1 Chronicles 5:9

9 while to the east he occupied territory that extended to the beginning of the desert as one comes from the Euphrates River; because their cattle multiplied in the land of Gil'ad.

1 Chronicles 5:9 Meaning and Commentary

1 Chronicles 5:9

And eastward he inhabited
Either Bela, or the tribe of Reuben:

unto the entering in of the wilderness;
the wilderness of Kedemoth, which was near to Sihon king of Heshbon, whose land the Reubenites inhabited, ( Deuteronomy 2:26 )

from the river Euphrates;
a learned man ^F18 thinks that this river Phrat was different from the Euphrates near Babylon, which was northward, since this was to the east or southeast:

because their cattle were multiplied in the land of Gilead;
therefore their habitation was extended further, even to the river Euphrates, as in the days of David and Solomon, ( 2 Samuel 8:3 ) ( 1 Kings 4:21 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F18 Texelii Phoenix, l. 3. c. 7. p. 272.

1 Chronicles 5:9 In-Context

7 His brothers, by their clans, as listed in their genealogical records were: Ye'i'el the leader, Z'kharyah

8 and Bela the son of 'Azaz the son of Sh'ma the son of Yo'el. He lived in 'Aro'er, with territory extending to N'vo and Ba'al-M'on;

9 while to the east he occupied territory that extended to the beginning of the desert as one comes from the Euphrates River; because their cattle multiplied in the land of Gil'ad.

10 In the time of Sha'ul they went to war with the Hagri'im; after defeating them they occupied their tents throughout all the territory east of Gil'ad.

11 The descendants of Gad lived across from them, in the territory from Bashan to Salkhah: