Genesis

Genesis 37:29–34

²⁹When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes, ³⁰returned to his brothers, and said, “The boy is gone! What am I going to do?”

³¹Then they took Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a young goat, and dipped the robe in its blood. ³²They sent the robe of many colors to their father and said, “We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son’s robe or not.”

³³His father recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! A vicious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!” ³⁴Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son many days.

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 37:29

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
When Reuben	רְאוּבֵן֙	rə·’ū·ḇên	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H7205 Reuben
returned	וַיָּ֤שָׁב	way·yā·šāḇ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7725 turn back, return
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
the pit	הַבּ֔וֹר	hab·bō·wr	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H953 pit, cistern, well
and saw	וְהִנֵּ֥ה	wə·hin·nêh	Conjunctive waw; Interjection	H2009 lo! behold!
that Joseph	יוֹסֵ֖ף	yō·w·sêp̄	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3130 Joseph
was not there	אֵין־	’ên-	Adverb	H369 nothing, nought
he tore	וַיִּקְרַ֖ע	way·yiq·ra‘	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7167 tear
his clothes	בְּגָדָֽיו׃	bə·ḡā·ḏāw	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singular	H899 treachery

Genesis 37:30

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
returned	וַיָּ֥שָׁב	way·yā·šāḇ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7725 turn back, return
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
his brothers	אֶחָ֖יו	’e·ḥāw	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singular	H251 brother
and said	וַיֹּאמַ֑ר	way·yō·mar	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
The boy	הַיֶּ֣לֶד	hay·ye·leḏ	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H3206 child, son, boy, youth
is gone	אֵינֶ֔נּוּ	’ê·nen·nū	Adverb; third person masculine singular	H369 nothing, nought
What am I going to do	וַאֲנִ֖י	wa·’ă·nî	Conjunctive waw; Pronoun - first person common singular	H589 I

Genesis 37:31

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Then they took	וַיִּקְח֖וּ	way·yiq·ḥū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H3947 take
Joseph’s	יוֹסֵ֑ף	yō·w·sêp̄	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3130 Joseph
robe	כְּתֹ֣נֶת	kə·ṯō·neṯ	Noun - feminine singular construct	H3801 tunic
slaughtered	וַֽיִּשְׁחֲטוּ֙	way·yiš·ḥă·ṭū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H7819 slaughter, beat
a young goat	שְׂעִ֣יר	śə·‘îr	Noun - masculine singular construct	H8163 he-goat, buck
and dipped	וַיִּטְבְּל֥וּ	way·yiṭ·bə·lū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H2881 dip
the robe	הַכֻּתֹּ֖נֶת	hak·kut·tō·neṯ	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H3801 tunic
in its blood	בַּדָּֽם׃	bad·dām	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H1818 blood

Genesis 37:32

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
They sent	וַֽיְשַׁלְּח֞וּ	way·šal·lə·ḥū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H7971 send
the robe	כְּתֹ֣נֶת	kə·ṯō·neṯ	Noun - feminine singular construct	H3801 tunic
of many colors	הַפַּסִּ֗ים	hap·pas·sîm	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H6446 flat
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
their father	אֲבִיהֶ֔ם	’ă·ḇî·hem	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine plural	H1 father
and said	וַיֹּאמְר֖וּ	way·yō·mə·rū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H559 utter, say
We found	מָצָ֑אנוּ	mā·ṣā·nū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural	H4672 attain to, find
this	זֹ֣את	zōṯ	Pronoun - feminine singular	H2063 this
Examine it	הַכֶּר־	hak·ker-	Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular	H5234 regard, recognize
to see whether	נָ֗א	nā	Interjection	H4994 I (we) pray, now
it	הִ֖וא	hî	Pronoun - third person feminine singular	H1931 he, she
your son’s	בִּנְךָ֛	bin·ḵā	Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H1121 son
robe	הַכְּתֹ֧נֶת	hak·kə·ṯō·neṯ	Article; Noun - feminine singular construct	H3801 tunic
or	אִם־	’im-	Conjunction	H518 if
not	לֹֽא׃	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not

Genesis 37:33

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
His father recognized it	וַיַּכִּירָ֤הּ	way·yak·kî·rāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular; third person feminine singular	H5234 regard, recognize
and said	וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
It is my son’s	בְּנִ֔י	bə·nî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H1121 son
robe	כְּתֹ֣נֶת	kə·ṯō·neṯ	Noun - feminine singular construct	H3801 tunic
A vicious	רָעָ֖ה	rā·‘āh	Adjective - feminine singular	H7451 bad, evil
animal	חַיָּ֥ה	ḥay·yāh	Noun - feminine singular	H2416 alive, living
has devoured him	אֲכָלָ֑תְהוּ	’ă·ḵā·lā·ṯə·hū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular; third person masculine singular	H398 eat
Joseph	יוֹסֵֽף׃	yō·w·sêp̄	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3130 Joseph
has surely been torn to pieces	טָרֹ֥ף	ṭā·rōp̄	Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute	H2963 tear, rend, pluck

Genesis 37:34

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Then Jacob	יַעֲקֹב֙	ya·‘ă·qōḇ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3290 Jacob
tore	וַיִּקְרַ֤ע	way·yiq·ra‘	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7167 tear
his clothes	שִׂמְלֹתָ֔יו	śim·lō·ṯāw	Noun - feminine plural construct; third person masculine singular	H8071 wrapper, mantle
put	וַיָּ֥שֶׂם	way·yā·śem	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7760 put, place, set
sackcloth	שַׂ֖ק	śaq	Noun - masculine singular	H8242 sack, sackcloth
around his waist	בְּמָתְנָ֑יו	bə·mā·ṯə·nāw	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine dual construct; third person masculine singular	H4975 waist, loins
and mourned	וַיִּתְאַבֵּ֥ל	way·yiṯ·’ab·bêl	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H56 mourn
for	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
his son	בְּנ֖וֹ	bə·nōw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H1121 son
many	רַבִּֽים׃	rab·bîm	Adjective - masculine plural	H7227 much, many, great
days	יָמִ֥ים	yā·mîm	Noun - masculine plural	H3117 day