← H7204 H7206 →

רְאוּבֵן

𐤓𐤀𐤅𐤁𐤍

Reuven

H7205 noun

SILEX Entry

Root ראה, בן to see, perceive, look; son, descendant

Definition

Proper noun: Reuben. The name of the firstborn son of Jacob and Leah, and by extension, the eponymous ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. The name likely conveys a wish or statement such as 'see, a son,' or possibly a play on 'he has seen my misery' in context. In genealogical and tribal contexts, refers to the leader or tribal group descended from Reuben.

Semantic Range

personal name 'Reuben'; eponymous ancestor of a tribe; designation for members of the tribe descended from Reuben (Reubenites)

Root / Etymology

The name appears to be a composite: from the verb רָאָה (ra'ah, 'to see') and בֵּן (ben, 'son'), yielding 'see, a son!' or 'behold, a son!'. Some suggest a wordplay with רַעְיָה (ra'ayah, 'he has seen my misery') based on Genesis 29:32, making the precise etymology somewhat uncertain and possibly deliberate wordplay in the narrative.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Reuben, as a personal name, is found in patriarchal narratives as the firstborn son of Jacob and Leah (Genesis 29:32) and leader of one of the twelve tribes. The meaning given in Genesis 29:32 suggests both recognition of the birth of a son and an allusion to divine regard for Leah's affliction, displaying classic examples of biblical onomastics and wordplay. The tribal group known as Reubenites inherited territory east of the Jordan, but their prominence and autonomy decline in later biblical periods. In English translation traditions, 'Reuben' is often rendered unchanged, though later religious and popular usage sometimes obscures the tribal dimensions. The term is an ethnonym and personal name, not a title or religious label. Not to be confused with later uses of 'Jew' or 'Judaism,' which postdate the timeframes of Reuben's narrative.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from the imperative of רָאָה and בֵּן; see ye a son; Reuben, a son of Jacob; Reuben.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

ראה, בן (r-ʾ-h; b-n) — to see, perceive, look; son, descendant

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H7205-03 רְאוּבֵ֑ן reuven HNp Reuben See—a Son Reuven 69
H7205-04 וּ/רְאוּבֵ֡ן ureuven HC/Np and-Reuben and See-a-Son and Reuven 1
H7205-02 לִ/רְאוּבֵ֕ן lireuven HR/Np of Reuben to See-a-Son to Reuven 1
H7205-01 כִּ/רְאוּבֵ֥ן kireuven HR/Np as Reuben as See-a-Son like Reuven 1

Occurrences in Scripture

72 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H7205-03 Genesis 29:32 רְאוּבֵ֑ן reuven HNp Reuben See—a Son Reuven
H7205-03 Genesis 30:14 רְאוּבֵ֜ן reuven HNp Reuben See—a Son Reuven
H7205-03 Genesis 35:22 רְאוּבֵ֔ן reuven HNp Reuben See—a Son Reuven
H7205-03 Genesis 35:23 רְאוּבֵ֑ן reuven HNp Reuben See—a Son Reuven
H7205-03 Genesis 37:21 רְאוּבֵ֔ן reuven HNp Reuben See—a Son Reuven
H7205-03 Genesis 37:22 רְאוּבֵן֮ reuven HNp Reuben See—a Son Reuven
H7205-03 Genesis 37:29 רְאוּבֵן֙ reuven HNp Reuben See—a Son Reuven
H7205-03 Genesis 42:22 רְאוּבֵ֨ן reuven HNp Reuben See—a Son Reuven
H7205-03 Genesis 42:37 רְאוּבֵן֙ reuven HNp Reuben See—a Son Reuven
H7205-03 Genesis 46:8 רְאוּבֵֽן reuven HNp Reuben See—a Son Reuven
← H7204 Hebrew Lexicon H7206 →