The Meaning of Genesis 37:24 Explained

Genesis 37:24

KJV: And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.

YLT: and take him and cast him into the pit, and the pit is empty, there is no water in it.

Darby: and they took him and cast him into the pit; now the pit was empty there was no water in it.

ASV: and they took him, and cast him into the pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And they took  him, and cast  him into a pit:  and the pit  [was] empty,  [there was] no water  in it. 

What does Genesis 37:24 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 37:12-24 - Joseph's Brothers Plot His Death
Throughout Joseph was a very remarkable type of our Lord. There was, first, this mission of the beloved son to inquire after the well-being of his brethren, which reminds us so vividly of the advent of God's Beloved and Only Begotten Son, who brought us the Father's greeting, and came to see and know by personal inquiry how we fared. Dothan was in the northern portion of the land, and the journey must have taken time and strength; but he persisted until he found them, and came where they were. Their plot against their helpless brother was as the plot of Caiaphas and the rest against our Lord. Pilate knew that for envy they had delivered him into his hands. The pit was one of those rock-hewn cisterns that abound in Palestine, and as there was no water in it Joseph's life was not sacrificed; and there he awaited what was a kind of resurrection. The scene at the pit's mouth was recalled by Joseph in Genesis 42:9; and was never forgotten by the others, Genesis 42:21-22. [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 37

1  Joseph is loved by Jacob, but hated by his brothers
5  His dreams and the interpretation
12  Jacob sends him to his brothers, who counsel to slay him
21  At Reuben's desire they cast him into a pit;
25  and afterwards sell him to the Ishmaelites;
29  while Ruben grieves at not finding him
31  His coat, covered with blood, is sent to Jacob, who mourns him inordinately
36  Joseph is brought to Egypt and sold to Potiphar

What do the individual words in Genesis 37:24 mean?

And they took him and cast him into a pit And the pit [was] empty with no in it water
וַיִּ֨קָּחֻ֔הוּ וַיַּשְׁלִ֥כוּ אֹת֖וֹ הַבֹּ֑רָה וְהַבּ֣וֹר רֵ֔ק אֵ֥ין בּ֖וֹ מָֽיִם

וַיִּ֨קָּחֻ֔הוּ  And  they  took  him 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural, third person masculine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
וַיַּשְׁלִ֥כוּ  and  cast 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁלַךְ  
Sense: to throw, cast, hurl, fling.
הַבֹּ֑רָה  into  a  pit 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: בֹּור 
Sense: pit, well, cistern.
וְהַבּ֣וֹר  And  the  pit 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֹּור 
Sense: pit, well, cistern.
רֵ֔ק  [was]  empty 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רֵיק  
Sense: empty, vain.
אֵ֥ין  with  no 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
בּ֖וֹ  in  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
מָֽיִם  water 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.