Genesis 37:26

26 Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood?

Genesis 37:26 in Other Translations

KJV
26 And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?
ESV
26 Then Judah said to his brothers, "What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood?
NLT
26 Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain by killing our brother? We’d have to cover up the crime.
MSG
26 Judah said, "Brothers, what are we going to get out of killing our brother and concealing the evidence?
CSB
26 Then Judah said to his brothers, "What do we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood?

Genesis 37:26 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 37:26

And Judah said unto his brethren
In sight of the Ishmaelites, a thought came into his mind to get Joseph sold to them;

what profit [is it] if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?
it could be no advantage to them even if they could have concealed his blood from men; and if it was discovered, as it would, in all likelihood, by come means or another, then they must be answerable for it; and if not, God would take vengeance on them, from whom they could never conceal it; and therefore it would be most profitable and advantageous to them to sell him, and not destroy him, or take away his life; and to suffer him to lie in the pit and die was the same thing.

Genesis 37:26 In-Context

24 and they took him and threw him into the cistern. The cistern was empty; there was no water in it.
25 As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt.
26 Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood?
27 Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.” His brothers agreed.
28 So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.

Cross References 2

  • 1. S Genesis 29:35
  • 2. ver 20; S Genesis 4:10
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