Genesis 42:22
20 But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.
21 And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.
And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.
23 And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter.
24 And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes.
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- And Reuben responded, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you would not listen. Now we must account for his blood!”
- KJV
- And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.
- WEB
- Reuben answered them, saying, “Didn’t I tell you, saying, ‘Don’t sin against the child,’ and you wouldn’t listen? Therefore also, behold, his blood is required.”
- ASV
- And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore also, behold, his blood is required.
- DARBY
- And Reuben answered them, saying, Did I not speak to you, saying, Do not sin against the lad? But ye did not hearken; and now behold, his blood also is required.
- BLB
- And Reuben answered them, saying, “Did I not speak to you⁺, saying, ‘Do not sin against the boy’? and you⁺ did not listen! And also, his blood, behold, it is required.”
- ÅB
- Da tok Ruben til orde og sa til dem: Sa jeg ikke til dere: Gjør ikke synd mot gutten? Men dere ville ikke høre; se, derfor kreves nå hans blod.
- OTB
- Ruben svarte: "Sa jeg ikke til dere at dere ikke skulle synde mot gutten? Men dere ville ikke høre! Nå kreves rettferdighet for hans blod."
- B1930
- Da tok Ruben til orde og sa til dem: Sa jeg ikke til eder: Gjør ikke synd mot gutten? Men I vilde ikke høre; se, derfor kreves nu hans blod.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Psalms 9:12
When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble.
Read in context1 Kings 2:32
And the LORD shall return his blood upon his own head, who fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword, my father David not knowing thereof, to wit, Abner the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah.
Read in context2 Chronicles 24:22
Thus Joash the king remembered not the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son. And when he died, he said, The LORD look upon it, and require it.
Read in contextGenesis 37:21–22
And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him.
Read in contextGenesis 9:5–6
And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man’s brother will I require the life of man.
Read in contextLuke 11:50–51
That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;
Read in contextRevelation 16:9
And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.
Read in contextActs 28:4
And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live.
Read in context