When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes
Reuben left Joseph alive in a waterless pit, meaning to come back for him and take him home to their father. He returns to an empty hole and tears his clothes. The verse leaves us with a man undone by a rescue that came too late.
Reuben's Plan and Its Collapse
Reuben's plan was not simple cruelty. One commentator sees God at work inside the scene, defeating the brothers' scheme through the brothers themselves.
F. B. HoleGod defeated their evil plan by touching the hearts of two of the brothers, Reuben and Judah. Of the two, Reuben appears in the better light. His purpose was to bring Joseph back to his father in the end. They stripped Joseph of the coat that showed the special place he had in his father's heart, and threw him into a pit with no water in it. Judah backed Reuben in this, but while Reuben was away he took the lead in selling Joseph to the Midianite merchants for twenty pieces of silver. So although Joseph did not actually die, he went down into the pit and was sold as a slave.
What the Torn Clothes Mean
Torn clothes were a recognised act with a settled meaning. One commentator, writing about Ezra tearing his clothes, lists this verse among the examples.
Arno Clemens GaebeleinThe tearing of his clothes was the outward expression of his indignation and grief (Gen. 37:29; Lev. 10:6; Judges 11:35; Esther 4:1).
Grief Mixed With Self-Interest
Reuben does not ask where Joseph is. He asks where he will go. One commentator hears fear in that question and asks what Reuben was afraid of.
L. M. GrantReuben was clearly not present when the brothers sold Joseph. When he returns to the pit he is shocked to find him gone (v. 29). His question to his brothers, "and I, where shall I go?" shows he feared being held responsible. Did he think Joseph had escaped and gone to report the whole matter to his father?
Why the Rescue Failed
If Reuben had succeeded, Joseph would have gone straight home. One writer explains why that rescue was never going to work.
A J PollockHis elder brother Reuben comes to the rescue, meaning to get him out of the pit the brothers had thrown him into, and take him back to his father. Joseph would of course have been delighted if he had known Reuben's plan. But that kindness would have stopped Joseph's dreams from coming true, and so it failed.
Remorse That Never Becomes Repentance
One writer treats this moment at the pit as the signature of Reuben's whole character.
The Bible TreasuryTwo other features stand out in Reuben's character. One of them is the constant misery of the undecided mind. It is never really repentant, yet it is always full of regret over its weaknesses and its missed opportunities. When Reuben returned to the pit and found Joseph gone, "he tore his clothes … and said, 'The boy is gone, and I, where shall I go?'"
Degrees of Guilt
The brothers were not all guilty in the same way. One writer weighs Reuben's share against the rest.
Hamilton SmithAll the brothers were guilty, but not to the same degree. Reuben was unstable, and morally corrupt, as we know from his history (Gen. 35:22; Gen. 49:3-4), but he was not cruel by nature. Like his brothers he has wronged his father, yet not all human affection has died in his heart. He would have spared Joseph's life, and his father's feelings.
The Warning in the Empty Pit
Reuben's half-measure saved nobody, and it did not save Reuben either. One writer turns that into a question for the reader.
C KnappMany are like Reuben — they try to take a neutral place. He tries in a weak way to save Joseph's life, but he is careful that it costs him no risk. And he suffers along with his wicked brothers, just as if he had taken the leading part, like Judah… You cannot take a neutral place between this Christ-rejecting world and openly confessing His name.
Summary
- Intention. Reuben meant well: his purpose was to lift Joseph out and give him back to his father.
- Absence. He was not there when the sale happened. Good intentions that wait for a safe moment arrive at an empty pit.
- Reaction. Torn clothes were the sign of grief and indignation. But his cry is about where he will go — he feared being held responsible.
- Overruling. The kindness failed because it would have cancelled Joseph's dreams. God's purpose ran straight through the brothers' evil.
- Warning. Remorse that never turns into decision leaves you standing with the guilty. There is no neutral place to take.