Genesis 37:24

24 Then they grabbed him and threw him into the cistern. Now the cistern was empty; there was no water in it.

Genesis 37:24 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 37:24

And they took him, and cast him into a pit
Into the same that Reuben pointed to them, whose counsel they gladly took and readily executed, supposing he meant the same thing they did, starving him to death:

and the pit [was] empty, [there was] no water in it;
only serpents and scorpions, as the Targum of Jonathan; and Jarchi adds, this remark, that there was no water in it, seems to be made either to furnish out a reason why Reuben directed to it, that he might be the more easily got out of it, and not be in danger of losing his life at once, or of being drowned in it; or else to show the uncomfortable situation he was in, having not so much as a drop of water to refresh him; see ( Zechariah 9:11 ) . Dothan is said to remain to this day, and the inhabitants of it show the ancient ditch into which Joseph was cast ^F21.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F21 Bunting's Travels, p. 80.

Genesis 37:24 In-Context

22 “Why should we shed any blood? Let’s just throw him into this empty cistern here in the wilderness. Then he’ll die without our laying a hand on him.” Reuben was secretly planning to rescue Joseph and return him to his father.

23 So when Joseph arrived, his brothers ripped off the beautiful robe he was wearing.

24 Then they grabbed him and threw him into the cistern. Now the cistern was empty; there was no water in it.

25 Then, just as they were sitting down to eat, they looked up and saw a caravan of camels in the distance coming toward them. It was a group of Ishmaelite traders taking a load of gum, balm, and aromatic resin from Gilead down to Egypt.

26 Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain by killing our brother? We’d have to cover up the crime.