Bible Strands
Genesis 37:27
Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay a hand on him; for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And they agreed.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Judah addresses his brothers while they stand over Joseph in the pit, proposing a merciful alternative to murder. He speaks to redirect their immediate impulse toward a transaction that preserves his life.
The words — The imperative לְכ֞וּ (le.khu) translates literally as "come," initiating a call to collective action. וְ/נִמְכְּרֶ֣/נּוּ (ve./nim.ke.re./nu) means "and let us sell him," framing the proposal as a shared decision rather than a unilateral act.
The thread — The brothers later confront the moral weight of this choice when they confess, "Surely we are being punished because of our brother" (Genesis 42:21). The tension between earthly gain and spiritual cost reappears in Jesus' warning about gaining the world but forfeiting the soul (Matthew 16:26).
Why it lands — The verse demands a reader confront how compromise often disguises itself as mercy while still enabling harm. It requires acknowledging that preserving kinship ties does not automatically resolve the pursuit of self-interest.
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
King James Version
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.
Cross-references
- Genesis 42:21 Then they said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw his anguish when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.”
- Matthew 16:26 What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
- 1 Samuel 18:17 Then Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage. Only be valiant for me and fight the LORD’s battles.” But Saul was thinking, “I need not raise my hand against him; let the hand of the Philistines be against him.”
- Genesis 29:14 Then Laban declared, “You are indeed my own flesh and blood.” After Jacob had stayed with him a month,
- Genesis 37:22 “Do not shed his blood. Throw him into this pit in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this so that he could rescue Joseph from their hands and return him to his father.
- Exodus 21:16 Whoever kidnaps another man must be put to death, whether he sells him or the man is found in his possession.
- Exodus 21:21 However, if the servant gets up after a day or two, the owner shall not be punished, since the servant is his property.
- 2 Samuel 11:14 The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah.
- 2 Samuel 12:9 Why then have you despised the command of the LORD by doing evil in His sight? You put Uriah the Hittite to the sword and took his wife as your own. You have slain him with the sword of the Ammonites.
- Nehemiah 5:8 and said, “We have done our best to buy back our Jewish brothers who were sold to foreigners, but now you are selling your own brothers, that they may be sold back to us!” But they remained silent, for they could find nothing to say.