Genesis 37:21 kjv

And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him.

Genesis 37:21 nkjv

But Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands, and said, "Let us not kill him."

Genesis 37:21 niv

When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. "Let's not take his life," he said.

Genesis 37:21 esv

But when Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, "Let us not take his life."

Genesis 37:21 nlt

But when Reuben heard of their scheme, he came to Joseph's rescue. "Let's not kill him," he said.

Genesis 37 verses

Genesis 37 21 Meaning

Genesis 37:21 describes Reuben's pivotal intervention, where he actively heard his brothers' plot to murder Joseph and decisively rescued him from their murderous intent, advocating against fratricide. This act represents the first instance of mercy and dissent within the brothers' conspiracy, preventing an immediate fatal outcome for Joseph.

Genesis 37 21 Context

Genesis chapter 37 details the intensifying animosity of Joseph's older brothers towards him due to his father Jacob's clear favoritism, Joseph's vivid dreams of his family bowing to him, and his reporting of his brothers' misdeeds to their father. This accumulated resentment boils over when Joseph approaches them in Dothan. Seeing him afar off, they conspire to murder him and deceive their father about his fate. The verse 37:21 intervenes at the precipice of this dark plot. Reuben, as the eldest, carries a unique responsibility, and his actions here, despite his past failings (Gen 35:22) and future prophetic rebuke (Gen 49:3-4), momentarily steer the course of events away from direct fratricide.

Genesis 37 21 Word analysis

• But Reuben heard it (וַיִּשְׁמַע רְאוּבֵן - va-yish-ma' re'uven):

  • וַיִּשְׁמַע (va-yish-ma'): "And he heard" or "listened." In Hebrew, shama' often implies more than passive hearing; it denotes understanding, paying attention, and even obeying. Reuben didn't just physically perceive the sound of their plan; he understood its heinous nature and registered it deeply, prompting a response.
  • רְאוּבֵן (Re'uven): Reuben, the firstborn son of Jacob. His position carries inherent responsibility. Although his character is marked by inconsistency (Gen 35:22) and he later loses his preeminence (Gen 49:3-4), this act highlights a spark of conscience and compassion, possibly a desire to regain his father's favor or prevent an irreversible tragedy for the family line.

• and he delivered him out of their hands (וַיַּצִּלֵהוּ מִיָּדָם - va-yatz-tze-le-hu mi-yad-dam):

  • וַיַּצִּלֵהוּ (va-yatz-tze-le-hu): "And he rescued him" or "delivered him." This is the Hifil stem of natzal, indicating active and forceful intervention to snatch someone away from danger. Reuben's action was decisive and effective in thwarting the immediate murderous intent.
  • מִיָּדָם (mi-yad-dam): "from their hand/power." This is an idiom signifying deliverance from a position of control, threat, or bondage by another. It conveys the danger Joseph was in—literally within the grasp of his brothers' violent plot.

• and said (וַיֹּאמֶר - va-yo'mer):

  • וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yo'mer): "And he said." Reuben directly confronts his brothers with words. This indicates he chose not to physically fight them but to appeal to them with a clear verbal argument, hoping to persuade them. His words carry the weight of his seniority.

• Let us not kill him (אַל־נַכֶּנּוּ נָפֶשׁ - 'al nakken-nu nefesh):

  • אַל־ ('al): A strong negative imperative, "do not."
  • נַכֶּנּוּ (nakken-nu): "let us strike him" (from nakah, to strike, hit). Here, specifically implying a deadly blow.
  • נָפֶשׁ (nefesh): "a soul" or "a life." By specifying "a life," Reuben emphasizes the sacredness of human life. It means, "let us not strike his life," making the prohibition against murder explicit and underscoring the gravity of their plan to end a precious existence.

Genesis 37 21 Bonus section

• Reuben's motive is later clarified (Gen 37:22) where he suggests casting Joseph into a pit with the intention of returning to rescue him later. This shows that his aim was indeed to save Joseph entirely, not merely prevent bloodshed in that immediate moment, even though circumstances prevented him from fully executing his personal plan.
• This act by Reuben stands in stark contrast to his moral lapse mentioned earlier in Gen 35:22 (sleeping with Bilhah) and prefigures the loss of his birthright blessing in Gen 49:3-4, emphasizing the complexity of biblical characters who can display both grave failures and surprising acts of righteousness.
• The prevention of Joseph's immediate death is a vital link in the chain of divine protection that prepares for Joseph's later role in Egypt, highlighting that God often uses human agency and flawed choices to guide His ultimate plan.

Genesis 37 21 Commentary

Reuben's intervention in Genesis 37:21 is a critical pivot in the Joseph narrative. Despite his brothers' deep-seated hatred and murderous intent, his unexpected act of compassion saved Joseph from immediate death. This moment underscores the subtle workings of divine providence; while the brothers plotted evil, God orchestrated events, even through a flawed agent like Reuben, to prevent an ultimate tragedy. Reuben, as the eldest, exercised a form of moral authority, however brief, by appealing to their collective conscience. His argument, "Let us not kill him," was a direct call against the ultimate sin of fratricide, avoiding the direct repetition of the Cain and Abel story. This moment transitions Joseph's fate from certain death to temporary imprisonment in a pit, setting the stage for his eventual sale into slavery, which was, ironically, God's pathway to his future exaltation and the salvation of his family from famine. Reuben's action, while driven by his own motives (perhaps to later restore Joseph to Jacob, Gen 37:22), served God's larger redemptive purpose in protecting the lineage through which His promises would flow.