King James Version

Genesis 37:27

Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content.

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Hebrew

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לְכ֞וּlekhvcarryיָלַךְverb, qal, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “carry”, a commandH3212to walk (literally or figuratively); causatively, to carry (in various senses)[idiom] again, away, bear, bring, carry (away), come (away), depart, flow, [phrase] follow(-ing), get (away, hence, him), (cause to, made) go (away, -ing, -ne, one's way, out), grow, lead (forth), let down, march, prosper, [phrase] pursue,…וְנִמְכְּרֶ֣נּוּvenimkerenvand sellמָכַרconjunction, verb, qal, cohortative, 1st person, common, plural, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and sell”, a determination or requestH4376to sell, literally (as merchandise, a daughter in marriage, into slavery), or figuratively (to surrender)[idiom] at all, sell (away, -er, self).לַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִ֗יםlayishmeelimto Ishmaeliteיִשְׁמָעֵאלִיpreposition, with the article, noun, gentilic, masculine, plural, absolute — “to Ishmaelite”, the ordinary formH3459a Jishmaelite or descendant of JishmaelIshmaelite.וְיָדֵ֨נוּ֙veyadenvand handיָדconjunction, noun, common, both genders, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, plural — “and 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, […אַלalnotאַלparticle, negative — “not”H408not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothingnay, neither, [phrase] never, no, nor, not, nothing (worth), rather than.תְּהִיtehibeהָיָהverb, qal, jussive, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “be”, a wish or indirect commandH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.ב֔וֹvvoinב֔וֹpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “in”inכִּֽיkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…אָחִ֥ינוּachinvbrother ; kindredאָחnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, plural — “brother ; kindred”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH251a brother (used in the widest sense of literal relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance (like father))another, brother(-ly); kindred, like, other. Compare also the proper names beginning with 'Ah-' or 'Ahi-'.בְשָׂרֵ֖נוּvesarenvbodyבָּשָׂרnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, plural — “body”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1320flesh (from its freshness); by extension, body, person; also (by euphemistically) the pudenda of amanbody, (fat, lean) flesh(-ed), kin, (man-) kind, [phrase] nakedness, self, skin.ה֑וּאhuas for herהוּאpronoun, personal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “as for her”H1931he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally (instead of copula) as or arehe, as for her, him(-self), it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they, this, those, which (is), who.וַֽיִּשְׁמְע֖וּvayishmevand hearשָׁמַעconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “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…אֶחָֽיוechayvbrother ; kindredאָחnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “brother ; kindred”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH251a brother (used in the widest sense of literal relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance (like father))another, brother(-ly); kindred, like, other. Compare also the proper names beginning with 'Ah-' or 'Ahi-'.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Come, 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.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

Come, 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.

Young’s Literal Translation

Come, and we sell him to the Ishmaelites, and our hands are not on him, for he [is] our brother — our flesh;' and his brethren hearken.

World English Bible

Come, and let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites, and not let our hand be on him; for he is our brother, our flesh.” His brothers listened to him.

Darby Translation

Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites; but let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother, our flesh. And his brethren hearkened [to him].

Douay-Rheims

It is better that he be sold to the Ismaelites, and that our hands be not defiled: for he is our brother and our flesh. His brethren agreed to his words.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Come, 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.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Come, let us sell him to these Ismaelites, but let not our hands be upon him, because he is our brother and our flesh; and his brethren hearkened.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Δεῦτε ἀποδώμεθα αὐτὸν τοῖς Ἰσμαηλίταις τούτοις· αἱ δὲ χεῖρες ἡμῶν μὴ ἔστωσαν ἐπʼ αὐτὸν, ὅτι ἀδελφὸς ἡμῶν καὶ σὰρξ ἡμῶν ἐστίν. Ἤκουσαν δὲ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ.