Genesis 37:29
New International Version
When Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes.

New Living Translation
Some time later, Reuben returned to get Joseph out of the cistern. When he discovered that Joseph was missing, he tore his clothes in grief.

English Standard Version
When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes

Berean Standard Bible
When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes,

King James Bible
And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.

New King James Version
Then Reuben returned to the pit, and indeed Joseph was not in the pit; and he tore his clothes.

New American Standard Bible
Now Reuben returned to the pit, and behold, Joseph was not in the pit; so he tore his garments.

NASB 1995
Now Reuben returned to the pit, and behold, Joseph was not in the pit; so he tore his garments.

NASB 1977
Now Reuben returned to the pit, and behold, Joseph was not in the pit; so he tore his garments.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Reuben returned to the pit, and behold, Joseph was not in the pit; so he tore his garments.

Amplified Bible
Now Reuben [unaware of what had happened] returned to the pit, and [to his great alarm found that] Joseph was not in the pit; so he tore his clothes [in deep sorrow].

Christian Standard Bible
When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes.

American Standard Version
And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Rubyl returned to the pit, and behold, Yoseph was not in it, and he ripped his clothes.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Ruben returned to the pit, and sees not Joseph in the pit; and he rent his garments.

Contemporary English Version
When Reuben returned to the well and did not find Joseph there, he tore his clothes in sorrow.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Ruben, returning to the pit, found not the boy:

English Revised Version
And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
When Reuben came back to the cistern and saw that Joseph was no longer there, he tore his clothes in grief.

Good News Translation
When Reuben came back to the well and found that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes in sorrow.

International Standard Version
Later, when Reuben returned to the cistern, Joseph wasn't there! In mounting panic, he tore his clothes,

JPS Tanakh 1917
And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.

Literal Standard Version
And Reuben returns to the pit, and behold, Joseph is not in the pit, and he tears his garments,

Majority Standard Bible
When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes,

New American Bible
When Reuben went back to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not in it, he tore his garments,

NET Bible
Later Reuben returned to the cistern to find that Joseph was not in it! He tore his clothes,

New Revised Standard Version
When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes.

New Heart English Bible
And Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph wasn�t in the cistern; and he tore his clothes.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Reuben returned to the pit; and behold, Joseph was not in the pit: and he rent his clothes.

World English Bible
Reuben returned to the pit, and saw that Joseph wasn’t in the pit; and he tore his clothes.

Young's Literal Translation
And Reuben returneth unto the pit, and lo, Joseph is not in the pit, and he rendeth his garments,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Joseph Sold by His Brothers
28So when the Midianite traders passed by, his brothers pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt. 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?”…

Cross References
Genesis 37:34
Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son many days.

Genesis 44:13
Then they all tore their clothes, loaded their donkeys, and returned to the city.

2 Samuel 1:11
Then David took hold of his own clothes and tore them, and all the men who were with him did the same.

2 Samuel 13:19
And Tamar put ashes on her head and tore her robe. And putting her hand on her head, she went away crying bitterly.

2 Kings 5:7
When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and asked, "Am I God, killing and giving life, that this man expects me to cure a leper? Surely you can see that he is seeking a quarrel with me!"

2 Kings 11:14
And she looked out and saw the king standing by the pillar, according to the custom. The officers and trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. Then Athaliah tore her clothes and screamed, "Treason! Treason!"

Job 1:20
Then Job stood up, tore his robe, and shaved his head. He fell to the ground and worshiped,


Treasury of Scripture

And Reuben returned to the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.

he rent.

Genesis 37:34
And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days.

Genesis 34:13
And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, and said, because he had defiled Dinah their sister:

Numbers 14:6
And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes:

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Cistern Clothes Garments Grief Hole Joseph Pit Rendeth Rent Returneth Reuben Signs Tore Wasn't
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Genesis 37
1. Joseph is loved by Jacob, but hated by his brothers.
5. His dreams and the interpretation.
12. Jacob sends him to his brothers, who counsel to slay him.
21. At Reuben's desire they cast him into a pit;
25. and afterwards sell him to the Ishmaelites;
29. while Ruben grieves at not finding him.
31. His coat, covered with blood, is sent to Jacob, who mourns him inordinately.
36. Joseph is brought to Egypt and sold to Potiphar.














(29) Reuben returned.--Evidently he was not present when Joseph was sold to the Midianites. This has been made into a difficulty, but really it confirms the truth of the narrative. For the difficulty arises solely from the supposition that Joseph's brethren immediately after casting him into the pit "sat down to eat bread," an act well described as most cold-blooded. But they were not actually guilty of it; for what the narrative says is that they were having their evening meal when the caravan came in sight. Reuben, between the casting of Joseph into the pit and the evening meal, had apparently gone a long round to fetch in the more distant cattle, and probably had remained away as long as possible, in order to feel sure that his brethren would on his return be at their dinner. He hoped thus to be able to go alone to the cistern, and rescue Joseph, and send him away home before the rest could interfere. Thus rightly understood, it is a proof of the trustworthiness of the history.

Verses 29, 30. - And Reuben (in whose absence apparently the scheme of sale had been concocted and carried through) returned to the pit (obviously with a view to deliver Joseph); and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes - a token of his mingled grief and horror at the discovery (cf. ver. 34; 44:13; 2 Samuel 13:31; 2 Kings 18:37; Job 1:20). And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child (or young man, as in Genesis 4:23, where יֶלֶד in the one hemistich is equivalent to אִישׁ in the other) is not; and I, whither shall I go - i.e. however shall I account for his disappearance?

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
When Reuben
רְאוּבֵן֙ (rə·’ū·ḇên)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 7205: Reuben -- 'behold a son!' oldest son of Jacob, also his desc

returned
וַיָּ֤שָׁב (way·yā·šāḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

the pit
הַבּ֔וֹר (hab·bō·wr)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 953: A pit, cistern, well

and saw
וְהִנֵּ֥ה (wə·hin·nêh)
Conjunctive waw | Interjection
Strong's 2009: Lo! behold!

that Joseph
יוֹסֵ֖ף (yō·w·sêp̄)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3130: Joseph -- 'he increases', a son of Jacob, also the name of several Israelites

was not there,
אֵין־ (’ên-)
Adverb
Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle

he tore
וַיִּקְרַ֖ע (way·yiq·ra‘)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7167: To rend

his clothes,
בְּגָדָֽיו׃ (bə·ḡā·ḏāw)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 899: A covering, clothing, treachery, pillage


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OT Law: Genesis 37:29 Reuben returned to the pit (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 37:28
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