Deuteronomy 33:6
New International Version
“Let Reuben live and not die, nor his people be few.”

New Living Translation
Moses said this about the tribe of Reuben: “Let the tribe of Reuben live and not die out, though they are few in number.”

English Standard Version
“Let Reuben live, and not die, but let his men be few.”

Berean Standard Bible
Let Reuben live and not die, nor his men be few.”

King James Bible
Let Reuben live, and not die; and let not his men be few.

New King James Version
“Let Reuben live, and not die, Nor let his men be few.”

New American Standard Bible
“May Reuben live and not die, Nor may his people be few.”

NASB 1995
“May Reuben live and not die, Nor his men be few.”

NASB 1977
“May Reuben live and not die, Nor his men be few.”

Legacy Standard Bible
“May Reuben live and not die, Nor his men be few.”

Amplified Bible
“May [the tribe of] Reuben live and not die out, But let his men be few.”

Christian Standard Bible
Let Reuben live and not die though his people become few.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Let Reuben live and not die though his people become few.

American Standard Version
Let Reuben live, and not die; Nor let his men be few.

Contemporary English Version
Tribe of Reuben, you will live, even though your tribe will always be small.

English Revised Version
Let Reuben live, and not die; Yet let his men be few.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"May the tribe of [Reuben] live and not die out, though their people are few in number."

Good News Translation
Moses said about the tribe of Reuben: "May Reuben never die out, Although their people are few."

International Standard Version
"May Reuben live and not die, though his numbers are few."

Majority Standard Bible
Let Reuben live and not die, nor his men be few.?

NET Bible
May Reuben live and not die, and may his people multiply.

New Heart English Bible
"Let Reuben live, and not die; Nor let his men be few."

Webster's Bible Translation
Let Reuben live, and not die; and let not his men be few.

World English Bible
“Let Reuben live, and not die; Nor let his men be few.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Let Reuben live, and not die, "" And let his men be an [incalculable] number.

Young's Literal Translation
Let Reuben live, and not die, And let his men be a number.

Smith's Literal Translation
Reuben shall live and shall not die; and his men shall be of number.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Let Ruben live, and not die, and be he small in number.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Let Ruben live, and not die, and may he be small in number.”

New American Bible
May Reuben live and not die out, but let his numbers be few.

New Revised Standard Version
May Reuben live, and not die out, even though his numbers are few.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Let Reuben live, and not die; and let his people be numerous.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Rubil shall live and will not die and he will be in the number.”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Let Reuben live, and not die In that his men become few.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Let Ruben live, and not die; and let him be many in number.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Moses Blesses the Twelve Tribes
5So the LORD became King in Jeshurun when the leaders of the people gathered, when the tribes of Israel came together. 6Let Reuben live and not die, nor his men be few.” 7And concerning Judah he said: “O LORD, hear the cry of Judah and bring him to his people. With his own hands he defends his cause, but may You be a help against his foes.”…

Cross References
Genesis 49:3-4
Reuben, 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.

Numbers 2:10-11
On the south side, the divisions of Reuben are to camp under their standard: The leader of the Reubenites is Elizur son of Shedeur, / and his division numbers 46,500.

Numbers 26:5-7
Reuben was the firstborn of Israel. These were the descendants of Reuben: The Hanochite clan from Hanoch, the Palluite clan from Pallu, / the Hezronite clan from Hezron, and the Carmite clan from Carmi. / These were the clans of Reuben, and their registration numbered 43,730.

1 Chronicles 5:1-2
These 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. / And though Judah prevailed over his brothers and a ruler came from him, the birthright belonged to Joseph.

Judges 5:14-15
Some came from Ephraim, with their roots in Amalek; Benjamin came with your people after you. The commanders came down from Machir, the bearers of the marshal’s staff from Zebulun. / The princes of Issachar were with Deborah, and Issachar was with Barak, rushing into the valley at his heels. In the clans of Reuben there was great indecision.

Hosea 5:11
Ephraim is oppressed, crushed in judgment, for he is determined to follow worthless idols.

Hosea 6:7-8
But they, like Adam, have transgressed the covenant; there they were unfaithful to Me. / Gilead is a city of evildoers, tracked with footprints of blood.

Revelation 7:5
From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben 12,000, from the tribe of Gad 12,000,

Matthew 19:28
Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, in the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Luke 22:30
so that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

1 Corinthians 5:1-2
It 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. / And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been stricken with grief and have removed from your fellowship the man who did this?

1 Corinthians 6:9-11
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts, / nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. / And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Romans 11:1-5
I ask then, did God reject His people? Certainly not! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. / God did not reject His people, whom He foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says about Elijah, how he appealed to God against Israel: / “Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars. I am the only one left, and they are seeking my life as well”? ...

Hebrews 7:14
For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, a tribe as to which Moses said nothing about priests.

Philippians 3:5
circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin; a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee;


Treasury of Scripture

Let Reuben live, and not die; and let not his men be few.

Genesis 49:3,4,8
Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power: …

Numbers 32:31,32
And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, As the LORD hath said unto thy servants, so will we do…

Joshua 22:1-9
Then Joshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, …

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Deuteronomy 33
1. The majesty of God
6. The blessings of the twelve tribes
26. The excellence of Israel














Let Reuben live
The phrase "Let Reuben live" is a blessing pronounced by Moses over the tribe of Reuben. In Hebrew, the word for "live" is "חָיָה" (chayah), which means to live, to have life, or to remain alive. This blessing is significant because Reuben, as the firstborn of Jacob, had lost his birthright due to his transgression (Genesis 35:22). Despite this, Moses' blessing reflects God's grace and mercy, ensuring the tribe's survival and continuity. It is a reminder of God's ability to restore and sustain life, even when human actions have led to loss or failure.

and not die
The phrase "and not die" emphasizes the desire for preservation and protection. In Hebrew, "מוּת" (muth) means to die or perish. This part of the blessing underscores the hope that Reuben's lineage would not be cut off. Historically, the tribe of Reuben settled on the east side of the Jordan River, a location that made them vulnerable to external threats. Moses' blessing is a prayer for divine protection against these threats, ensuring that the tribe would not face extinction. It reflects the broader biblical theme of God's covenant faithfulness and His power to protect His people.

nor his men be few
The phrase "nor his men be few" speaks to the desire for the tribe's growth and prosperity. The Hebrew word for "few" is "מְעַט" (me'at), which means small or few in number. This blessing is a plea for the tribe to flourish and multiply, countering any decline in their population. In the context of ancient Israel, a tribe's strength and influence were often measured by its numbers. Thus, this blessing is not only about survival but also about thriving and maintaining a significant presence among the tribes of Israel. It reflects the hope for fruitfulness and abundance, aligning with God's promises to His people to make them numerous and prosperous.

(6) Let Reuben live, and not die.--"'Live' in this world." says Rashi, "and 'not die' in the world to come." That his misdeed should not be remembered (Genesis 35:22). Rashi also notices the juxtaposition of this record with the sentence, "the sons of Jacob were twelve." Reuben was not cut off, but he was disinherited (1Chronicles 5:1), and his father's blessing had so much in it of disapproval, that Moses' prayer for him was not unnecessary.

And let not his men be few.--The sentence is difficult. The LXX. insert Simeon, "let Simeon be many in number." But there is no need for this. The most terrible destruction ever wrought in Israel by the word of Moses came on Dathan and Abiram (who were Reubenites), when "they and all that appertained to them went down alive into the pit." We cannot say how far the tribe was diminished by this terrible visitation and the plague that followed (Numbers 16), but the fighting men of the tribe had slightly decreased in the second census (Numbers 1:21; Numbers 26:7), and only two of all the twelve tribes had a smaller force than Reuben

at this time. It seems best, therefore, to take the whole verse as applying to Reuben, and the negative in the first clause as covering the second clause also. "Let not his men be a (small) number." The omission of Simeon may be accounted for by his coming within the inheritance of Judah, in Canaan, and enjoying the blessing and protection of that most distinguished tribe. Rashi also takes this view.

Verses 6-25. - Blessings on the tribes individually. With these may be compared the blessing which Jacob pronounced on his sons as representing the tribes of which they were the heads. The two resemble each other in many points; the differences are such as naturally arose from the different relations of the speakers to the objects of their address, and the changes in the condition and prospects of the tribes which during the lapse of centuries had come to pass. Verse 6. - And let not his men be few. The negative, though not expressed in the Hebrew, is to be carried into this clause from the preceding. Though the rights of primogeniture had been withdrawn from Reuben, and Jacob had declared that he should not excel, Moses here assures the tribe of continuance, and even prosperity. Their number was not to be small; which was, perhaps, said to comfort them, in view of the fact that their numbers had greatly diminished in the course of their wanderings in the desert (comp. Numbers 1:21 with Numbers 26:7). At no time, however, was this tribe numerous as compared with the others; nor was it ever distinguished either by the enterprise of its members or by the eminence of any of them in the councils of the nation or the management of affairs.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Let Reuben
רְאוּבֵ֖ן (rə·’ū·ḇên)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 7205: Reuben -- 'behold a son!' oldest son of Jacob, also his desc

live
יְחִ֥י (yə·ḥî)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2421: To live, to revive

and not
וְאַל־ (wə·’al-)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 408: Not

die,
יָמֹ֑ת (yā·mōṯ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill

nor
וִיהִ֥י (wî·hî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

his men
מְתָ֖יו (mə·ṯāw)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 4962: An adult, a man

be few.”
מִסְפָּֽר׃ (mis·pār)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4557: A number, definite, indefinite, narration


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OT Law: Deuteronomy 33:6 Let Reuben live and not die (Deut. De Du)
Deuteronomy 33:5
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