Genesis 37 · Verse 26

Genesis 37:26

And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?
Genesis 37:26, King James Version

Genesis 37:26 in other translations

BSBThen Judah said to his brothers, “What profit will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood?
WEBJudah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood?
ASVAnd Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother and conceal his blood?
YLTAnd Judah saith unto his brethren, ‘What gain when we slay our brother, and have concealed his blood?
DARBYAnd Judah said to his brethren, What profit is it that we kill our brother and secrete his blood?
BBEAnd Judah said to his brothers, What profit is there in putting our brother to death and covering up his blood?
WebsterAnd Judah said to his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood.

What does Genesis 37:26 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Genesis 37:26-28
26-28. Judah said, ... What profit is it if we slay our brother?--The sight of these travelling merchants gave a sudden turn to the views of the conspirators; for having no wish to commit a greater degree of crime than was necessary for the accomplishment of their end, they readily approved of Judah's suggestion to dispose of their obnoxious brother as a slave. The proposal, of course, was founded on their knowledge that the Arabian merchants trafficked in slaves; and there is the clearest evidence furnished by the monuments of Egypt that the traders who were in the habit of bringing slaves from the countries through which they passed, found a ready market in the cities of the Nile. they ... lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold him--Acting impulsively on Judah's advice, they had their poor victim ready by the time the merchants reached them; and money being no part of their object, they sold him for twenty pieces of silver--The money was probably in rings or pieces (shekels), and silver is always mentioned in the records of that early age before gold, on account of its rarity. The whole sum, if in shekel weight, did not exceed £3. they brought Joseph into Egypt--There were two routes to Egypt: the one was overland by Hebron, where Jacob dwelt, and by taking which, the fate of his hapless son would likely have reached the paternal ears; the other was directly westward across the country from Dothan to the maritime coast, and in this, the safest and most expeditious way, the merchants carried Joseph to Egypt. Thus did an overruling Providence lead this murderous conclave of brothers, as well as the slave merchants both following their own free courses--to be parties in an act by which He was to work out, in a marvellous manner, the great purposes of His wisdom and goodness towards His ancient Church and people.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 37:23-30

They threw Joseph into a pit, to perish there with hunger and cold; so cruel were their tender mercies. They slighted him when he was in distress, and were not grieved for the affliction of Joseph, see Am 6:6; for when he was pining in the pit, they sat down to eat bread. They felt no remorse of conscience for the sin. But the wrath of man shall praise God, and the remainder of wrath he will restrain, Psa 76:10…

Read the full comment on Genesis 37:23-30 →

Genesis 37:26 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֹּ֥אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
יְהוּדָ֖הye.hu.DahJudahH3063
אֶל\־'el-toH413
אֶחָ֑יו'e.Chavbrothers hisH251
מַה\־mah-what?H4100
בֶּ֗צַעBe.tza'[is the] profitH1215
כִּ֤יkiifH3588
נַהֲרֹג֙na.ha.Rogwe will killH2026
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
אָחִ֔ינוּ'a.Chi.nubrother ourH251
וְכִסִּ֖ינוּve.khi.Si.nuand we will concealH3680
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
דָּמֽוֹ\׃da.Moblood hisH1818

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Genesis 37:26

  • Genesis 37:20

    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.

  • Genesis 4:10

    And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.

  • Ezekiel 24:7

    For her blood is in the midst of her; she set it upon the top of a rock; she poured it not upon the ground, to cover it with dust;

  • Jeremiah 41:8

    But ten men were found among them that said unto Ishmael, Slay us not: for we have treasures in the field, of wheat, and of barley, and of oil, and of honey. So he forbare, and slew them not among their brethren.

  • Romans 6:21

    What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.

  • 2 Samuel 1:16

    And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the Lord’s anointed.

  • Matthew 16:26

    For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

  • Genesis 25:32

    And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?

  • Job 16:18

    O earth, cover not thou my blood, and let my cry have no place.

  • Deuteronomy 17:8

    If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, being matters of controversy within thy gates: then shalt thou arise, and get thee up into the place which the Lord thy God shall choose;

  • Psalms 30:9

    What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth?

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
What profit.
25:32; Ps 30:9; Jer 41:8; Mt 16:26; Ro 6:21
conceal.
20; 4:10; De 17:8; 2Sa 1:16; Job 16:18; Eze 24:7

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Genesis 37:25

    And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.

  • Genesis 37:26

    And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?

  • Genesis 37:27

    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.

Read all of Genesis 37

Genesis 37:26 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Entonces Judá dijo á sus hermanos: ¿Qué provecho el que matemos á nuestro hermano y encubramos su muerte?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Juda dit à ses frères: Quel profit aurons-nous à tuer notre frère et à cacher son sang?
German
Elberfelder 1871		Da sprach Juda zu seinen Brüdern: Was für ein Gewinn ist es, daß wir unseren Bruder erschlagen und sein Blut verhehlen?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Dixit ergo Judas fratribus suis: Quid nobis prodest si occiderimus fratrem nostrum, et celaverimus sanguinem ipsius?