Kislev 14 – And She Called His Name Reuben…

Kislev 14, 5785; from sunset December 14, 2024, to sunset December 15, 2024

(The fourteenth day of the ninth month)

This is the name “Reuven” (Reuben) as seen in the Aleppo Codex, written over 1,000 years ago.

Birth of Reuben

According to tradition, Reuben, the eldest son of Jacob and Leah, was born in Haran on the 14th of Kislev. Jacob had worked for seven years in order to marry Rachel, Laban’s younger daughter. Laban famously substituted Leah for Rachel on the wedding night explaining that his older daughter needed to be married first. The text tells us how upset Jacob was – and who could blame him? But caught in the crossfire was Leah. She found herself married to a man who loved her sister more than herself. An impossible situation, right? In the story of Reuben’s birth, we find out that the LORD had compassion for Leah – and she recognized it. She rightly declared that He had given her a son because of the situation she found herself in. In fact, she became the mother of half of the twelve sons of Israel, including Judah from whom our Messiah traces His lineage.

When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. So Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben; for she said, “The LORD has surely looked on my affliction. Now therefore, my husband will love me.” – Genesis 29:31-32 (NKJ)

The name Reuben means, “See, a Son.” The underlined words come from the same root – “ra’ah” (ראה) – meaning “to look or see.” Let’s take a “look” at the text below in Hebrew, note the words in bold.

וַיַּרְא ה׳ כִּי-שְׂנוּאָה לֵאָה וַיִּפְתַּח אֶת-רַחְמָהּ וְרָחֵל עֲקָרָה

Vayar ADONAI ki-senu’ah Le’ah vayiftach et-rachmah veRachel akarah.

And He saw, the LORD, that she was hated, Leah, and He opened her womb; and Rachel was barren.

וַתַּהַר לֵאָה וַתֵּלֶד בֵּן וַתִּקְרָא שְׁמוֹ רְאוּבֵן

Vatahar, Leah, vateled ben vatikra shemo Reuven

And she conceived, Leah, and she birthed a son and she called his name Reuben

כִּי אָמְרָה כִּי-רָאָה ה׳ בְּעָנְיִי

ki amrah, “Ki-ra’ah ADONAI be’onyi

for she said, “Because He looked, ADONAI, upon my afflictions

כִּי עַתָּה יֶאֱהָבַנִי אִישִׁי

ki attah ye’ehavani ishi.

for now, he will love me, my husband.

Some of the highlights of Reuben’s life are:

He found the mandrakes which Leah used to barter with Rachel for a night with Jacob, resulting in the birth of his brother Issachar
He slept with Bilhah, Rachel’s maid and his father’s concubine, causing him to lose his birthright
He wanted to rescue Joseph from being sold into slavery but was too late
He offered his sons in place of Benjamin should anything happen to Benjamin when they went to Egypt

The book of Jasher¹ provides information on Reuben’s marriage, his wife, and his father-in-law…

And it was at that time in that year, which is the year of Joseph’s going down to Egypt after his brothers had sold him, that Reuben the son of Jacob went to Timnah and took unto him for a wife Eliuram, the daughter of Avi the Canaanite, and he came to her. And Eliuram the wife of Reuben conceived and bare him Hanoch, Palu, Chetzron and Carmi, four sons… – Jasher 45:1-2a

Their children went down to Egypt to live with Joseph at the time of the great famine:

Now these were the names of the children of Israel, Jacob and his sons, who went to Egypt: Reuben was Jacob’s firstborn. The sons of Reuben were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. – Genesis 46:8-9 (NKJ)

Jacob’s Blessing

And Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather together, that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days: “Gather together and hear, you sons of Jacob, and listen to Israel your father. Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity and the excellency of power. 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. – Genesis 49:1-4 (NKJ)

Moses’ Blessing

“Let Reuben live, and not die, nor let his men be few.” – Deuteronomy 33:6 (NKJ)

Death of Reuben

In that year, being the seventy-ninth year of the Israelites going down to Egypt, died Reuben the son of Jacob, in the land of Egypt; Reuben was a hundred and twenty-five years old when he died, and they put him into a coffin, and he was given into the hands of his children. – Jasher 62:1

The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs states that Reuben was buried in Hebron with Jacob:

And Reuben died… and they placed him in a coffin until they carried him up from Egypt, and buried him in Hebron in the cave where his father was. – Testament of Rueben² 7:1 (OTP)

Jasher gives us an alternative burial place for Reuben:

And they buried Reuben and Gad on this side Jordan, in Romia, which Moses had given to their children. – Jasher 90:40

¹ The Book of Jasher, which means “Book of the Upright” or the “Book of the Just Man” is an unknown book mentioned in the Hebrew Bible (Joshua 10:13 and 2 Samuel 1:18). The Book of Jasher in circulation today is not the same one mentioned in the Bible. It’s fun to read but don’t take it as gospel truth.

² Testament of Reuben – a pseudepigraphic book which did not take its final form until the second century AD. It is a portion of the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs which imagines the dying words of the twelve sons of Jacob to their children. Reuben’s “words of wisdom” revolve around the pitfalls of sexual immorality as he tells of his regret for defiling his father’s bed and sleeping with Bilhah.

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