“Reuben, you are my firstborn, My might and the beginning of my strength, The excellency of dignity and the excellency of power.
Parallel translations
- WEB “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength; excelling in dignity, and excelling in power.
- KJV Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:
- BSB Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power.
- NASB ¶“Reuben, you are my firstborn, My might and the beginning of my strength, Preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power.
- NLT “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my strength, the child of my vigorous youth. You are first in rank and first in power.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jacob names Reuben his firstborn, the foremost in dignity and strength.
Overview
As the eldest, Reuben naturally held the rights of preeminence, might, and rank. Jacob acknowledges this honorable starting point before, in the next verse, declaring its forfeiture. The contrast warns that natural privilege is no guarantee of blessing apart from godly character and faithfulness.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Ps 78:51and struck all the firstborn in Egypt, the chief of their strength in the tents of Ham.
- Deut 21:17but he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the hated, by giving him a double portion of all that he has; for he is the beginning of his strength. The right of the firstborn is his.
- Gen 29:32Leah conceived, and bore a son, and she named him Reuben. For she said, “Because Yahweh has looked at my affliction. For now my husband will love me.”
- Ps 105:36He struck also all the firstborn in their land, the first fruits of all their manhood.
- 1 Chr 5:1The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel (for he was the firstborn; but, because he defiled his father’s couch, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel; and the genealogy is not to be listed according to the birthright.
- 1 Chr 5:3the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
- 1 Chr 2:1These are the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun,
- Gen 48:18Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father; for this is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”
- Num 1:20The children of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, one by one, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war;
- Num 26:5Reuben, the firstborn of Israel; the sons of Reuben: of Hanoch, the family of the Hanochites; of Pallu, the family of the Palluites;
- Gen 46:8These are the names of the children of Israel, who came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn.
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Christ at the center
From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 49:3 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.