Original Word: רְאוּבֵן
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: R'uwben
Pronunciation: reh-oo-BAYN
Phonetic Spelling: (reh-oo-bane')
KJV: Reuben
NASB: Reuben
Word Origin: [from the imperative of H7200 (רָאָה - see) and H1121 (בֵּן - sons)]

1. see ye a son
2. Reuben, a son of Jacob

Reuben

From the imperative of ra'ah and ben; see ye a son; Reuben, a son of Jacob -- Reuben.

see HEBREW ra'ah

see HEBREW ben

Word Origin
from raah and ben
Definition
"behold a son!" oldest son of Jacob, also his desc.
NASB Translation
Reuben (72).

רְאוּבֵן₇₁ proper name, masculine Reuben, Ρουβην[ιν] (be-hold a son! but Genesis 29:32 makes = רָאָה בְּעָנְיִי (!); Jos^{Ant. i. 19}, 7 and others Ρουβηλος, ᵑ6 , ׳ר then perhaps = Arabic , lion, compare Di); —

1 eldest son of Jacob and Leah Genesis 29:32; Genesis 30:14 11t. Genesis; Exodus 1:2; 1 Chronicles 2:1; as head of family or clan Exodus 6:14 (twice in verse); Numbers 1:20; Numbers 26:5 (all P), 1 Chronicles 5:1,3, compare ׳בְּנֵי אֱלִיאָב בֶּןרְֿא Deuteronomy 11:6.

2 as name of clan or tribe Judges 5:15,16; Deuteronomy 27:13; Joshua 18:7 ( +גָּד; both D), Deuteronomy 33:6 (poem), Ezekiel 48:6,7,31; Numbers 1:5 (P); so ׳מַטֵּה ר Numbers 1:21; Numbers 13:4; Joshua 20:8; Joshua 21:7 (all P), 1 Chronicles 6:48; 1 Chronicles 6:63, ׳מַחֲנֵה ר Numbers 2:10,16; Numbers 10:18 (all P); ׳בְּנֵי ר, as tribe, Numbers 16:l b Numbers 32:37 (both J E), Numbers 2:10; Numbers 7:20; Numbers 26:5; Joshua 13:23 (twice in verse) (all P), also (+ Gad and often Manasseh) Numbers 32:1,2,6,25 (JE), Joshua 4:12 (D), Numbers 32:29,31,33; Joshua 22:9 11t. 22 (all P), compare 1 Chronicles 5:18; ׳בֶּןרֿ as tribe Joshua 15:6; Joshua 18:7 (both P), מַטֵּה ׳בְנֵיֿ ר Joshua 13:15 (P).

Birth and Naming

“Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and she named him Reuben; for she said, ‘Because the LORD has seen my affliction, surely my husband will love me now’” (Genesis 29:32). Reuben is the firstborn of Jacob, the eldest of the twelve patriarchs, and thus the natural heir to leadership and double inheritance. His name (“See, a son”) commemorates the LORD’s compassionate regard for Leah.

Character Sketch in Genesis

• He forfeited his birthright by the sin of lying with Bilhah (Genesis 35:22).
• Nevertheless he showed compassion toward Joseph: “When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands… ‘Do not shed his blood’” (Genesis 37:21-22). Returning to the pit and finding Joseph gone, he tore his clothes in genuine distress (Genesis 37:29-30).
• In Egypt he urged accountability: “Did I not tell you, ‘Do not sin against the boy’? But you would not listen” (Genesis 42:22). He even offered the lives of his two sons as surety for Benjamin (Genesis 42:37), revealing a sense of responsibility despite earlier failure.

Patriarchal Prophecy

“Reuben, you are my firstborn… excel in dignity and power. Uncontrolled as the waters, you will not excel” (Genesis 49:3-4). Jacob affirms the privileges of primogeniture, then revokes them because of moral instability. Later genealogy records confirm the transfer of the birthright to Joseph (1 Chronicles 5:1-2), yet Reuben is still counted among the tribes.

Mosaic Blessing

“Let Reuben live and not die, nor his men be few” (Deuteronomy 33:6). Moses prays for the tribe’s survival and growth, indicating divine mercy that tempers Jacob’s censure.

Censuses and Military Strength

First wilderness census: 46,500 fighting men (Numbers 1:21).

Second census: 43,730 (Numbers 26:7). Although slightly diminished, the tribe remained substantial. The camp of Reuben (with Simeon and Gad) marched south of the tabernacle (Numbers 2:10-16).

Territorial Allotment East of the Jordan

Seeing the rich pasturelands of Gilead, Reuben and Gad asked for inheritance east of Jordan (Numbers 32). Moses granted it on condition of armed participation in Canaan’s conquest. Boundaries are listed in Joshua 13:15-23; major cities include Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, and Aroer. Bezer, within Reubenite territory, became a city of refuge (Joshua 20:8).

Altar of Witness

After the conquest, Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh built a large altar by the Jordan. Misunderstanding almost led to civil war, but their explanation—“It is a witness between us that the LORD is God” (Joshua 22:34)—affirmed unity of worship.

Song of Deborah

“In the divisions of Reuben there were great resolves of heart… Why did you sit among the sheepfolds, to hear the piping for the flocks?” (Judges 5:15-16). The tribe’s hesitancy in aiding Israel against Canaanite oppression marks an early instance of indifference that fits Jacob’s verdict of instability.

Korah’s Rebellion Associations

Dathan, Abiram, and On—Reubenites—joined Korah’s insurrection (Numbers 16:1-2). The ground swallowed them, underscoring the cost of discontent.

Genealogies and Later History

1 Chronicles 5 traces Reuben’s lines through Joel to the Assyrian exile. The tribe, with Gad and half-Manasseh, defeated the Hagarites—“for they cried out to God in the battle, and He granted their request” (1 Chronicles 5:20). Yet Tiglath-Pileser III deported them (1 Chronicles 5:26), fulfilling the warning of instability and foreshadowing dispersion.

Restoration Promises

In Ezekiel’s millennial allotment Reuben lies north of Judah (Ezekiel 48:6), and a gate bears his name (Ezekiel 48:31), signaling enduring covenant identity. Revelation likewise lists Reuben among the sealed servants: “From the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were sealed” (Revelation 7:5).

Theological Reflection

Reuben exemplifies the tension between privilege and responsibility. Sin cost him supremacy, yet God preserved his lineage, demonstrating both holiness and covenant faithfulness. His account warns against uncontrolled passion, highlights the possibility of repentance (Genesis 37), and showcases divine mercy (Deuteronomy 33; Ezekiel 48).

Notable Descendants and Figures

• Dathan and Abiram—leaders in rebellion (Numbers 16).
• Adina son of Shiza—one of David’s mighty men (1 Chronicles 11:42).
• The clan chiefs Beerah and others—exiled by Assyria (1 Chronicles 5:6, 26).

Occurrences Overview

Approximately seventy-two Old Testament occurrences span narrative (Genesis), legal (Numbers, Deuteronomy), historical (Joshua–Chronicles), poetic (Judges 5), prophetic (Ezekiel), and apocalyptic (Revelation) contexts, consistently portraying Reuben as a real tribe with enduring though diminished standing in Israel’s redemptive history.

Practical Ministry Significance

1. Leadership requires moral purity; privilege alone does not guarantee permanence.
2. Past failure need not preclude later acts of courage and intercession.
3. God’s covenant grace preserves even disciplined people, pointing to ultimate restoration in Christ.

וּרְאוּבֵ֡ן וראובן כִּרְאוּבֵ֥ן כראובן לִרְאוּבֵ֕ן לראובן רְ֠אוּבֵן רְאוּבֵ֑ן רְאוּבֵ֔ן רְאוּבֵ֖ן רְאוּבֵ֗ן רְאוּבֵ֛ן רְאוּבֵ֜ן רְאוּבֵ֞ן רְאוּבֵ֣ן רְאוּבֵ֣ן ׀ רְאוּבֵ֤ן רְאוּבֵ֥ן רְאוּבֵ֧ן רְאוּבֵ֨ן רְאוּבֵֽן׃ רְאוּבֵן֒ רְאוּבֵן֙ רְאוּבֵן֩ רְאוּבֵן֮ ראובן ראובן׃ kir’ūḇên kir·’ū·ḇên kiruVen lir’ūḇên lir·’ū·ḇên liruVen rə’ūḇên rə·’ū·ḇên reuVen ū·rə·’ū·ḇên ūrə’ūḇên ureuVenInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts