Gen 49:3-4 | MHM | STEP | v. 3 : Jacob begins with Reuben, his firstborn. He describes Reuben as his might and the beginning of his strength. As the oldest, Reuben should have had the highest dignity and power ( v. 3 ). In a family, the firstborn had special honor, but this could be lost by wrongdoing.

‏ Genesis 49:3-4

v. 3: Jacob begins with Reuben, his firstborn. He describes Reuben as his might and the beginning of his strength. As the oldest, Reuben should have had the highest dignity and power (v. 3 ^a). In a family, the firstborn had special honor, but this could be lost by wrongdoing.

v. 4: Jacob says that Reuben is "unstable as water" and will not excel because he committed a serious sin by sleeping with his father’s wife (v. 4 ^b). Even though Reuben was forgiven, his actions had lasting consequences. This shows that sin can leave a mark on a person’s life and family, even many years later (Proverbs 6:32-33 ^c).