Genesis 37:22

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

And 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.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֣ם ׀ רְאוּבֵן֮ אַל־תִּשְׁפְּכוּ־דָם֒ הַשְׁלִ֣יכוּ אֹת֗וֹ אֶל־הַבּ֤וֹר הַזֶּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר וְיָ֖ד אַל־תִּשְׁלְחוּ־ב֑וֹ לְמַ֗עַן הַצִּ֤יל אֹתוֹ֙ מִיָּדָ֔ם לַהֲשִׁיב֖וֹ אֶל־אָבִֽיו׃

Transliteration

And wə-yōʾmer to them rəʾûḇēn: Do not tišpəḵû-dām, hašlîḵû ʾōṯô to-the ha-bbôr ha-zzê which ba-mmidbar, and wə-yāḏ do not tišləḥû-against him; in order to haṣṣîl ʾōṯô from their mî-yāḏām, la-hăšîḇô to-his ʾāḇîw

Grammar Details

• *wə-yōʾmer*: waw-consecutive with imperfect 3rd masculine singular - 'and he said'
• *rəʾûḇēn*: proper noun, masculine singular - 'Reuben'
• *tišpəḵû*: qal imperfect 2nd masculine plural - 'you shall shed'
• *dām*: noun, masculine singular - 'blood'
• *hašlîḵû*: hiphil imperative 2nd masculine plural - 'throw/cast'
• *ha-bbôr*: definite article with noun, masculine singular - 'the pit/cistern'
• *ha-zzê*: definite article with demonstrative pronoun, masculine singular - 'this'
• *ba-mmidbar*: preposition with definite article and noun, masculine singular - 'in the wilderness'
• *wə-yāḏ*: conjunction with noun, feminine singular - 'and hand'
• *tišləḥû*: qal imperfect 2nd masculine plural - 'you shall send/stretch out'
• *haṣṣîl*: hiphil infinitive construct - 'to deliver'
• *mî-yāḏām*: preposition with noun, feminine singular with 3rd masculine plural suffix - 'from their hand'
• *la-hăšîḇô*: preposition with hiphil infinitive construct with 3rd masculine singular suffix - 'to return him'
• *ʾāḇîw*: noun, masculine singular with 3rd masculine singular suffix - 'his father'

Word Meanings

• *tišpəḵû*-*dām*: shed blood/pour out blood
• *tišləḥû*-*bô*: lay hands on him/stretch out against him
• *haṣṣîl*: deliver/rescue/save

Referenced Verses

• Gen 22:12 : 12 And he said, Lay not thy hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him; for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me.
• 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.
• Exod 24:11 : 11 And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: and they beheld God, and did eat and drink.
• Deut 13:9 : 9 but you shall surely kill him; your hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people.
• Matt 27:24 : 24 So when Pilate saw that he prevailed nothing, but rather that a tumult was arising, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this righteous man; see ye [to it].
• Acts 12:1 : 1 Now about that time Herod the king put forth his hands to afflict certain of the church.