Bible Dictionary
REUBEN
REUBEN
“here is a son.” 1. Firstborn son. Firstborn son of Jacob and Leah (Gen. 29:31, 32; 35:23; 46:8; 1 Chron. 2:1; 5:1).
Reuben committed a serious sin of incest (Gen. 35:22). But when his brothers talked about killing Joseph, Rubén, with the secret intention of freeing him, and to gain time, proposed to throw him into a cistern.
He was not present when his brothers sold him to the Ishmaelites of the Midianite caravan. The disappearance of his young brother affected him deeply (Gen. 37: 21-29).
Twenty years later, in Egypt, Reuben reminded his brothers that he had had no part in their attempt to eliminate Joseph (Gen. 42:22-24). When Jacob was hesitant about allowing Benjamin to go with them to Egypt, Reuben offered two of his sons as hostages as a pledge for Benjamin’s return (Gen. 42:37).
Reuben had four sons: Hanoch, Falú, Hezron and Carmi (Gen. 46:8, 9; Ex. 6:14; 1 Chron. 5:3). Jacob, upon dying, deprived Reuben of his birthright, because of the sin committed with Bilhah (Gen. 49:3, 4). 2. Tribe. Tribe formed by descendants of Rubén. Territory in which they settled. The tribe was divided into four clans, arising from the four sons of Reuben (Num. 26:5-11).
At the beginning of the desert pilgrimage (see DESERT PILGRIMAGE) the prince of the tribe was Elishur (Num. 1:5; 2:10; 7:30-35; 10:18). At this time, the tribe numbered 46,500 men twenty years old and older capable of carrying weapons (Num. 1:20, 21).
When the second census was taken, 38 years later, their number was 43,730 (Num. 26:7). The prince of the Reubenites headed the camp made up of the three tribes of Reuben, Simeon and Gad, composed of 151,450 men capable of bearing arms (Num. 2:10, 16). The Reubenite chosen to go explore the country of Canaan was Samúa son of Zaccur (Num. 13:4).
The Reubenites Dathan, Abiram, and On joined Korah the Levite, who fomented rebellion against Moses and Aaron (Num. 16:11-50; 26:9; Deut. 11:6). After the victories against Sihon and Og, the Gadites, Reubenites and half the tribe of Manasseh asked Moses for permission to settle east of the Jordan, a pasture region that suited their numerous livestock and flocks.
Moses agreed, imposing one condition: that he would send most of his warriors to help the Israelites in their campaign to conquer the land (Num. 32:1-42; Josh. 18:7). The Reubenites, Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh thus participated in all of Joshua’s expeditions (Josh. 4:12).
They returned as triumphants to their domains, and then erected a memorial altar, which provoked the indignation of the tribes west of the Jordan. However, they renounced using force against them when they learned that that altar was not intended for burnt offerings or sacrifices (Num. 22:1-34).
The Reubenites did not participate in the fight against Sisera, which attracted Deborah’s reproaches (Judges 5:15, 16). They made war on the Hagarenes, exterminating them and taking over their country, which they occupied until they were taken into captivity by Tiglath-pileser (1 Chron. 5:18-26).
The prophet Ezekiel, when proceeding with the eschatological division of the land of Israel, as it will be distributed in the Millennium (see EZEKIEL, MILLENNIUM), indicates the territory of Reuben, and gives its name to one of the twelve gates of the millennial Jerusalem ( Ez. 48:6-7, 31).
At the time of the first division of the territory, Reuben was bordered on the east by the Ammonites, on the south by the Arnon stream (Num. 21:24), and on the west by the Dead Sea and the Jordan (Josh. 13:23). The northern border ran from the Jordan south of Bethnimrah to Heshbon (Josh. 13:17, 26; 21:37; Num. 32:36; Jos. 13:27).
Within these limits were: Aroer, on the valley of the Arnon; the city in the middle of the valley; all the plain of Medeba; Heshbon and the cities that depended on it, Dibon, Bamoth-baal, Beth-baal-meon, Jahaza, Kademoth, Mephaat, Kiriathaim, Sibma, Zareth-sahar on the mountain of the valley, Beth-peor, the slopes of Pisgah, Beth -jesimot; in short, the southern part of the Ammonite kingdom where Sihon had reigned (Josh. 13:15-23).
The four cities of Bezer, Jaza, Kademoth, and Mephaat, along with their common lands, were assigned to the Levites descended from Merari (Josh. 21:7, 36, 37; 1 Chron. 6:63, 78, 79). Bezer, the first of these cities, was also a city of refuge (Josh. 20:8; 1 Chron. 6:78).
The Reubenites were exposed to attacks from the Moabites, their immediate neighbors, and from plundering nomads from the desert, who could enter Reuben’s territory from the east and south.
Comparing the list given here of the Reubenite cities with those named in Isa. 15; 16; Jer. 48, and in the Stone of Moab, it can be seen that in the time of Mesha, and the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah, the territory of Reuben had been greatly reduced by the conquests of the Moabites. This country is located on a fertile plateau.
BETHEL
is the name of a Canaanite city in the ancient region of Samaria, located in the center of the land of Canaan, northwest of Ai on the road to Shechem, 30 kilometers south of Shiloh and about 16 kilometers north of Jerusalem.
Bethel is the second most mentioned city in the Bible. Some identify it with the Palestinian village of Beitin and others with the Israeli settlement of Beit El.
Bethel was the place where Abraham built his altar when he first arrived in Canaan (Genesis 12:8; Genesis 13:3). And at Bethel Jacob saw a vision of a ladder whose top touched heaven and the angels ascended and descended (Genesis 28:10-19).
For this reason Jacob was afraid, and said, “How terrible is this place! It is nothing other than the house of God, and the gate of heaven »and he called Bethel the place that was known as «Light» (Genesis 35-15).
Bethel was also a sanctuary in the days of the prophet Samuel, who judged the people there (1 Samuel 7:16; 1 Samuel 10:3). And it was the place where Deborah, the nurse of Rebekah, Isaac’s wife, was buried.
Bethel was the birthplace of Hiel, who sought to rebuild the city of Jericho (1 Kings 16:34).
When Bethel did not yet belong to the people of Israel, Joshua had to battle against the king of Bethel and other kings and defeated them (Joshua 12-16).
When the people of Israel had taken possession of the promised land, in the division by tribes it was assigned to the Tribe of Benjamin (Joshua 18-22), but in later times it belonged to the Tribe of Judah (2 Chronicles 13:19).
It was one of the places where the Ark of the Covenant remained, a symbol of the presence of God.
In Bethel the prophet Samuel judged the people.
Then the prophet Elisha went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up the road, some boys came out of the city and mocked him, and said to him: “Go up, bald man; Come up, bald! When he looked back and saw them, he cursed them in the name of the Lord. Then two bears came out of the forest and tore to pieces forty-two boys” (2 Kings 2:23).
After the division of the kingdom of Israel, Jeroboam I, king of Israel, had a golden calf raised at Bethel (1 Kings 21:29) which was destroyed by Josiah, king of Judah, many years later (2 Kings 23:15). .
Bethel was also a place where some of the Babylonian exiles who returned to Israel in 537 BC gathered. (Ezra 2:28).
The prophet Hosea, a century before Jeremiah, refers to Bethel by another name: “Bet-Aven” (Hosea 4:15; Hosea 5:8; Hosea 10:5-8), which means ‘House of Iniquity’, ‘House of Nothingness’, ‘House of Vanity’, ‘House of Nullity’, that is, of idols.
In Amos 7: 12-13 the priest Amaziah tells the prophet Amos that he flee to Judah and no longer prophesy in Bethel because it is the king’s sanctuary, and the head of the kingdom.
The prophet Jeremiah states that “the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel” (Jeremiah 48:13), because of their idolatry and, specifically, the worship of the golden calf.
PUTEOLI
(lat.: “small fountains”).
Two days after arriving in Rhegium, the ship carrying Paul arrived at Puteoli, which was then an important maritime city.
The apostle found Christians there, and enjoyed their hospitality (Acts 28:13).
It was located on the northern coast of the Gulf of Naples, near the site of present-day Pouzzoles.
The entire surrounding region is volcanic, and the Solfatare crater rises behind the city.
PUT
Name of a nation related to the Egyptians and neighbors of their country (Gen. 10:6).
Put is mentioned with Egypt and other African countries, especially Libya (Nah. 3:9) and Lud (Ez. 27:10; Is. 66:19 in the LXX. Put appears between Cush and Lud in Jer. 46:9; Ez. 30:5).
In the LXX he is translated as Libyans in Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Josephus also identifies it with Libya (Ant. 1:6, 2), but in Nah. 3.9 is distinguished from the Libyans.
Current opinion is divided between Somalia, Eastern Arabia and Southern Arabia (Perfume Coast).
PURPLE
A coloring substance that is extracted from various species of mollusks. The ancient Tyrians used two types of them: the “Murex trunculus”, from which the bluish purple was extracted, and the “Murex brandaris”, which gave the red.
The ink of its coloring matter varies in color depending on the region in which it is fished.
Piles of murex shells, artificially opened, have been discovered in Minet el-Beida, port of ancient Ugarit (Ras Shamra), which gives evidence of the great antiquity of the use of this purple dye (see UGARIT).
Due to its high price, only the rich and magistrates wore purple (Est. 8:15, cf. the exaltation of Mordecai, v. 2, Pr. 31:22; Dan. 5:7; 1 Mac. 10 :20, 62, 64; 2 Mac. 4:38; cf. v 31; Luke 16:19; Rev. 17:4).
The rulers adorned themselves in purple, even those of Midian (Judg. 8:26). Jesus was mocked with a purple robe (Mark 15:17).
Great use had been made of purple-dyed fabrics for the Tabernacle (Ex. 25:4; 26:1, 31, 36) and for the high priest’s vestments (Ex. 28:5, 6, 15, 33; 39: 29). The Jews gave symbolic value to purple (Wars 5:5, 4).
PURIM
(Heb., plural of “luck”).
Haman cast lots to determine a day of good omen for the destruction of the Jews.
As Haman’s designs were undone, the liberation of the Jews was marked by an annual festival (Est. 3:7; 9:24-32) on the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar.
This festival is not mentioned by name in the NT, although there are exegetes who assume that it is the one referred to in Jn. 5:1.
This festival continues to be celebrated within Judaism: the book of Esther is read, and curses are pronounced on Haman and his wife, blessings are pronounced on Mordecai and the eunuch Harbonah (Est. 1:10; 7: 9).
PURIFICATION, PURITY
In the Mosaic Law four ways to purify oneself from contamination were indicated:
(a) Purification of contamination contracted by touching a dead person (Num. 19; cf. Num. 5:2, 3),
(b) Purification from impurity due to bodily emissions (Lev. 15; cf. Num. 5:2, 3).
(c) Purification of the woman in labor (Lev. 12:1-8; Luke 2:21-24).
(d) Purification of the leper (Lev. 14).
To this, the scribes and Pharisees added many other purifications, such as washing hands before eating, washing vessels and dishes, showing great zeal in these things, while inside they were full of extortion and iniquity (Mark 7: 2-8).
In Christianity the necessary purification extends:
to the heart (Acts 15:9; James 4:8),
to the soul (1 Pet. 1:22), and
to the conscience through the blood of Christ (Heb. 9:14).
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BETHEL
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