Do not take away his life, nor shed his blood: but cast him into this pit, that is in the wilderness, and keep your hands harmless: now he said this, being desirous to deliver him out of their hands and to restore him to his father.
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֣ם ׀ רְאוּבֵן֮ אַל־תִּשְׁפְּכוּ־דָם֒ הַשְׁלִ֣יכוּ אֹת֗וֹ אֶל־הַבּ֤וֹר הַזֶּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר וְיָ֖ד אַל־תִּשְׁלְחוּ־ב֑וֹ לְמַ֗עַן הַצִּ֤יל אֹתוֹ֙ מִיָּדָ֔ם לַהֲשִׁיב֖וֹ אֶל־אָבִֽיו׃
2 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Observe that even this individual hesitates to rescue his brother from their grasp. In an effort to temporarily suppress their desire to kill, he suggests, ‘Shed no blood; throw him into the pit.’ To clarify Reuben's true intentions, Sacred Scripture states that he acted ‘that he might deliver him out of their hands, and bring him back to his father.’
Just as they were preparing to take his life, Reuben intervened; instead, they threw him into one of the pits, disregarding Reuben's advice. (See Gen. 37:26)
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS