re.u.ven names Jacob's firstborn and, by extension, the tribe and descendants identified with him.

The proper name identifies Jacob's firstborn in birth, family, and narrative scenes, and it also identifies the tribe or descendants associated with him in inheritance, settlement, and communal settings.

1. The tribe and descendants bearing the name · dominant

   The proper noun identifies a tribal body and its members: in Joshua 13:15 the APB renders an inheritance given to the tribe, and in Joshua 22:10 it renders the sons of Reuben acting with Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh. In Ezekiel 48:31, it appears in the name of one of the city gates.

   Joshua 13:15Joshua 22:10Joshua 22:21Joshua 22:34Ezekiel 48:311 Chronicles 5:18
2. Jacob's firstborn as an individual · common

   The proper noun names Leah's son at his birth in Genesis 29:32, where the APB renders that she called his name Reuben. In Genesis 37:21 and Genesis 37:22, the named speaker seeks to rescue Joseph from the others; Genesis 49:3 identifies him as the firstborn.

   Genesis 29:32Genesis 35:22Genesis 37:21Genesis 37:22Genesis 42:37Genesis 49:3

In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB commonly presents the name as “Reuben” for the individual and in phrases such as “the tribe of Reuben” or “the sons of Reuben” for the larger group. It also uses “Reubenites” in Joshua 13:23 and Joshua 22:32; these renderings reflect the verse contexts rather than a word-for-word alignment.