Verse 4
4. Boiling over like the waters The figure may be the overflowing of a large body of water beyond its proper banks, and sweeping away all before it; but, more likely, as Gesenius thinks, it is that of a boiling pot of water, and denotes the violent, unrestrained licentiousness of Reuben, exhibited in his incestuous intercourse with Bilhah. Genesis 35:22.
Beds The use of the plural may here hint at repeated acts of incest on the part of Reuben . Defile is purposely left without an expressed object . The supplying, in the common version, of the word it, weakens the passage . Then didst thou defile, exclaims the indignant father, and suddenly changes from direct address to the third person, and repeats the words my couch he went up! as denoting the foul act by which he showed himself unworthy to retain the rights and glory of his primogeniture, and, therefore, he should not excel. The tribe of Reuben never did excel . The leadership was given to Judah; the birthright of a double portion of the inheritance was given to Joseph’s two sons. Comp. 1 Chronicles 5:1-2. The Reubenites were among the first to settle at their ease on the east of the Jordan, (Numbers 32:0,) and in the time of Deborah they remained at ease among their sheepfolds when other tribes arose and fought for the liberty of the nation. Judges 5:15-16. No leader, judge, or prophet is ever mentioned as springing from the tribe of Reuben, but they had among them some valiant warriors, who fought successfully against the Hagarites .
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