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1 Chronicles Chapter Five

 

1 Chronicles 5 Outline of Contents

The Family of Reuben (v.1~10)

The Family of Gad (v.11~22)

The Family of Manasseh (East) (v.23~26)

New King James Version (NKJV)

 

INTRODUCTION TO 1 CHRONICLES 5

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

 

1 Chronicles 5:1  Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel—he was indeed the firstborn but because he defiled his father’s bed his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel so that the genealogy is not listed according to the birthright;

   YLT  1As to sons of Reuben first-born of Israel -- for he [is] the first-born and on account of his profaning the couch of his father hath his birthright been given to the sons of Joseph son of Israel and [he is] not to be reckoned by genealogy for the birthright

Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel .... Are as follow in 1 Chronicles 5:3 where the account begins; for what comes between this and that is in a parenthesis:

for he was the firstborn; of Jacob by his wife Leah; that must be owned and Jacob allows it Genesis 49:3 and yet the genealogy in this book begins not with him as might on that account be expected; the reason follows:

but forasmuch as he defiled his father's bed: by lying with Bilhah his concubine:

his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel; his beloved son by his beloved wife Rachel and so had a double portion given him; his two sons being equally ranked with the other sons of Jacob and became distinct tribes and each had their lot in the land of Canaan see Genesis 48:5 compared with Deuteronomy 21:17.

and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright; or "but the genealogy" &c.F15"Nee tamen" Tigurine version. ; neither after the birthright of Reuben which he had by nature being Jacob's firstborn; nor after the birthright of Joseph which be had by his father's gift as it might be thought it should; the reason of which follows.

 

1 Chronicles 5:2  2 yet Judah prevailed over his brothers and from him came a ruler although the birthright was Joseph’s—

   YLT  2for Judah hath been mighty over his brother and for leader above him and the birthright [is] to Joseph.

For Judah prevailed above his brethren .... That is the tribe of Judah prevailed above the rest in number in valour and courage and in dignity; wherefore the genealogy is not reckoned according to birthright but dignity and dominion; hence this genealogical account began with Judah:

because of him came the chief ruler; David and the kings of Judah his successors; and above all from him the Prince Messiah was to spring and did according to Genesis 49:10 so both the Syriac and Arabic versions read "out of Judah should go forth the King Messiah:"

but the birthright was Joseph's or "though"F16Licet ibid. (Tigurine version) it was; yet Judah having the dominion and dignity that tribe is first genealogized.

 

1 Chronicles 5:3  3 the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel were Hanoch Pallu Hezron and Carmi.

   YLT  3Sons of Reuben first-born of Israel: Hanoch and Pallu Hezron and Carmi.

The sons I say of Reuben the firstborn of Israel were Hanoch and Pallu Hezron and Carmi. As in Genesis 46:9.

 

1 Chronicles 5:4  4 The sons of Joel were Shemaiah his son Gog his son Shimei his son

   YLT  4Sons of Joel: Shemaiah his son Gog his son Shimei his son

Verse 4-5

The sons of Joel .... Who was either the son of Carmi last mentioned or rather of Hanoch Reuben's firstborn since the descendants of him were the princes of the tribe: his posterity in succession were Shemaiah Cog Shimei Micah Reaia Baal Beerah; of whom we know no more than their names and by these the descent is carried down to the captivity by Tiglathpileser as follows.

 

1 Chronicles 5:5  5 Micah his son Reaiah his son Baal his son

   YLT  5Micah his son Reaiah his son Baal his son

 

1 Chronicles 5:6  6 and Beerah his son whom Tiglath-Pileser[a] king of Assyria carried into captivity. He was leader of the Reubenites.

   YLT  6Beerah his son whom Tilgath-Pilneser king of Asshur removed; he [is] prince of the Reubenite.

Beerah his son .... The last of Joel's posterity who according to the Targum and other Jewish writersF17Aben Ezra in Hos. i. 1. Pesikta apud Abarbinel. in ib. was a prophet and the father of Hosea see Hosea 1:1 but neither the name title time nor tribe agree:

whom Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria carried away captive; the same with Tiglathpileser by a transposition of letters 2 Kings 15:29 and is read the same here in the Greek Syriac and Arabic versions:

he was prince of the Reubenites; at that time; that is Beerah was.

 

1 Chronicles 5:7  7 And his brethren by their families when the genealogy of their generations was registered: the chief Jeiel and Zechariah

   YLT  7And his brethren by their families in the genealogy of their generations [are] heads: Jeiel and Zechariah

And his brethren by their families .... Either the brethren of Beerah or the rest of the posterity of Reuben:

(when the genealogy of their generations was reckoned;) either in the times of Jotham and Jeroboam 1 Chronicles 5:17 or at the time of their captivity as in the preceding verse:

were the chief Jehiel and Zechariah; these were the principals or heads of their families.

 

1 Chronicles 5:8  8 and Bela the son of Azaz the son of Shema the son of Joel who dwelt in Aroer as far as Nebo and Baal Meon.

   YLT  8and Bela son of Azaz son of Shema son of Joel -- he is dwelling in Aroer even unto Nebo and Baal-Meon;

And Bela the son of Azaz the son of Shema the son of Joel .... The pedigree of Bela another principal man in the tribe of Reuben is traced up to Joel the father of Shema; the same with Shemaiah according to Kimchi and Ben Melech 1 Chronicles 5:4

who dwelt in Aroer; which belonged to the tribe of Gad and was rebuilt by them Numbers 32:34 wherefore Kimchi observes it may be interpreted either from Aroer or on the border of it Bela dwelt:

even unto Nebo and Baalmeon; of which See Gill on Numbers 32:38.

 

1 Chronicles 5:9  9 Eastward they settled as far as the entrance of the wilderness this side of the River Euphrates because their cattle had multiplied in the land of Gilead.

   YLT  9and at the east he dwelt even unto the entering in of the wilderness even from the river Phrat for their cattle were multiplied in the land of Gilead.

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 manF18Texelii Phoenix l. 3. c. 7. p. 272. 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 Chronicles 5:10  10 Now in the days of Saul they made war with the Hagrites who fell by their hand; and they dwelt in their tents throughout the entire area east of Gilead.

   YLT  10And in the days of Saul they have made war with the Hagarites who fall by their hand and they dwell in their tents over all the face of the east of Gilead.

And in the days of Saul they made war with the Hagarites .... Not with the Hungarians as the Targum a people not then in being; but the Ishmaelites so called because they descended from HagarF19So David de Pomis Lexic. fol. 45. 4. Sarah's maid; the same that are placed by PlinyF20Nat. Hist. l. 6. c. 28. and PtolemyF21Geograph. l. 5. c. 19. in Arabia near the Batanaeans or inhabitants of Bashan; with those the Reubenites made war in conjunction with the Gadites and half tribe of Manasseh 1 Chronicles 5:18 perhaps this war might be much about the time Saul relieved Jabeshgilead and beat the Ammonites 1 Samuel 11:1 by which the tribes on that side Jordan might be encouraged to it:

who fell by their hand; were worsted and conquered by them:

and they dwelt in their tents; in which the Arabians used to dwell because of their flocks; hence some of them were called Scenites:

throughout all the east land of Gilead; or rather throughout all the land of the Hagarites which lay to the east of Gilead as the Vulgate Latin version; or otherwise the land of Gilead itself was their original possession.

 

1 Chronicles 5:11  11 And the children of Gad dwelt next to them in the land of Bashan as far as Salcah:

   YLT  11And the sons of Gad over-against them have dwelt in the land of Bashan unto Salcah

And the children of Gad dwelt over against them .... Or by them the Reubenites; and one part of Gilead was given them between them and the other to the half tribe of Manasseh:

in the land of Bashan unto Salcah; for though all Bashan is said to be given to the half tribe of Manasseh Deuteronomy 3:13 yet that is to be understood of the greater part of it; all of that which belonged to Og but what did not the Gadites either from the first or in later times inhabited even as far as Salcah which was one of the cities of Og Deuteronomy 3:10 and which Benjamin of TudelaF23Itinerar. p. 57. makes mention of being called by the same name in his days.

 

1 Chronicles 5:12  12 Joel was the chief Shapham the next then Jaanai and Shaphat in Bashan

   YLT  12Joel the head and Shapham the second and Jaanai and Shaphat in Bashan;

Joel the chief .... In this and the following verse are reckoned up the principal men in the tribe of Gad and the chief of all was Joel another from him in the tribe of Reuben 1 Chronicles 5:4.

and Shapham the next; the second chief man from whom RelandF24Palestin. Illustrat. par. 2. p. 602. conjectures Shophan a city in the tribe of Gad had its name Numbers 32:35.

and Jaanai; from whom Danjaan might be called as Michaelis intimates 2 Samuel 24:6.

and Shaphat in Bashan; not Shaphat the father of Elisha according to a tradition of the Jews mentioned by Kimchi; which is not at all probable.

 

1 Chronicles 5:13  13 and their brethren of their father’s house: Michael Meshullam Sheba Jorai Jachan Zia and Eber—seven in all.

   YLT  13and their brethren of the house of their fathers [are] Michael and Meshullam and Sheba and Jorai and Jachan and Zia and Heber seven.

And their brethren of the house of their fathers .... Who were also men of eminence and note in them:

were Michael and Meshullam and Shebai and Jorai and Jachan and Zia and Heber seven; so they are as here mentioned by name.

 

1 Chronicles 5:14  14 These were the children 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;

   YLT  14These [are] sons of Abihail son of Huri son of Jaroah son of Gilead son of Michael son of Jeshishai son of Jahdo son of Buz;

These are the children of Abihail the son of Huri .... That is the seven before mentioned; they were the posterity of Abihail whose pedigree is traced from his father Huri to Buz the intermediate progenitors being Jaroah Gilead Michael Jeshishai Jahdo.

 

1 Chronicles 5:15  15 Ahi the son of Abdiel the son of Guni was chief of their father’s house.

   YLT  15Ahi son of Abdiel son of Guni [is] head of the house of their fathers;

Ahi the son of Abdiel the son of Guni chief of the house of their fathers. Which Ahi was a principal man in the families the seven above men belonged to; besides them or those three were everyone of them heads of families.

 

1 Chronicles 5:16  16 And the Gadites dwelt in Gilead in Bashan and in its villages and in all the common-lands of Sharon within their borders.

   YLT  16and they dwell in Gilead in Bashan and in her small towns and in all suburbs of Sharon upon their outskirts;

And they dwelt in Gilead .... In that part of it which belonged to the tribe of Gad:

in Bashan and in her towns; See Gill on 1 Chronicles 5:11

and in all the suburbs of Sharon upon their borders; there were two Sharons one to the west of the land of Israel near the Mediterranean sea which is mentioned in Acts 9:35 as near Lydda and Joppa; and the other to the east or northeast beyond Jordan which is here meant.

 

1 Chronicles 5:17  17 All these were registered by genealogies in the days of Jotham king of Judah and in the days of Jeroboam king of Israel.

   YLT  17all of them reckoned themselves by genealogy in the days of Jotham king of Judah and in the days of Jeroboam king of Israel.

All these were reckoned by genealogies .... All before mentioned:

in the days of Jotham king of Judah and in the days of Jeroboam king of Israel; not that those two kings reigned at the same time and one and the same reckoning is meant; but as Dr. LightfootF25Works vol. 1. p. 100. observes there were two reckonings; his words are "in the days of Jotham there was an account taken of the families of Reuben Gad and half Manasseh 1 Chronicles 5:17 and so had there been in the days of Jeroboam the second; then at their restoring by Jeroboam out of the hands of Hamath and Syria and now at their arming against the Assyrian under whom they fell in the time of Pekah and are never again restored to Israel.'

 

1 Chronicles 5:18  18 The sons of Reuben the Gadites and half the tribe of Manasseh had forty-four thousand seven hundred and sixty valiant men men able to bear shield and sword to shoot with the bow and skillful in war who went to war.

   YLT  18Sons of Reuben and the Gadite and the half of the tribe of Manasseh of sons of valour men bearing shield and sword and treading bow and taught in battle [are] forty and four thousand and seven hundred and sixty going out to the host.

The sons of Reuben and the Gadites and half the tribe of Manasseh .... These all joined together living together on the one side of Jordan:

of valiant men men able to bear buckler and sword and to shoot with bow and skilful in war; strong able bodied men; and not only able to bear and carry arms sword in one hand and shield in another; but were men of valour and courage and had military skill and knew how to handle their arms to advantage:

were four and forty thousand seven hundred and threescore that went out to the war: that used to go out when there was occasion and did at this time.

 

1 Chronicles 5:19  19 They made war with the Hagrites Jetur Naphish and Nodab.

   YLT  19And they make war with the Hagarites and Jetur and Naphish and Nodab

And they made war with the Hagarites .... Before mentioned 1 Chronicles 5:19.

with Jetur and Nephish: with the posterity of these men who were sons of Ishmael Genesis 25:15 and so was Nodab; perhaps the same with Kedemah mentioned along with the other two there; so HillerusF26Onomastic. Sacr. p. 554. thinks.

 

1 Chronicles 5:20  20 And they were helped against them and the Hagrites were delivered into their hand and all who were with them for they cried out to God in the battle. He heeded their prayer because they put their trust in Him.

   YLT  20and they are helped against them and the Hagarites are given into their hand and all who [are] with them for they cried to God in battle and He was entreated of them because they trusted in Him.

And they were helped against them .... The Israelites were helped against the Ishmaelites to fight with them and overcome them; either by their brethren of the house of Israel as the Targum those on this side Jordan; or rather by the Lord to whom they cried and who was entreated by them as follows:

and the Hagarites were delivered into their hand and all that were with them; they and their confederates and auxiliaries the Ituraeans &c.

for they cried to God in the battle; which at first seems to have gone against them; and they prayed to God as the Targum while they were fighting that he would appear for them and give them victory:

and he was entreated of them; he received their prayer as the same paraphrase; he heard them and answered them:

because they put their trust in him; in his power and providence and not in their own strength courage and military skill; the Targum is "because they trusted in his word.'

 

1 Chronicles 5:21  21 Then they took away their livestock—fifty thousand of their camels two hundred and fifty thousand of their sheep and two thousand of their donkeys—also one hundred thousand of their men;

   YLT  21And they take captive their cattle of their camels fifty thousand and of sheep two hundred and fifty thousand and of asses two thousand and of human beings a hundred thousand;

And they took away their cattle .... Which they brought with them and they found in their camp when they fled or in their fields:

of their camels fifty thousand; with which Arabia abounded and were fit to travel with in those hot and desert countries being strong to carry burdens and able to bear much thirst. The Arabians as Diodorus SiculusF1Bibliothec. l. 2. p. 137. & l. 3. p. 178. Vid. Plin. l. 8. c. l8. reports brought up camels for almost all the uses of life; as for the sake of their milk and flesh to feed upon as well as for carrying burdens in common; and which in time of war they loaded with provisions for the army and fought upon one of them carrying two archers with their backs to each other the one to meet the enemy in front the other to annoy those that pursued them; and so the Parthians made use of camels both to fight on and to carry provisions for their soldiersF2Tacit. Annal. l. 15. c. 12. Herodian. l. 4. c. 28 30. :

and of sheep two hundred and fifty thousand; which these Hagarites kept both for food and clothing and some of them might be now taken with them to supply their army; the Spartans carried sheep with them in their expeditions as sacrifices to their godsF3Pausan. Boeotica sive l. 9. p. 561. ; but it need not be supposed that these creatures and those that follow were in such large numbers with the Hagarites in the battle but were afterwards found partly in their camp and partly in the places inhabited by them:

and of asses two thousand; used to ride on and carry loads and also to plough with; and in all these lay the wealth of men in those times and countries see Job 1:1.

and of men one hundred thousand; so that they took captive above as many more as their army consisted of.

 

1 Chronicles 5:22  22 for many fell dead because the war was God’s. And they dwelt in their place until the captivity.

   YLT  22for many have fallen pierced for of God [is] the battle; and they dwell in their stead till the removal.

For there fell down many slain .... Many were killed in the battle besides the great number of prisoners made so that the army the Ishmaelites brought into the field was very great:

because the war was of God; or from the Word of the Lord as the Targum; he stirred up the Israelites to it directed assisted and succeeded them that vengeance might be taken on this wicked and idolatrous people:

and they dwelt in their stead until the captivity; the Targum adds of Sennacherib king of Assyria; but this captivity of the tribes referred to was not by him but by Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria 1 Chronicles 5:26 and they dwelt not in the country of the Arab-hagarites or Ishmaelites in their stead there but in Gilead as in 1 Chronicles 5:10 which belonged to the Gadites and Reubenites originally but had been dispossessed of it or however distressed in it by these Hagarites which they now drove out and dwelt in their stead; for as for the Scenite-arabs or Ishmaelites they never were conquered and brought into subjection by any people but always maintained their independencyF4See the notes on Gen. xvi. 12. and Dan. xi. 41. and a dissertation upon the independency of the Arabs at the end of the Universal History vol. 20. See Gill on Genesis 16:12. See Gill on Daniel 11:41. ; and lived upon the plunder of their neighbours pitching their tents here and there for their convenience which in these parts were at this time spoiled.

 

1 Chronicles 5:23  23 So the children of the half-tribe of Manasseh dwelt in the land. Their numbers increased from Bashan to Baal Hermon that is to Senir or Mount Hermon.

   YLT  23And the sons of the half of the tribe of Manasseh dwelt in the land from Bashan unto Baal-Hermon and Senir and mount Hermon they have multiplied.

And the children of the half tribe of Manasseh dwelt in the land .... Not in the land of the Hagarites but in the land of Gilead and Bashan beyond Jordan given them by Moses. The writer having reckoned the genealogies of some of the principal men of Reuben and Gad proceeds to give a short account of some principal men in this half tribe:

they increased from Bashan; where they first settled and extended their possessions:

unto Baalhermon and Senir and unto Mount Hermon; mountains which lay to the north of the land of Canaan and are what geographers call Antilibanus.

 

1 Chronicles 5:24  24 These were the heads of their fathers’ houses: Epher Ishi Eliel Azriel Jeremiah Hodaviah and Jahdiel. They were mighty men of valor famous men and heads of their fathers’ houses.

   YLT  24And these [are] heads of the house of their fathers even Epher and Ishi and Eliel and Azriel and Jeremiah and Hodaviah and Jahdiel men mighty in valour men of name heads to the house of their fathers.

And these were the heads of the house of their fathers .... Some of the principal men of this half tribe:

even Epher and Ishi and Eliel and Azriel and Jeremiah and Hodaviah and Jahdiel; but of none of these we read elsewhere excepting Hepher and Azriel Numbers 26:31.

mighty men of valour famous men and heads of the house of their fathers; men that obtained a name for their strength courage and valour and military exploits and were the chiefs of the families in this half tribe and by whom they were denominated; so from Hepher were the family of the Hepherites and from Azriel the family of the Azrielites as in the place before quoted.

 

1 Chronicles 5:25  25 And they were unfaithful to the God of their fathers and played the harlot after the gods of the peoples of the land whom God had destroyed before them.

   YLT  25And they trespass against the God of their fathers and go a-whoring after the gods of the peoples of the land whom God destroyed from their presence;

And they transgressed against the God their fathers .... Against his law will word and ordinances not only the half tribe of Manasseh hut the Reubenites and Gadites also:

and went a whoring after the gods of the people of the land whom God destroyed before them; that is committed idolatry which is spiritual fornication or whoredom; worshipped the idols either of the Amorites who were destroyed by the Lord to make way for their first settlement; or of the Ishmaelites whom they conquered and whose land they dwelt in to the captivity.

 

1 Chronicles 5:26  26 So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria that is Tiglath-Pileser[b] king of Assyria. He carried the Reubenites the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh into captivity. He took them to Halah Habor Hara and the river of Gozan to this day.

   YLT  26and stir up doth the God of Israel the spirit of Pul king of Asshur and the spirit of Tilgath-Pilneser king of Asshur and he removeth them -- even the Reubenite and the Gadite and the half of the tribe of Manasseh -- and bringeth them in to Halah and Habor and Hara and the river of Gozan unto this day.

And the God of Israel .... The Targum is "the word of the God of Israel:"

stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria: in the times of Menahem king of Israel:

and the spirit of Tilgathpilneser; in the times of Pekah king of Israel to invade the land and make war in it:

and he carried them away: not the former but the latter:

even the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half tribe of Manasseh; these entirely together with some other parts of the land see 2 Kings 15:29.

and brought them unto Halah and Habor and Hara and to the river Gozan; to the very same places where afterwards Salmaneser carried the ten tribes or what remained of them see 2 Kings 17:6.

unto this day; the times of Ezra the writer of this book after the tribe of Judah returned from the captivity of Babylon; but the ten tribes remained where they were carried and have not returned even to this day.

 

──John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible

 

New King James Version (NKJV)

Footnotes:

  1. 1 Chronicles 5:6 Hebrew Tilgath-Pilneser
  2. 1 Chronicles 5:26 Hebrew Tilgath-Pilneser