1 Chronicles 5

The Descendants of Reuben

1 The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel (for he was the firstborn, but when he defiled the couch of his father, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel, so that he was not enrolled in the genealogy as the firstborn,
2 though Judah became strong among his brothers and a chief [came] from him, but the birthright belonged to Joseph).
3 The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel: Enoch, 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, a leader of the Reubenites, whom Tiglath-Pilneser king of Assyria deported into exile.
7 And his kinsmen by their families, when their generations were recorded in [the] genealogy: the chief, Jeiel, and Zechariah,
8 and Bela son of Azaz, son of Shema, son of Joel, who lived in Aroer, as far as Nebo and Baal-Meon.
9 He also lived to the east up to the entrance of the desert {this side of} the River Euphrates, for their livestock had multiplied in the land of Gilead.
10 And in the days of Saul they made war against the Hagrites, and they fell into their hand. And they lived in their tents in all the region east of Gilead.

The Descendants of Gad

11 And the sons of Gad lived near to them in the land of Bashan as far as Salecah:
12 Joel the chief, Shapham the second, Janai, and Shaphat in Bashan.
13 And their kinsmen according to their fathers' households: Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia, and Eber, seven.
14 These [were] the sons of Abihail the son of Huri, son of Jaroah, son of Gilead, son of Michael, son of Jeshishai, son of Jahdo, son of Buz.
15 Ahi son of Abdiel, son of Guni, [was] chief in their fathers' households.
16 And they lived in Gilead, in Bashan, and in {its towns}, and in all the pasturelands of Sharon to their limits.
17 All of them were enrolled in [the] genealogy in the days of Jotham, king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam, king of Israel.
18 The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh [had] {valiant} men [who] carried a shield and a sword, and archers, and [who were] expert in war, forty-four thousand seven hundred and sixty [for] going out [as] an army.
19 And they made war against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab.
20 And they were helped against them, and the Hagrites and all who [were] with them were given into their hand, for they cried out to God in the battle, and he responded to their prayer because they trusted in him.
21 And they captured their livestock: fifty thousand of their camels; two hundred and fifty thousand sheep; two thousand donkeys; and one hundred thousand men alive.
22 For many [were] slain because the war was of God. And they lived under them until the exile.

The Half-Tribe of Manasseh

23 And the sons of the half-tribe of Manasseh lived in the land from Bashan to Baal-Hermon, Senir, and Mount Hermon. They [were] numerous.
24 Now these [were] the heads of their fathers' households: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel, mighty men of strength, {famous men}, heads of their fathers' households.
25 But they transgressed against the God of their ancestors and prostituted themselves after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them.
26 So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul, king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tiglath-Pilneser, king of Assyria, and he took them [into exile], namely, the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. And he brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river Gozan, until this day.

1 Chronicles 5 Commentary

Chapter 5

Genealogies.

- This chapter gives some account of the two tribes and a half seated on the east side of Jordan. They were made captives by the king of Assyria, because they had forsaken the Lord. Only two things are here recorded concerning these tribes. 1. They all shared in a victory. Happy is that people who live in harmony together, who assist each other against the common enemies of their souls, trusting in the Lord, and calling upon him. 2. They shared in captivity. They would have the best land, not considering that it lay most exposed. The desire of earthly objects draws to a distance from God's ordinances, and prepares men for destruction.

Footnotes 6

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 CHRONICLES 5

This chapter relates the genealogy of the tribes that lived on the other side Jordan; of the Reubenites, 1Ch 5:1-10, of the Gadites, 1Ch 5:11-17 of the half tribe of Manasseh, 1Ch 5:23,24 and of their war with the Hagarites, in conjunction with each other, and their conquest of them, 1Ch 5:18-22 and who for their sins were all carried captive by the king of Assyria, 1Ch 5:25,26.

1 Chronicles 5 Commentaries

Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.