1 Chronicles 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).