Deuteronomy 33:6

 Deuteronomy 33:6

Let Reuben live, and not die; and let not his men be few.

a. NASB 1995: “May Reuben live and not die, Nor his men be few.”  [New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB1995) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.]

b. YLT: Let Reuben live, and not die, And let his men be a number.  [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. Classic Amplified: Let [the tribe of] Reuben live and not die out, but let his men be few.  [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

d. Stone Edition THE CHUMASH, Rabbinic Commentary: May Reuben live and not die, and may his population be included in the count.  [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE CHUMASH Copyright 1998, 2000 by MESORAH PUBLICATIONS, Ldt.]

e. ESV: “Let Reuben live, and not die, but let his men be few.”[Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001, 2007, 2011, 2016 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.]

f. Unless otherwise stated, all Greek and Hebrew definitions are from Blue Letter Bible

1. “Let Reuben live, and not die; and let not his men be few.”

a. [Let] Reuben [Strong: 7205 Rᵉʼûwbên, reh-oo-bane'; from the imperative of H7200 and H1121; see ye a son; Reuben, a son of Jacob:—Reuben.]

b. live [Strong: 2421 châyâh, khaw-yaw'; a primitive root (compare H2331, H2421); to live, whether literally or figuratively; causatively, to revive:—keep (leave, make) alive, × certainly, give (promise) life, (let, suffer to) live, nourish up, preserve (alive), quicken, recover, repair, restore (to life), revive, (× God) save (alive, life, lives), × surely, be whole.]

c. [and] not [Strong: 408 ʼal, al; a negative particle (akin to H3808); not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothing:—nay, neither, + never, no, nor, not, nothing (worth), rather than.]

d. die [Strong: 4191 mûwth, mooth; a primitive root; to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill:—× at all, × crying, (be) dead (body, man, one), (put to, worthy of) death, destroy(-er), (cause to, be like to, must) die, kill, necro(-mancer), × must needs, slay, × surely, × very suddenly, × in (no) wise.]

e. [and] let [not] [Strong: 1961 hâyâh, haw-yaw; a primitive root (compare H1933); to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary):—beacon, × altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, follow, happen, × have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, × use.]

f. [his] men [Strong: 4962 math, math; from the same as H4970; properly, an adult (as of full length); by implication, a man (only in the plural):— few, × friends, men, persons, × small.]

g. be [Strong: 1961 hâyâh, haw-yaw; a primitive root (compare H1933); to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary):—beacon, × altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, follow, happen, × have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, × use.]

h. few [Strong: 4557 miçpâr, mis-pawr'; from H5608; a number, definite (arithmetical) or indefinite (large, innumerable; small, a few); also (abstractly) narration:— abundance, account, × all, × few, (in-) finite, (certain) number(-ed), tale, telling, time.

1). Dr. Louis Goldberg, Deuteronomy: What Jacob had once said about Reuben was hardly complimentary (genesis 49:3, 4), but Moses blessed the people of Reuben, saying that they should live and not die.Even though the tribe was untaable because they found it difficult to be ready when military action was necessary (judges 5:15, 16). They were blessed anyway.