1 Now the sons H1121 of Reuben H7205 the firstborn H1060 of Israel, H3478 (for he was the firstborn; H1060 but, forasmuch as he defiled H2490 his father's H1 bed, H3326 his birthright H1062 was given H5414 unto the sons H1121 of Joseph H3130 the son H1121 of Israel: H3478 and the genealogy is not to be reckoned H3187 after the birthright. H1062
2 For Judah H3063 prevailed H1396 above his brethren, H251 and of him came the chief ruler; H5057 but the birthright H1062 was Joseph's:) H3130
3 The sons, H1121 I say, of Reuben H7205 the firstborn H1060 of Israel H3478 were, Hanoch, H2585 and Pallu, H6396 Hezron, H2696 and Carmi. H3756
4 The sons H1121 of Joel; H3100 Shemaiah H8098 his son, H1121 Gog H1463 his son, H1121 Shimei H8096 his son, H1121
5 Micah H4318 his son, H1121 Reaia H7211 his son, H1121 Baal H1168 his son, H1121
6 Beerah H880 his son, H1121 whom Tilgathpilneser H8407 king H4428 of Assyria H804 carried away H1540 captive: he was prince H5387 of the Reubenites. H7206
7 And his brethren H251 by their families, H4940 when the genealogy H3187 of their generations H8435 was reckoned, H3187 were the chief, H7218 Jeiel, H3273 and Zechariah, H2148
8 And Bela H1106 the son H1121 of Azaz, H5811 the son H1121 of Shema, H8087 the son H1121 of Joel, H3100 who dwelt H3427 in Aroer, H6177 even unto Nebo H5015 and Baalmeon: H1186
9 And eastward H4217 he inhabited H3427 unto the entering H935 in of the wilderness H4057 from the river H5104 Euphrates: H6578 because their cattle H4735 were multiplied H7235 in the land H776 of Gilead. H1568
10 And in the days H3117 of Saul H7586 they made H6213 war H4421 with the Hagarites, H1905 who fell H5307 by their hand: H3027 and they dwelt H3427 in their tents H168 throughout H6440 all the east H4217 land of Gilead. H1568
11 And the children H1121 of Gad H1410 dwelt H3427 over against them, in the land H776 of Bashan H1316 unto Salchah: H5548
12 Joel H3100 the chief, H7218 and Shapham H8223 the next, H4932 and Jaanai, H3285 and Shaphat H8202 in Bashan. H1316
13 And their brethren H251 of the house H1004 of their fathers H1 were, Michael, H4317 and Meshullam, H4918 and Sheba, H7652 and Jorai, H3140 and Jachan, H3275 and Zia, H2127 and Heber, H5677 seven. H7651
14 These are the children H1121 of Abihail H32 the son H1121 of Huri, H2359 the son H1121 of Jaroah, H3386 the son H1121 of Gilead, H1568 the son H1121 of Michael, H4317 the son H1121 of Jeshishai, H3454 the son H1121 of Jahdo, H3163 the son H1121 of Buz; H938
15 Ahi H277 the son H1121 of Abdiel, H5661 the son H1121 of Guni, H1476 chief H7218 of the house H1004 of their fathers. H1
16 And they dwelt H3427 in Gilead H1568 in Bashan, H1316 and in her towns, H1323 and in all the suburbs H4054 of Sharon, H8289 upon their borders. H8444
17 All these were reckoned by genealogies H3187 in the days H3117 of Jotham H3147 king H4428 of Judah, H3063 and in the days H3117 of Jeroboam H3379 king H4428 of Israel. H3478
18 The sons H1121 of Reuben, H7205 and the Gadites, H1425 and half H2677 the tribe H7626 of Manasseh, H4519 of valiant men, H2428 men H582 able to bear H5375 buckler H4043 and sword, H2719 and to shoot H1869 with bow, H7198 and skilful H3925 in war, H4421 were four H702 and forty H705 thousand H505 seven H7651 hundred H3967 and threescore, H8346 that went out H3318 to the war. H6635
19 And they made H6213 war H4421 with the Hagarites, H1905 with Jetur, H3195 and Nephish, H5305 and Nodab. H5114
20 And they were helped H5826 against them, and the Hagarites H1905 were delivered H5414 into their hand, H3027 and all that were with them: for they cried H2199 to God H430 in the battle, H4421 and he was intreated H6279 of them; because they put their trust H982 in him.
21 And they took away H7617 their cattle; H4735 of their camels H1581 fifty H2572 thousand, H505 and of sheep H6629 two hundred H3967 and fifty H2572 thousand, H505 and of asses H2543 two thousand, H505 and of men H120 H5315 an hundred H3967 thousand. H505
22 For there fell H5307 down many H7227 slain, H2491 because the war H4421 was of God. H430 And they dwelt H3427 in their steads until the captivity. H1473
23 And the children H1121 of the half H2677 tribe H7626 of Manasseh H4519 dwelt H3427 in the land: H776 they increased H7235 from Bashan H1316 unto Baalhermon H1179 and Senir, H8149 and unto mount H2022 Hermon. H2768
24 And these were the heads H7218 of the house H1004 of their fathers, H1 even Epher, H6081 and Ishi, H3469 and Eliel, H447 and Azriel, H5837 and Jeremiah, H3414 and Hodaviah, H1938 and Jahdiel, H3164 mighty H1368 men H582 of valour, H2428 famous H8034 men, H582 and heads H7218 of the house H1004 of their fathers. H1
25 And they transgressed H4603 against the God H430 of their fathers, H1 and went a whoring H2181 after H310 the gods H430 of the people H5971 of the land, H776 whom God H430 destroyed H8045 before H6440 them.
26 And the God H430 of Israel H3478 stirred up H5782 the spirit H7307 of Pul H6322 king H4428 of Assyria, H804 and the spirit H7307 of Tilgathpilneser H8407 king H4428 of Assyria, H804 and he carried them away, H1540 even the Reubenites, H7206 and the Gadites, H1425 and the half H2677 tribe H7626 of Manasseh, H4519 and brought H935 them unto Halah, H2477 and Habor, H2249 and Hara, H2024 and to the river H5104 Gozan, H1470 unto this day. H3117
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 1 Chronicles 5
Commentary on 1 Chronicles 5 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 5
1Ch 5:1-10. The Line of Reuben.
1. Now the sons of Reuben—In proceeding to give this genealogy, the sacred historian states, in a parenthesis (1Ch 5:1, 2), the reason why it was not placed first, as Reuben was the oldest son of Jacob. The birthright, which by a foul crime he had forfeited, implied not only dominion, but a double portion (De 21:17); and both of these were transferred to Joseph, whose two sons having been adopted as the children of Jacob (Ge 48:5), received each an allotted portion, as forming two distinct tribes in Israel. Joseph then was entitled to the precedency; and yet, as his posterity was not mentioned first, the sacred historian judged it necessary to explain that "the genealogy was not to be reckoned after the birthright," but with a reference to a superior honor and privilege that had been conferred on Judah—not the man, but the tribe, whereby it was invested with the pre-eminence over all the other tribes, and out of it was to spring David with his royal lineage, and especially the great Messiah (Heb 7:14). These were the two reasons why, in the order of enumeration, the genealogy of Judah is introduced before that of Reuben.
9. Eastward he inhabited unto the entering in of the wilderness from the river Euphrates—The settlement was on the east of Jordan, and the history of this tribe, which never took any part in the public affairs or movements of the nation, is comprised in "the multiplication of their cattle in the land of Gilead," in their wars with the Bedouin sons of Hagar, and in the simple labors of pastoral life. They had the right of pasture over an extensive mountain range—the great wilderness of Kedemoth (De 2:26) and the Euphrates being a security against their enemies.
1Ch 5:11-26. The Line of Gad.
11-15. the children of Gad dwelt over against them—The genealogy of the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh (1Ch 5:24) is given along with that of the Reubenites, as these three were associated in a separate colony.
16. Sharon—The term "Sharon" was applied as descriptive of any place of extraordinary beauty and productiveness. There were three places in Palestine so called. This Sharon lay east of the Jordan.
upon their borders—that is, of Gilead and Bashan: Gilead proper, or at least the largest part, belonged to the Reubenites; and Bashan, the greatest portion of it, belonged to the Manassites. The Gadites occupied an intermediate settlement on the land which lay upon their borders.
17. All these were reckoned … in the days of Jotham—His long reign and freedom from foreign wars as well as intestine troubles were favorable for taking a census of the people.
and in the days of Jeroboam—the second of that name.
18-22. Hagarites—or, "Hagarenes," originally synonymous with "Ishmaelites," but afterwards applied to a particular tribe of the Arabs (compare Ps 83:6).
Jetur—His descendants were called Itureans, and the country Auranitis, from Hauran, its chief city. These, who were skilled in archery, were invaded in the time of Joshua by a confederate army of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half Manasseh, who, probably incensed by the frequent raids of those marauding neighbors, took reprisals in men and cattle, dispossessed almost all of the original inhabitants, and colonized the district themselves. Divine Providence favoured, in a remarkable manner, the Hebrew army in this just war.
26. the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul—the Phalluka of the Ninevite monuments (see on 2Ki 15:19).
and the spirit of Tilgath-pilneser—the son of the former. By them the trans-jordanic tribes, including the other half of Manasseh, settled in Galilee, were removed to Upper Media. This was the first captivity (2Ki 15:29).