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Person

Reuben

Mentioned in 70 verses across 9 books, first in Genesis 29:32. The verses below are the ones linked to this person (the Theographic dataset, with our sourced corrections).

In these stories

In the Bible

All 13 verses in Genesis, in Bible order. Text from the Berean Standard Bible; verse numbers follow the KJV.

Genesis

  • Genesis 29:32

    And Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and she named him Reuben, for she said, “The LORD has seen my affliction. Surely my husband will love me now.”

  • Genesis 30:14

    Now during the wheat harvest, Reuben went out and found some mandrakes in the field. When he brought them to his mother, Rachel begged Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”

  • Genesis 35:22

    While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father’s concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard about it. Jacob had twelve sons:

  • Genesis 35:23

    The sons of Leah were Reuben the firstborn of Jacob, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.

  • Genesis 37:21

    When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue Joseph from their hands. “Let us not take his life,” he said.

  • Genesis 37:22

    “Do not shed his blood. Throw him into this pit in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this so that he could rescue Joseph from their hands and return him to his father.

  • Genesis 37:29

    When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes,

  • Genesis 42:22

    And Reuben responded, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you would not listen. Now we must account for his blood!”

  • Genesis 42:37

    Then Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons if I fail to bring him back to you. Put him in my care, and I will return him.”

  • Genesis 46:8

    Now these are the names of the sons of Israel (Jacob and his descendants) who went to Egypt: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn.

  • Genesis 46:9

    The sons of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

  • Genesis 48:5

    And now your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here shall be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine.

  • Genesis 49:3

    Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power.

Events

Events the dataset lists Reuben as taking part in. Dates follow its Ussher–Jones reckoning (one of several traditional counts), not established history.

  1. c. 1758 BC
    Birth of ReubenGenesis 29:32
  2. c. 1728 BC
    Joseph sold to EgyptGenesis 37:3–36 · at Egypt
  3. c. 1718 BC
    Joseph imprisonedGenesis 39:20–41:14 · at Egypt
  4. c. 1708 BC
    7 years of famineGenesis 41:54–43:34
  5. c. 1706 BC
    Joseph's brothers return to EgyptGenesis 43:1–45:28 · at Egypt

Dictionary

From Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897), as attached to this record by Theographic. The entry is for the name and can describe more than one person who bore it. Easton wrote in 1897, and some of his views are now debated.

Read Easton’s entry

Behold a son!, the eldest son of Jacob and Leah (Gen. 29:32). His sinful conduct, referred to in Gen. 35:22, brought down upon him his dying father’s malediction (48:4). He showed kindness to Joseph, and was the means of saving his life when his other brothers would have put him to death (37:21, 22). It was he also who pledged his life and the life of his sons when Jacob was unwilling to let Benjamin go down into Egypt. After Jacob and his family went down into Egypt (46:8) no further mention is made of Reuben beyond what is recorded in ch. 49:3, 4.

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