And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?

GENESIS 37:26KJV
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Genesis 37:26 (KJV)

What does Genesis 37:26 mean?

Genesis 37:26 shows Judah questioning his brothers about their plan to kill Joseph, asking what benefit they would gain by killing him and hiding the evidence. Judah is suggesting that there is no advantage or profit in simply murdering their brother and covering it up.

In this scene, Judah is speaking to his brothers as they plot against Joseph, who is their younger sibling. The brothers are jealous and angry because Joseph is favored by their father, Jacob. Judah’s question shifts the conversation from violence to considering another course of action, focusing on what they might gain rather than acting out of pure anger.

The Hebrew behind Genesis 37:26

  • "profit" — בֶּצַע (betza‘): This word means gain, profit, or advantage, often in a material or financial sense. Judah is appealing to his brothers’ self-interest, not just their emotions.
  • "slay" — הָרַג (harag): This is a direct word for killing or putting to death, making it clear that the brothers were seriously considering murder.
  • "conceal" — כָּסָה (kasah): This means to cover or hide, emphasizing that the plan involved not just killing Joseph but also making sure no one found out.

Why Genesis 37:26 matters

  • Judah’s question reveals a turning point in the brothers’ plot, moving from murder to selling Joseph, which changes Joseph’s fate and the direction of the story.
  • The verse highlights the role of self-interest and calculation in the brothers’ actions, not just raw hatred or jealousy.
  • Understanding the specific words for "profit" and "conceal" shows that the brothers were thinking about both the consequences and possible benefits of their actions, not just acting impulsively.

Where else these words appear

“profit” Hebrew H1215 · used in 23 verses

  • Exodus 18:21 Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:
  • Proverbs 15:27 He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts shall live.
  • Jeremiah 22:17 But thine eyes and thine heart are not but for thy covetousness, and for to shed innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence, to do it.

“conceal” Hebrew H3680 · used in 149 verses

  • Genesis 7:19 And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered.
  • 1 Samuel 19:13 And Michal took an image, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats' hair for his bolster, and covered it with a cloth.
  • Proverbs 24:31 And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.