Who was Reuben in the Bible?

from the old testament

• Reuben was the firstborn son of Jacob and Leah. The commonly agreed upon meaning for the name Reuben is, "behold a son." Genesis 29:32 explains, "Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben, for she said, 'Because the LORD has looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me.'" There was always tension between Leah and her sister Rachel over their marriage to Jacob. Rachel was the one he loved, and Leah was the one who bore more children for him.
• The competition between the two women continued for years. Rachel still had not borne any children, though she had given her handmaid to Jacob and she bore two sons on her behalf (Genesis 30:1–8). Leah had given birth to four sons (Genesis 29:31–35), and her handmaid had given birth to two on her behalf (Genesis 30:9–13). Reuben found some mandrake plants and brought them back for his mother, Leah. Mandrakes, a flowering plant with human-shaped roots, were thought to enhance fertility. Rachel asked Leah for some of the mandrakes, which Leah agreed to in exchange for a chance to sleep with Jacob. As a result, Leah became pregnant with her fifth son, Issachar (Genesis 30:14—18).
• After Rachel's death, Reuben slept with Rachel's handmaid Bilhah (Genesis 35:22), whom Rachel had given to Jacob as a wife to bear children on her behalf. Even though Reuben was the firstborn son, Leah was his mother, and Jacob favored Rachel's sons. Because of this disrespectful act, Reuben was denied the firstborn birthright that should have been his: "Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the firstfruits of my strength, preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power. Unstable as water, you shall not have preeminence, because you went up to your father's bed; then you defiled it—he went up to my couch!" (Genesis 49:3–4).
• Reuben tried to save Joseph, the firstborn of Rachel and Jacob and Jacob’s favored son, from his brothers’ plans to kill him. Genesis 37 describes his brothers as hating Joseph (Genesis 37:8) and being jealous of him (Genesis 37:11). One day when the others were tending their father's flock, Jacob sent Joseph to check on them. When the brothers saw him, they conspired to kill him. "But when Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, 'Let us not take his life'" (Genesis 37:21). Reuben told them to throw Joseph into a pit, planning to return later to rescue the boy and restore him to Jacob (Genesis 37:22). In Reuben's absence, Judah convinced the brothers to instead sell Joseph (Genesis 37:23–30).
• Joseph ended up in slavery in Egypt, where he ultimately rose to power in a time of great famine. When the famine reached the brothers, they traveled to Egypt to buy food. Joseph recognized them and tested them by accusing them of being spies (Genesis 42). Not knowing who Joseph was, the brothers contributed their current distress to their previous actions against Joseph (Genesis 42:21). Reuben replied, "Did I not tell you not to sin against the boy? But you did not listen. So now there comes a reckoning for his blood" (Genesis 42:22).
• Joseph demanded that the brothers bring back his brother, Benjamin, but when Jacob heard of this, he did not want to let his favorite son go. Reuben convinced his father to let them go by saying Jacob could kill his two sons if they did not return with Benjamin (Genesis 42:35–38). Jacob refused to let Benjamin go, but the famine persisted, so later the men did return, after Judah offered himself as a pledge for Benjamin's safety (Genesis 43:1–15). Joseph saved the family from famine and brought restoration to their relationship. Ultimately the entire family, including Jacob, moved to Goshen (Genesis 43—50). This is where the Israelites would remain for the next four hundred years, until the time of the exodus.
• When the Israelites began to enter the Promised Land, the tribe of Reuben, along with the tribe of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh, requested to inherit the land east of the Jordan River. Moses objected at first, asking how they could take rest from war while the rest of the Israelites conquered Canaan and saying they were discouraging the other Israelites from going in to take the land God had given. He compared the Reubenites and Gadites to their fathers before them who had not wanted to enter the Promised Land due to fear and thus were sentenced to wander for forty years in the desert (Numbers 32). However, the men of fighting age promised to help the other tribes conquer their land and were given the land east of the Jordan as their possession (Joshua 1:10–18; 13:8–13, 15–23).
• Reuben started off in a position of honor and strength, always listed first among the twelve tribes of Israel, but, just as Jacob prophesied, the tribe did not maintain an honored position as a consequence of Reuben's relations with Bilhah. Moses had said of the tribe, "Let Reuben live, and not die, but let his men be few" (Deuteronomy 33:6). No prominent leader of any kind emerged from the tribe of Reuben.

from the new testament

• Reuben is mentioned in a list from which tribes the 144,000 Jewish believers who are sealed during the end-times tribulation will come (Revelation 7:5), but is not mentioned anywhere else in the New Testament.

implications for today

One personal application we can derive from Reuben's story is the importance of making wise decisions and maintaining integrity, especially when in a position of influence. Reuben began with great potential and honor as the firstborn son, yet his poor choices, particularly his disrespectful act with Bilhah, led to a loss of his birthright and a negative impact on his tribe's legacy. Sin never tells us the consequences that it will bring, but we know that there will always be consequences. Galatians 6:7–9 warns us that our actions have consequences: “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”

This teaches us that our actions, especially those that compromise our integrity, can have lasting consequences not only for ourselves but also for those who rely on us or look up to us. It highlights the need for personal responsibility and the long-term impact of our choices. Staying true to God’s Word and His ways and making decisions with a consideration for their broader impact can help us maintain our integrity and positively influence those around us.