Verse Lens · Expanded explanation
Genesis 37:20 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 20. 20Come 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.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
The brothers propose killing Joseph, throwing him into a cistern, and using a wild-animal story to conceal the act. Their final taunt aims to see what will become of his dreams.
Read It With
- Genesis 37:12–36
Read verses 18–22. Verse 18 names conspiracy, verse 19 supplies the mockery, verse 20 gives murder and cover-up, and verses 21–22 record Reuben's counterplan. The full scene shows both violence and an intended false narrative.
Why This Verse Appears Here
The explicit plan joins murder, disposal, deception, and a challenge to the dreams, making the full moral and narrative stakes visible before Reuben intervenes.
Read Genesis 37:18–22 together
Why these verses belong together: The conspiracy, dream mockery, murder and concealment plan, and Reuben's limited rescue strategy form one deliberation.
Verse 18. 18 And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.
Verse 19. 19 And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.
Verse 20. 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.
Verse 21. 21 And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him.
Verse 22. 22 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.
Follow the Context
- Jacob sends Joseph from Hebron to seek the welfare of his brothers and flocks; an unnamed man redirects him from Shechem to Dothan (37:12–17).
- The brothers conspire to kill Joseph and discredit his dreams, while Reuben proposes the pit with an unstated plan known to the narrator to return Joseph to Jacob (37:18–22).
- They strip Joseph, throw him into an empty cistern, sit to eat, and notice an Ishmaelite caravan traveling toward Egypt (37:23–25).
- Judah proposes sale rather than murder; Midianite traders, Ishmaelites, unnamed verb subjects, silver, and transport create a real dispute about the exact transaction sequence, while the brothers remain responsible in the narrative as a whole (37:26–28).
- Reuben discovers Joseph missing; the brothers use goat blood and the garment to make Jacob infer a wild-animal death (37:29–33).
- Jacob refuses consolation and expects to descend mourning to Sheol, while the closing notice places the living Joseph in Potiphar's service in Egypt (37:34–36).
Phrase-by-Phrase Explanation
“let us slay him”
In plain language: The group proposes deliberate killing.
The speech makes the intended violence explicit.
Why it matters: It prevents sentimental treatment of the episode.
How certain? very strong“we shall say”
In plain language: They plan the explanation before the act.
Narrative control is part of the conspiracy.
Why it matters: Indirect deception remains deception.
How certain? very strong“what will become of his dreams”
In plain language: They mock the possibility that the dreams can survive Joseph's death.
The plot is directed against both Joseph and the future his dreams imply.
Why it matters: Later providence answers the taunt without approving the means.
How certain? very strongWhat This Verse Is Not Saying
This verse does not teach that the brothers can cancel or verify God's will by murdering Joseph.
The proposed wild-animal account is not an innocent mistake; it is part of a planned concealment.
The passage does not identify a species of wild animal.
The dreams do not make Joseph immune to suffering or guarantee that every dreamer will be publicly vindicated.
What Remains True
A plan to erase a person often includes a plan to control the story; truthfulness and physical protection therefore belong together.
How It Can Shape Life
- When threats include a cover story, protect the target, preserve evidence, and involve accountable authorities rather than negotiating only about appearances.
Teach It Back
Explain Genesis 37:20's contribution to Genesis 37:12–36. Include why the nearby verses are required, what the verse clearly says, and one conclusion it does not justify.
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Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read Genesis 37:12–36 — Joseph Is Sold and Jacob Is DeceivedSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Displayed text, whole-story responsibility, remembered anguish, and later providence.
Exact location: Genesis 37:12–36; 39:1; 42:21; 45:4–8; 50:15–20 in the pinned standardized 1769 KJV
Open source ↗hebrew text morphology and lemma data
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible — Genesis
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible Project
Open Scriptures, Version 2.2 released 2021; repository inspected 2026
Supports: Shalom, master of dreams, pit, profit, flesh, unstated verb subjects, recognition, Sheol, and court-title forms.
Exact location: WLC Genesis 37:12–36, especially vv. 14, 19, 22, 26–28, 32, 35–36
Open source ↗Translation and textual notes
NET Bible — Genesis with translators' notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, Digital edition accessed 2026
Supports: KJV and Hebrew idioms, verse 28 supplied subjects, garment delivery, Sheol, Medanite-Midianite variant, and Potiphar-title cautions.
Exact location: NET Genesis 37 notes 31–77
Open NET Genesis 37 ↗