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I thought it might be useful, as an exercise, to collect every verse which mentions the term Reuben or Reubenite in the Bible, with the exception of most verses about the biblical patriarch. I’m interested in the tribe, although I’ll include some of the verses about Reuben the individual where they might comment on the tribe, but not exhaustively. This post doesn’t attempt any deep analysis. It just gathers the material first.
I’ve divided the material into two rough sections. First is mentions in lists. These are less interesting, because lists of the twelve tribes basically “force” a mention of Reuben, and some other lists just give a little geographical information or the names of clans. I’m more interested in the second section, which contains mentions of the tribe of Reuben outside of simple lists, and these have more potential to give us insight into how the biblical authors thought of the tribe of Reuben specifically.
Mostly Simple Lists
Genesis 46:9, implicitly listing Reubenite clans, has Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. Exodus 6:14 gives the same list, in the same order, explicitly calling the four sons “clans (mishpehot) of Reuben.” Numbers 26:5 gives the same lists, but with the additional ethnonyms, so that Hanoch is the ancestor of Hanochites, Pallu of Palluites, Hezron of Hezronites, Carmi of Carmites. 1 Chronicles 5:1-3 repeats this list.
Numbers 1 gives a list of twelve tribal leaders, without detailing any specific details of their lives, and gives “Elizur ben Shedeur” as one for Reuben. Numbers 7 gives a formulaic list of tribal leaders presenting offerings, and Elizur ben Shedeur appears at the appropriate place.
Numbers 1:20-21 goes on to give the total number of men fit for battle in the tribe of Reuben as 46,500, but the census numbers are clearly exaggerated fictions. Numbers 2:10-16, describing the Israelite camps in the desert, place the Reubenites on the south side, and count the Simeonites and Gadites as part of “the camp of Reuben,” numbering an implausible total of 151,450 people. This camp, once again under Elizur ben Shedeur, moves along with all the other listed camps in Numbers 10:18.
In the second census, at Numbers 26:7, the Reubenites appear again among the other tribes, with an equally fictional number of 43,730.
In Numbers 13:1, a list of twelve tribal leaders sent to spy is given, and at the appropriate place “Shammua ben Zakkur” appears.
Numbers 32 gives the story of how Reuben, Gad, and half-Manasseh came to settle outside the land of Canaan proper, in Transjordan (“Gilead” and “Jazer”). Numbers 32:37 lists cities built, fortified, or rebuilt by Reubenites in Transjordan: Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, Nebo, Baal-meon, and Shibmah. Numbers 34:14 again mentions this inheritance. Deuteronomy 3 (12 and 16) mentions the Transjordanian tribes briefly, as does 4:43 and 29:8.
Deuteronomy 27:12-13 describes the blessings on Gerizim and curses on Ebal, and has the tribe of Reuben along with five other tribes standing on Ebal.
In Joshua 1:12, Joshua reminds the Transjordanian tribes of their promise to Moses that they would help with the conquest. Joshua 4 discusses the actual crossing into Canaan, and there it numbers the soldiers of Reuben, half-Manasseh, and Gad as about 40,000 (verses 12-13), significantly less than one would expect from the census figures of Numbers but still implausibly high. Judges 13 gives a detailed list of cities given to Reuben, Gad, and half-Manasseh. Joshua 12:6 mentions the Transjordan tribes including Reuben in passing, and 13:8, 18:7, and 22:9 mentions them again.
Joshua 15:6 places a “Stone of Bohan the son of Reuben” along the Judahite border. Joshua 18:17 places this stone along the Benjamite border.
Joshua 20:8 lists cities of refuge, including one in Reuben, mentioned again in 21:36 and 1 Chronicles 6:78. Joshua 21:7 mentions some Levitical cities in Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun, and this detail is repeated in 1 Chronicles 6:63.
Joshua 22 discusses an incident with a Transjordanian altar, but does not have anything specific to say about Reuben, but simply lists them along with Gad and half-Manasseh. In the first parts of the story, the story is about Gad, Reuben, and half-Manasseh, but several times in the chapter half-Manasseh isn’t mentioned.
2 Kings 10:33 has Hazael of Aram conquering the Transjordanian tribes’ land.
The vision of Ezekiels temple, which includes twelve tribes, mentions Reuben (chapter 48).
1 Chronicles 5 discusses the Transjordanian tribes, including Reuben, and tells a far-fetched tale of their war with the Hagrites, and then asserts that they were exiled by Tiglath-Pileser with the other Transjordanians to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river Gozan “to this day.” 1 Chronicles 5:6 names Beerah as the leader of the Reubenites when Tiglath-Pileser deported the Transjordanian tribes.
1 Chronicles 11:42 lists a single Reubenite (Adina ben Shiza) among David’s Mighty Men.
1 Chronicles 12:37, at the coronation of David, mentions 120,000 warriors from the Transjordanian tribes. 1 Chronicles 26:32 briefly mentions the leaders of the Transjordanian tribes, and 27:16 names a Reubenite leader in a list of tribal leaders.
Other Mentions
In Genesis 29:32, 35:23, 46:8, 49:3, etc., Reuben (the patriarch) is the oldest son of Jacob. In Genesis 37:21 — Reuben wants to save Joseph from being killed.
Genesis 49:3-4 gives a short and non-specific negative prophecy by Jacob about Reuben based on the legendary episode where Reuben sleeps with his father’s concubine. Deuteronomy 33:6, in a similar text, in which Moses gives brief remarks or blessings about each tribe, Reuben is given a short, generic, positive mention.
In the rebellion of Korah, Numbers 16:1 names the leaders of the rebellion as a Levite, Korah, and three Reubenites: Dathan, Abiram, and On. Deuteronomy 11:6 mentions this incident again retrospectively.
The Song of Deborah mentions Reuben as a tribe of shepherds, who stayed out of the conflict with Sisera (Judges 5:15-16).
Conclusion
The tribe of Reuben is very rarely mentioned outside of lists (either of the twelve tribes or of the 2 1/2 Tranjordanian tribes). Here and there a leader is mentioned, and the Bible does provide enough to sketch a collective “history” (if you will) of the Transjordanian tribes, but mentions of material specifically about Reuben itself are rare. Reuben is usually mentioned in passing in lists that “force” a mention of Reuben.
Of the “other mentions” section, there is very little. Two mentions are about the patriarch Reuben, and may reflect some kind of information about the Tribe itself, but only indirectly. The rebellion of Korah does mention three Reubenites, but is embedded in a fictional story and does not speak of the tribe itself.
The only remaining mention of any interest is in the Song of Deborah, which gives a description consistent with other mentions of the Transjordanian tribes, who are described as herdsmen.
Outside of its role in filling out tribal lists, the Bible has almost nothing to say about Reuben.