Reuben (vv. 3-4). Jacob spoke directly to Reuben, his eldest son, but what he had to say wasn’t very complimentary. An old sin he’d committed finally caught up with Reuben (35:22; Num. 32:23), and he lost his privileges as the firstborn son. Jacob gave that blessing to Joseph and his two sons (1 Chron. 5:1-2). As Jacob’s firstborn son, Reuben should have been a strong man with dignity, who brought honor to his father and family, but he turned out to be a weak man who disgraced his family by defiling his father’s bed.

“Unstable as water” (Gen. 49:4) speaks of both turbulence and weakness. Reuben’s arrogant attitude and reckless way of life weren’t fitting for a firstborn son. Water is certainly weak in itself, but turbulent water can be very destructive. It’s difficult to find in Scripture any member of the tribe of Reuben who distinguished himself as a leader. The tribe declined in numbers between the exodus and the entrance into the Promised Land (Num. 1:20-21; 2:11; 26:7), moving from seventh to ninth place. Dathan and Abiram were Reubenites who gave leadership in the rebellion of Korah (Num. 16:1), which led to the deaths of thousands of people.

The tribe of Reuben settled on the east side of Jordan with the tribe of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh, because the land there was good for their flocks and herds. The army of Reuben didn’t heed the call of Deborah and Barak when they fought the Canaanites (Judg. 5:15-16). Apparently they didn’t have the resolute courage to enter the battle, but years later they did send soldiers to assist David at Hebron (1 Chron. 12:37).

Simeon and Levi (vv. 5-7). Reuben’s costly sin was lust, but Simeon and Levi were guilty of anger and violence in their unrestrained massacre of the Shechemites (Gen. 34:25-31). It was right to avenge the raping of their sister Dinah, but it wasn’t necessary to wipe out innocent people just to gratify their own desire for revenge.

Since it was dangerous to be “in their assembly,” God arranged that the two tribes would not be able to assemble or do anything together. The tribe of Simeon was eventually absorbed into the tribe of Judah (Josh. 19:1, 9), and the tribe of Levi was given forty-eight towns to live in, scattered throughout the land (chap. 21). Indeed, the brothers were “divided in Jacob and scattered in Israel.”