1 Now the sons H1121 of Reuben H7205 the firstborn H1060 of Israel, H3478 (for he was the firstborn; H1060 but, forasmuch as he defiled H2490 his father's H1 bed, H3326 his birthright H1062 was given H5414 unto the sons H1121 of Joseph H3130 the son H1121 of Israel: H3478 and the genealogy is not to be reckoned H3187 after the birthright. H1062
And he blessed H1288 Joseph, H3130 and said, H559 God, H430 before H6440 whom my fathers H1 Abraham H85 and Isaac H3327 did walk, H1980 the God H430 which fed H7462 me all my life long H5750 unto this day, H3117 The Angel H4397 which redeemed H1350 me from all evil, H7451 bless H1288 the lads; H5288 and let my name H8034 be named H7121 on them, and the name H8034 of my fathers H1 Abraham H85 and Isaac; H3327 and let them grow H1711 into a multitude H7230 in the midst H7130 of the earth. H776 And when Joseph H3130 saw H7200 that his father H1 laid H7896 his right H3225 hand H3027 upon the head H7218 of Ephraim, H669 it displeased H3415 H5869 him: and he held up H8551 his father's H1 hand, H3027 to remove H5493 it from Ephraim's H669 head H7218 unto Manasseh's H4519 head. H7218 And Joseph H3130 said H559 unto his father, H1 Not so, my father: H1 for this is the firstborn; H1060 put H7760 thy right hand H3225 upon his head. H7218 And his father H1 refused, H3985 and said, H559 I know H3045 it, my son, H1121 I know H3045 it: he also shall become a people, H5971 and he also shall be great: H1431 but truly H199 his younger H6996 brother H251 shall be greater H1431 than he, and his seed H2233 shall become a multitude H4393 of nations. H1471 And he blessed H1288 them that day, H3117 saying, H559 In thee shall Israel H3478 bless, H1288 saying, H559 God H430 make H7760 thee as Ephraim H669 and as Manasseh: H4519 and he set H7760 Ephraim H669 before H6440 Manasseh. H4519 And Israel H3478 said H559 unto Joseph, H3130 Behold, I die: H4191 but God H430 shall be with you, and bring you again H7725 unto the land H776 of your fathers. H1 Moreover I have given H5414 to thee one H259 portion H7926 above thy brethren, H251 which I took H3947 out of the hand H3027 of the Amorite H567 with my sword H2719 and with my bow. H7198
Reuben, H7205 thou art my firstborn, H1060 my might, H3581 and the beginning H7225 of my strength, H202 the excellency H3499 of dignity, H7613 and the excellency H3499 of power: H5794 Unstable H6349 as water, H4325 thou shalt not excel; H3498 because thou wentest up H5927 to thy father's H1 bed; H4904 then defiledst thou H2490 it: he went up H5927 to my couch. H3326
And it came to pass, when they were come, H935 that he looked H7200 on Eliab, H446 and said, H559 Surely the LORD'S H3068 anointed H4899 is before him. But the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Samuel, H8050 Look H5027 not on his countenance, H4758 or on the height H1364 of his stature; H6967 because I have refused H3988 him: for the LORD seeth not as man H120 seeth; H7200 for man H120 looketh H7200 on the outward appearance, H5869 but the LORD H3068 looketh H7200 on the heart. H3824 Then Jesse H3448 called H7121 Abinadab, H41 and made him pass H5674 before H6440 Samuel. H8050 And he said, H559 Neither hath the LORD H3068 chosen H977 this. Then Jesse H3448 made Shammah H8048 to pass by. H5674 And he said, H559 Neither hath the LORD H3068 chosen H977 this. Again, Jesse H3448 made seven H7651 of his sons H1121 to pass H5674 before H6440 Samuel. H8050 And Samuel H8050 said H559 unto Jesse, H3448 The LORD H3068 hath not chosen H977 these. And Samuel H8050 said H559 unto Jesse, H3448 Are here all H8552 thy children? H5288 And he said, H559 There remaineth H7604 yet the youngest, H6996 and, behold, he keepeth H7462 the sheep. H6629 And Samuel H8050 said H559 unto Jesse, H3448 Send H7971 and fetch H3947 him: for we will not sit down H5437 till he come H935 hither. H6311
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 1 Chronicles 5
Commentary on 1 Chronicles 5 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 5
1Ch 5:1-10. The Line of Reuben.
1. Now the sons of Reuben—In proceeding to give this genealogy, the sacred historian states, in a parenthesis (1Ch 5:1, 2), the reason why it was not placed first, as Reuben was the oldest son of Jacob. The birthright, which by a foul crime he had forfeited, implied not only dominion, but a double portion (De 21:17); and both of these were transferred to Joseph, whose two sons having been adopted as the children of Jacob (Ge 48:5), received each an allotted portion, as forming two distinct tribes in Israel. Joseph then was entitled to the precedency; and yet, as his posterity was not mentioned first, the sacred historian judged it necessary to explain that "the genealogy was not to be reckoned after the birthright," but with a reference to a superior honor and privilege that had been conferred on Judah—not the man, but the tribe, whereby it was invested with the pre-eminence over all the other tribes, and out of it was to spring David with his royal lineage, and especially the great Messiah (Heb 7:14). These were the two reasons why, in the order of enumeration, the genealogy of Judah is introduced before that of Reuben.
9. Eastward he inhabited unto the entering in of the wilderness from the river Euphrates—The settlement was on the east of Jordan, and the history of this tribe, which never took any part in the public affairs or movements of the nation, is comprised in "the multiplication of their cattle in the land of Gilead," in their wars with the Bedouin sons of Hagar, and in the simple labors of pastoral life. They had the right of pasture over an extensive mountain range—the great wilderness of Kedemoth (De 2:26) and the Euphrates being a security against their enemies.
1Ch 5:11-26. The Line of Gad.
11-15. the children of Gad dwelt over against them—The genealogy of the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh (1Ch 5:24) is given along with that of the Reubenites, as these three were associated in a separate colony.
16. Sharon—The term "Sharon" was applied as descriptive of any place of extraordinary beauty and productiveness. There were three places in Palestine so called. This Sharon lay east of the Jordan.
upon their borders—that is, of Gilead and Bashan: Gilead proper, or at least the largest part, belonged to the Reubenites; and Bashan, the greatest portion of it, belonged to the Manassites. The Gadites occupied an intermediate settlement on the land which lay upon their borders.
17. All these were reckoned … in the days of Jotham—His long reign and freedom from foreign wars as well as intestine troubles were favorable for taking a census of the people.
and in the days of Jeroboam—the second of that name.
18-22. Hagarites—or, "Hagarenes," originally synonymous with "Ishmaelites," but afterwards applied to a particular tribe of the Arabs (compare Ps 83:6).
Jetur—His descendants were called Itureans, and the country Auranitis, from Hauran, its chief city. These, who were skilled in archery, were invaded in the time of Joshua by a confederate army of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half Manasseh, who, probably incensed by the frequent raids of those marauding neighbors, took reprisals in men and cattle, dispossessed almost all of the original inhabitants, and colonized the district themselves. Divine Providence favoured, in a remarkable manner, the Hebrew army in this just war.
26. the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul—the Phalluka of the Ninevite monuments (see on 2Ki 15:19).
and the spirit of Tilgath-pilneser—the son of the former. By them the trans-jordanic tribes, including the other half of Manasseh, settled in Galilee, were removed to Upper Media. This was the first captivity (2Ki 15:29).