Reuben

Firstborn son of Jacob and Leah, ancestor of the tribe of Reuben. Despite his birthright as eldest, Reuben lost his preeminence after lying with Bilhah, his father’s concubine—an act that earned Jacob’s curse: “Unstable as water, you shall not have preeminence” (Genesis 49:4). Yet Reuben showed moral conscience when he attempted to save Joseph from his brothers’ murderous plot, intending to return him safely to Jacob. He later offered his own sons as surety for Benjamin. The tribe of Reuben settled east of the Jordan River, among the first to receive their territorial inheritance.