“And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.”
Then Reuben said to his father: you may put both of my sons to death if I do not bring him back to you. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him back. The offer of Reuben — put my sons to death — is the desperate offer of a firstborn trying to recover moral credibility after his violations. The extravagance of the offer (his own grandchildren as surety) reveals both his desperation and Jacob's likely response. The application: the offer of surety that exceeds the capacity of the person making it tends to reveal the desperation of the offerer rather than the reliability of the guarantee.
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