v.1-10
Reuben's Record
v.1,2
Reuben's disrespect for his father meant he lost the rights of
being the first-born
v.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,
v.2
and
though Judah was the strongest of his brothers and a ruler came
from him, the rights of the firstborn belonged to Joseph) –
v.3-10
The record of Reuben's family
v.3
the
sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel:
Hanok,
Pallu, Hezron and Karmi.
v.4
The
descendants of Joel:
Shemaiah
his son, Gog his son,
Shimei
his son,
v.5
Micah
his son,
Reaiah
his son, Baal his son,
v.6
and
Beerah his son, whom Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria took into
exile. Beerah was a leader of the Reubenites.
v.7
Their
relatives by clans, listed according to their genealogical records:
Jeiel
the chief, Zechariah,
v.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.
v.9
To
the east they occupied the land up to the edge of the desert that
extends to the River Euphrates, because their livestock had increased
in Gilead.
v.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.
[Comment:
The tribe of Reuben
occupied land to the east of the Jordan and east of the Dead Sea.]
v.11-17
Gad's Record
v.11
The
Gadites lived next to them in Bashan, as far as Salekah:
v.12
Joel
was the chief, Shapham the second, then Janai and Shaphat, in
Bashan.
v.13
Their
relatives, by families, were:
Michael,
Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jakan, Zia and Eber – seven in all.
v.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.
v.15
Ahi
son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, was head of their family.
v.16
The
Gadites lived in Gilead, in Bashan and its outlying villages,
and on all the pasture-lands of Sharon as far as they extended.
v.17
All
these were entered in the genealogical records during the reigns
of Jotham king of Judah and Jeroboam king of Israel.
[Comment:
The tribe of Gad
lived to the north of Reuben to the east of the Jordan.]
v.18-22
Gad's activities with Reuben & Manasseh
v.18
The
Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh [who
occupied the land to the east of the Jordan and the Dead Sea]
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.
v.19
They
waged war against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish and Nodab.
v.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.
v.21
They
seized the livestock of the Hagrites – fifty thousand camels,
two hundred and fifty thousand sheep and two thousand donkeys.
They also took one hundred thousand people captive,
v.22
and
many others fell slain, because the battle was God's. And they
occupied the land until the exile.
[Comment:
The activities of
the two and a half tribes to the east are noted.]
v.23-26
Manasseh's limited record
v.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).
v.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.
v.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.
v.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.
[Comment:
The unfaithfulness
of Manasseh is noted and the judgment that fell on them.]
Continue
to Ch.6