Reuben

Biblical Account

Reuben was the first son born to Jacob and Leah. Leah named him, saying, "Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction" (Genesis 29:32). The Hebrew name is understood to mean "See, a son." As a boy, during the wheat harvest, he found mandrakes (a plant believed to promote fertility) in the field and brought them to his mother, which led to a bargain between Leah and Rachel (Genesis 30:14-16).

After Rachel's death, Reuben lay with Bilhah, his father's concubine (Genesis 35:22). When his brothers plotted to kill Joseph, Reuben proposed that they throw him into a pit instead; the text explains that he intended to rescue Joseph and return him to their father. When Reuben came back, however, Joseph had already been sold, and Reuben tore his clothes (Genesis 37:21-30). Later, when the brothers found themselves in distress in Egypt, he reminded them of their past sin (Genesis 42:22). He also offered the lives of his own two sons as a pledge so that he might take Benjamin with them to Egypt, but Jacob refused (Genesis 42:37-38).

Before his death, Jacob called Reuben "my firstborn, my might," yet declared, "Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel," citing Reuben's defilement of his father's bed (Genesis 49:3-4).

Significance Within Scripture

1 Chronicles explains that although Reuben was the firstborn, because he defiled his father's bed, the birthright (the portion and status belonging to the firstborn son) was given to the sons of Joseph, while the chief ruler came from Judah (1 Chronicles 5:1-2). Reuben's descendants formed the tribe of Reuben, one of the twelve tribes of Israel. Together with the tribe of Gad, this tribe settled east of the Jordan River (Numbers 32). Dathan and Abiram, members of the tribe of Reuben, took part in the rebellion of Korah (Numbers 16). The Song of Deborah rebukes the tribe of Reuben for remaining among the sheepfolds rather than going out to battle (Judges 5:15-16). In the New Testament, Revelation 7:5 mentions twelve thousand sealed from the tribe of Reuben.

Interpretation and Debate

The Bilhah incident is sometimes read in light of the ancient Near Eastern practice in which taking a father's concubine was a way of asserting a claim to leadership of the family. The case of Absalom (2 Samuel 16:21-22) is cited as a parallel. By contrast, some strands of rabbinic Jewish tradition hold that Reuben did not actually lie with Bilhah but instead moved his father's bed to defend the honor of his mother, Leah. This is a later interpretation not found in the text. As for his motive in trying to save Joseph, some interpreters see genuine compassion, while others see an attempt to recover his lost standing as firstborn. Many commentators contrast Reuben, who offered his sons as a pledge, with Judah, who offered himself (Genesis 43:9; 44:33).

In the Korean Church

In Korean preaching, Reuben is commonly presented as an example of the instability of one "unstable as water" and of a man who lost the blessing of the firstborn through a single sin. In Sunday school, he is usually introduced within the Joseph narrative as the eldest brother who tried to save his younger brother's life.