Genesis 37:20

20 “Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.”

Genesis 37:20 in Other Translations

20 Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.

20 Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams."

20 “Come on, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns. We can tell our father, ‘A wild animal has eaten him.’ Then we’ll see what becomes of his dreams!”

20 Let's kill him and throw him into one of these old cisterns; we can say that a vicious animal ate him up. We'll see what his dreams amount to."

20 Come on, let's kill him and throw him into one of the pits. We can say that a vicious animal ate him. Then we'll see what becomes of his dreams!"

Genesis 37:20 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 37:20

Come now therefore, and let us slay him
Agree to do it, and actually do it:

and cast him into some pit;
or, "one of the pits" ^F19, which were near, and were dug for the collection of rainwater, as was usual in those countries where water was scarce:

and we will say, some evil beast hath devoured him;
which would seem plausible, since wild beasts were frequent in those parts, as lions and bears, see ( 1 Kings 13:24 ) ( 2 Kings 2:24 ) ;

and we shall see what will become of his dreams;
who will be the lord then, and reign, and have the dominion, he or we.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F19 (twrbh dxab) "in unam cisternarum", Pagninus, Montanus, Drusius; "in unam ex cisternis istis", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "in unam fovearum", Schmidt.

Genesis 37:20 In-Context

18 But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him.

19 “Here comes that dreamer!” they said to each other.

20 “Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.”

21 When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. “Let’s not take his life,” he said.

22 “Don’t shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father.

Cross References

• 1. ver 22; Jeremiah 38:6,9
• 2. ver 33; Leviticus 26:6,22; Deuteronomy 32:24; 2 Kings 17:25; Ezekiel 34:25
• 3. ver 31-33; S Genesis 4:10
• 4. Genesis 50:20