King James Version

Genesis 37:21

And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him.

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Hebrew

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וַיִּשְׁמַ֣עvayishmaand hearשָׁמַעconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and hear”, the next action in the storyH8085to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)[idiom] attentively, call (gather) together, [idiom] carefully, [idiom] certainly, consent, consider, be content, declare, [idiom] diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make to) hear(-ken, tell), [idiom] indeed, listen, make (a) n…רְאוּבֵ֔ןreuvenReubenרְאוּבֵןnoun, proper name — “Reuben”H7205Reuben, a son of JacobReuben.וַיַּצִּלֵ֖הוּvayatsilehvand defendנָצַלconjunction, verb, hiphil, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and defend”, the next action in the storyH5337to snatch away, whether in a good or a bad sense[idiom] at all, defend, deliver (self), escape, [idiom] without fail, part, pluck, preserve, recover, rescue, rid, save, spoil, strip, [idiom] surely, take (out).מִיָּדָ֑םmiyadamfrom handיָדpreposition, noun, common, both genders, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “from hand”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3027a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.),([phrase] be) able, [idiom] about, [phrase] armholes, at, axletree, because of, beside, border, [idiom] bounty, [phrase] broad, (broken-) handed, [idiom] by, charge, coast, [phrase] consecrate, [phrase] creditor, custody, debt, dominion, […וַיֹּ֕אמֶרvayomerand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…לֹ֥אlono , -r,לֹאparticle, negative — “no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…נַכֶּ֖נּוּnakenvstrikeנָכָהverb, hiphil, cohortative, 1st person, common, plural, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “strike”, a determination or requestH5221to strike (lightly or severely, literally or figuratively)beat, cast forth, clap, give (wounds), [idiom] go forward, [idiom] indeed, kill, make (slaughter), murderer, punish, slaughter, slay(-er, -ing), smite(-r, -ing), strike, be stricken, (give) stripes, [idiom] surely, wound.נָֽפֶשׁnafeshcreatureנֶפֶשׁnoun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “creature”, the ordinary formH5315properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental)any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, [idiom] dead(-ly), desire, [idiom] (dis-) contented, [idiom] fish, ghost, [phrase] greedy, he, heart(-y), (hath, [idiom] jeopardy of) life ([idiom] in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally,…

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

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

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

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

Young’s Literal Translation

And Reuben heareth, and delivereth him out of their hand, and saith, 'Let us not smite the life;'

World English Bible

Reuben heard it, and delivered him out of their hand, and said, “Let’s not take his life.”

Darby Translation

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

Douay-Rheims

And Ruben hearing this, endeavoured to deliver him out of their hands, and said:

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

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

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And Ruben having heard it, rescued him out of their hands, and said, Let us not kill him.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ἀκούσας δὲ Ῥουβὴν, ἐξείλετο αὐτὸν ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν αὐτῶν· καὶ εἶπεν, οὐ πατάξωμεν αὐτὸν εἰς ψυχήν.