Genesis 37:30

30 And he returned to his brethren and said, The boy is not; and I, whither am I yet to go?

Genesis 37:30 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 37:30

And he returned unto his brethren
From the pit, and whom he suspected had took him and killed him, as was their first design, not being with them when they proposed to sell him, and did:

and said, the child [is] not;
not in the pit, nor in the land of the living, but is dead, which is sometimes the meaning of the phrase, ( Jeremiah 31:15 ) ; he calls him a child, though seventeen years of age, because the youngest brother but one, and he himself was the eldest, and also because of his tender concern for him:

and I, whither shall I go?
to find the child or flee from his father's face, which he could not think of seeing any more; whom he had highly offended already in the case of Bilhah, and now he would be yet more incensed against him for his neglect of Joseph, who, he might have expected, would have taken particular care of him, being the eldest son: he speaks like one in the utmost perplexity, not knowing what to do, what course to steer, being almost distracted and at his wits' end.

Genesis 37:30 In-Context

28 And the men, the merchants of Madian, went by, and they drew and lifted Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ismaelites for twenty pieces of gold; and they brought Joseph down into Egypt.

29 And Ruben returned to the pit, and sees not Joseph in the pit; and he rent his garments.

30 And he returned to his brethren and said, The boy is not; and I, whither am I yet to go?

31 And having taken the coat of Joseph, they slew a kid of the goats, and stained the coat with the blood.

32 And they sent the coat of many colours; and they brought it to their father, and said, This have we found; know if it be thy son's coat or no. And he recognised it, and said, It is my son's coat, an evil wild beast has devoured him; a wild beast has carried off Joseph.