Who was Reuben in the Bible?
Jacob's son, in the age of the patriarchs
Reuben was the firstborn son of Israel (or 'Jacob') and Leah (Gen.29.32). Reuben appears in 12 verses of the Bible.
What does the Bible say about Reuben?
Reuben was the firstborn son of Israel (or 'Jacob') and Leah (Gen.29.32). As the firstborn, he held a position of prominence and was entitled to a double portion of the inheritance (Gen.49.3; Deu.21.17). However, Reuben lost his birthright due to his sin of sleeping with his father's concubine, Bilhah (Gen.35.22; 49.3-4; 1Ch.5.1). Despite this, Reuben showed concern for his younger brother Joseph and tried to save him from their brothers' plot to kill him (Gen.37.21-22, 29). Later, he offered to bear the blame if harm came to Benjamin on their journey to Egypt (Gen.42.37). When Jacob blessed his sons, he described Reuben as "unstable as water" and declared that he would not excel because of his past actions (Gen.49.3-4). The tribe of Reuben, along with the tribes of Gad and half of Manasseh, settled in the land east of the Jordan River (Numbers 32; Jos.13.15-23). They assisted the other tribes in conquering Canaan before returning to their inheritance (Joshua 22). In the time of the judges, the tribe of Reuben was criticized for not assisting Deborah and Barak in the fight against Sisera (Jdg.5.15-16). The tribe of Reuben is mentioned in the visions of Ezekiel and Revelation, symbolizing its place among the restored tribes of Israel (Ezk.48.6-7, 31; Rev.7.5).
Definition text: STEPBible · Tyndale House Cambridge. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Lightly edited for length and formatting.
Compiled by Protos: the verse list on this page. Where one name belongs to more than one person or place, each of them gets a separate entry.
Where does Reuben appear in the Bible?
Reuben is referenced in 12 verses. Every passage below is about this one, not just every verse the word turns up in.
- Genesis 29:32
- Genesis 30:14
- Genesis 35:22
- Genesis 35:23
- Genesis 37:21
- Genesis 37:22
- Genesis 37:29
- Genesis 42:22
- Genesis 42:37
- Genesis 46:8
- Genesis 46:9
- Genesis 49:3
What else appears in these passages?
These turn up in the same passages as Reuben.
Common questions
How many times does the Bible mention Reuben?
Reuben appears in 12 verses, all of them in Genesis.
Which books of the Bible mention Reuben?
Just one: Genesis.
Where can I read every verse about Reuben?
This page lists 12 of them. Protos carries all 12, and opens this entry on the verse you are reading rather than in a separate tab.
