Genesis 35:22 kjv

And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine: and Israel heard it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve:

Genesis 35:22 nkjv

And it happened, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine; and Israel heard about it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve:

Genesis 35:22 niv

While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father's concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard of it. Jacob had twelve sons:

Genesis 35:22 esv

While Israel lived in that land, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine. And Israel heard of it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve.

Genesis 35:22 nlt

While he was living there, Reuben had intercourse with Bilhah, his father's concubine, and Jacob soon heard about it. These are the names of the twelve sons of Jacob:

Genesis 35 verses

Genesis 35 22 Meaning

Genesis 35:22 records a significant act of transgression by Reuben, Jacob's eldest son. While the family, now called Israel, resided in a particular land, Reuben engaged in sexual relations with Bilhah, who was Jacob's concubine and the mother of Dan and Naphtali. This act, profoundly disrespectful and an affront to paternal authority, was known to Jacob. The text immediately follows this disruptive event with a list of Jacob's twelve sons, implicitly setting the stage for future discussions of inheritance and family structure in light of Reuben's grave offense.

Genesis 35 22 Context

The setting of Genesis 35 is crucial. It details Jacob's return journey from Paddan-aram, marking a significant transition for him. Following a divine command (Gen 35:1), Jacob goes to Bethel, where God reaffirms His covenant promises and renames Jacob as "Israel" (Gen 35:9-10). This renaming signifies Jacob's transformed identity and the inception of the nation of Israel. Immediately preceding the incident, Rachel dies giving birth to Benjamin (Gen 35:16-19), plunging Jacob into deep sorrow. It is "while Israel dwelt in that land"—likely a period of unsettled encampment near Bethlehem (Ephrath)—that Reuben commits this act. The gravity of Reuben's sin is magnified within this sacred and personal context of divine promises and profound family grief. Jacob's seemingly silent reaction in this verse, only noting "Israel heard of it," is often interpreted through his mourning for Rachel and perhaps a stunned disbelief, reserving public rebuke for a later time, specifically his deathbed pronouncements in Genesis 49. The subsequent list of Jacob's twelve sons immediately after Reuben's transgression establishes the complete family unit, upon which the future nation will be built, implicitly raising the question of primogeniture and leadership in light of Reuben's actions.

Genesis 35 22 Word analysis

• While Israel dwelt in that land,

  • While (וַיְהִי, vayhī): Literally "and it was" or "and it happened." This conjunction introduces a new significant event, connecting it to the preceding context.
  • Israel (יִשְׂרָאֵל, Yisrael): Refers to Jacob, using his divinely given new name. This highlights the theological importance of the event, affecting the very foundation of the burgeoning covenant nation.
  • dwelt (וַיֵּשֶׁב, vayyeshev): Implies a period of settled habitation, suggesting a moment of perceived stability before the disruptive act.
  • in that land (בָּאָרֶץ הַהִיא, ba'arets hahī'): A general reference, likely near Ephrath/Bethlehem, contextualizing the event within Jacob's travels after his encounter at Bethel.

• Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine;

  • Reuben (רְאוּבֵן, Re'uven): Jacob's firstborn son from Leah, whose position would naturally include leadership and a double inheritance. His act contradicts his elevated status.
  • went (וַיֵּלֶךְ, vayelekh): Indicates intentional action; Reuben consciously pursued this transgression.
  • lay with (וַיִּשְׁכַּב אֶת, vayyishkav 'et): A common euphemism for sexual intercourse, directly stating the act without ambiguity.
  • Bilhah (בִּלְהָה, Bilhah): Rachel's maidservant and one of Jacob's concubines (secondary wives), mother of Dan and Naphtali. Although a servant, she held a recognized place in Jacob's household.
  • his father’s concubine (פִּילֶגֶשׁ אָבִיו, pilégésh ’aviyw):
    • concubine (פִּילֶגֶשׁ, pilegesh): A legitimate partner, though of lesser status than a primary wife. Sexual access to a man's concubine was strictly his right, reflecting his household authority.
    • his father’s (אָבִיו, 'aviyw): Crucial detail emphasizing that Bilhah belonged exclusively to Jacob. This made Reuben's act a profound affront to Jacob's authority, honor, and patriarchal control over his own family and property.

• and Israel heard of it.

  • and Israel (וַיִּשְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל, vayyishma' Yisrael): Again, uses Jacob's new covenant name. The act of hearing denotes the acquisition of knowledge about the event.
  • heard of it (וַיִּשְׁמַע, vayyishma'): Indicates that the incident came to Jacob's knowledge. The text's brevity here, without describing an immediate emotional outburst or punitive action, highlights the profound impact and shock, perhaps leaving the explicit consequence for a later, more significant moment.

Genesis 35 22 Bonus section

The seemingly understated report of Jacob's immediate reaction in Genesis 35:22 – "and Israel heard of it" – serves as a literary technique that underscores the immense gravity of the offense. Such a profound violation could not be addressed with a casual remark or immediate, trivial punishment; it necessitated a weighty, decisive pronouncement, which the narrative reserves for Jacob's final words to his sons in Genesis 49. This deferral builds dramatic tension and highlights the enduring theological implications of Reuben's sin for the formation and leadership structure of the twelve tribes of Israel. It emphasizes that while the human capacity for sin is present even in God's chosen family, divine ordering and ultimate blessing are contingent on righteousness and adherence to the foundational principles of familial respect and moral purity, foreshadowing the clear Mosaic laws against such abominable acts.

Genesis 35 22 Commentary

Genesis 35:22 is a terse but momentous biblical statement, recounting Reuben's act of defiling his father's concubine, Bilhah. More than simple sexual immorality, this act was a grave breach of family protocol and a blatant usurpation of patriarchal authority in the ancient Near East. In that cultural context, to sleep with a father's concubine was to lay claim to his status, property, and power, effectively acting as if he were already dead or no longer capable of leadership. It mirrored the actions seen later in David's kingdom where Absalom openly took his father's concubines as a symbolic overthrow. The brevity of Jacob's reaction – merely that "Israel heard of it" – does not imply indifference but rather deep, internalized shock, compounded perhaps by his recent overwhelming grief over Rachel's death. The consequences for Reuben were devastating and long-lasting, articulated decades later in Jacob's deathbed prophecies (Gen 49:3-4). Reuben, as the firstborn, inherently held the birthright—a double portion of inheritance and family leadership. His act of defiance cost him this primogeniture, causing the lineage of preeminence to pass from him, primarily to Judah, and a portion to Joseph, irrevocably altering the destiny of the twelve tribes. This episode underlines that character, righteousness, and obedience, not just birth order, determined ultimate blessing and leadership within God's covenant family.