Traces
Judah and Reuben
How Judah and Reuben are linked in Scripture, with every passage where their stories cross.
How they are linked
Judah and Reuben were siblings.
Reuben and Judah were Leah's first and fourth sons. Both turned their brothers from killing Joseph, Reuben with the pit and Judah with the sale to the Ishmeelites.
The sons of Leah; Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, and Simeon, and Levi, and Judah
Genesis 35:23, King James Version
Let us not kill him
Genesis 37:21, King James Version
What profit is it if we slay our brother
Genesis 37:26, King James Version
Where they cross: Genesis 37:21-27
Notes are commentary, checked against the cited verses in a separate review. Quoted words are Scripture.
Every passage, in order
Genesis 35:23
23The sons of Leah; Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, and Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun:
Genesis 37:21-27
21And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him.
22And 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.
23And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him;
24And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.
25And 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.
26And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?
27Come, 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.
King James Version