King James Version

Genesis 37:28

Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.

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Hebrew

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וַיַּֽעַבְרוּ֩vayaavrvand alienateעָבַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and alienate”, the next action in the storyH5674to cross over; used very widely of any transition (literal or figurative; transitive, intransitive, intensive, causative); specifically, to cover (in copulation)alienate, alter, [idiom] at all, beyond, bring (over, through), carry over, (over-) come (on, over), conduct (over), convey over, current, deliver, do away, enter, escape, fail, gender, get over, (make) go (away, beyond, by, forth, his way…אֲנָשִׁ֨יםanashima certainאִישׁnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “a certain”, the ordinary formH376a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phra…מִדְיָנִ֜יםmidyanimMidianite. Compare H4092מִדְיָנִיnoun, gentilic, masculine, plural, absolute — “Midianite. Compare H4092”, the ordinary formH4084a Midjanite or descendant (native) of MidjanMidianite. Compare H4092 (מְדָנִי).סֹֽחֲרִ֗יםsocharimmerchantסָחַרverb, qal, participle, absolute — “merchant”, a verb used as a describing wordH5503to travel round (specifically as a pedlar); intensively, to palpitatego about, merchant(-man), occupy with, pant, trade, traffick.וַֽיִּמְשְׁכוּ֙vayimshekhvand drawמָשַׁךְconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and draw”, the next action in the storyH4900to draw, used in a great variety of applications (including to sow, to sound, to prolong, to develop, to march, to remove, to delay, to be tall, etc.)draw (along, out), continue, defer, extend, forbear, [idiom] give, handle, make (pro-, sound) long, [idiom] sow, scatter, stretch out.וַיַּֽעֲל֤וּvayaalvand ascend upעָלָהconjunction, verb, hiphil, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and ascend up”, the next action in the storyH5927to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurativearise (up), (cause to) ascend up, at once, break (the day) (up), bring (up), (cause to) burn, carry up, cast up, [phrase] shew, climb (up), (cause to, make to) come (up), cut off, dawn, depart, exalt, excel, fall, fetch up, get up, (make t…אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).יוֹסֵף֙yosefJoseph. Compare H3084יוֹסֵףnoun, proper name — “Joseph. Compare H3084”H3130Joseph, the name of seven IsraelitesJoseph. Compare H3084 (יְהוֹסֵף).מִןminfromמִןpreposition — “from”H4480properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many sensesabove, after, among, at, because of, by (reason of), from (among), in, [idiom] neither, [idiom] nor, (out) of, over, since, [idiom] then, through, [idiom] whether, with.הַבּ֔וֹרhaborthe cisternבּוֹרdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the cistern”, the ordinary formH953a pit hole (especially one used as a cistern or a prison)cistern, dungeon, fountain, pit, well.וַיִּמְכְּר֧וּvayimkervand sellמָכַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and sell”, the next action in the storyH4376to sell, literally (as merchandise, a daughter in marriage, into slavery), or figuratively (to surrender)[idiom] at all, sell (away, -er, self).אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).יוֹסֵ֛ףyosefJoseph. Compare H3084יוֹסֵףnoun, proper name — “Joseph. Compare H3084”H3130Joseph, the name of seven IsraelitesJoseph. Compare H3084 (יְהוֹסֵף).לַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִ֖יםlayishmeelimto Ishmaeliteיִשְׁמָעֵאלִיpreposition, with the article, noun, gentilic, masculine, plural, absolute — “to Ishmaelite”, the ordinary formH3459a Jishmaelite or descendant of JishmaelIshmaelite.בְּעֶשְׂרִ֣יםbeesrimin twentyעֶשְׂרִיםpreposition, adjective, cardinal, both genders, plural, absolute — “in twenty”, the ordinary formH6242twenty; also (ordinal) twentieth(six-) score, twenty(-ieth).כָּ֑סֶףkasefmoneyכֶּסֶףnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “money”, the ordinary formH3701silver (from its pale color); by implication, moneymoney, price, silver(-ling).וַיָּבִ֥יאוּvayavivand to comeבּוֹאconjunction, verb, hiphil, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and to come”, the next action in the storyH935to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat,…אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).יוֹסֵ֖ףyosefJoseph. Compare H3084יוֹסֵףnoun, proper name — “Joseph. Compare H3084”H3130Joseph, the name of seven IsraelitesJoseph. Compare H3084 (יְהוֹסֵף).מִצְרָֽיְמָהmitsrayemahEgyptמִצְרַיִםnoun, proper name, directional ending — “Egypt”H4714Mitsrajim, i.e. Upper and Lower EgyptEgypt, Egyptians, Mizraim.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And there passed by Midianites, merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they brought Joseph into Egypt.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

And there passed by Midianites, merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And they brought Joseph into Egypt.

Young’s Literal Translation

And Midianite merchantmen pass by and they draw out and bring up Joseph out of the pit, and sell Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty silverlings, and they bring Joseph into Egypt.

World English Bible

Midianites who were merchants passed by, and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. The merchants brought Joseph into Egypt.

Darby Translation

And Midianitish men, merchants, passed by; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty silver-pieces; and they brought Joseph to Egypt.

Douay-Rheims

And when the Madianite merchants passed by, they drew him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ismaelites, for twenty pieces of silver: and they led him into Egypt.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

And there passed by Midianites, merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they brought Joseph into Egypt.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And the men, the merchants of Madian, went by, and they drew and lifted Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ismaelites for twenty pieces of gold; and they brought Joseph down into Egypt.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ παρεπορεύοντο οἱ ἄνθρωποι οἱ Μαδιηναῖοι ἔμποροι, καὶ ἐξείλκυσαν καὶ ἀνεβίβασαν τὸν Ἰωσὴφ ἐκ τοῦ λάκκου· καὶ ἀπέδοντο τὸν Ἰωσὴφ τοῖς Ἰσμαηλίταις εἴκοσι χρυσῶν. Καὶ κατήγαγον τὸν Ἰωσὴφ εἰς Αἴγυπτον.