Genesis 42 · Verse 22

Genesis 42:22

And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.
Genesis 42:22, King James Version

Genesis 42:22 in other translations

BSBAnd Reuben responded, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you would not listen. Now we must account for his blood!”
WEBReuben answered them, saying, “Didn’t I tell you, saying, ‘Don’t sin against the child,’ and you wouldn’t listen? Therefore also, behold, his blood is required.”
ASVAnd Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore also, behold, his blood is required.
YLTAnd Reuben answereth them, saying, ‘Spake I not unto you, saying, Sin not against the lad? and ye hearkened not; and his blood also, lo, it is required.'
DARBYAnd Reuben answered them, saying, Did I not speak to you, saying, Do not sin against the lad? But ye did not hearken; and now behold, his blood also is required.
BBEAnd Reuben said to them, Did I not say to you, Do the child no wrong? but you gave no attention; so now, punishment has come on us for his blood.
WebsterAnd Reuben answered them, saying, Did I not speak to you, saying, Do not sin against the young man; and ye would not hear? therefore behold also his blood is required.

What does Genesis 42:22 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Genesis 42:17-24

17-24. put them ... into ward three days--Their confinement had been designed to bring them to salutary reflection. And this object was attained, for they looked upon the retributive justice of God as now pursuing them in that foreign land. The drift of their conversation is one of the most striking instances on record of the power of conscience [Ge 42:21, 22].

Read the full comment on Genesis 42:17-24 →

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 42:21-24

The office of conscience is to bring to mind things long since said and done. When the guilt of this sin of Joseph's brethren was fresh, they made light of it, and sat down to eat bread; but now, long afterward, their consciences accused them of it. See the good of afflictions; they often prove the happy means of awakening conscience, and bringing sin to our remembrance. Also, the evil of guilt as to our brethren…

Read the full comment on Genesis 42:21-24 →

Genesis 42:22 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.

וַיַּעַן֩vai.ya.'Anand he answeredH6030
רְאוּבֵ֨ןre.'u.VenReubenH7205
אֹתָ֜ם'o.Tam<obj.> themH853
לֵאמֹ֗רle.Mor<to> sayingH559
הֲלוֹא֩ha.lO'¿ notH3808
אָמַ֨רְתִּי'a.Mar.tidid I sayH559
אֲלֵיכֶ֧ם\׀'a.lei.Khemto youH413
לֵאמֹ֛רle.Mor<to> sayingH559
אַל\־'al-may notH408
תֶּחֶטְא֥וּte.chet.'Uyou sinH2398
בַיֶּ֖לֶדvai.Ye.ledagainst the boyH3206
וְלֹ֣אve.Lo'and notH3808
שְׁמַעְתֶּ֑םshe.ma'.Temyou listenedH8085
וְגַם\־ve.gam-and alsoH1571
דָּמ֖וֹda.Moblood hisH1818
הִנֵּ֥הhi.Nehhere!H2009
נִדְרָֽשׁ\׃nid.Rash[is] being requiredH1875

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

Cross references for Genesis 42:22

  • Psalms 9:12

    When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble.

  • 1 Kings 2:32

    And the Lord shall return his blood upon his own head, who fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword, my father David not knowing thereof, to wit, Abner the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah.

  • 2 Chronicles 24:22

    Thus Joash the king remembered not the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son. And when he died, he said, The Lord look upon it, and require it.

  • Genesis 37:21-22

    And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him. And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.

  • Genesis 9:5-6

    And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man’s brother will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.

  • Luke 11:50-51

    That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.

  • Revelation 16:9

    And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.

  • Acts 28:4

    And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live.

  • Luke 23:41

    And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.

  • Ezekiel 3:18

    When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

  • Revelation 13:10

    He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

  • Genesis 37:29-30

    And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes. And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go?

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Spake I.
37:21,22,29,30; Lu 23:41; Ro 2:15
his blood.
4:10; 9:5,6; 1Ki 2:32; 2Ch 24:22; Ps 9:12; Eze 3:18; Lu 11:50,51
Ac 28:4; Re 13:10; 16:9

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

Context

  • Genesis 42:21

    And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.

  • Genesis 42:22

    And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.

  • Genesis 42:23

    And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter.

Read all of Genesis 42

Genesis 42:22 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Entonces Rubén les respondió, diciendo: ¿No os hablé yo y dije: No pequéis contra el mozo; y no escuchasteis? He aquí también su sangre es requerida.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et Ruben leur répondit, disant: Ne vous ai-je pas parlé, disant: Ne péchez pas contre l’enfant? Mais vous n’avez pas écouté; et aussi, voici, son sang est redemandé.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und Ruben antwortete ihnen und sprach: Habe ich nicht zu euch gesprochen und gesagt: Versündiget euch nicht an dem Knaben? Aber ihr hörtet nicht; und siehe, sein Blut wird auch gefordert!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
E quibus unus Ruben, ait: Numquid non dixi vobis: Nolite peccare in puerum: et non audistis me? en sanguis ejus exquiritur.