Genesis 49:4

Genesis 49:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel, for you went up onto your father’s bed, onto my couch and defiled it.
• English Standard Version (ESV)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!
• New King James Version (NKJV)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.

Context of Genesis 49:4

2Come together and listen, O sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel. 3Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power. Uncontrolled as the waters, you will no longer excel, because you went up to your father’s bed, onto my couch, and defiled it. 5Simeon and Levi are brothers; their swords are weapons of violence. 6May I never enter their council; may I never join their assembly. For they kill men in their anger, and hamstring oxen on a whim.

Genesis 49:4 word by word

פַּ֤חַז כַּמַּ֙יִם֙ אַל־תּוֹתַ֔ר כִּ֥י עָלִ֖יתָ מִשְׁכְּבֵ֣י אָבִ֑יךָ אָ֥ז חִלַּ֖לְתָּ יְצוּעִ֥י עָלָֽה׃ פRead the interlinear

• Uncontrolledפַּ֫חַזpachaz · recklessnessH6349
• as the watersמַיmayim · waterH4325
• you will noאַל'al · notH408
• longer excelיָתַרyâthar · to remainH3498
• becauseכִּיkîy · forH3588
• you went upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
• to your father’sאָב'âb · fatherH1
• bedמִשְׁכָּבmishkâb · bedH4904
• my couchיָצוּעַyâtsûa‛ · bedH3326
• andאָז'âz · thenH227
• defiled itחָלַלchâlal · to profane/begin: profaneH2490

Cross-references for Genesis 49:4

• James 1:6But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
• 2 Peter 2:14Their eyes are full of adultery; their desire for sin is never satisfied; they seduce the unstable. They are accursed children with hearts trained in greed.
• 2 Peter 3:16He writes this way in all his letters, speaking in them about such matters. Some parts of his letters are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.
• Genesis 46:8Now these are the names of the sons of Israel (Jacob and his descendants) who went to Egypt: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn.
• Numbers 32:1Now the Reubenites and Gadites, who had very large herds and flocks, surveyed the lands of Jazer and Gilead, and they saw that the region was suitable for livestock.
• Deuteronomy 33:6Let Reuben live and not die, nor his men be few.”
• Genesis 35:22While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father’s concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard about it. Jacob had twelve sons:
• Deuteronomy 5:21You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house or field, or his manservant or maidservant, or his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
• Deuteronomy 27:20‘Cursed is he who sleeps with his father’s wife, for he has violated his father’s marriage bed.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’
• 1 Chronicles 5:1These were the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel. Though he was the firstborn, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph son of Israel, because Reuben defiled his father’s bed. So he is not reckoned according to birthright.
• 1 Corinthians 5:1It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is intolerable even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife.

Commentaries on Genesis 49:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Pouring out like the waters - This is an obscure sentence because unfinished. It evidently relates to the defilement of his father's couch; and the word פחז pachaz, here translated pouring out, and in our Version unstable, has a bad meaning in other places of the Scripture, being applied to dissolute, debauched, and licentious conduct. See Judges 9:4; Zephaniah 3:4; Jeremiah 23:14, Jeremiah 23:32; Jeremiah 29:23. Thou shalt not excel - This tribe never…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-33Verses 1-33 - Jacob Blesses His Sons 5. מכרה mekêrāh “weapon;” related: כיר kārar or כרה kārāh dig. “Device, design?” related: מכר mākar “sell,” in Arabic “take counsel. Habitation.” 10. מחקק mechoqēq “lawgiver, judge, dispenser of laws.” This word occurs in six other places - Numbers 21:18; Deuteronomy 33:21; Jud. Deuteronomy 5:14; Psalm 60:9; Psalm 108:9; Isaiah 33:22; in five of which it clearly denotes ruler, or judge. The meaning “sceptre” is…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 3-7Verses 3-7 Reuben was the first-born; but by gross sin, he forfeited the birthright. The character of Reuben is, that he was unstable as water. Men do not thrive, because they do not fix. Reuben's sin left a lasting infamy upon his family. Let us never do evil, then we need not fear being told of it. Simeon and Levi were passionate and revengeful. The murder of the Shechemites is a proof of this. Jacob protested against that barbarous act. Our soul is our…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-4Uncontrolled as the waters: As the firstborn, Reuben should have led the family. But he acted without control, like water that boils or flows wildly (for example, 35:22). Because of this, Jacob said that Reuben would not succeed as a leader (see 37:21–22, 29; 42:22, 37–38; compare Judges 5:15–16; 1 Chronicles 5:1–2).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-331. Jacob called unto his sons--It is not to the sayings of the dying saint, so much as of the inspired prophet, that attention is called in this chapter. Under the immediate influence of the Holy Spirit he pronounced his prophetic benediction and described the condition of their respective descendants in the last days, or future times. Ge 49:3, 4. Reuben forfeited by his crime the rights and honors of primogeniture. His posterity never made any figure; no…Read the comment

Topics related to Genesis 49:4

• Bilhah
• Character
• Death
• Firstborn
• Incest
• Instability
• Jacob
• Parents
• Reuben

In the dictionaries

• Birthright
• Bless
• Blood
• Couch
• Devour
• Fierce
• Raven
• Rouse
• Shoot
• Troop

Commentaries on Genesis 49

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings