1 Chronicles 5
OGCSUMMARY QUESTIONS LESSON TWO 4-6
Why would special attention be given to Judah’s family?
Who is this Jabez named in 1 Chronicles 4:9?
Identify Othniel (1 Chronicles 4:13). What do you know about him from other references in the Bible?
Fully identify Caleb.
Who was Shelah? What do you learn about him from earlier Biblical reference?
What were some of the occupations of the descendants of Judah?
Where did the tribe of Simeon take its possession? Name some of the principal cities.
What was meant by the expression a wide land?
Carefully locate Mt. Seir.
Who was the great ancestor of the Amalekites?
Why did Reuben lose his birthright? Name the person with whom he was involved.
With regard to the birthright, why was Judah preferred over Joseph?
Identify the Tilgath-pileser of 1 Chronicles 5:6.
Where did the tribe of Reuben take its possession? Locate the territory.
Carefully locate the regions inhabited by the tribe of Gad.
Name the three Hebrew tribes that lived beyond the Jordan eastward.
With whom did these tribes East of the Jordan go to war? Why were they able to win?
What is meant by the captivity?
Locate Mount Hermon and name the Hebrew tribe located in this region.
Why were the trans-Jordanic tribes deported? Who carried them away?
Name the sons of Levi.
Who was Amram? Name his children.
Name the sons of Aaron.
Identify Phinehas.
Who was Ahitub? In what other connection do you learn of him in the Bible?
What distinction did Azariah hold (1 Chronicles 6:10)?
Identify the Hilkiah of 1 Chronicles 6:13?
Who was Jehozadak?
In regard to the tabernacle, what special responsibilities were fulfilled by the sons of Levi? Check Exodus references.
Who is the Elkanah of 1 Chronicles 6:27?
Name the sons of Samuel. What kind of men were they?
What did David do with the Levites?
Who was Heman?
Identify Korah. What do you know about him from an earlier record?
Identify Asaph.
What special services were performed by Aaron and his sons?
Trace other Bible references to Zadok.
Name and locate the main Kohathite villages.
Carefully locate Anathoth.
What are suburbs?
Where were the Gershonite villages located?
Describe the general location of the Merarite villages.
Name the cities of refuge. Compare these names with the record in Joshua 21:20-39.
Why were cities of refuge appointed?
1 Chronicles 5:1-10
- THE DESCENDANTS OF THE TRIBE OF REUBEN (1 Chronicles 5:1-10)
TEXT
1 Chronicles 5:1. And the sons of Reuben the first-born of Israel (for he was the first-born; but, forasmuch as he defiled his father’s couch, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel; and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright. 2. For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the prince; but the birthright was Joseph’S), 3. the sons of Reuben the first-born of Israel: Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. 4. The sons of Joel: Shemaiah his son, Gog his son, Shimei his Song of Solomon, 5. Micah his son, Reaiah his son, Baal his Song of Solomon, 6. Beerah his son, whom Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria carried away captive: he was prince of the Reubenites. 7. And his brethren by their families, when the genealogy of their generations was reckoned: the chief, Jeiel, and Zechariah, 8. and Bela the son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel, who dwelt in Aroer, even unto Nebo and Baal-meon: 9. and eastward he dwelt even unto the entrance of the wilderness from the river Euphrates, because their cattle were multiplied in the land of Gilead. 10. And in the days of Saul, they made war with the Hagrites, who fell by their hand: and they dwelt in their tents throughout all the land east of Gilead.
PARAPHRASE
1 Chronicles 5:1. The oldest son of Israel was Reuben, but since he dishonored his father by sleeping with one of his father’s wives, his birthright was given to his half brother, Joseph. So the official genealogy doesn-’t name Reuben as the oldest Song of Solomon 2. Although Joseph received the birthright, yet Judah was a powerful and influential tribe in Israel, and from Judah came a Prince. 3. The sons of Reuben, Israel’s son, were: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, Carmi. 4. Joel’s descendants were his son Shemaiah, his grandson Gog, and his great-grandson Shime-i. 5. Shime-i’s son was Micah; his grandson was Reaiah; and his great-grandson was Baal. 6. Baal’s son was Beerah. He was a prince of the tribe of Reuben and was taken into captivity by King Tilgath-pilneser of Assyria. 7, 8. His relatives became heads of clans and were included in the official genealogy: Je-iel, Zechariah, Bela (the son of Azaz, grandson of Shema, and great grandson of Joel). These Reubenites lived in Aroer and as far distant as Mount Nebo and Baal-meon. 9. Joel was a cattle man, and he pastured his animals eastward to the edge of the desert and to the Euphrates River, for there were many cattle in the land of Gilead. 10. During the reign of King Saul, the men of Reuben defeated the Hagrites in war and moved into their tents on the eastern edges of Gilead.
COMMENTARY
Once more the natural law of the first-born is violated as the chronicler has already given attention to Judah and Simeon. Reuben was Jacob’s first son borne by Leah (Genesis 29:32). This son, who was the hope of Jacob’s family, proved unworthy of the trust when he dared to sin sexually with Bilhah, his father’s concubine (Genesis 35:22). In the patriarchal meeting (Genesis 49:3-4), Reuben was disinherited. Genesis, chapter 48, describes the blessings pronounced on Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. The record would indicate that Reuben’s blessing was shared with the sons of Joseph. Judah, however, received a blessing and a responsibility which was greater than Reuben’s and which also exceeded that of the sons of Joseph. Reuben’s sons are listed in Numbers 26:5-7 when in the second census his warriors numbered 43,730. These sons are Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. The names that follow in 1 Chronicles 5:4-10 are Reuben’s descendants. Reuben’s territory lay beyond the Jordan to the south and east. These tribes suffered at the hands of the Assyrians when Tilgath-pilneser and his armies overthrew Samaria and scattered the tribes of Israel in 722-21 B.C. Aroer and Nebo were located beyond the Jordan eastward. Nebo was the region from which Moses once viewed Canaan. The Gilead country bordered the Jordan river on the east and pertained to the territory of Reuben. The Hagrites may have derived from Hagar. There was a tribe by this name in northern Arabia. At some time the Reubenites fought with these people and displaced them in the Gilead region.
1 Chronicles 5:11-17
- THE DESCENDANTS OF THE TRIBE OF GAD (1 Chronicles 5:11-17)
TEXT
1 Chronicles 5:11. And the sons of Gad dwelt over against them, in the land of Bashan unto Salecah: 12. Joel the chief, and Shapham the second, and Janai, and Shaphat in Bashan. 13. And their brethren of their fathers-’ houses: Michael, and Meshullam, and Sheba, and Jorai, and Jacan, and Zia, and Eber, seven. 14. These were the sons of Abihail and the 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; 15. Ahi the son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, chief of their fathers-’ houses. 16. And they dwelt in Gilead in Bashan, and in its towns, and in all the suburbs of Sharon, as far as their borders. 17. All these were reckoned by genealogies in the days of Jotham king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam king of Israel.
PARAPHRASE
1 Chronicles 5:11. Across from them, in the land of Bashan, lived the descendants of Gad, who were spread as far as Salecah. 12. Joel was the greatest and was followed by Shapham, also Janai and Shaphat. 13. Their relatives, the heads of the seven clans, were Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia, and Eber. 14. The descendants of Buz, in the order of their generations, were: Jahdo, Jeshishai, Michael, Gilead, Jaroah, Huri, Abihail. 15. Ahi, the son of Abdi-el and grandson of Guni, was the leader of the clan. 16. The clan lived in and around Gilead (in the land of Bashan) and throughout the entire pasture country of Sharon. 17. All were included in the official genealogy at the time of King Jotham of Judah and King Jeroboam of Israel.
COMMENTARY
Gad shared the trans-Jordanic territory with Reuben and Manasseh. These three tribes were in a precarious position because of their nearness to the desert. They were always vulnerable to warring bands of tribesmen and were destined never to play a significant role in Hebrew history. These were the tribes that requested of Moses this part of Palestine for their homeland. Moses suspected that they wanted to avoid military service in the proposed conquest of Canaan (Numbers 32). They assured Moses, Joshua, and Eleazar that they would help take Canaan, but they wanted this land east of the Jordan river because it was good pasture land. In making this choice, they also removed themselves from the main stream of Hebrew history. Bashan lay beyond the Sea of Chinnereth to the east. Salecah was a village on the far east boundary of Bashan. The names that follow in 1 Chronicles 5:12-15 are Gad’s descendants. We know nothing more about them in the Bible record. Through their generations they shared the pasture lands of the Gilead country. There was a beautiful plain of Sharon on the Mediterranean coast in Canaan. This Sharon in 1 Chronicles 5:16 probably refers to a section in Gilead. There were genealogical studies done in the days of Jotham, King of Judah, (about 740 B.C.) and in the days of Jeroboam II, King of Israel (about 760 B.C.). Perhaps at regular intervals lists of ancestors were revised and brought up to date.
1 Chronicles 5:18-26
- THE DESCENDANTS OF REUBEN, GAD, AND MANASSEH, WAR BEYOND THE JORDAN (1 Chronicles 5:18-26)
TEXT
1 Chronicles 5:18. The sons of Reuben, and the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, of valiant men, men able to bear buckler and sword, and to shoot with bow, and skillful in war, were forty and four thousand seven hundred and threescore, that were able to go forth to war. 19. And they made war with the Hagrites, with Jetur, and Naphish, and Nodab. 20. And they were helped against them, and the Hagrites were delivered into their hand, and all that were with them; for they cried to God in the battle, and he was entreated of them, because they put their trust in him. 21. And they took away their cattle; of their camels fifty thousand, and of sheep two hundred and fifty thousand, and of asses two thousand, and of men a hundred thousand. 22. For there fell many slain, because the war was of God. And they dwelt in their stead until the captivity. 23. And the children of the half-tribe of Manasseh dwelt in the land: they increased from Bashan unto Baal-hermon and Senir and Mount Hermon. 24. And these were the heads of their fathers-’ houses: even Epher, and Ishi, and Eliel, and Azriel, and Jeremiah, and Hodaviah, and Jahdiel, mighty men of valor, famous men, heads of their fathers-’ houses. 25. And they trespassed against the God of their fathers, and played the harlot after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God destroyed before them. 26. And the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria, and he carried them away, even the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and brought them unto Halah, and Habor, and Hara, and to the river of Gozan, unto this day.
PARAPHRASE
1 Chronicles 5:18. There were 44,760 armed, trained, and brave troops in the army of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. 19. They declared war on the Hagrites, the Jeturites, the Naphishites, and the Nodabites. 20. They cried out to God to help them, and he did, for they trusted in him. So the Hagrites and all their allies were defeated. 21. The booty included 50,000 camels, 250,000 sheep, 2,000 donkeys, and 100,000 captives. 22. A great number of the enemy also died in the battle, for God was fighting against them. So the Reubenites lived in the territory of the Hagrites until the time of the Exile. 23. The half-tribe of Manasseh spread through the land from Bashan to Baal-hermon, Senir, and Mount Hermon. They too were very numerous. 24. The chiefs of their clans were the following: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azri-el, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, Jahdi-el. Each of these men had a great reputation as a warrior and leader. 25. But they were not true to the God of their fathers; instead they worshiped the idols of the people whom God had destroyed. 26. So God caused King Pul of Assyria (also known as Tilgath-pilneser III) to invade the land and deport the men of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. They took them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the Gozan River, where they remain to this day.
COMMENTARY
There is no indication here as to just when Reuben, Gad and Manasseh went to war against the Hagrites and their allies. It is of interest to note that in Joshua’s day when they sent warriors to help conquer Canaan; they sent 40,000 men (Joshua 4:12-13). In this later day they are able to muster 44,760 men. The Hagrites had been named in 1 Chronicles 5:10. Nothing more is known about Nodab. Jetur and Naphish are named in Genesis 25:15 among Ishmael’s people. The name Jetur is preserved in the name Ituraea (Luke 3:1). The Ituraeans were notorious warriors. As in all other military conflicts in which Israel’s cause was righteous and in which she trusted in Jehovah, God gave victory to the transjordanic Hebrew tribes in this conflict. That it was a significant event is evident from the tremendous amount of prey taken. The chronicler is concerned that the reader understand that Jehovah gave the victorythe war was of God. The land once owned by desert tribes is now possessed by the tribes of Israel. A part of the tribe of Manasseh settled the Bashan country east of the Sea of Chinnereth. Baal-hermon, Senir, and Mount Hermon all refer to the same area in the north-east corner of Palestine. The descendants of Manasseh (1 Chronicles 5:24) are named only here. They were men of war, as was Machir, Manasseh’s son. An often used phrase, played the harlot, is employed here to describe the idolatry of these Hebrew tribes. Jehovah’s response to this breach of the covenant is to send Pul, Tilgath-pilneser, of Assyria, to over-run and deport the transjordanic tribes. This took place about 722-21 B.C. These Israelites beyond the Jordan to the east joined their brethren from Samaria and Israel west of the Jordan in the captivity (2 Kings 17:6). They were scattered in the regions of the upper Euphrates river. Hara probably is the same as Haran in Mesopotamia.