Numbers 2:10-11

The Tribes on the South

2:10 “On the south will be the divisions of the camp of Reuben under their standard. ¹  The leader of the people of Reuben is Elizur son of Shedeur. 2:11 Those numbered in his division are 46,500.

Numbers 26:5-7

Reuben

26:5 Reuben was the firstborn of Israel. The Reubenites: from ²  Hanoch, the family of the Hanochites; from Pallu, the family of the Palluites; 26:6 from Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; from Carmi, the family of the Carmites. 26:7 These were the families of the Reubenites; and those numbered of them were 43,730. ³ 

Genesis 29:32

29:32 So Leah became pregnant ⁴  and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, ⁵  for she said, “The Lord has looked with pity on my oppressed condition. ⁶  Surely my husband will love me now.”

Genesis 46:9

46:9 The sons of Reuben:

Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

Genesis 49:3-4

49:3 Reuben, you are my firstborn,

my might and the beginning of my strength,

outstanding in dignity, outstanding in power.

49:4 You are destructive ⁷  like water and will not excel, ⁸ 

for you got on your father’s bed, ⁹ 

then you defiled it – he got on my couch! ¹⁰ 

Genesis 49:1

The Blessing of Jacob

49:1 Jacob called for his sons and said, “Gather together so I can tell you ¹¹  what will happen to you in the future. ¹² 

Genesis 5:1

From Adam to Noah

5:1 This is the record ¹³  of the family line ¹⁴  of Adam.

When God created humankind, ¹⁵  he made them ¹⁶  in the likeness of God.

[2:10]  ¹ tn Here and throughout the line is literally “[under] the standard of the camp of Reuben…according to their divisions.”

[26:5]  ² tc The Hebrew text has no preposition here, but one has been supplied in the translation for clarity. Cf. vv. 23, 30, 31, 32.

[26:7]  ³ sn The Reubenites had decreased from 46,500 to 43,730.

[29:32]  ⁴ tn Or “Leah conceived” (also in vv. 33, 34, 35).

[29:32]  ⁵ sn The name Reuben (רְאוּבֵן, rÿ’uven) means “look, a son.”

[29:32]  ⁶ tn Heb “looked on my affliction.”

[49:4]  ⁷ tn The Hebrew noun פַּחַז (pakhaz) only occurs here in the OT. A related verb occurs twice in the prophets (Jer 23:32; Zeph 3:4) for false prophets inventing their messages, and once in Judges for unscrupulous men bribed to murder (Judg 9:4). It would describe Reuben as being “frothy, boiling, turbulent” as water. The LXX has “run riot,” the Vulgate has “poured out,” and Tg. Onq. has “you followed your own direction.” It is a reference to Reuben’s misconduct in Gen 35, but the simile and the rare word invite some speculation. H. Pehlke suggests “destructive like water,” for Reuben acted with pride and presumption; see his “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Genesis 49:1-28” (Th.D. dissertation, Dallas Theological Seminary, 1985).

[49:4]  ⁸ tn Heb “Do not excel!” The Hiphil of the verb יָתַר (yatar) has this meaning only here. The negated jussive is rhetorical here. Rather than being a command, it anticipates what will transpire. The prophecy says that because of the character of the ancestor, the tribe of Reuben would not have the character to lead (see 1 Chr 5:1).

[49:4]  ⁹ sn This is a euphemism for having sexual intercourse with Jacob’s wives (see Gen 35:22).

[49:4]  ¹⁰ tn The last verb is third masculine singular, as if for the first time Jacob told the brothers, or let them know that he knew. For a discussion of this passage see S. Gevirtz, “The Reprimand of Reuben,” JNES 30 (1971): 87-98.

[49:1]  ¹¹ tn After the imperative, the cohortative with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose/result.

[49:1]  ¹² tn The expression “in the future” (אַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים, ’akharit hayyamim, “in the end of days”) is found most frequently in prophetic passages; it may refer to the end of the age, the eschaton, or to the distant future. The contents of some of the sayings in this chapter stretch from the immediate circumstances to the time of the settlement in the land to the coming of Messiah. There is a great deal of literature on this chapter, including among others C. Armerding, “The Last Words of Jacob: Genesis 49,” BSac 112 (1955): 320-28; H. Pehlke, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Genesis 49:1-28” (Th.D. dissertation, Dallas Theological Seminary, 1985); and B. Vawter, “The Canaanite Background of Genesis 49,” CBQ 17 (1955): 1-18.

[5:1]  ¹³ tn Heb “book” or “roll.” Cf. NIV “written account”; NRSV “list.”

[5:1]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “generations.” See the note on the phrase “this is the account of” in 2:4.

[5:1]  ¹⁵ tn The Hebrew text has אָדָם (’adam).

[5:1]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “him.” The Hebrew text uses the third masculine singular pronominal suffix on the accusative sign. The pronoun agrees grammatically with its antecedent אָדָם (’adam). However, the next verse makes it clear that אָדָם is collective here and refers to “humankind,” so it is preferable to translate the pronoun with the English plural.