Genesis Chapter 37 verse 29 Holy Bible

ASV Genesis 37:29

And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.
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BBE Genesis 37:29

Now when Reuben came back to the hole, Joseph was not there; and giving signs of grief,
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DARBY Genesis 37:29

And Reuben returned to the pit, and behold, Joseph [was] not in the pit; and he rent his garments,
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KJV Genesis 37:29

And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.
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WBT Genesis 37:29

And Reuben returned to the pit; and behold, Joseph was not in the pit: and he rent his clothes.
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WEB Genesis 37:29

Reuben returned to the pit; and saw that Joseph wasn't in the pit; and he tore his clothes.
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YLT Genesis 37:29

And Reuben returneth unto the pit, and lo, Joseph is not in the pit, and he rendeth his garments,
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Pulpit Commentary

Pulpit CommentaryVerses 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?

Ellicott's Commentary

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(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.