im-)
Conjunction
Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not

I fail
לֹ֥א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

to bring him back
אֲבִיאֶ֖נּוּ (’ă·ḇî·’en·nū)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

to you.
אֵלֶ֑יךָ (’ê·le·ḵā)
Preposition | second person masculine singular
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

Put
תְּנָ֤ה (tə·nāh)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

him in
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

my care,
יָדִ֔י (yā·ḏî)
Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 3027: A hand

and I
וַאֲנִ֖י (wa·’ă·nî)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

will return him.”
אֲשִׁיבֶ֥נּוּ (’ă·šî·ḇen·nū)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

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OT Law: Genesis 42:37 Reuben spoke to his father saying Kill (Gen. Ge Gn)