Why did Reuben want to save Joseph in Genesis 37:21? Canonical Text “ When Reuben heard this, he rescued him from their hands, saying, ‘Let us not take his life.’ ” (Genesis 37:21) Immediate Narrative Setting Joseph’s brothers have just plotted murder (Genesis 37:18-20). Reuben’s interjection halts an imminent fratricide. The Hebrew verb וַיַּצִּלֵהוּ (way-yatstzilēhū, “he rescued him”) shows decisive, one-time intervention. The next verse clarifies Reuben’s private agenda: “that he might rescue him and return him to his father” (37:22). Reuben’s Role as Firstborn Ancient Near-Eastern law codes (e.g., Nuzi tablets; Code of Hammurabi §170-171) assign the bĕkôr (firstborn) both double inheritance and legal responsibility for younger siblings. In patriarchal culture, failure to protect family members brought shame and liability (cf. Job 1:5; 1 Chron 27:1). As Jacob’s eldest, Reuben is duty-bound to maintain clan continuity; Joseph’s death would mark him culpable before both family and God (cf. Genesis 9:5-6). Moral Restitution for Past Sin Reuben had “gone in to his father’s concubine” (Genesis 35:22). That violation jeopardized his birthright (later forfeited, 1 Chron 5:1-2). Ancient honor-shame dynamics, attested in Mari letters and Ugaritic texts, expected tangible acts of restitution. Sparing Joseph offered Reuben a path to regain Jacob’s favor and mitigate his earlier disgrace (compare Judah’s later self-offering, Genesis 44:18-34). Conscience and Fear of Divine Retribution Pre-Sinai awareness of homicide’s gravity is evident since Abel’s murder (Genesis 4:10-11). Genesis consistently depicts bloodguilt as invoking divine judgment (Genesis 9:6). Reuben’s plea, “Shed no blood” (37:22), echoes this theology. The Dead Sea Scrolls’ “Testament of Reuben” (4Q538) expands the tradition that Reuben warned his brothers lest God punish them—indicating an early Jewish understanding of his motive as God-fearing conscience. Strategic De-escalation Rather than direct confrontation, Reuben proposes placing Joseph in a dry cistern. Archaeology from Dothan-region rock-cut pits (excavated by J.P. Free, 1953-1958) confirms such cisterns could temporarily confine a man. This tactic diffuses murderous intent while allowing Reuben to act later unnoticed—an astute conflict-management choice consistent with primogenital diplomacy. Providential Undercurrents Though Reuben’s plan fails (Joseph is sold while he is absent, Genesis 37:29), God’s sovereignty turns a thwarted rescue into a greater deliverance (Genesis 50:20). Reuben’s thwarted intentions foreshadow substitutionary themes culminating in Christ’s redemptive act (Mark 10:45). Rabbinic and Patristic Witness • Targum Onkelos notes Reuben’s aim “to deliver him from their hand that he might restore him to his father.” • Origen (Homilies on Genesis XXII) sees Reuben as an archetype of one who seeks to intercede yet lacks power—pointing forward to the only effective Mediator. Cultural-Legal Corroboration The Late-Bronze Age “Kirta Epic” from Ugarit depicts elder-son responsibility for sibling welfare, underscoring that Reuben’s conduct matches broader Semitic norms. Such consistency bolsters the narrative’s historical verisimilitude. Summary Answer Reuben intervened to save Joseph because: 1. He was legally and culturally obligated as firstborn guardian. 2. He sought moral restitution for his earlier sin with Bilhah and to regain Jacob’s trust. 3. His conscience feared divine judgment for bloodguilt. 4. He employed a strategic, non-violent plan to rescue Joseph later. 5. God’s providence used his partial success to advance the redemptive storyline culminating in Christ. Thus Genesis 37:21 presents Reuben as a complex figure—flawed yet responsive to familial duty, personal repentance, and divine moral law. |
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