Reuben רְאוּבֵן | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Pronunciation | Rəʾuven |
| Born | 1569BC (15Kislev,AM 2192 orAM 2193) |
| Died | 1445 BC or 1444 BC (AM 2317 orAM 2318) (aged 125) |
| Resting place | Tomb of Reuben,Israel[2] 31°55′46″N34°44′02″E / 31.92944°N 34.73389°E /31.92944; 34.73389 |
| Spouse | Eliuram |
| Children |
|
| Parents | |
| Relatives | Simeon (brother) Levi (brother) Judah (brother) Dan (half brother) Naphtali (half brother) Gad (half brother) Asher (half brother) Issachar (brother) Zebulun (brother) Dinah (sister) Joseph (half brother) Benjamin (half brother) Rachel (aunt/stepmother) |
Reuben orReuven (Hebrew:רְאוּבֵן,StandardRəʾūven,TiberianRŭʾūḇēn)[4] was the first of the six sons ofJacob andLeah (Jacob's oldest son), according to theBook of Genesis. He was the founder of theIsraeliteTribe of Reuben.
The text of theTorah gives two differentetymologies for the name ofReuben, whichtextual scholars attribute to various sources: one to theYahwist and the other to theElohist;[5] the first explanation given by the Bible is that the name refers toYahweh having witnessed Leah's misery, concerning her status as the less-favourite of Jacob's wives, implying that theetymology ofReuben derives fromHebrew:רָאָה בְּעָנְיִי,lit. 'He looked in my eyes'; the second explanation is that the name refers to Leah's hope that Reuben's birth will make Jacob love her, and thus his name means "He will love me". Another Hebrew phrase to whichReuben is particularly close is "Behold, a son!", which is howclassical rabbinical literature interpreted it. Some of these sources argue that Leah used the term to make an implied distinction between Reuben andEsau, his uncle.[6][7] Some scholars suspect that the final consonant may originally have beenanl similar toann in thePaleo-Hebrew alphabet, andJosephus rendered the name asReubel; it is thus possible that Reuben's name is cognate with anArabic term meaning "wolves".[8]
.jpg)
In theBook of Genesis, Reuben is briefly described as having hadsexual activity withBilhah,his stepmother's maid and father'sconcubine in 35:22. On his deathbed, Jacob declares that Reuben "will no longer excel, for you went up onto your father's bed, onto my couch and defiled it" in 49:4. Reuben's behaviour angered Jacob to the extent that he gave Reuben's birthright (as firstborn) to Joseph: a comment within1 Chronicles 5:1 makes the same point.
Classical rabbinical sources argue that the birthright had included the right of his descendants, the tribe of Reuben, to become ruler over the tribes and the priests, a right transferred to theTribe of Judah and theLevites, respectively. However, some of these sources argue that Reuben had not had sexual activity with Bilhah but instead had simply supported the cause of his mother, Leah, by harming of Bilhah,[clarification needed] angering Jacob; in these sources, it is argued that after the death ofRachel, Jacob's favourite wife, Jacob sought to give the precedence to Bilhah, as he had formerly preferred her as his mistress. Reuben removed Bilhah's bed from where Jacob wished to have it. The classical rabbinical texts argue that Reuben immediately showed contrition for his actions regarding Bilhah and thus was the "firstpenitent" initially, according to these sources, Reuben practiced penitence by secretlymeditating, and also by abstaining from meat and wine, but whenJudah confessed to the matter ofTamar, Reuben admitted what he had done, lest his other brothers might be suspected of his deed and punished for it. The classical sources go on to state that in honour of this voluntary penance and confession, God gave the tribe of ReubenHosea as a member, and Reuben was given a reward inthe future world.[6]
Although part of the plot againstJoseph, it is Reuben who persuades the others not to kill Joseph, tries to rescue him,[9] and who later concludes that the trouble the brothers run into inEgypt was divine punishment for the plot.[10] In classical rabbinical literature, Reuben is described as being motivated by a sense of responsibility over his brothers (since he was the eldest), and as having become angry when he discovers that Joseph had gone missing as a result of his brothers selling him toIshmaelites[11] (textual scholars attribute this version of the narrative to the Yahwist[12]) or Joseph being found and taken byMidianites[13] (textual scholars attribute this version of the narrative to the Elohist[12]). The rabbinical sources argue that the firstCities of Refuge were located in the territory of the tribe of Reuben since their eponym had tried to save Joseph from the mob of his brothers.[6]
Classical rabbinical sources argue that Reuben was born on 14Kislev, and died at the age of 125. TheSefer haYashar argues that when he died, Reuben's body was placed in a coffin and was later taken back toIsrael, where it was buried.[6]
According toGenesis 46:9, Reuben had four sons: Hanoch,Phallu, Hezron, and Carmi. According toJoshua 15:6, a stone ofBohan, the son of Reuben marked a point along the boundary of the land allocated to thetribe of Judah.
.jpg)
There is a tradition that Reuben was buried at ashrine in the former village ofNabi Rubin; the site was a place ofpilgrimage and an annual festival before theIsraeli Declaration of Independence in 1948.[14] The ruins of the shrine containing theTomb of Reuben and those of an adjacentmosque, nowadays abandoned, are today part ofPalmachim Beach, anational park of Israel.
Singer, Isidore; et al., eds. (1901–1906)."Reuben".The Jewish Encyclopedia. New York: Funk & Wagnalls. RetrievedOct 19, 2018. Singer, Isidore; et al., eds. (1901–1906)."Joseph".The Jewish Encyclopedia. New York: Funk & Wagnalls. RetrievedOct 19, 2018.
Media related toReuben at Wikimedia Commons| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
