Genesis 37 27

Genesis 37:27 kjv

Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content.

Genesis 37:27 nkjv

Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh." And his brothers listened.

Genesis 37:27 niv

Come, let's sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood." His brothers agreed.

Genesis 37:27 esv

Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh." And his brothers listened to him.

Genesis 37:27 nlt

Instead of hurting him, let's sell him to those Ishmaelite traders. After all, he is our brother ? our own flesh and blood!" And his brothers agreed.

Genesis 37 verses

Genesis 37 27 meaning

Genesis 37:27 presents Judah's counsel to his brothers, proposing that instead of killing Joseph, they should sell him to the passing Ishmaelite traders. This counsel is driven by a desire to avoid direct bloodshed and its accompanying guilt ("our hand must not be on him"), yet still achieve the desired outcome of removing Joseph, and doing so for financial gain. The verse highlights the deep moral compromise within the family, where familial bonds are superseded by envy and expediency.

Genesis 37 27 Context

Genesis 37 details the escalating conflict within Jacob's family. Joseph, Jacob's favored son, exacerbates his brothers' hatred by bringing a bad report of them to their father, receiving a coat of many colors as a sign of favoritism, and narrating prophetic dreams that depict his family bowing down to him. The brothers, especially the elder ones, are consumed by envy and anger, reaching a breaking point when Joseph approaches them in Dothan. Their initial murderous intent (Gen 37:19-20) is first altered by Reuben's plan to save Joseph (Gen 37:21-22), then by Judah's proposal to sell him, which forms the crux of Gen 37:27. This decision shifts the immediate consequence from murder to slavery, unknowingly setting in motion a crucial series of events for God's redemptive plan for Israel.

Genesis 37 27 Word analysis

• וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוּדָה (waYyo'mer Yehudah) - "Then Judah said"

  • וַיֹּאמֶר (waYyo'mer): Hebrew waw consecutive verb form, indicating sequential action and continuity. It signals a new development following Reuben's failed attempt.
  • יְהוּדָה (Yehudah): Judah, meaning "praise." He steps into a leading role here, demonstrating pragmatism over Reuben's idealism or the others' pure malice. His proposal avoids direct bloodguilt, yet remains morally flawed.

• אֶל־אֶחָיו (el-’eḥaw) - "to his brothers"

  • אֶחָיו (’eḥaw): Plural of ach (brother), possessive. Emphasizes the deep betrayal within the family unit.

• מַה־בֶּצַע (mah-ḇetzaʿ) - "What profit?" / "What gain?"

  • מַה (mah): Interrogative "what."
  • בֶּצַע (ḇetzaʿ): "Gain," "profit," "lucre." Often has a negative connotation of unjust or dishonest gain (e.g., in Ps 119:36, Isa 33:15). Here it clearly reveals a significant motivation: not just removing Joseph but doing so for financial benefit. This mercenary aspect foreshadows future betrayals for money in Scripture.

• כִּי (kî) - "if" / "that" (here, closer to 'if')

  • A conjunction introducing the condition.

• נַהֲרֹג אֶת־אָחִינוּ (naharog ’et-’achînu) - "we slay our brother"

  • נַהֲרֹג (naharog): "we slay/kill." This verb points to a premeditated act, directly linking to the brothers' earlier murderous intent.
  • אָחִינוּ (’achînu): "our brother." Reinforces the enormity of the intended crime – fratricide – and how close the relationship truly is, making the proposed act more grievous.

• וְכִסִּינוּ (w’khissînu) - "and conceal" / "and hide"

  • וְכִסִּינוּ (w’khissînu): "we cover" or "conceal." The desire is to hide the crime, avoiding the natural and divine consequences of bloodshed. This implies a fear of discovery and divine retribution for blood.

• אֶת־דָּמוֹ (et-dāmō) - "his blood"

  • דָּמוֹ (dāmō): "his blood." Represents life, responsibility, and the sacredness of human existence. Unjustly shed blood cries out from the ground (Gen 4:10). The idea of covering his blood signifies an attempt to erase the evidence and the guilt.

• לְכוּ (l'khu) - "Come!" / "Let us go!"

  • Imperative plural. An immediate, decisive call to action, rallying the brothers to a new plan.

• וְנִמְכְּרֶנּוּ (w’nim’k’rennû) - "and let us sell him"

  • וְנִמְכְּרֶנּוּ (w’nim’k’rennû): "we will sell him." This is the pivot point – from direct murder to commercial transaction. Selling a person, especially kin, was a grave offense later outlawed in the Torah (Exod 21:16, Deut 24:7), though distinct from mere debt slavery in Israel.

• לַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִים (laYyish’meʿêlîm) - "to the Ishmaelites"

  • יִּשְׁמְעֵאלִים (Yish’meʿêlîm): Descendants of Ishmael, Abraham's son through Hagar. They were known desert traders, indicating practical consideration of who would take him. They were distantly related (kinsmen through Abraham) but not covenantally bound, making them an external party.

• וְיָדֵנוּ (w’yādēnū) - "and let not our hand" / "and our hand"

  • יָדֵנוּ (yādēnū): "our hand." Symbolizes agency, direct involvement, and therefore culpability.

• אַל־תְּהִי־בּוֹ (al-t’hi-bo) - "be on him" / "not be upon him"

  • אַל־תְּהִי־בּוֹ (al-t’hi-bo): "let it not be upon him." A negative command, reinforcing the desire to avoid direct participation in his death. They seek to delegate the suffering to another party and wash their hands of the ultimate sin, creating a moral distance.

• כִּי־אָחִינוּ בְשָׂרֵנוּ הוּא (kî-’achînu b’śārēnū hu’) - "for he is our brother, our flesh"

  • אָחִינוּ בְשָׂרֵנוּ (’achînu b’śārēnū): "our brother, our flesh." This powerful phrase evokes covenantal and familial solidarity, a recognition of profound kinship. It's ironic that this moral principle is used to justify selling him rather than protecting him, emphasizing their brokenness. The phrase points to shared identity and a bond that should prohibit such an act. This reflects a remnant of conscience or fear of divine judgment against breaking such a fundamental bond.

Words-Group Analysis:

• "What profit if we slay our brother and conceal his blood?" This rhetorical question highlights the practical and moral calculation of Judah. It moves from murderous impulse to considering the tangible benefits versus the profound moral cost of shedding kin's blood and the impossibility of truly hiding it from God. It introduces the theme of profiting from wickedness.
• "Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be on him": This forms Judah's concrete proposal, contrasting it with direct murder. It's a pragmatic "solution" that allows them to get rid of Joseph, make money, and assuage their immediate guilt about fratricide. The external transaction provides a convenient moral bypass for them, even though it entails selling a person, a practice condemned later in the Law.
• "for he is our brother, our flesh": This concluding phrase provides a chilling paradox. They acknowledge the sacredness of the bond (brother, flesh), not to refrain from harming him, but to justify a lesser evil (selling into slavery) over the greater evil (murder). It's a superficial moral distinction that underscores the depths of their depravity, clinging to a technicality while violating the spirit of familial duty. This very phrase would serve as an accusation against them later.

Genesis 37 27 Bonus section

The price of Joseph's sale is explicitly mentioned in the next verse (Gen 37:28) as twenty shekels of silver, which was the average price for a male slave at that time (Lev 27:3). This detail connects strongly to the "thirty pieces of silver" received by Judas for betraying Jesus (Matt 26:15), drawing a prophetic link between Joseph, the unjustly persecuted deliverer, and Jesus, the ultimate righteous servant. This economic dimension highlights the mercenary and transactional nature of betrayal. While Judah steps in to avoid outright murder, the selling of Joseph still represents a deep-seated rejection of one within the covenant family, a pattern that unfortunately recurs throughout Israel's history with its prophets and eventually its Messiah.

Genesis 37 27 Commentary

Genesis 37:27 is a pivotal verse, revealing Judah's cynical pragmatism as he dissuades his brothers from committing fratricide, opting instead for a path that benefits them financially while attempting to absolve them of immediate bloodguilt. His rhetorical question, "What profit if we slay our brother and conceal his blood?" betrays a calculation of utility and a desire to avoid overt consequence, rather than genuine compassion. The use of "conceal his blood" demonstrates a superficial awareness of guilt and the futility of hiding it from divine justice.

Judah's proposition to sell Joseph to Ishmaelite traders appears, at first glance, less heinous than murder. Yet, selling a human being, especially kin, for profit, is a profound violation of dignity and human rights. This act transforms a loved one into chattel, reflecting extreme dehumanization born of envy and malice. The very phrase "for he is our brother, our flesh" — an appeal to the deepest bonds of kinship and covenant (Lev 18:6, 25:48; Judg 9:2; 2 Sam 5:1; Isa 58:7) — becomes a perverse justification. They use this connection not to preserve Joseph, but to excuse a less violent, yet still destructive, form of rejection.

Unbeknownst to the brothers, this morally bankrupt decision becomes a key, albeit twisted, instrument in God's sovereign plan. Joseph's descent into slavery in Egypt, facilitated by his brothers' cruelty, sets the stage for his rise to power, the eventual preservation of his family during famine, and the path for Israel's formation into a nation. Thus, human evil is intricately woven into the tapestry of divine providence. This foreshadows Christ's betrayal by Judas for silver, a parallel event also rooted in human wickedness but culminating in divine redemption. The verse serves as a powerful reminder that even in profound moral failings, God can work out His purposes.