Genesis 49:4

Boiling over as water, thou shall not have the pre-eminence, because thou went up to thy father's bed, then thou defiled it; he went up to my couch.

A Conservative Version

In The King James Version

Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father’s bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch.

In Context

3Reuben, thou are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the pre-eminence of dignity, and the pre-eminence of power.

5Simeon and Levi are brothers, weapons of violence are their swords.

Read all of Genesis 49

Cross References

Genesis 46:8And these are the names of the sons of Israel who came into Egypt with their father Jacob, Jacob and his sons: The firstborn of Jacob, Reuben.

Deuteronomy 5:21Neither shall thou covet thy neighbor's wife. Neither shall thou desire thy neighbor's house, his field, or his man-servant, or his maid-servant, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is thy neighbor's.

Deuteronomy 33:6Let Reuben live, and not die, nor let his men be few.

1 Corinthians 5:1Fornication is actually heard among you, and such fornication that is not even named among the Gentiles, for some man to have his father's wife.

2 Peter 2:14having eyes full of adultery, and unceasing sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, children of a curse,

Matthew Henry on Genesis 49:2-5

Jacob's Prophecy Concerning His Sons. ( b. c. 1689.) 1 And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befal you in the last days. 2 Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father. 3 Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power: 4 Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; then… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Genesis 49:4