Genesis 49:3

Reuben, my first-born, thou, My vigour, and the first-fruit of my strength,—Pre-eminence of elevation and pre-eminence of power:

The Emphasised Bible by J. B. Rotherham

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

2Assemble yourselves and hear ye sons of Jacob,—And hearken unto Israel your father!

4Boiling over like water, thou mayest not have pre-eminence, Because thou didst mount the bed of thy father,—Then, wast thou profane—My marriage-bed, he mounted!

Read all of Genesis 49

Cross References

Genesis 35:22And it came to pass while Israel inhabited that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine; and Israel heard of it. And so the Sons of Israel came to be Twelve.

Genesis 46:8Now, these, are the names of the sons of Israel who came into Egypt—Jacob and his sons,—the firstborn of Jacob, Reuben:

Numbers 1:20And they were [as followeth] —The sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, in their pedigrees—by their families, by their ancestral houses, in the counting of names, by their polls, every male, from twenty years old and upwards, every one able to go forth to war;

Deuteronomy 21:17but the true firstborn the son of her that is hated, shall he treat as firstborn by giving him double out of all that is found to be his,—for, he, is the beginning of his strength, his, is the right of the firstborn.

Deuteronomy 33:6Let Reuben live and not die,—Nor his men be easily counted.

1 Chronicles 5:1And the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, for, he, was the firstborn, but because he defiled the couch of his father, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph son of Israel,—and he is not to be enrolled in the place of firstborn,

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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