Deuteronomy 33:6
Let Ruben live, and not die, and be he small in number.
Open Deuteronomy 33:6 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Vivat Ruben, et non moriatur, et sit parvus in numero.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- Ζήτω Ῥουβὴν καὶ μὴ ἀποθανέτω, καὶ ἔστω πολὺς ἐν ἀριθμῷ.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- יְחִ֥י רְאוּבֵ֖ן וְאַל יָמֹ֑ת וִיהִ֥י מְתָ֖יו מִסְפָּֽר
Haydock's commentary
Number. This is conformable to the prophecy of Jacob, who deprived Ruben of his birth-right, on account of incest. He is even treated with indulgence, in being permitted to form one of the tribes. Yet some copies of the Septuagint, Syriac, (Theodoret q. 42,) and many interpreters, take this in a quite contrary sense, "let him be numerous, or not few;" the negation being supplied from the former part of the verse, which is not unusual in Hebrew. See Genesis ii. 6., Psalm ix. 19., and Proverbs xxxi. 1, &c. The tribe of Ruben was in effect more numerous than those of Gad, Joseph, or Benjamin. Simeon receives no blessing, probably on account of the crimes for which so many of that tribe were exterminated, (Numbers i. 23., and xxvi. 14.; Calmet,) and particularly Zambri, one of the chief princes, Numbers xxv. (Worthington)
But Grabe's Septuagint applies to Simeon what the rest attribute to Ruben. "And let Simeon be many in number." No solid reason can be given why he should be passed over entirely, as, notwithstanding the infidelity of some of his children, and his own cruelty in not endeavouring to rescue Joseph, &c., he was to form a tribe among his brethren. (Haydock)
Some, therefore, imagine that he was to share in the blessings of Ruben, or of Levi, (with whom he is joined by Jacob, Genesis xlix. 5,) or of Juda, near whom he had his allotment of the promised land. Part of the tribe of Simeon afterwards dwelt in the territories of Juda, Josue xix. 1., 1 Paralipomenon iv. 42., and Judges i. 3. But (Calmet) it is more likely that the name has been omitted or changed in the original, by the mistake of some early transcriber, in like manner as the tribe of Manasses, included in that of Joseph, seems to have been placed for that of Dan, which otherwise would be omitted, Apocalypse vii. 6, 8. Some have recourse to a mystery in both these places. (Haydock)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
Aphrahat Aphrahat: Select Demonstrations, Of the Resurrection of the Dead
8. Thus also Joseph bound his brethren by an oath, and said to them: When God shall remember you, take up my bones from hence with you. And according to the word of Joseph his brethren did, and kept the oath a hundred and twenty-five years. At that time when the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt, then Moses took up the bones of Joseph when he went forth. And the bones of the righteous man were more precious and better in his estimation than the gold and the silver that the children of Israel took from Egypt when they spoiled them. And the bones of Joseph were forty years in the wilderness; and at that time when Moses fell asleep, he gave them in inheritance to Joshua the son of Nun. The bones of Joseph his father were better in his estimation than all the spoil of that land which he subdued. …
Aphrahat Aphrahat: Select Demonstrations, Of Death and the Latter Times
2. And why did he say: From Adam unto Moses did Death rule? And who is so ill-furnished with knowledge as to imagine that only from Adam to Moses has death had dominion? Yet let him understand from this that he said: Upon all men it passed. Thus, upon all men it passed from Moses until the world shall end. Yet Moses preached that its kingdom is made void. For when Adam transgressed the commandment whereby the sentence of death was passed upon his progeny, Death hoped that he would bind fast all the sons of man and would be king over them for ever. But when Moses came, he proclaimed the resurrection, and Death knew that his kingdom is to be made void. For Moses said: Reuben shall live and not die, and shall be in number . And when the Holy One called Moses from the bush he said thus to him: I am the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob . …