And Leah conceived, and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD has looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me.
All Commentaries on Genesis 29:32 Go To Genesis 29
Gregory of Nyssa
AD 394
Reuben was the firstborn of those born after him, and their resemblance to him bore witness to their relationship to him, so that their brotherhood was not unrecognized, being testified to by the similarity of appearance. Therefore, if through the same rebirth “by water and the spirit,” we also have become brothers of the Lord, he having become for us “the firstborn among the many brothers,” it follows that our nearness to him will show in the character of our life, because “the firstborn of every creature” has informed our life. But what have we learned from the Scripture about the character of his life? What we have said many times: that “he committed no sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth.” Therefore, if we are going to act as brothers of the One who gave us birth, the sinlessness of our life will be a pledge of our relationship to him, and no filth will nullify our union with his purity. But the firstborn is also justice and holiness and love and redemption and such things. So if our life is characterized by such qualities, we furnish clear tokens of our noble birth, and anyone, seeing these qualities in our life, will bear witness to our brotherhood with Christ. .
