1Und die Söhne Rubens, des Erstgeborenen Israels, - denn er war der Erstgeborene; weil er aber das Lager seines Vaters entweiht hatte, wurde sein Erstgeburtsrecht den Söhnen Josephs, des Sohnes Israels, gegeben; aber er wird nicht nach der Erstgeburt verzeichnet. 2Denn Juda hatte die Oberhand unter seinen Brüdern, und der Fürst kommt aus ihm; aber das Erstgeburtsrecht wurde dem Joseph zuteil; - 3die Söhne Rubens, des Erstgeborenen Israels: Hanok und Pallu, Hezron und Karmi. 4Die Söhne Joels: dessen Sohn Schemaja, dessen Sohn Gog, dessen Sohn Simei, 5dessen Sohn Micha, dessen Sohn Reaja, dessen Sohn Baal, 6dessen Sohn Beera, welchen Tilgath-Pilneser, der König von Assyrien, wegführte; er war ein Fürst der Rubeniter. 7Und seine Brüder, nach ihren Familien, nach dem Verzeichnis ihrer Geschlechter, waren: das Haupt, Jehiel; und Sekarja 8und Bela, der Sohn Asas, des Sohnes Schemas, des Sohnes Joels; dieser wohnte in Aroer und bis Nebo und Baal-Meon; 9und gegen Osten wohnte er bis zu der Wüste, welche sich von dem Strome Phrat her erstreckt; denn ihre Herden waren zahlreich im Lande Gilead. 10Und in den Tagen Sauls führten sie Krieg mit den Hageritern; und diese fielen durch ihre Hand, und sie wohnten in ihren Zelten auf der ganzen Ostseite von Gilead. 11Und die Kinder Gad wohnten ihnen gegenüber im Lande Basan bis Salka: 12Joel, das Haupt; und Schapham, der zweite; und Jahnai und Schaphat, in Basan. 13Und ihre Brüder nach ihren Vaterhäusern: Michael und Meschullam und Scheba und Jorai und Jakan und Sia und Heber, sieben. 14Das waren die Söhne Abichails, des Sohnes Huris, des Sohnes Jaroachs, des Sohnes Gileads, des Sohnes Michaels, des Sohnes Jeschischais, des Sohnes Jachdos, des Sohnes Bus'. 15Achi, der Sohn Abdiels, des Sohnes Gunis, war das Haupt ihres Vaterhauses. 16Und sie wohnten in Gilead, in Basan, und in deren Tochterstädten, und in allen Weidetriften Sarons bis an ihre Ausgänge. 17Diese alle sind verzeichnet worden in den Tagen Jothams, des Königs von Juda, und in den Tagen Jerobeams, des Königs von Israel. 18Die Kinder Ruben und die Gaditer und der halbe Stamm Manasse, was tapfere Männer waren, Männer, die Schild und Schwert trugen und den Bogen spannten und des Krieges kundig waren: 44760, die zum Heere auszogen. 19Und sie führten Krieg mit den Hageritern und mit Jetur und Naphisch und Nodab; 20und es wurde ihnen wider sie geholfen; und die Hageriter wurden in ihre Hand gegeben samt allen, die mit ihnen waren; denn sie schrieen zu Gott im Streit, und er ließ sich von ihnen erbitten, weil sie auf ihn vertraut hatten. 21Und sie führten ihr Vieh hinweg: 50000 Kamele, und 250000 Stück Kleinvieh, und 2000 Esel, und 100000 Menschenseelen. 22Denn es fielen viele Erschlagene, weil der Streit von Gott war. Und sie wohnten an ihrer Statt bis zur Wegführung. - 23Und die Kinder des halben Stammes Manasse wohnten im Lande, von Basan bis Baal-Hermon und bis zum Senir und bis zum Berge Hermon; sie waren zahlreich. 24Und dies waren die Häupter ihrer Vaterhäuser: nämlich Epher und Jischi und Eliel und Asriel und Jeremja und Hodawja und Jachdiel, tapfere Kriegsmänner, Männer von Namen, Häupter ihrer Vaterhäuser. - 25Aber sie handelten treulos gegen den Gott ihrer Väter und hurten den Göttern der Völker des Landes nach, welche Gott vor ihnen vertilgt hatte. 26Da erweckte der Gott Israels den Geist Puls, des Königs von Assyrien, und den Geist Tilgath-Pilnesers, des Königs von Assyrien, und er führte sie hinweg, die Rubeniter und die Gaditer und den halben Stamm Manasse, und brachte sie nach Halach und an den Habor und nach Hara und an den Strom von Gosan bis auf diesen Tag. 27Die Söhne Levis waren: Gerson, Kehath und Merari. 28Und die Söhne Kehaths: Amram, Jizhar und Hebron und Ussiel. 29Und die Söhne Amrams: Aaron und Mose, und Mirjam. Und die Söhne Aarons: Nadab und Abihu, Eleasar und Ithamar. 30Eleasar zeugte Pinehas; Pinehas zeugte Abischua, 31und Abischua zeugte Bukki, und Bukki zeugte Ussi, 32und Ussi zeugte Serachja, und Serachja zeugte Merajoth; 33Merajoth zeugte Amarja, und Amarja zeugte Ahitub, 34und Ahitub zeugte Zadok, und Zadok zeugte Achimaaz, 35und Achimaaz zeugte Asarja, und Asarja zeugte Jochanan, 36und Jochanan zeugte Asarja; dieser ist es, der den Priesterdienst ausübte in dem Hause, welches Salomo zu Jerusalem gebaut hatte. 37Und Asarja zeugte Amarja, und Amarja zeugte Ahitub, 38und Ahitub zeugte Zadok, und Zadok zeugte Schallum, 39und Schallum zeugte Hilkija, und Hilkija zeugte Asarja, 40und Asarja zeugte Seraja, und Seraja zeugte Jehozadak; 41und Jehozadak zog mit, als Jehova Juda und Jerusalem durch Nebukadnezar wegführte.
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary 1 We have here an extract out of the genealogies,
I. Of the tribe of Reuben, where we have,
1. The reason why this tribe is thus postponed. It is confessed that Reuben was the first-born of Israel, and, upon that account, might challenge the precedency; but he forfeited his birthright by defiling his father's concubine, and was, for that, sentenced
not to excel, Gen 49:4. Sin lessens men, thrusts them down from their excellency. Seventh-commandment sins especially leave an indelible stain upon men's names and families, a reproach which time will not wipe away. Reuben's seed, to the last, bear the disgrace of Reuben's sin. Yet, though that tribe was degraded, it was not discarded or disinherited. The sullying of the honour of an Israelite is not the losing of his happiness. Reuben loses his birthright, yet it does not devolve upon Simeon the next in order; for it was typical, and therefore must attend, not the course of nature, but the choice of grace. The advantages of the birthright were dominion and a double portion. Reuben having forfeited these, it was thought too much that both should be transferred to any one, and therefore they were divided. (1.) Joseph had the double portion; for two tribes descended from him, Ephraim and Manasseh, each of whom had a child's part (for so Jacob by faith blessed them,
Hebre 11:21;
Gen 48:15,
Gen 48:22), and each of those tribes was as considerable, and made as good a figure, as any one of the twelve, except Judah. But, (2.) Judah had the dominion; on him the dying patriarch entailed the sceptre,
Gen 49:10 Of him came the chief ruler, David first, and, in the fulness of time, Messiah the Prince,
Mic 5:2. This honour was secured to Judah, though the birthright was Joseph's; and, having this, he needed not envy Joseph the double portion.
2. The genealogy of the princes of this tribe, the chief family of it (many, no doubt, being omitted), to Beerah, who was head of this clan when the king of Assyria carried them captive, (1Chr:5:4-6). Perhaps he is mentioned as prince of the Reubenites at that time because he did not do his part to prevent the captivity.
3. The enlargement of the coasts of this tribe. They increasing, and their cattle being multiplied, they crowded out their neighbours the Hagarites, and extended their conquests, though not to the river Euphrates, yet to the wilderness which abutted upon that river,
1Chr 5:9,
1Chr 5:10. Thus God did for his people as he promised them: he cast out the enemy from before them by little and little, and gave them their land as they had occasion for it,
Exod 23:30.
II. Of the tribe of Gad. Some great families of that tribe are here named (
1Chr 5:12), seven that were the children of Abihail, whose pedigree is carried upwards from the son to the father (
1Chr 5:14,
1Chr 5:15), as that
1Chr 5:4,
1Chr 5:5, is brought downwards from father to son. These genealogies were perfected in the days of Jotham king of Judah, but were begun some years before, in the reign of Jeroboam II, king of Israel. What particular reason there was for taking these accounts then does not appear; but it was just before they were carried away captive by the Assyrians, as appears
2Kgs 15:29,
2Kgs 15:31. When the judgments of God were ready to break out against them for their wretched degeneracy and apostasy then were they priding themselves in their genealogies, that they were the children of the covenant; as the Jews, in our Saviour's time, who, when they were ripe for ruin, boasted,
We have Abraham to our father. Or there might be a special providence in it, and a favourable intimation that though they were, for the present, cast out, they were not cast off for ever. What we design to call for hereafter we keep an inventory of.
18 The heads of the half-tribe of Manasseh, that were seated on the other side Jordan, are named here,
1Chr 5:23,
1Chr 5:24. Their lot, at first, was Bashan only; but afterwards they increased so much in wealth and power that they spread far north, even unto Hermon. Two things only are here recorded concerning these tribes on the other side Jordan, in which they were all concerned. They all shared,
I. In a glorious victory over the Hagarites, so the Ishmaelites were now called, to remind them that they were
the sons of the bond-woman, that was
cast out. We are not told when this victory was obtained: whether it be the same with that of the Reubenites (which is said
1Chr 5:10 to be
in the days of Saul ), or whether that success of one of these tribes animated and excited the other two to join with them in another expedition, is not certain. It seems, though in Saul's time the common interests of the kingdom were weak and low, some of the tribes that acted separately did well for themselves. We are here told,
1. What a brave army these frontier-tribes brought into the field against the Hagarites, 44,000 men and upwards, all strong, and brave, and skilful in war, so many effective men, that knew how to manage their weapons,
1Chr 5:18. How much more considerable might Israel have been than they were in the time of the judges if all the tribes had acted in conjunction!
2. What course they took to engage God for them: They
cried to God, and
put their trust in him, 1Chr 5:20. Now they acted as Israelites indeed. (1.) As the seed of believing Abraham, they
put their trust in God. Though they had a powerful army, they relied not on that, but on the divine power. They depended on the commission they had from God to wage war with their neighbours for the enlarging of their coasts, if there was occasion, even with those that were very far off, besides the devoted nations. See
Deut 20:15. They depended on God's providence to give them success. (2.) As the seed of praying Jacob,
they cried unto God, especially
in the battle, when perhaps, at first, they were in danger of being overpowered. See the like done,
2Chr 13:14. In distress, God expects we should cry to him; he distrains upon us for this tribute, this rent. In our spiritual conflicts, we must look up to heaven for strength; and it is the believing prayer that will be the prevailing prayer.
3. We are told what success they had:
God was entreated of them, though need drove them to him; so ready is he to hear and answer prayer. They were helped against their enemies; for God never yet failed any that trusted in him. And then they routed the enemy's army, though far superior in number to theirs, slew many (
1Chr 5:22), took 100,000 prisoners, enriched themselves greatly with the spoil, and settled themselves in their country (
1Chr 5:21,
1Chr 5:22), and all this
because the war was of God, undertaken in his fear and carried on in a dependence upon him. If the battle be the Lord's, there is reason to hope it will be successful. Then we may expect to prosper in any enterprise, and then only, when we take God along with us.
II. They shared, at length, in an inglorious captivity. Had they kept close to God and their duty, they would have continued to enjoy both their ancient lot and their new conquests; but they
transgressed against the God of their fathers, 1Chr 5:25. They lay upon the borders, and conversed most with the neighbouring nations, by which means they learned their idolatrous usages and transmitted the infection to the other tribes; for this God had a controversy with them. He was
a husband to them, and no marvel that his jealousy burnt like fire when they
went a whoring after other gods. Justly is a bill of divorce given to the adulteress.
God stirred up the spirit of the kings of Assyria, first one and then another, against them, served his own purposes by the designs of those ambitious monarchs, employed them to chastise these revolters first, and, when that humbled them not, then wholly to
root them out, 1Chr 5:26. These tribes were first placed, and they were first displaced. They would have the best land, not considering that it lay most exposed. But those who are governed more by sense than by reason or faith in their choices may expect to fare accordingly.