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1 Chronicles 5

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Reuben's Genealogy and Birthright Loss 1–10

1
And the sons of Reuben the first-born of Israel (for he was the first-born; but, forasmuch as he defiled his father’s couch, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel; and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright. ​
2
For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the prince; but the birthright was Joseph’s), ​
3
the sons of Reuben the first-born of Israel: Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
4
The sons of Joel: Shemaiah his son, Gog his son, Shimei his son,
5
Micah his son, Reaiah his son, Baal his son,
6
Beerah his son, whom Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria carried away captive: he was prince of the Reubenites. ​
7
And his brethren by their families, when the genealogy of their generations was reckoned: the chief, Jeiel, and Zechariah,
8
and Bela the son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel, who dwelt in Aroer, even unto Nebo and Baal-meon:
9
and eastward he dwelt even unto the entrance of the wilderness from the river Euphrates, because their cattle were multiplied in the land of Gilead. ​
10
And in the days of Saul, they made war with the Hagrites, who fell by their hand; and they dwelt in their tents throughout all the land east of Gilead. ​

The Tribe of Gad 11–17

11
And the sons of Gad dwelt over against them, in the land of Bashan unto Salecah:
12
Joel the chief, and Shapham the second, and Janai, and Shaphat in Bashan.
13
And their brethren of their fathers’ houses: Michael, and Meshullam, and Sheba, and Jorai, and Jacan, and Zia, and Eber, seven.
14
These were the sons of Abihail, the son of Huri, the son of Jaroah, the son of Gilead, the son of Michael, the son of Jeshishai, the son of Jahdo, the son of Buz;
15
Ahi the son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, chief of their fathers’ houses.
16
And they dwelt in Gilead in Bashan, and in its towns, and in all the suburbs of Sharon, as far as their borders.
17
All these were reckoned by genealogies in the days of Jotham king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam king of Israel. ​

War Against the Hagarites 18–22

18
The sons of Reuben, and the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, of valiant men, men able to bear buckler and sword, and to shoot with bow, and skilful in war, were forty and four thousand seven hundred and threescore, that were able to go forth to war. ​
19
And they made war with the Hagrites, with Jetur, and Naphish, and Nodab.
20
And they were helped against them, and the Hagrites were delivered into their hand, and all that were with them; for they cried to God in the battle, and he was entreated of them, because they put their trust in him. ​
21
And they took away their cattle; of their camels fifty thousand, and of sheep two hundred and fifty thousand, and of asses two thousand, and of men a hundred thousand. ​
22
For there fell many slain, because the war was of God. And they dwelt in their stead until the captivity. ​

The Half-Tribe of Manasseh (East) 23–24

23
And the children of the half-tribe of Manasseh dwelt in the land: they increased from Bashan unto Baal-hermon and Senir and mount Hermon.
24
And these were the heads of their fathers’ houses: even Epher, and Ishi, and Eliel, and Azriel, and Jeremiah, and Hodaviah, and Jahdiel, mighty men of valor, famous men, heads of their fathers’ houses. ​

Sin and Captivity of the Transjordan Tribes 25–26

25
And they trespassed against the God of their fathers, and played the harlot after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God destroyed before them. ​
26
And the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria, and he carried them away, even the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and brought them unto Halah, and Habor, and Hara, and to the river of Gozan, unto this day. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for 1 Chronicles 5

Verse 1

his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph — Reuben 'went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine' (Gen 35:22), and Jacob said, 'Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel' (Gen 49:4). Jacob had taken Joseph's two sons as his own, 'as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine' (Gen 48:5), so the birthright passed to Joseph's line. Reuben is still listed first, as firstborn by birth.

Verse 2

of him came the chief ruler — 'Prevailed' is gabar, to be strong, and 'chief ruler' is nagid, a leader set over the people, the word for the 'captain over his people' the LORD chose in David (1 Sam 13:14). It follows Jacob's blessing, 'The sceptre shall not depart from Judah' (Gen 49:10). Micah and Matthew speak of the ruler from Bethlehem of Judah (Mic 5:2; Matt 2:6).

Verse 6

Beerah… prince of the Reubenites — 'Prince' is nasi, a tribal chief (Num 2:3). Tilgathpilneser is the same king as the 'Tiglathpileser' of 2 Kgs 15:29, who in the days of Pekah took 'Gilead, and Galilee' and 'carried them captive to Assyria'. Verse 26 returns to this carrying away of Reuben, Gad and half Manasseh.

Verse 9

because their cattle were multiplied in the land of Gilead — Reuben and Gad had asked for Gilead at the first, because 'the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle' and the land was 'a place for cattle' (Num 32:1). The river Euphrates is the edge of the land promised to Abram's seed (Gen 15:18).

Verse 10

the Hagarites — The name recalls Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's handmaid and mother of Ishmael (Gen 16:3; 25:12), and Ps 83:6 lists the 'Hagarenes' among Israel's enemies. Verse 19 names Jetur and Nephish with them, two of Ishmael's sons (Gen 25:15). The Reubenites 'dwelt in their tents' across Gilead's east side, a land won by war.

Verse 17

in the days of Jotham king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam king of Israel — Jotham 'was over the house, judging the people of the land' while his father Uzziah was a leper (2 Kgs 15:5). Jeroboam the son of Joash reigned forty-one years (2 Kgs 14:23). In the days of Pekah, a later king of Israel, Tiglathpileser carried these tribes off (2 Kgs 15:29).

Verse 18

men able to bear buckler and sword — The 44,760 are the strength of the two and a half tribes that crossed the Jordan 'armed before the children of Israel', about forty thousand (Josh 4:12–13), as they had promised Moses: 'every man armed for war, before the LORD to battle' (Num 32:27). 'Skilful in war' is lamad, 'taught', trained.

Verse 20

he was intreated of them — Athar is the verb of Isaac's prayer for Rebekah, 'the LORD was intreated of him' (Gen 25:21), and of Manasseh's in Babylon (2 Chr 33:13). 'They cried to God in the battle… because they put their trust in him' is the pattern of Ps 22:5: 'They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.'

Verse 21

of men an hundred thousand — Literally 'souls of man' (nephesh adam). The captured herds were the Hagarites' camels, sheep and asses. Numbers 31:32–35 counts the plunder from Midian in the same way, 675,000 sheep, 72,000 beeves, 61,000 asses and 32,000 persons.

Verse 22

because the war was of God — Judah was told in Jehoshaphat's day, 'the battle is not yours, but God's' (2 Chr 20:15). 'They dwelt in their steads until the captivity' joins the victory to v.26: they stayed in those places until Tiglathpileser carried them away (2 Kgs 15:29).

Verse 24

mighty men of valour, famous men — 'Mighty men of valour' is gibbor chayil, the angel's words to Gideon (Judg 6:12). 'Famous men' is literally 'men of names' (anshe shemot); Korah's two hundred and fifty 'princes of the assembly' are likewise 'men of renown' (Num 16:2). They were 'heads of the house of their fathers', as each tribe's head in Num 1:4.

Verse 25

went a whoring after the gods — Zanah is the verb the law used of this danger: make no covenant with the inhabitants of the land 'and they go a whoring after their gods' (Ex 34:15). Ps 106:34–39 gives the history: Israel 'did not destroy the nations', 'learned their works', and 'went a whoring with their own inventions'. Og of Bashan had been destroyed before them (Deut 3:3).

Verse 26

the God of Israel stirred up the spirit — Ur, to rouse, the verb used when 'the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus' to send the exiles home (Ezra 1:1). Assyria is 'the rod of mine anger' (Isa 10:5). Halah and Habor, 'by the river of Gozan', are where Israel was placed after Samaria (2 Kgs 17:6). Pul had come against Menahem earlier (2 Kgs 15:19).