Genesis

Genesis 37:26–28

²⁶Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? ²⁷Come, 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. ²⁸So when the Midianite traders passed by, his brothers pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him for twenty shekels of silver^b to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.

Footnotes

b 37:28 20 shekels is approximately 8 ounces or 228 grams of silver.

Read all of Genesis 37

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Genesis 37:26

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Then Judah	יְהוּדָ֖ה	yə·hū·ḏāh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3063 Judah
said	וַיֹּ֥אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
his brothers	אֶחָ֑יו	’e·ḥāw	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singular	H251 brother
What	מַה־	mah-	Interrogative	H4100 what? how? aught
profit will we gain	בֶּ֗צַע	be·ṣa‘	Noun - masculine singular	H1215 gain made by violence, unjust gain, profit
if	כִּ֤י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
we kill	נַהֲרֹג֙	na·hă·rōḡ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common plural	H2026 kill, slay
our brother	אָחִ֔ינוּ	’ā·ḥî·nū	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common plural	H251 brother
and cover up	וְכִסִּ֖ינוּ	wə·ḵis·sî·nū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - first person common plural	H3680 cover
his blood	דָּמֽוֹ׃	dā·mōw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H1818 blood

Genesis 37:27

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Come	לְכ֞וּ	lə·ḵū	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural	H1980 go, come, walk
let us sell him	וְנִמְכְּרֶ֣נּוּ	wə·nim·kə·ren·nū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common plural; third person masculine singular	H4376 sell
to the Ishmaelites	לַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִ֗ים	lay·yiš·mə·‘ê·lîm	Preposition-l, Article; Noun - proper - masculine plural	H3459 Jishmaelite
and not	אַל־	’al-	Adverb	H408 prohibition, do not . . ., let not . . .
lay	תְּהִי־	tə·hî-	Verb - Qal - Imperfect Jussive - third person feminine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
a hand	וְיָדֵ֙נוּ֙	wə·yā·ḏê·nū	Conjunctive waw; Noun - feminine singular construct; first person common plural	H3027 hand
on him	ב֔וֹ	ḇōw	Preposition; third person masculine singular
for	כִּֽי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
he	ה֑וּא	hū	Pronoun - third person masculine singular	H1931 he, she
is our brother	אָחִ֥ינוּ	’ā·ḥî·nū	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common plural	H251 brother
our own flesh	בְשָׂרֵ֖נוּ	ḇə·śā·rê·nū	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common plural	H1320 flesh
And they	אֶחָֽיו׃	’e·ḥāw	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singular	H251 brother
agreed	וַֽיִּשְׁמְע֖וּ	way·yiš·mə·‘ū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H8085 hear

Genesis 37:28

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
So when the Midianite	מִדְיָנִ֜ים	miḏ·yā·nîm	Noun - proper - masculine plural	H4084 Midianite
traders	סֹֽחֲרִ֗ים	sō·ḥă·rîm	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural	H5503 travel round, palpitate
passed by	וַיַּֽעַבְרוּ֩	way·ya·‘aḇ·rū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H5674 pass over, through, by, pass on
his brothers pulled	וַֽיִּמְשְׁכוּ֙	way·yim·šə·ḵū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H4900 draw, drag
Joseph	יוֹסֵף֙	yō·w·sêp̄	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3130 Joseph
out of	מִן־	min-	Preposition	H4480 out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not
the pit	הַבּ֔וֹר	hab·bō·wr	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H953 pit, cistern, well
and sold	וַיִּמְכְּר֧וּ	way·yim·kə·rū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H4376 sell
him	יוֹסֵ֛ף	yō·w·sêp̄	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3130 Joseph
for twenty	בְּעֶשְׂרִ֣ים	bə·‘eś·rîm	Preposition-b; Number - common plural	H6242 (a) twenty
of silver	כָּ֑סֶף	kā·sep̄	Noun - masculine singular	H3701 silver, money
to the Ishmaelites	לַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִ֖ים	lay·yiš·mə·‘ê·lîm	Preposition-l, Article; Noun - proper - masculine plural	H3459 Jishmaelite
who took	וַיָּבִ֥יאוּ	way·yā·ḇî·’ū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H935 come in, come, go in, go
to Egypt	מִצְרָֽיְמָה׃	miṣ·rā·yə·māh	Noun - proper - feminine singular; third person feminine singular	H4714 Egypt, Egyptians

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Genesis 37:26 Genesis 37:20 · Genesis 4:10

Genesis 37:27 Genesis 42:21 · Matthew 16:26 · 1 Samuel 18:17

Genesis 37:28 Acts 7:9 · Psalm 105:17 · Genesis 45:4–5 · Genesis 25:2 · Genesis 37:25 · Judges 6:1–3 · Genesis 37:36 · Matthew 26:15 · Numbers 31:2–3 · Isaiah 60:6 · Zechariah 11:12–13 · Judges 8:24

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.