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... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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]... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SONS, [I SAY], OF REUBEN THE FIRSTBORN OF ISRAEL, WERE, HANOCH,
AND PALLU, HEZRON, AND CARMI. As in Genesis 46:9.... [ Continue Reading ]
Ver. 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... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Chronicles 5:4.... [ Continue Reading ]
BEERAH HIS SON,.... The last of Joel's posterity, who, according to
the Targum and other Jewish writers q 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 Tiglathpilese... [ Continue Reading ]
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]... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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 r thinks that this river Ph... [ Continue Reading ]
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 Hagar s, Sarah's
maid; the same that are placed by Pliny t and Ptolemy u in Arabia,
near the Batanaeans, or inh... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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, Reland x
conjectures, Shophan, a city in the tri... [ Continue Reading ]
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.... [ Continue Reading ]
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.... [ Continue Reading ]
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.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY DWELT IN GILEAD,.... In that part of it which belonged to the
tribe of Gad:
IN BASHAN, AND IN HER TOWNS; 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... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Lightfoot y observes,
there were two reckonings;... [ Continue Reading ]
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 a... [ Continue Reading ]
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 Hillerus z
thinks.
z Onomast... [ Continue Reading ]
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 fol... [ Continue Reading ]
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 b... [ Continue Reading ]
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, direct... [ Continue Reading ]
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 accoun... [ Continue Reading ]
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, F... [ Continue Reading ]
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, w... [ Continue Reading ]
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 A... [ Continue Reading ]