Reuben רְאוּבֵן

Firstborn son of Jacob and Leah. Reuben was the firstborn son of Jacob and Leah, and his descendants formed one of the twelve tribes of Israel.

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Also called Reubenite.

Family

Where Reuben appears

Joshua (25), Numbers (19), Genesis (13), 1 Chronicles (12), Deuteronomy (7), Ezekiel (3), Exodus (2), Judges (2), 2 Kings (1), Revelation (1)

Key verses

• Genesis 29:32 first mention — And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me.
• Genesis 35:22 — And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine: and Israel heard it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve:
• Genesis 37:29 — And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.
• Genesis 48:5 — And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.
• Genesis 49:3 — Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:
• Numbers 16:1 — Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took
• Numbers 32:1 — Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle: and when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that, behold, the place was a place for cattle;
• Numbers 32:33 — And Moses gave unto them, even to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and unto half the tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land, with the cities thereof in the coasts, even the cities of the country round about.
• Joshua 22:15 — And they came unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half tribe of Manasseh, unto the land of Gilead, and they spake with them, saying,
• 1 Chronicles 2:1 — These are the sons of Israel; Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun,
• 1 Chronicles 5:1 — Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, (for he was the firstborn; but, forasmuch as he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel: and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright.
• 1 Chronicles 5:26 — And the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria, and he carried them away, even the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, and brought them unto Halah, and Habor, and Hara, and to the river Gozan, unto this day.

Person data: STEPBible.org TIPNR, Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0), adapted. Verse text: King James Version.