KJV 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:
VERSE STUDY • KJV
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:
Read it in 5 translations
BSB Berean Standard Bible
Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power.
WEB World English Bible
“Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength; excelling in dignity, and excelling in power.
ASV American Standard Version
Reuben, thou art my first-born, my might, and the beginning of my strength; The pre-eminence of dignity, and the pre-eminence of power.
YLT Young’s Literal Translation
Reuben! my first-born thou, My power, and beginning of my strength, The abundance of exaltation, And the abundance of strength;
Surrounding context — Genesis 49
1 And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you [that] which shall befall 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 defiledst thou [it]: he went up to my couch.
5 Simeon and Levi [are] brethren; instruments of cruelty [are in] their habitations.
6 O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall.
Topics connected to this verse
Original-language word links
These Hebrew/Greek tokens are linked by Strong's number. Click one for its lexicon definition and other occurrences.
Cross-references
Psalm 78:51And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of [their] strength in the tabernacles of Ham:Deuteronomy 21:17But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated [for] the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he [is] the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn [is] his.Genesis 29:32And 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.Psalm 105:36He smote also all the firstborn in their land, the chief of all their strength.1 Chronicles 2:1These [are] the sons of Israel; Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun,1 Chronicles 5:1Now 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 5:3The sons, [I say], of Reuben the firstborn of Israel [were], Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.Genesis 48:18And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this [is] the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head.Numbers 1:20And the children of Reuben, Israel’s eldest son, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;Numbers 26:5Reuben, the eldest son of Israel: the children of Reuben; Hanoch, [of whom cometh] the family of the Hanochites: of Pallu, the family of the Palluites:Genesis 46:8And these [are] the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn.
HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION
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