49:2. Gather yourselves together, and hear, O ye sons of Jacob, hearken
to Israel, your father:
49:3. Ruben, my firstborn, thou art my strength, and the beginning of my
sorrow; excelling in gifts, greater in command.
My strength, etc... He calls him his strength, as being born whilst his
father was in his full strength and vigour: he calls him the beginning
of his sorrow, because cares and sorrows usually come on with the birth
of children. Excelling in gifts, etc., because the firstborn had a title
to a double portion, and to have the command over his brethren, which
Ruben forfeited by his sin; being poured out as water, that is, spilt
and lost.
49:4. Thou art poured out as water, grow thou not; because thou wentest
up to thy father's bed, and didst defile his couch.
Grow thou not... This was not meant by way of a curse or imprecation;
but by way of a prophecy foretelling that the tribe of Ruben should not
inherit the pre-eminences usually annexed to the first birthright, viz.,
the double portion, the being prince or lord over the other brethren,
and the priesthood: of which the double portion was given to Joseph, the
princely office to Juda, and the priesthood to Levi.
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