Genesis 37:22

37:22 Reuben continued, ¹  “Don’t shed blood! Throw him into this cistern that is here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” ²  (Reuben said this ³  so he could rescue Joseph ⁴  from them ⁵  and take him back to his father.)

Genesis 37:26-28

37:26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is there if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? 37:27 Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites, but let’s not lay a hand on him, ⁶  for after all, he is our brother, our own flesh.” His brothers agreed. ⁷  37:28 So when the Midianite ⁸  merchants passed by, Joseph’s brothers pulled ⁹  him ¹⁰  out of the cistern and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. The Ishmaelites ¹¹  then took Joseph to Egypt.

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¹ tn Heb “and Reuben said to them.”

² sn The verbs translated shed, throw, and lay sound alike in Hebrew; the repetition of similar sounds draws attention to Reuben’s words.

³ tn The words “Reuben said this” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

⁴ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁵ tn Heb “from their hands” (cf. v. 21). This expression has been translated as “them” here for stylistic reasons.

⁶ tn Heb “let not our hand be upon him.”

⁷ tn Heb “listened.”

⁸ sn On the close relationship between Ishmaelites (v. 25) and Midianites, see Judg 8:24.

⁹ tn Heb “they drew and they lifted up.” The referent (Joseph’s brothers) has been specified in the translation for clarity; otherwise the reader might assume the Midianites had pulled Joseph from the cistern (but cf. NAB).

¹⁰ tn Heb “Joseph” (both here and in the following clause); the proper name has been replaced both times by the pronoun “him” in the translation for stylistic reasons.

¹¹ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Ishmaelites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.