Genèse 37:29

29 Et Ruben retourna à la fosse, et voici, Joseph n'était plus dans la fosse. Alors il déchira ses vêtements;

Genèse 37:29 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 37:29

And Reuben returned unto the pit
It is very probable he had pretended to go somewhere on business, with an intention to take a circuit, and come to the pit and deliver his brother, and go home with him to his father. The Jews say ^F2 he departed from his brethren, and sat down on a certain mountain, that he might descend in the night and take Joseph out of the pit, and accordingly he came down in the night, and found him not. So Josephus ^F3 says, it was in the night when Reuben came to the pit, who calling to Joseph, and he not answering, suspected he was killed:

and, behold, Joseph [was] not in the pit;
for neither by looking down into it could he see him, nor by calling be answered by him, which made it a clear case to him he was not there:

and he rent his clothes;
as a token of distress and anguish of mind, of sorrow and mourning, as was usual in such cases; Jacob afterwards did the same, ( Genesis 37:34 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F2 Pirke Eliezer, ut supra. (c. 38.)
F3 Antiqu. l. 2. c. 3. sect. 3.

Genèse 37:29 In-Context

27 Venez, et vendons-le aux Ismaélites, et que notre main ne soit point sur lui; car il est notre frère, notre chair. Et ses frères lui obéirent.

28 Et comme les marchands Madianites passaient, ils tirèrent et firent remonter Joseph de la fosse; et ils vendirent Joseph pour vingt pièces d'argent aux Ismaélites, qui l'emmenèrent en Égypte.

29 Et Ruben retourna à la fosse, et voici, Joseph n'était plus dans la fosse. Alors il déchira ses vêtements;

30 Et il retourna vers ses frères, et dit: L'enfant n'y est plus; et moi, moi, où irai-je?

31 Et ils prirent la robe de Joseph, tuèrent un bouc, et trempèrent la robe dans le sang.