20 “Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. We can say that a vicious animal has devoured him. Then we shall see what becomes of his dreams!” 21 When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue Joseph from their hands. “Let us not take his life,” he said. 22 “Do not shed his blood. Throw him into this pit in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this so that he could rescue Joseph from their hands and return him to his father.
Genesis 37:20–22
Semantically similar passages
Testament of Zebulun 1:13–15
13 And when Joseph saw me weeping with him, and them coming against him to slay him, he fled behind me, beseeching them. (T12) 14 But meanwhile Reuben arose and said: Come, my brethren, let us not slay him, but let us cast him into one of these dry pits, which our fathers… (T12)
Genesis 37:26–28
26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? 27 Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay a hand on him; for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And they agreed. 28 So when the Midianite traders p…
Genesis 42:21–23
21 Then they said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw his anguish when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.” 22 And Reuben responded, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against t…
Genesis 42:36–38
36 Their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my sons. Joseph is gone and Simeon is no more. Now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is going against me!” 37 Then Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons if I fail to bring him back to yo…
Book of Jubilees 42:17–19
17 And Israel saw that if he did not send him with them, they should all perish by reason of the famine (JUB) 18 And Reuben said: 'Give him into my hand, and if I do not bring him back to thee, slay my two sons instead of his soul.' (JUB) 19 And he said unto him: 'He shall not go w… (JUB)
Testament of Zebulun 1:8–10
8 But when they wished to kill him, I adjured them much with tears not to be guilty of this sin. (T12) 9 For Simeon and Gad came against Joseph to kill him, and he said unto them with tears: Pity me, my brethren, have mercy upon the bowels of Jacob our father: lay not u… (T12)
Testament of Zebulun 1:32–34
32 Dan therefore came to him and said: Weep not, neither grieve; for we have found what we can say to our father Jacob. (T12) 33 Let us slay a kid of the goats, and dip in it the coat of Joseph; and let us send it to Jacob, saying: Know, is this the coat of thy son? (T12) 34 And th… (T12)
Genesis 50:16–18
16 So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Before he died, your father commanded, 17 ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I beg you, please forgive the transgression and sin of your brothers, for they did you wrong.’ So now, Joseph, please forgive the transgression…
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