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
And Sarah H8283 saw H7200 the son H1121 of Hagar H1904 the Egyptian, H4713 which she had born H3205 unto Abraham, H85 mocking. H6711
Now these are the generations H8435 of Ishmael, H3458 Abraham's H85 son, H1121 whom Hagar H1904 the Egyptian, H4713 Sarah's H8283 handmaid, H8198 bare H3205 unto Abraham: H85
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 And they made H6213 war H4421 with the Hagarites, H1905 with Jetur, H3195 and Nephish, H5305 and Nodab. H5114 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. 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
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).