Genesis 37:20

“Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. We can say that a vicious animal has devoured him. Then we shall see what becomes of his dreams!”

Berean Standard Bible

Follow its threads on the canvas →

Study note

Setting — The brothers speak to one another immediately after identifying Joseph as “that dreamer,” plotting his disposal before Reuben attempts to intervene.

The words — לְכ֣וּ (le.Khu) issues the command “come,” while חַיָּ֥ה (chai.Yah) specifies “an animal,” establishing the exact terms of their proposed deception.

The thread — The brothers’ plotted violence reflects the scriptural warning in Proverbs 27:4 that jealousy overflows, and parallels the destructive wrath recorded in 2 Kings 2:24.

Why it lands — The verse records how conspirators manufacture a plausible lie to mask murderous intent, requiring readers to identify similar rationalizations in their own conduct.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְעַתָּ֣ה׀ve./'a.Tahand/ now לְכ֣וּle.Khucome וְנַֽהַרְגֵ֗הוּve./na.har.Ge./huand/ let us kill/ him וְנַשְׁלִכֵ֙הוּ֙ve./nash.li.Khe./huand/ let us throw/ him בְּאַחַ֣דbe./'a.Chadin/ one of הַבֹּר֔וֹתha./bo.Rotthe/ pits וְאָמַ֕רְנוּve./'a.Mar.nuand/ we will say חַיָּ֥הchai.Yahan animal רָעָ֖הra.'Ahwild אֲכָלָ֑תְהוּ'a.kha.La.te./huit has eaten/ him וְנִרְאֶ֕הve./nir.'Ehand/ we may see מַה־mah-what?יִּהְי֖וּyih.Yuwill <they> be חֲלֹמֹתָֽיו׃cha.lo.mo.Ta/vdreams/ his

King James Version

Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.

Cross-references

Titus 3:3 For at one time we too were foolish, disobedient, misled, and enslaved to all sorts of desires and pleasures—living in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.
Proverbs 27:4 Wrath is cruel and anger is like a flood, but who can withstand jealousy?
2 Kings 2:24 Then he turned around, looked at them, and called down a curse on them in the name of the LORD. Suddenly two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys.
Proverbs 1:11 If they say, “Come along, let us lie in wait for blood, let us ambush the innocent without cause,
Matthew 2:2 asking, “Where is the One who has been born King of the Jews? We saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”
1 Samuel 26:2 So Saul, accompanied by three thousand chosen men of Israel, went down to the Wilderness of Ziph to search for David there.
1 Kings 13:24 As he went on his way, a lion met him on the road and killed him, and his body was left lying in the road, with the donkey and the lion standing beside it.
Psalms 64:5 They hold fast to their evil purpose; they speak of hiding their snares. “Who will see them?” they say.
Proverbs 1:16 For their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed blood.
Proverbs 6:17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,