Genesis 49:3

Reuven, thou art my bechor, 1 my koach, and the reshit of my strength, 1 the excellency of honor, and excellency of oz (power): 1

Orthodox Jewish Bible

In The King James Version

Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:

In Context

2Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye Bnei Ya'akov; 1 and pay heed unto Yisroel Avichem. 1

4Unstable as mayim, thou shalt not excel; 1 because thou wentest up to mishkevei avicha (thy fatherʼs bed, i.e. incest); 1 then defiledst thou it; 1 he went up to my couch. 1

Read all of Genesis 49

Cross References

Genesis 35:22And it came to pass, when Yisroel dwelt in that land, that Reuven went and lay with Bilhah pilegesh aviv and Yisroel heard it. Now the Bnei Ya'akov were Sheneym Asar (Twelve);

Genesis 46:8And these are the shemot Bnei Yisroel, which came to Mitzrayim: Ya'akov and his banim: Reuven, bechor Ya'akov;

Numbers 1:20And the bnei Reuven, Yisroelʼs bechor, by their toldot, after their mishpekhot, by the bais of their avot, according to the number of the shmot, one by one, every zachar from twenty years old and upward, all that are able-bodied to serve in tzava;

Deuteronomy 21:17But he shall acknowledge the ben of the hated for the bechor, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath; for he is the beginning of his strength; the mishpat habechorah (right of the firstborn) is his.

Deuteronomy 33:6Let Reuven live, and not die; 1 and let not his men be few. 1

1 Chronicles 5:1Now the Bnei Reuven the bechor Yisroel, for he was the bechor; but forasmuch as he defiled the bed of aviv, his bechorah (firstborn birthright) was given unto the Bnei Yosef Ben Yisroel, though [the latter was] not listed in the family registers as the bechorah.

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

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