Genesis 46:9

Study note

Setting — The narrator records the names of Jacob’s descendants as the family prepares to descend to Egypt, explicitly naming Reuben as the firstborn. This genealogical inventory establishes the tribal composition of the migrating household.

The words — The verse foregrounds רְאוּבֵ֑ן (re'uben) and בְנֵ֖י (benei), translating literally to "Reuben" and "sons." The construction formally introduces a new lineage within the broader family roster.

The thread — This structural pattern appears in Genesis 46:8 and Genesis 46:10, which frame the verse with identical listing formulas for other sons. The sequence preserves a strict tribal order throughout the migration account.

Why it lands — The text demands the reader track the concrete expansion of Jacob’s household into distinct familial branches. It grounds the subsequent narrative in documented ancestry rather than abstract promise.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.