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

2“Assemble and listen, you sons of Jacob; listen to Israel, your father. 3Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might and the beginning of my strength, outstanding in dignity, outstanding in power. 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! 5Simeon and Levi are brothers, weapons of violence are their knives! 6O my soul, do not come into their council, do not be united to their assembly, my heart, for in their anger they have killed men, and for pleasure they have hamstrung oxen.

Genesis 49:4 word by word

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

Words taken from the KJV.

• Unstableפַּ֫חַזpachaz · recklessnessH6349
• as waterמַיmayim · waterH4325
• thou shalt not excelיָתַרyâthar · to remainH3498
• because thou wentest upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
• to thy father’sאָב'âb · fatherH1
• bedמִשְׁכָּבmishkâb · bedH4904
• then defiledst thouחָלַלchâlal · to profane/begin: profaneH2490
• to my couchיָצוּעַyâtsûa‛ · bedH3326

Cross-references for Genesis 49:4

• James 1:6But he must ask in faith without doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed around by the wind.
• 2 Peter 2:14Their eyes, full of adultery, never stop sinning; they entice unstable people. They have trained their hearts for greed, these cursed children!
• 2 Peter 3:16speaking of these things in all his letters. Some things in these letters are hard to understand, things the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they also do to the rest of the scriptures.
• Genesis 46:8These are the names of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt – Jacob and his sons: Reuben, the firstborn of Jacob.
• Numbers 32:1Now the Reubenites and the Gadites possessed a very large number of cattle. When they saw that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were ideal for cattle,
• Deuteronomy 33:6May Reuben live and not die, and may his people multiply.
• Genesis 35:22While Israel was living in that land, Reuben had sexual relations with Bilhah, his father’s concubine, and Israel heard about it. Jacob had twelve sons:
• Deuteronomy 5:21You must not desire another man’s wife, nor should you crave his house, his field, his male and female servants, his ox, his donkey, or anything else he owns.”
• Deuteronomy 27:20‘Cursed is the one who has sexual relations with his father’s former wife, for he dishonors his father.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’
• 1 Chronicles 5:1The sons of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn – (Now he was the firstborn, but when he defiled his father’s bed, his rights as firstborn were given to the sons of Joseph, Israel’s son. So Reuben is not listed as firstborn in the genealogical records.
• 1 Corinthians 5:1It is actually reported that sexual immorality exists among you, the kind of immorality that is not permitted even among the Gentiles, so that someone is cohabiting with 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