Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

REUBEN

(Heb. rĕʾûḇēn)

The first son born of Leah and Jacob and the eponymous ancestor of the tribe of Reuben. In Gen. 29:31-32 his name is given a symbolic explanation connected to the events surrounding his birth. Leah was blessed by God and conceived because she was not loved by her husband, Jacob. When the son is born, Leah declares, “Because Yahweh has looked on my affliction; surely now my husband will love me.” Most scholars accept the meaning of “behold a son” from the Hebrew. However, various other meanings have been suggested for the name: “substitute” or “chief” from the Arabic.

In Gen. 30:14ff. Reuben is portrayed as a devoted son to his mother. He is the child who found the mandrakes (perhaps an ancient aphrodisiac) and brought them to Leah. This provided her with sufficient leverage to get an extra night with Jacob and to conceive and bear another son. In keeping with his maternal devotion, after Rachel’s death, Reuben sleeps with her maid, Bilhah, thus making it improper for Jacob to have sexual relations with her again. His motivation may have been to force his father to return to Leah’s tent. Some scholars, though, relate this incident to the account in 1 Sam. 16:20-22, where Absalom takes David’s 10 concubines, and they attribute Reuben’s actions to an attempt at wresting away his father’s authority. The outcome of this event was that Reuben lost his father’s favor and eventually his birthright to the descendants of Joseph and Judah (Gen. 49:4; 1 Chr. 5:1). In the Joseph story (Gen. 37) Reuben is presented in a more positive light. His attempt to save Joseph’s life from the hands of his brothers is seen as an underscoring of his position as Jacob’s firstborn son. He also is the one who offers his own two sons to Jacob as insurance for Benjamin’s safe return (Gen. 42:37).

Reuben had four sons: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. The land allotted to his descendants was in the Transjordan, S of Gilead and N of the Arnon River. There are, however, conflicting biblical descriptions of the exact settlement of the tribe of Reuben (Josh. 15:6; 18:17). In Josh. 22 Reuben is accused, along with Gad and Manasseh, by the Cisjordanian tribes of having set up a rival altar for worship in their own territory. A war among the tribes is prevented when the Transjordanian tribes affirm that the altar is only a model of the real altar and not used for cultic purposes. The rest of the history of the tribe of Reuben is a challenge to reconstruct. Reuben is mentioned in the Song of Deborah (Judg. 5) and admonished for not supporting the battle against Sisera. In 1 Chr. 5:10, 19 the tribe of Reuben is named as fighting with Manasseh and Gad against the Hagrites during the reign of Saul. The last historical mention of this tribe is among those whom Tiglath-pileser of Assyria exiled (1 Chr. 5:6).

Lisa W. Davison

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

REUBEN

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)