Genesis 49:4

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

You are destructive like water and will not excel, for you got on your father’s bed, then you defiled it– he got on my couch!

Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

  • Gen 35:22 : 22 While Israel was living in that land, Reuben went to bed with Bilhah, his father’s concubine, and Israel heard about it.Jacob had twelve sons:
  • 1 Chr 5:1 : 1 Reuben’s Descendants The sons of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn–(Now he was the firstborn, but when he defiled his father’s bed, his rights as firstborn were given to the sons of Joseph, Israel’s son. So Reuben is not listed as firstborn in the genealogical records.
  • Deut 27:20 : 20 ‘Cursed is the one who goes to bed with his father’s former wife, for he dishonors his father.’ Then all the people will say,‘Amen!’
  • Deut 33:6 : 6 Blessing on Reuben May Reuben live and not die, and may his people multiply.
  • 1 Cor 5:1 : 1 Church Discipline It is actually reported that sexual immorality exists among you, the kind of immorality that is not permitted even among the Gentiles, so that someone is cohabiting with his father’s wife.
  • Jas 1:6-8 : 6 But he must ask in faith without doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed around by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8 since he is a double-minded individual, unstable in all his ways.
  • 2 Pet 2:14 : 14 Their eyes, full of adultery, never stop sinning; they entice unstable people. They have trained their hearts for greed, these cursed children!
  • Gen 46:8 : 8 These are the names of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt– Jacob and his sons: Reuben, the firstborn of Jacob.
  • Num 32:1-9 : 1 The Petition of the Reubenites and Gadites Now the Reubenites and the Gadites possessed a very large number of cattle. When they saw that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were ideal for cattle, 2 the Gadites and the Reubenites came and addressed Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the community. They said, 3 “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, 4 the land that the LORD subdued before the community of Israel, is ideal for cattle, and your servants have cattle.” 5 So they said,“If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for our inheritance. Do not have us cross the Jordan River.” 6 Moses’ Response Moses said to the Gadites and the Reubenites,“Must your brothers go to war while you remain here? 7 Why do you frustrate the intent of the Israelites to cross over into the land which the LORD has given them? 8 Your fathers did the same thing when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to see the land. 9 When they went up to the Eshcol Valley and saw the land, they frustrated the intent of the Israelites so that they did not enter the land that the LORD had given them. 10 So the anger of the LORD was kindled that day, and he swore, 11 ‘Because they have not followed me wholeheartedly, not one of the men twenty years old and upward who came from Egypt will see the land that I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, 12 except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua son of Nun, for they followed the LORD wholeheartedly.’ 13 So the LORD’s anger was kindled against the Israelites, and he made them wander in the wilderness for forty years, until all that generation that had done wickedly before the LORD was finished. 14 Now look, you are standing in your fathers’ place, a brood of sinners, to increase still further the fierce wrath of the LORD against the Israelites. 15 For if you turn away from following him, he will once again abandon them in the wilderness, and you will be the reason for their destruction.” 16 The Offer of the Reubenites and Gadites Then they came very close to him and said,“We will build sheep folds here for our flocks and cities for our families, 17 but we will maintain ourselves in armed readiness and go before the Israelites until whenever we have brought them to their place. Our descendants will be living in fortified towns as a protection against the inhabitants of the land. 18 We will not return to our homes until every Israelite has his inheritance. 19 For we will not accept any inheritance on the other side of the Jordan River and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on this eastern side of the Jordan.” 20 Then Moses replied,“If you will do this thing, and if you will arm yourselves for battle before the LORD, 21 and if all your armed men cross the Jordan before the LORD until he drives out his enemies from his presence 22 and the land is subdued before the LORD, then afterward you may return and be free of your obligation to the LORD and to Israel. This land will then be your possession in the LORD’s sight. 23 “But if you do not do this, then look, you will have sinned against the LORD. And know that your sin will find you out. 24 So build cities for your descendants and pens for your sheep, but do what you have said you would do.” 25 So the Gadites and the Reubenites replied to Moses,“Your servants will do as my lord commands. 26 Our children, our wives, our flocks, and all our livestock will be there in the cities of Gilead, 27 but your servants will cross over, every man armed for war, to do battle in the LORD’s presence, just as my lord says.” 28 So Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua son of Nun, and to the heads of the families of the Israelite tribes. 29 Moses said to them:“If the Gadites and the Reubenites cross the Jordan with you, each one equipped for battle in the LORD’s presence, and you conquer the land, then you must allot them the territory of Gilead as their possession. 30 But if they do not cross over with you armed, they must receive possessions among you in Canaan.” 31 Then the Gadites and the Reubenites answered,“Your servants will do what the LORD has spoken. 32 We will cross armed in the LORD’s presence into the land of Canaan, and then the possession of our inheritance that we inherit will be ours on this side of the Jordan River.” 33 Land Assignment So Moses gave to the Gadites, the Reubenites, and to half the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph the realm of King Sihon of the Amorites, and the realm of King Og of Bashan, the entire land with its cities and the territory surrounding them. 34 The Gadites rebuilt Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, 35 Atroth Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, 36 Beth Nimrah, and Beth Haran as fortified cities, and constructed pens for their flocks. 37 The Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, 38 Nebo, Baal Meon(with a change of name), and Sibmah. They renamed the cities they built. 39 The descendants of Machir son of Manasseh went to Gilead, took it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were in it. 40 So Moses gave Gilead to Machir, son of Manasseh, and he lived there. 41 Now Jair son of Manasseh went and captured their small towns and named them Havvoth Jair. 42 Then Nobah went and captured Kenath and its villages and called it Nobah after his own name.
  • Deut 5:21 : 21 You must not desire another man’s wife, nor should you crave his house, his field, his male and female servants, his ox, his donkey, or anything else he owns.”
  • 2 Pet 3:16 : 16 speaking of these things in all his letters. Some things in these letters are hard to understand, things the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they also do to the rest of the scriptures.

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

  • Gen 49:3
    77%

    3Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might and the beginning of my strength, outstanding in dignity, outstanding in power.

  • 1 Chr 5:1-2
    2 verses
    73%

    1Reuben’s Descendants The sons of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn–(Now he was the firstborn, but when he defiled his father’s bed, his rights as firstborn were given to the sons of Joseph, Israel’s son. So Reuben is not listed as firstborn in the genealogical records.

    2Though Judah was the strongest among his brothers and a leader descended from him, the right of the firstborn belonged to Joseph.)

  • Gen 19:31-35
    5 verses
    70%

    31Later the older daughter said to the younger,“Our father is old, and there is no man in the country to sleep with us, the way everyone does.

    32Come, let’s make our father drunk with wine so we can go to bed with him and preserve our family line through our father.”

    33So that night they made their father drunk with wine, and the older daughter came in and went to bed with her father. But he was not aware of when she lay down with him or when she got up.

    34So in the morning the older daughter said to the younger,“Since I went to bed with my father last night, let’s make him drunk again tonight. Then you go in and go to bed with him so we can preserve our family line through our father.”

    35So they made their father drunk that night as well, and the younger one came and went to bed with him. But he was not aware of when she lay down with him or when she got up.

  • Gen 35:22-23
    2 verses
    69%

    22While Israel was living in that land, Reuben went to bed with Bilhah, his father’s concubine, and Israel heard about it.Jacob had twelve sons:

    23The sons of Leah were Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, as well as Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.

  • Ezek 22:10-11
    2 verses
    69%

    10They have sexual relations with their father’s wife within you; they violate women during their menstrual period within you.

    11One commits an abominable act with his neighbor’s wife; another obscenely defiles his daughter-in-law; another violates his sister– his father’s daughter– within you.

  • Isa 57:7-8
    2 verses
    68%

    7On every high, elevated hill you prepare your bed; you go up there to offer sacrifices.

    8Behind the door and doorpost you put your symbols. Indeed, you depart from me and go up and invite them into bed with you. You purchase favors from them, you love their bed, and gaze longingly on their naked bodies.

  • Gen 49:5
    68%

    5Simeon and Levi are brothers, weapons of violence are their knives!

  • Lev 18:7-8
    2 verses
    67%

    7You must not expose your father’s nakedness by having sexual relations with your mother. She is your mother; you must not have sexual relations with her.

    8You must not have sexual relations with your father’s wife; she is your father’s nakedness.

  • Gen 49:8-9
    2 verses
    67%

    8Judah, your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies, your father’s sons will bow down before you.

    9You are a lion’s cub, Judah, from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He crouches and lies down like a lion; like a lioness– who will rouse him?

  • Lev 20:19
    67%

    19You must not expose the nakedness of your mother’s sister and your father’s sister, for such a person has laid bare his own close relative. They must bear their punishment for iniquity.

  • Isa 14:20
    67%

    20You will not be buried with them, because you destroyed your land and killed your people. The offspring of the wicked will never be mentioned again.

  • Deut 22:30
    67%

    30(23:1) A man may not marry his father’s former wife and in this way dishonor his father.

  • Gen 42:38
    67%

    38But Jacob replied,“My son will not go down there with you, for his brother is dead and he alone is left. If an accident happens to him on the journey you have to make, then you will bring down my gray hair in sorrow to the grave.”

  • Jer 49:4
    67%

    4Why do you brag about your great power? Your power is ebbing away, you rebellious people of Ammon, who trust in your riches and say,‘Who would dare to attack us?’

  • Exod 1:2
    67%

    2Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,

  • Gen 31:28
    66%

    28You didn’t even allow me to kiss my daughters and my grandchildren goodbye. You have acted foolishly!

  • Gen 34:27
    66%

    27Jacob’s sons killed them and looted the city because their sister had been violated.

  • Ezek 16:29
    66%

    29Then you multiplied your promiscuity to the land of merchants, Babylonia, but you were not satisfied there either.

  • Lev 18:11
    66%

    11You must not have sexual relations with the daughter of your father’s wife born of your father; she is your sister. You must not have sexual relations with her.

  • Isa 48:19
    66%

    19Your descendants would have been as numerous as sand, and your children like its granules. Their name would not have been cut off and eliminated from my presence.

  • Prov 23:34
    66%

    34And you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, and like one who lies down on the top of the rigging.

  • Gen 49:25-26
    2 verses
    66%

    25because of the God of your father, who will help you, because of the Sovereign God, who will bless you with blessings from the sky above, blessings from the deep that lies below, and blessings of the breasts and womb.

    26The blessings of your father are greater than the blessings of the eternal mountains or the desirable things of the age-old hills. They will be on the head of Joseph and on the brow of the prince of his brothers.

  • Obad 1:10
    66%

    10Edom’s Treachery Against Judah“Because you violently slaughtered your relatives, the people of Jacob, shame will cover you, and you will be destroyed forever.

  • Deut 27:20
    66%

    20‘Cursed is the one who goes to bed with his father’s former wife, for he dishonors his father.’ Then all the people will say,‘Amen!’

  • Jer 49:10
    66%

    10But I will strip everything away from Esau’s descendants. I will uncover their hiding places so they cannot hide. Their children, relatives, and neighbors will all be destroyed. Not one of them will be left!

  • 2 Sam 16:21
    66%

    21Ahithophel replied to Absalom,“Sleep with your father’s concubines whom he left to care for the palace. All Israel will hear that you have made yourself repulsive to your father. Then your followers will be motivated to support you.”

  • Isa 57:3
    66%

    3But approach, you sons of omen readers, you offspring of adulteresses and prostitutes!

  • Ps 50:20
    66%

    20You plot against your brother; you slander your own brother.