Genesis 49:3
Reuben mine eldest sonne, thou art my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellencie of dignitie, and the excellencie of power:
Geneva Bible 1599
In The King James Version
In Context
2Gather your selues together, and heare, ye sonnes of Iaakob, and hearken vnto Israel your father.
Cross References
Genesis 35:22Now, when Israel dwelt in that land, Reuben went, and lay with Bilhah his fathers concubine, and it came to Israels eare. And Iaakob had twelue sonnes.
Genesis 46:8And these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt, euen Iaakob and his sonnes: Reuben, Iaakobs first borne.
Numbers 1:20So were the sonnes of Reuben Israels eldest sonne by their generations, by their families, and by the houses of their fathers, according to the nomber of their names, man by man euery male from twentie yere olde and aboue, as many as went forth to warre:
Deuteronomy 21:17But he shall acknowledge the sonne of the hated for the first borne, and giue him double portion of all that he hath: for hee is the first of his strength, and to him belongeth the right of the first borne.
Deuteronomy 33:6Let Reuben liue, and not die, though his men be a small nomber.
1 Chronicles 5:1The sonnes also of Reuben the eldest sonne of Israel (for he was the eldest, but had defiled his fathers bed, therefore his birthright was giuen vnto the sonnes of Ioseph the sonne of Israel, so that the genealogie is not rekoned after his birthright.
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 →