Reuben Tribe
Reuben
Jacobs first son born 1569 BC died 1445/44 BC was the ancestor of the tribe.
Gen 29:32 And 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.
Reubens mandrakes
(Gen 30:14) And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son's mandrakes.
(Gen 30:15) And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son's mandrakes.
Reuben lays with Bilhah
Gen 35:22 And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine: and Israel heard it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve:
Reuben keeps brothers from killing Joseph
(Gen 37:21) And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him.
(Gen 37:22) And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.
Reuben returned to pit for Joseph
(Gen 37:29) And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.
(Gen 37:30) And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go?
(Gen 37:31) And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood;
(Gen 37:32) And they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it be thy son's coat or no.
(Gen 37:33) And he knew it, and said, It is my son's coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces.
(Gen 37:34) And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days.
(Gen 37:35) And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him.
Reuben speaks out
Gen 42:22 And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.
Reuben speaks to Father about bringing Joseph back
(Gen 42:37) And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.
(Gen 42:38) And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.
Sons of Reuben
Gen 46:9 And the sons of Reuben; Hanoch, and Phallu, and Hezron, and Carmi.
Exo 6:14 These be the heads of their fathers' houses: The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel; Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi: these be the families of Reuben.
The tribe of Reuben is four clans (families) the Hanochites, Palluites, Hezronites, and Carmites, which were descended from Reuben's four sons Hanoch, Pallu, Hazron, and Carmi.
Census of Israel warriors
Num 1:5 And these are the names of the men that shall stand with you: of the tribe of Reuben; Elizur the son of Shedeur.
Camp of Reuben
Num 2:10 On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben according to their armies: and the captain of the children of Reuben shall be Elizur the son of Shedeur.
Num 2:11 And his host, and those that were numbered thereof, were forty and six thousand and five hundred.
Elizur's offerings
(Num 7:30) On the fourth day Elizur the son of Shedeur, prince of the children of Reuben, did offer:
(Num 7:31) His offering was one silver charger of the weight of an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering:
(Num 7:32) One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense:
(Num 7:33) One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering:
(Num 7:34) One kid of the goats for a sin offering:
(Num 7:35) And for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year: this was the offering of Elizur the son of Shedeur.
Standard of camp
Num 10:18 And the standard of the camp of Reuben set forward according to their armies: and over his host was Elizur the son of Shedeur.
Spies sent into Canaan
(Num 13:2) Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them.
(Num 13:3) And Moses by the commandment of the LORD sent them from the wilderness of Paran: all those men were heads of the children of Israel.
(Num 13:4) And these were their names: of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur.
Families of Reubenites
(Num 26:5) Reuben, 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:
(Num 26:6) Of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites: of Carmi, the family of the Carmites.
(Num 26:7) These are the families of the Reubenites: and they that were numbered of them were forty and three thousand and seven hundred and thirty.
Tribe of Reuben settle in Gilead
(Num 32:1) Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle: and when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that, behold, the place was a place for cattle;
(Num 32:2) The children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spake unto Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and unto the princes of the congregation, saying,
(Num 32:3) Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon,
(Num 32:4) Even the country which the LORD smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and thy servants have cattle:
(Num 32:5) Wherefore, said they, if we have found grace in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession, and bring us not over Jordan.
(Num 32:6) And Moses said unto the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here?
Tribe of Reuben say they'll do as Lord has commanded
(Num 32:20) And Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will go armed before the LORD to war,
(Num 32:21) And will go all of you armed over Jordan before the LORD, until he hath driven out his enemies from before him,
(Num 32:22) And the land be subdued before the LORD: then afterward ye shall return, and be guiltless before the LORD, and before Israel; and this land shall be your possession before the LORD.
(Num 32:23) But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.
(Num 32:24) Build you cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do that which hath proceeded out of your mouth.
(Num 32:25) And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spake unto Moses, saying, Thy servants will do as my lord commandeth.
(Num 32:26) Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle, shall be there in the cities of Gilead:
Moses tells Tribe of Reuben those armed for war shall take possesion of Gilead
(Num 32:29) And Moses said unto them, If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben will pass with you over Jordan, every man armed to battle, before the LORD, and the land shall be subdued before you; then ye shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession:
(Num 32:30) But if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.
Moses gives them the land
(Num 32:31) And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, As the LORD hath said unto thy servants, so will we do.
(Num 32:32) We will pass over armed before the LORD into the land of Canaan, that the possession of our inheritance on this side Jordan may be ours.
(Num 32:33) And Moses gave unto them, even to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and unto half the tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land, with the cities thereof in the coasts, even the cities of the country round about.
Tribe of Reuben builds on land
Num 32:37 And the children of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kirjathaim,
Heshbon
Heshbon at least two different ancient towns located east of the Jordan River in what is now the Kingdom of Jordan, historically within the territories of ancient Ammon.
The Bronze Age Heshbon of biblical King Sihon has not been identified. The town of Esbus from the Roman and Byzantine period has been identified with a tell (archaeological mound) known in Arabic as Tell Hisban or Tell Ḥesbān.
Elealeh
Lay in the country taken from Sihon and within the lot given to Reuben (Numbers 32:3, 17 f). "Their names being changed" seems to apply to all the towns mentioned. There is no indication of the other names. Elealeh is noticed with Heshbon in the oracles against Moab in Isaiah 15:4; Isaiah 16:9 Jeremiah 48:34. Eusebius (Onomasticon) locates it one Roman mile from Heshbon. It is represented today by el'Al, a mound crowned with ruins, about a mile North of Chesban.
Kirjathaim
A town on the east of Jordan (Genesis 14:5; Deuteronomy 2:9–10). It was assigned to the tribe of Reuben (Numbers 32:37). In the time of (Ezekiel 25:9) it was one of the four cities which formed the "glory of Moab" (Compare Jeremiah 48:1,23). It has been identified with el-Kureiyat, 11 miles south-west of Medeba, on the south slope of Jebel Attarus, the ancient Ataroth.
Nebo
A town name mentioned in several passages of the Hebrew Bible (or Old Testament of Christianity). It is used for two towns, one in the territory assigned in the Bible to the Tribe of Reuben, and another in that of the Tribe of Judah.[2]
The Reubenite Nebo is mentioned in Numbers 32:3,[2] and is mentioned between Sibmah and Beon, the latter being an abbreviation of Baal-meon. In the same chapter, verse 38, it is again mentioned between Cariathaim and Baal-meon, and it is found associated with the same names on the Mesha Stele (line 14). These and other indications show that the town was situated in the vicinity of Mount Nebo, but the precise location cannot be determined. It belonged to the rich pasture lands which the tribes of Reuben and Gad asked of Moses in the distribution of the territory (Numbers 32). The town had reverted to the Moabites at the time when Isaiah prophesied against it (Isaiah 15:2; cf. Jeremiah 48:1, 22). The Mesha Stele (lines 14-18) boasts of having taken it from the Israelites. According to Saint Jerome,[3] the sanctuary of the idol Chemosh was in Nebo.
Baal-meon
A biblical name, Baal-meon, meaning Lord of Dwelling, was the name of a town of Reuben, that some have identified as modern-day Ma`in in Jordan. It was allegedly the birthplace of the prophet Elisha. It appears in the stela of Mesha, king of Moab, who seized it in the 9th century.
Stand upon Mt.Ebal to curse Reuben
Deu 27:13 And these shall stand upon mount Ebal to curse; Reuben, Gad, and Asher, and Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.
Which the levites preached the curses Deu 27:15 - 27:26
Deu 27:14 And the Levites shall speak, and say unto all the men of Israel with a loud voice,
Mt.Ebal
One of the two mountains in the immediate vicinity of the city of Nablus in the West Bank (biblical Shechem), and forms the northern side of the valley in which Nablus is situated, the southern side being formed by Mount Gerizim. The mountain is one of the highest peaks in the West Bank and rises to 940 m (3,080 ft) above sea level, some 60 m (200 ft) higher than Mount Gerizim. Mount Ebal is approximately 17 km2 (6.6 sq mi) in area, and is composed primarily of limestone. The slopes of the mountain contain several large caverns which were probably originally quarries, and at the base towards the north are several tombs.
Moses final blessing on Israel
Deu 33:6 Let Reuben live, and not die; and let not his men be few.
Twelve memorial stones
(Jos 4:1) And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying,
(Jos 4:2) Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man,
(Jos 4:3) And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests' feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night.
(Jos 4:4) Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man:
(Jos 4:5) And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of Jordan, and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel:
(Jos 4:6) That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?
(Jos 4:7) Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.
Tribe of Reuben passed over
(Jos 4:8) And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, as the LORD spake unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.
(Jos 4:9) And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there unto this day.
(Jos 4:10) For the priests which bare the ark stood in the midst of Jordan, until every thing was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua: and the people hasted and passed over.
(Jos 4:11) And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over, that the ark of the LORD passed over, and the priests, in the presence of the people.
(Jos 4:12) And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh, passed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spake unto them:
Midst of the Jordan
(Jos 4:17) Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, Come ye up out of Jordan.
(Jos 4:18) And it came to pass, when the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD were come up out of the midst of Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up unto the dry land, that the waters of Jordan returned unto their place, and flowed over all his banks, as they did before.
(Jos 4:19) And the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, in the east border of Jericho.
(Jos 4:20) And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal.
(Jos 4:21) And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones?
(Jos 4:22) Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.
(Jos 4:23) For the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over:
(Jos 4:24) That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the LORD your God for ever.
Inheritance of Tribe of Reuben
(Jos 13:15) And Moses gave unto the tribe of the children of Reuben inheritance according to their families.
(Jos 13:16) And their coast was from Aroer, that is on the bank of the river Arnon, and the city that is in the midst of the river, and all the plain by Medeba;
(Jos 13:17) Heshbon, and all her cities that are in the plain; Dibon, and Bamothbaal, and Bethbaalmeon,
(Jos 13:18) And Jahazah, and Kedemoth, and Mephaath,
(Jos 13:19) And Kirjathaim, and Sibmah, and Zarethshahar in the mount of the valley,
(Jos 13:20) And Bethpeor, and Ashdothpisgah, and Bethjeshimoth,
(Jos 13:21) And all the cities of the plain, and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, which reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses smote with the princes of Midian, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, which were dukes of Sihon, dwelling in the country.
(Jos 13:22) Balaam also the son of Beor, the soothsayer, did the children of Israel slay with the sword among them that were slain by them.
(Jos 13:23) And the border of the children of Reuben was Jordan, and the border thereof. This was the inheritance of the children of Reuben after their families, the cities and the villages thereof.
Stone of Bohan
Jos 15:6 And the border went up to Bethhogla, and passed along by the north of Betharabah; and the border went up to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben:
Jos 18:17 And was drawn from the north, and went forth to Enshemesh, and went forth toward Geliloth, which is over against the going up of Adummim, and descended to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben,
City of Refuge
(Jos 20:8) And on the other side Jordan by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness upon the plain out of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh.
(Jos 20:9) These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them, that whosoever killeth any person at unawares might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation.
Bezer
A Levitical city in the desert plateau east of the Jordan, and of Hebron, originally a resting place for travelers. It was designated by Moses as a 'city of refuge', a “safe-haven” for Reubenites and others, to which any person guilty of manslaughter could flee to avoid being killed in vengeance.
The site of Bezer "cannot be located with certainty," although several sites have been proposed.
The Bible seldom mentions Bezer, but it explains the town's purpose as a refuge in Deuteronomy 4:43, Joshua 20:8, Joshua 21:36 (The usual, dutiful repetition - “to be a city of refuge for the slayer” - that follows the names of the other five cities of refuge, is actually omitted for Bezer in this verse in some translations.), 1 Chronicles 6:63 and 1 Chronicles 7:37.
Cities of refuge were necessary because the next of kin of a manslaughter victim had a right under the Law of Moses to seek compensation - in kind - for blood shed by the perpetrator.
The law of Moses provided that anyone accused of homicide could flee to a city of refuge, to be protected from the victim's family. Once he was there, a manslaughterer was prohibited from leaving until the high priest had died or until his own death, even if the victim's family had forgiven them.
Children of Merari
Jos 21:7 The children of Merari by their families had out of the tribe of Reuben, and out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities.
Reuben tribe returns home
(Jos 22:8) And he spake unto them, saying, Return with much riches unto your tents, and with very much cattle, with silver, and with gold, and with brass, and with iron, and with very much raiment: divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren.
(Jos 22:9) And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh returned, and departed from the children of Israel out of Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go unto the country of Gilead, to the land of their possession, whereof they were possessed, according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses.
Reuben tribe build an altar
(Jos 22:10) And when they came unto the borders of Jordan, that are in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by Jordan, a great altar to see to.
(Jos 22:11) And the children of Israel heard say, Behold, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh have built an altar over against the land of Canaan, in the borders of Jordan, at the passage of the children of Israel.
Princes confront them about altar
(Jos 22:12) And when the children of Israel heard of it, the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered themselves together at Shiloh, to go up to war against them.
(Jos 22:13) And the children of Israel sent unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half tribe of Manasseh, into the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest,
(Jos 22:14) And with him ten princes, of each chief house a prince throughout all the tribes of Israel; and each one was an head of the house of their fathers among the thousands of Israel.
(Jos 22:15) And they came unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half tribe of Manasseh, unto the land of Gilead, and they spake with them, saying,
(Jos 22:16) Thus saith the whole congregation of the LORD, What trespass is this that ye have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the LORD, in that ye have builded you an altar, that ye might rebel this day against the LORD?
(Jos 22:17) Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we are not cleansed until this day, although there was a plague in the congregation of the LORD,
(Jos 22:18) But that ye must turn away this day from following the LORD? and it will be, seeing ye rebel to day against the LORD, that to morrow he will be wroth with the whole congregation of Israel.
(Jos 22:19) Notwithstanding, if the land of your possession be unclean, then pass ye over unto the land of the possession of the LORD, wherein the LORD'S tabernacle dwelleth, and take possession among us: but rebel not against the LORD, nor rebel against us, in building you an altar beside the altar of the LORD our God.
(Jos 22:20) Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? and that man perished not alone in his iniquity.
Tribe of Reuben give purpose of altar
(Jos 22:21) Then the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh answered, and said unto the heads of the thousands of Israel,
(Jos 22:22) The LORD God of gods, the LORD God of gods, he knoweth, and Israel he shall know; if it be in rebellion, or if in transgression against the LORD, (save us not this day,)
(Jos 22:23) That we have built us an altar to turn from following the LORD, or if to offer thereon burnt offering or meat offering, or if to offer peace offerings thereon, let the LORD himself require it;
(Jos 22:24) And if we have not rather done it for fear of this thing, saying, In time to come your children might speak unto our children, saying, What have ye to do with the LORD God of Israel?
(Jos 22:25) For the LORD hath made Jordan a border between us and you, ye children of Reuben and children of Gad; ye have no part in the LORD: so shall your children make our children cease from fearing the LORD.
(Jos 22:26) Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice:
(Jos 22:27) But that it may be a witness between us, and you, and our generations after us, that we might do the service of the LORD before him with our burnt offerings, and with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings; that your children may not say to our children in time to come, Ye have no part in the LORD.
(Jos 22:28) Therefore said we, that it shall be, when they should so say to us or to our generations in time to come, that we may say again, Behold the pattern of the altar of the LORD, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifices; but it is a witness between us and you.
(Jos 22:29) God forbid that we should rebel against the LORD, and turn this day from following the LORD, to build an altar for burnt offerings, for meat offerings, or for sacrifices, beside the altar of the LORD our God that is before his tabernacle.
(Jos 22:30) And when Phinehas the priest, and the princes of the congregation and heads of the thousands of Israel which were with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the children of Manasseh spake, it pleased them.
Called altar Ed
(Jos 22:31) And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the children of Manasseh, This day we perceive that the LORD is among us, because ye have not committed this trespass against the LORD: now ye have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the LORD.
(Jos 22:32) And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the princes, returned from the children of Reuben, and from the children of Gad, out of the land of Gilead, unto the land of Canaan, to the children of Israel, and brought them word again.
(Jos 22:33) And the thing pleased the children of Israel; and the children of Israel blessed God, and did not intend to go up against them in battle, to destroy the land wherein the children of Reuben and Gad dwelt.
(Jos 22:34) And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the altar Ed: for it shall be a witness between us that the LORD is God.
Divisions of Reuben
(Jdg 5:15) And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; even Issachar, and also Barak: he was sent on foot into the valley. For the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart.
(Jdg 5:16) Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? For the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.
Reubens birthright given to Josephs sons
1Ch 5:1 Now 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.
Gates of the city
(Eze 48:30) And these are the goings out of the city on the north side, four thousand and five hundred measures.
(Eze 48:31) And the gates of the city shall be after the names of the tribes of Israel: three gates northward; one gate of Reuben, one gate of Judah, one gate of Levi.
144,000 Sealed
Rev 7:5 Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand.