Discovery BoxGenesis 37:21-22 
Context37:21 When Reuben heard this, he rescued Joseph 1 from their hands, 2 saying, 3 “Let’s not take his life!” 4 37:22 Reuben continued, 5 “Don’t shed blood! Throw him into this cistern that is here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” 6 (Reuben said this 7 so he could rescue Joseph 8 from them 9 and take him back to his father.)
1 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 sn From their hands. The instigators of this plot may have been the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah (see v. 2).
3 tn Heb “and he said.”
4 tn Heb “we must not strike him down [with respect to] life.”
5 tn Heb “and Reuben said to them.”
6 sn The verbs translated shed, throw, and lay sound alike in Hebrew; the repetition of similar sounds draws attention to Reuben’s words.
7 tn The words “Reuben said this” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
8 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
9 tn Heb “from their hands” (cf. v. 21). This expression has been translated as “them” here for stylistic reasons.
