Parallel Verses
Lexham Expanded Bible
Unstable as water, you shall not excel [any longer], for you went up upon the bed of your father, then defiled [it]. You went up upon my couch!
New American Standard Bible
Then you defiled it—he went up to my couch.
King James Version
Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch.
Holman Bible
because you got into your father’s bed
and you defiled it—he
International Standard Version
But you're as undisciplined as a roaring river, so eventually you won't succeed, because you got in your father's bed, defiled it, and then approached my couch."
A Conservative Version
Boiling over as water, thou shall not have the pre-eminence, because thou went up to thy father's bed, then thou defiled it; he went up to my couch.
American Standard Version
Boiling over as water, thou shalt not have the pre-eminence; Because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; Then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch.
Amplified
“But unstable and reckless and boiling over like water [in sinful lust], you shall
Because you went up to your father’s bed [with Bilhah];
You defiled it—he went up to my couch.
Bible in Basic English
But because you were uncontrolled, the first place will not be yours; for you went up to your father's bed, even his bride-bed, and made it unclean.
Darby Translation
Impetuous as the waters, thou shalt have no pre-eminence; Because thou wentest up to thy father's couch: Then defiledst thou it: he went up to my bed.
Julia Smith Translation
Vain glorious as water, thou shalt not be preeminent; for thou didst go up out of thy father's. bed; then didst thou defile, going up to my couch.
King James 2000
Unstable as water, you shall not excel; because you went up to your father's bed; then you defiled it: he went up to my couch.
Modern King James verseion
Unstable as water, you shall not excel, because you went up to your father's bed; then you defiled it. He went up to my couch.
Modern Spelling Tyndale-Coverdale
As unstable as water wast thou: thou shalt therefore not be the chiefest, for thou wentest up upon thy father's bed, and then defiledest thou my couch with going up.
NET Bible
You are destructive like water and will not excel, for you got on your father's bed, then you defiled it -- he got on my couch!
New Heart English Bible
Boiling over as water, you shall not excel; because you went up to your father's bed, then defiled it. He went up to my couch.
The Emphasized Bible
Boiling over like water, thou mayest not have pre-eminence, Because thou didst mount the bed of thy father, - Then, wast thou profane - My marriage-bed, he mounted!
Webster
Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; then defiledst thou it; he went up to my couch.
World English Bible
Boiling over as water, you shall not excel; because you went up to your father's bed, then defiled it. He went up to my couch.
Youngs Literal Translation
Unstable as water, thou art not abundant; For thou hast gone up thy father's bed; Then thou hast polluted: My couch he went up!
Themes
Bilhah » Rachael's servant » Reuben's incest with
Character » Instances of instability » Reuben
Firstborn » Birthright of the » Forfeited by reuben
the First-born » Privileges of » Could be forfeited by misconduct
Incest » Instances of » Reuben
Instability » Instances of » Reuben
jacob » His final prophetic benedictions upon his sons » Upon reuben
Parents » Paternal blessings of » jacob
Reuben » Jacob's prophetic benediction upon
The tribe of Reuben » Predictions respecting
The tribes of israel » Predictions respecting each of
Water » Illustrative » (its instability,) of a wavering disposition
Interlinear
Yathar
`alah
'ab
References
American
Easton
Fausets
Word Count of 20 Translations in Genesis 49:4
Verse Info
Context Readings
Jacob Blesses His Twelve Sons
3 Reuben, you [are] my firstborn, my strength, and the firstfruit of my vigor, excelling in rank and excelling in power. 4 Unstable as water, you shall not excel [any longer], for you went up upon the bed of your father, then defiled [it]. You went up upon my couch! 5 Simeon and Levi [are] brothers; weapons of violence [are] their swords. Let me not come into their council.
Phrases
Cross References
Genesis 35:22
And while Israel was living in that land Reuben went and had sexual relations with Bilhah, his father's concubine. And Israel heard [about it].
Deuteronomy 27:20
'Cursed be the one who lies with the wife of his father, because {he has dishonored his father's bed}.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'
1 Chronicles 5:1
The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel (for he was the firstborn, but when he defiled the couch of his father, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel, so that he was not enrolled in the genealogy as the firstborn,
Genesis 46:8
Now these [are] the names of the sons of Israel, who came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons. Reuben, the firstborn of Jacob
Numbers 32:1-42
The descendants of Reuben and the descendants of Gad had a very large number of livestock. And they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, and behold it [was] a place for livestock.
Deuteronomy 5:21
'And you shall not covet the wife of your neighbor, and you shall not crave the house of your neighbor, his field or his slave or his slave woman or his ox and his donkey or anything {that belongs to your neighbor}.'
Deuteronomy 33:6
"May Reuben live, and may he not die, {and let his number not be few}."
1 Corinthians 5:1
It is reported everywhere [that there] is sexual immorality among you, and sexual immorality of such a kind which [does] not [even exist] among the Gentiles, so that someone has the wife of [his] father.
James 1:6-8
But let him ask for [it] in faith, without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed about.
2 Peter 2:14
having eyes full of [desire for] an adulteress and unceasing from sin, enticing unstable persons, [and] having hearts trained for greediness. Accursed children!
2 Peter 3:16
as [he does] also in all his letters, speaking in them about these [things], in which there are some [things] hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable distort to their own destruction, as [they] also [do] the rest of the scriptures.