Genesis 37:21

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

And Reuben heard it, and delivered him out of their hand, and said, Let us not take his life.

Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע רְאוּבֵ֔ן וַיַּצִּלֵ֖הוּ מִיָּדָ֑ם וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לֹ֥א נַכֶּ֖נּוּ נָֽפֶשׁ׃

Transliteration

And wə-yišmaʿ rəʾûḇēn and wə-yaṣṣilēhû from their mî-yāḏām; and wə-yōʾmer: Not nakkennû nāp̄eš

Grammar Details

*wə-yišmaʿ*: waw-consecutive with imperfect 3rd masculine singular - 'and he heard'
*rəʾûḇēn*: proper noun, masculine singular - 'Reuben'
*wə-yaṣṣilēhû*: waw-consecutive with hiphil imperfect 3rd masculine singular with 3rd masculine singular suffix - 'and he delivered him'
*mî-yāḏām*: preposition with noun, feminine singular with 3rd masculine plural suffix - 'from their hand'
*wə-yōʾmer*: waw-consecutive with imperfect 3rd masculine singular - 'and he said'
*nakkennû*: hiphil imperfect 1st common plural with 3rd masculine singular suffix - 'we will strike him'
*nāp̄eš*: noun, feminine singular - 'life/soul/person'

Word Meanings

*yaṣṣilēhû*: rescued him/delivered him/saved him
*nakkennû* *nāp̄eš*: take his life/strike him dead/kill a soul

ℹ️

About this Translation

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

Formal EquivalenceSource: American Standard VersionBest for: Word studies and original-language research

🎯 Translation Approach

A highly literal, word-for-word translation (ASV, 1901) augmented with Strong's numbering to connect English words to underlying Hebrew and Greek terms for study.

Word-for-word

5/5

Readability

2/5

💎 Distinctive Features

Integrated Strong's numbering: Links English terms to underlying Hebrew and Greek words for deeper lexical study.
Formal equivalence: Prioritizes close alignment with source-language forms and structures.
Divine name rendering: Frequently renders the Tetragrammaton as Jehovah in the Old Testament, following ASV tradition.
Study-focused formatting: Optimized for reference and research rather than casual reading.

✅ Strengths

High fidelity to original languages
Includes Strong's numbers for precise word study
Consistent lexical choices aid exegesis
Stable, longstanding scholarly text

⚠️ Considerations

Archaic language reduces readability
Older textual basis compared to some modern translations
Strong's numbers are a concordance index, not full lexical definitions

👥 Who is this for?

Ideal for

Pastors and teachers
Seminary students
Serious Bible students
Readers conducting word studies
Those referencing Hebrew/Greek tools

Consider alternatives for

Casual readers
Children and early teens
ESL learners seeking simple English
Readers preferring contemporary language

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Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

Gen 42:22 : 22 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.
Josh 10:28 : 28 And Joshua took Makkedah on that day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof: he utterly destroyed them and all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining; and he did to the king of Makkedah as he had done unto the king of Jericho.
Matt 10:28 : 28 And be not afraid of them that kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Gen 9:5 : 5 And surely your blood, [the blood] of your lives, will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it: and at the hand of man, even at the hand of every man's brother, will I require the life of man.
Gen 35:22 : 22 And it came to pass, while Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine: and Israel heard of it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve:

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

Gen 37:22
90%
22And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood; cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but lay no hand upon him: that he might deliver him out of their hand, to restore him to his father.
Gen 37:18-20
3 verses
81%
18And they saw him afar off, and before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.
19And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.
20Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into one of the pits, and we will say, An evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.
Gen 42:37-38
2 verses
80%
37And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.
38And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he only is left: if harm befall him by the way in which ye go, then will ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.
Gen 42:20-23
4 verses
79%
20and bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.
21And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.
22And 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.
23And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for there was an interpreter between them.
Deut 33:6
76%
6Let Reuben live, and not die; Nor let his men be few.
Gen 37:29-30
2 verses
76%
29And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.
30And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go?
Gen 37:26-27
2 verses
75%
26And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother and conceal his blood?
27Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother, our flesh. And his brethren hearkened unto him.
Gen 44:7
69%
7And they said unto him, Wherefore speaketh my lord such words as these? Far be it from thy servants that they should do such a thing.
Gen 37:10-11
2 verses
69%
10And he told it to his father, and to his brethren; and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
11And his brethren envied him; but his father kept the saying in mind.
1 Chr 5:1
68%
1And the sons of Reuben the first-born of Israel (for he was the first-born; but, forasmuch as he defiled his father's couch, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel; and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright.
Gen 42:4
68%
4But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure harm befall him.
Gen 43:7-8
2 verses
68%
7And they said, The man asked straitly concerning ourselves, and concerning our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye [another] brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we in any wise know that he would say, Bring your brother down?
8And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones.
Gen 37:32
68%
32and they sent the coat of many colors, and they brought it to their father, and said, This have we found: know now whether it is thy son's coat or not.
Gen 37:24
68%
24and they took him, and cast him into the pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.
Gen 44:17
68%
17And he said, Far be it from me that I should do so: the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my bondman; but as for you, get you up in peace unto your father.