1 Chronicles 5

Reuben

1 The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel (he was the firstborn, but when he defiled his father’s marriage bed, his rights as firstborn were given to the sons of Joseph son of Israel; so he could not be listed in the genealogical record in accordance with his birthright,
2 and though Judah was the strongest of his brothers and a ruler came from him, the rights of the firstborn belonged to Joseph)—
3 the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel: Hanok, Pallu, Hezron and Karmi.
4 The descendants of Joel: Shemaiah his son, Gog his son, Shimei his son,
5 Micah his son, Reaiah his son, Baal his son,
6 and Beerah his son, whom Tiglath-Pileser[a] king of Assyria took into exile. Beerah was a leader of the Reubenites.
7 Their relatives by clans, listed according to their genealogical records: Jeiel the chief, Zechariah,
8 and Bela son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel. They settled in the area from Aroer to Nebo and Baal Meon.
9 To the east they occupied the land up to the edge of the desert that extends to the Euphrates River, because their livestock had increased in Gilead.
10 During Saul’s reign they waged war against the Hagrites, who were defeated at their hands; they occupied the dwellings of the Hagrites throughout the entire region east of Gilead.

Gad

11 The Gadites lived next to them in Bashan, as far as Salekah:
12 Joel was the chief, Shapham the second, then Janai and Shaphat, in Bashan.
13 Their relatives, by families, were: Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jakan, Zia and Eber—seven in all.
14 These were the sons of Abihail 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 son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, was head of their family.
16 The Gadites lived in Gilead, in Bashan and its outlying villages, and on all the pasturelands of Sharon as far as they extended.
17 All these were entered in the genealogical records during the reigns of Jotham king of Judah and Jeroboam king of Israel.
18 The Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh had 44,760 men ready for military service—able-bodied men who could handle shield and sword, who could use a bow, and who were trained for battle.
19 They waged war against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish and Nodab.
20 They were helped in fighting them, and God delivered the Hagrites and all their allies into their hands, because they cried out to him during the battle. He answered their prayers, because they trusted in him.
21 They seized the livestock of the Hagrites—fifty thousand camels, two hundred fifty thousand sheep and two thousand donkeys. They also took one hundred thousand people captive,
22 and many others fell slain, because the battle was God’s. And they occupied the land until the exile.

The Half-Tribe of Manasseh

23 The people of the half-tribe of Manasseh were numerous; they settled in the land from Bashan to Baal Hermon, that is, to Senir (Mount Hermon).
24 These were the heads of their families: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah and Jahdiel. They were brave warriors, famous men, and heads of their families.
25 But they were unfaithful to the God of their ancestors and prostituted themselves to 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 (that is, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria), who took the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh into exile. He took them to Halah, Habor, Hara and the river of Gozan, where they are to 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.

Cross References 38

  • 1. S Genesis 29:32
  • 2. Genesis 35:22; Genesis 49:4
  • 3. S Genesis 48:16,22; S Genesis 49:26
  • 4. Genesis 48:5
  • 5. 1 Chronicles 26:10
  • 6. S Genesis 49:10,12
  • 7. S 1 Samuel 9:16; S 1 Samuel 12:12; S 2 Samuel 6:21; 1 Chronicles 11:2; S 2 Chronicles 7:18; Psalms 60:7; Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:6
  • 8. S Genesis 25:31
  • 9. S Genesis 29:32; Genesis 46:9; Exodus 6:14; Numbers 26:5-11
  • 10. S Numbers 26:5
  • 11. S Numbers 26:6
  • 12. ver 26; S 2 Kings 15:19; 2 Kings 16:10; 2 Chronicles 28:20
  • 13. ver 17; Joshua 13:15-23
  • 14. S Numbers 32:34; Judges 11:26
  • 15. S Numbers 32:3
  • 16. S Joshua 13:17
  • 17. S Genesis 2:14
  • 18. S Numbers 32:26; Joshua 22:9
  • 19. ver 22; 1 Chronicles 27:31; ver 18-21
  • 20. S Genesis 30:11; S Numbers 1:25; S Joshua 13:24-28
  • 21. S Deuteronomy 3:10; Joshua 13:11
  • 22. S 2 Kings 15:32
  • 23. S 2 Kings 14:23; 2 Kings 14:16,28
  • 24. S Numbers 1:3
  • 25. ver 10; Genesis 25:15; 1 Chronicles 1:31
  • 26. Psalms 37:40; Psalms 46:5; Psalms 54:4
  • 27. 1 Kings 8:44; 2 Chronicles 6:34; 2 Chronicles 13:14; 2 Chronicles 14:11; Psalms 20:7-9; Psalms 22:5; Psalms 107:6
  • 28. Psalms 26:1; Isaiah 26:3; Daniel 6:23
  • 29. S Deuteronomy 20:4; 2 Chronicles 32:8
  • 30. S ver 10; S 2 Kings 15:29; 2 Kings 17:6
  • 31. 1 Chronicles 7:14
  • 32. S Deuteronomy 3:8,9; Song of Songs 4:8
  • 33. Deuteronomy 32:15-18; 2 Kings 17:7; 1 Chronicles 9:1; 1 Chronicles 10:13; 2 Chronicles 12:2; 2 Chronicles 26:16; 2 Chronicles 28:19; 2 Chronicles 29:6; 2 Chronicles 30:7; 2 Chronicles 36:14
  • 34. S Exodus 34:15; S Leviticus 18:3
  • 35. Isaiah 37:7
  • 36. S 2 Kings 15:19
  • 37. S ver 6; S 2 Kings 15:29
  • 38. 2 Kings 17:6; 2 Kings 18:11

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Hebrew "Tilgath-Pilneser," a variant of "Tiglath-Pileser" ; also in verse 26

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

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