Genesis 49:3

Reuben, my first begotten son, thou art my strength, and the beginning of my sorrow; thou oughtest to be the former in gifts, the more in lordship, (or thou ought to be the first in gifts, and the greatest in power, or in authority);

Wycliffe Modern Spelling

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

2be ye gathered [together], and hear, ye sons of Jacob, hear ye Israel your father (or listen to your father Israel).

4(but) thou art shed out as water; wax thou not, for thou ascendedest on the bed of thy father, and defouledest his bed.

Read all of Genesis 49

Cross References

Genesis 35:22And while he dwelled in that country, Reuben went, and slept with Bilhah, the secondary wife of his father, which thing was not hid from him (or which was told to Jacob). Forsooth the sons of Jacob were twelve;

Genesis 46:8Forsooth these be the names of the sons of Israel, that entered into Egypt; Jacob with his free children. The first begotten is Reuben; (And these be the names of the children of Israel who went to Egypt; that is, the names of Jacob and his sons. The first-born was Reuben;)

Numbers 1:20And of Reuben, the first begotten of Israel, were numbered, in the desert of Sinai, by their generations, and families, and houses, and by the names of all the heads, all thing that is of male kind, from twenty years and above, of men going forth to battle, (And so the sons of Reuben, the first-born of Israel, were listed by their generations, and families, and houses of their kindreds, with the names of all who were twenty years of age and older, and all the men who could go forth to battle numbered)

Deuteronomy 21:17but he shall know the son of the hateful wife to be his first begotten son, and he shall give to that son all things double of those things that he hath; for this son is the beginning of his free children, and the first engendered things be due to him. (but he shall acknowledge the son of the hated wife to be his first-born son, and he shall give double to that son of all the things that he hath; for this son is the first of his children, and the rights of the first-born son be due to him.)

Deuteronomy 33:6Reuben live, and die not, and be he little in number. (May the tribe of Reuben live, and not die out, but be they few in number.)

1 Chronicles 5:1Also the sons of Reuben, the first begotten son of Israel; for he was the first begotten son of Israel, but when he had defouled the bed of his father, the dignity of his first begetting was given to the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel; and Reuben was not areckoned into the first begotten son (or and so Reuben was not reckoned as the first-born son).

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 49:3