Text -- 1 Chronicles 5:1-7 (NET)

Reuben’s Descendants

5:1 The sons of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn– (Now he was the firstborn, but when he defiled his father’s bed, his rights as firstborn were given to the sons of Joseph, Israel’s son. So Reuben is not listed as firstborn in the genealogical records. 5:2 Though Judah was the strongest among his brothers and a leader descended from him, the right of the firstborn belonged to Joseph.) 5:3 The sons of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. 5:4 The descendants of Joel: His son Shemaiah, his son Gog, his son Shimei, 5:5 his son Micah, his son Reaiah, his son Baal, 5:6 and his son Beerah, whom King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria carried into exile. Beerah was the tribal leader of Reuben. 5:7 His brothers by their clans, as listed in their genealogical records: The leader Jeiel, Zechariah,

Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per phrase)

Wesley: 1Ch 5:1

This is added emphatically, because they were treated as if they had been the immediate sons of Jacob.

Wesley: 1Ch 5:1

This is the second reason, which sheweth both why Reuben's genealogy was not first mentioned; and if another tribe was to be ranked before it, why that was Judah, and not Joseph, because the order of their genealogy was not to be ruled by the birthright, but by an higher privilege, which was given to Judah.

Wesley: 1Ch 5:2

Not the person, but the tribe of Judah.

Wesley: 1Ch 5:2

Excelled the other tribes, especially in the following privilege.

JFB: 1Ch 5:1

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 (Deu 21:17); and both of these were transferred to Joseph, whose two sons having been adopted as the children of Jacob (Gen 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.

Clarke: 1Ch 5:1

The sons of Reuben the first-born - As Reuben was the eldest son of Jacob, why was not his genealogy reviewed first? This verse answers the question; he lost the birth-right because of the transgression mentioned Gen 35:22; Gen 49:4, and the precedency was given to Judah; from him therefore came the chief ruler. This appears to be the meaning of the place.

Clarke: 1Ch 5:2

And of him came the chief ruler - This is, by both the Syriac and Arabic, understood of Christ: "From Judah the King Messiah shall proceed."The Chaldee paraphrases the verse thus: "Seeing Judah prevailed over his brethren, so the kingdom was taken from Reuben and given to Judah; and because he was strong, so was his kingdom. Levi also was godly, and did not transgress in the matter of the golden calf; therefore the high priesthood was taken away from the children of Reuben, and on their account from all the first-born, and given to Aaron and his sons. The custody of the sanctuary belonged to the Levites, but the birthright to Joseph."- T.

Clarke: 1Ch 5:6

Beerah his son - After their separation from the house of David the ten tribes continued to have princes of the tribes; and this continued till the time that Tiglath-pileser carried them captives into Assyria. At that time Beerah was their prince or chief; and with him this species of dominion or precedency terminated. According to the Targum, Beerah was the same as Baruch the prophet.

Defender: 1Ch 5:2

It had been customary (though never commanded by God) for fathers to leave a double portion of their estate to the eldest son, but Jacob chose to give this "birthright" to Joseph instead of Reuben because of Reuben's act of incest and because of Joseph's faithfulness. However, God inspired Jacob to predict that the "sceptre" of the family would go to Judah, probably because of his willingness to die for his younger brother (see notes on Gen 49:3, Gen 49:4, Gen 49:10)."

TSK: 1Ch 5:1

am 2294, etc. bc 1710, etc

he was : 1Ch 2:1; Gen 29:32, Gen 46:8, Gen 49:3; Exo 6:14; Num 1:5, Num 16:1, Num 26:5

forasmuch : Gen 35:22, Gen 49:4; Lev 18:8, Lev 20:11; Deu 27:20; 1Co 5:1

birthright : 1Ch 26:10; Gen 48:15-22; Deu 21:17; Col 1:15

and : Gen 25:23; 1Sa 16:6-11

reckoned : Jos 14:6

TSK: 1Ch 5:2

Judah : Gen 35:23, Gen 49:8-10; Num 2:3, Num 7:12; Jos 14:6; Jdg 1:2; Psa 60:7, Psa 108:8; Mic 5:2; Mat 2:6; Heb 7:14; Rev 5:5

the chief ruler : or, the prince, By the chief ruler is meant first David, and after him the Messiah, agreeably to the celebrated prophecy of Jacob (Gen 49:10). The Syriac calls him ""Christ the king,""and the Arabic, ""Messiah the king.""1Sa 16:1, 1Sa 16:10, 1Sa 16:12; 2Sa 8:15; Psa 78:68-71; Jer 23:5, Jer 23:6; Mic 5:2; Mat 2:6; Heb 7:14

birthright was : Gen 49:26; Rom 8:29

TSK: 1Ch 5:3

sons : Gen 46:9; Exo 6:14; Num 26:5-9

Hanoch : Gen 25:4

Pallu : Gen 46:9, Phallu, Num 26:5

Hezron : Gen 46:9

Carmi : 1Ch 4:1

TSK: 1Ch 5:4

Joel : 1Sa 8:2

Shemaiah : 1Ch 9:16

Gog : i.e. to cover; surmount; top; roof; extension; mountain, [Strong’ s H1463], 1Ch 5:4; Eze 38:2, Eze 38:3, Eze 38:14, Eze 38:16, Eze 38:18, Eze 39:1, Eze 39:11, Eze 39:15

	Personal Characteristics	References
1.	A Rubenite	1Ch 5:4
2.	Prince of the land of Magog	Eze 38:2, Eze 38:3, Eze 38:14, Eze 38:16, Eze 38:18, Eze 39:1, Eze 39:11
3.	Also of the Rossi, Moschi, and Tibareni, who is to come with great forces from the extreme north	Eze 38:15; Eze 39:2
	After the exile, to invade the holy land, and to perish there.	Eze 38:8, Eze 38:12

Gog and Magog, Rev 20:8, belong to a different time to those spoken of in Ezekiel.

Shimei : 2Sa 16:5

TSK: 1Ch 5:6

Beerah : i.e. a well, [Strong’ s H880], After their separation from the house of David, the ten tribes continued to have princes of the tribes, till the time that Tiglath-pileser carried them captive; at which time Beerah, who according to the Targum was the same as Baruch, was their prince.

Tilgathpilneser : 1Ch 5:26; 2Ki 15:29, 2Ki 16:7, Tiglath-pileser

Reubenites : Num 26:7

TSK: 1Ch 5:7

when the genealogy : 1Ch 5:17

Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per Verse)

Barnes: 1Ch 5:1

His birthright was given ... - In particular, the right of the first-born to a double inheritance Deu 21:17 was conferred on Joseph, both by the expressed will of Jacob Gen 48:22 and in the actual partition of Canaan Josh. 16\endash 17. But though the birthright, as respecting its material privileges, passed to Joseph, its other rights, those of dignity and pre-eminence, fell to Judah; of whom came the chief ruler, an allusion especially to David, though it may reach further, and include a glance at the Messiah, the true "Ruler"of Israel Mic 5:2.

Barnes: 1Ch 5:4

The sons of Joel - The line of succession here given must be broken by one great gap or several smaller ones, since nine generations before Tiglath-pileser would carry us back no further than the reign of Rehoboam.

Poole: 1Ch 5:1

For he was the first-born: these and the following words 1Ch 5:3 , which are enclosed within a parenthesis, seem to be inserted here as an answer to a secret objection, or as a reason why Reuben’ s genealogy was not set down first, but Judah’ s was put before it, which is double; the first follows immediately, the other is in the last clause of this verse. His birthright i.e. the right of the first-born, which, although it contain in it something of dominion, Gen 27:1,32 , which Joseph had in his own person, Ge 49 ; yet principally consisted in having a double portion, as appears from Deu 21:17 , which Joseph enjoyed both in his person and in his posterity, which had two parts of twelve in Canaan. And it is Joseph’ s posterity which is here considered.

Unto the sons of Joseph Ephraim and Manasseh, each having a distinct portion.

The sons of Israel: this is added emphatically, because they were reputed and treated as if they had been the immediate sons of Jacob; of which see Gen 48:5 .

The genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright: this is the second reason, which showeth both why Reuben’ s genealogy was not first mentioned; and if another tribe was to be ranked before it, why that was Judah, and not Joseph, as it might seem most fit for the former reason; because, saith he, the order of their genealogy was not to be ruled by the birthright but by a higher privilege, which was given to Judah, and which here follows.

Poole: 1Ch 5:2

Judah; not the person, (for so Joseph prevailed,) but the tribe of Judah.

Prevailed above his brethren excelled the other tribes in number and power, and especially in the following privilege.

And of him or for of him , as the Hebrew vau is oft used; this being a reason of the foregoing assertion, or a declaration wherein he did prevail.

Came the chief ruler the government was by God’ s promise and appointment to be seated chiefly and most durably in that tribe, first in David and his successors, and then in the Messiah, who sprang out of Judah , Heb 7:14 , which was a far greater privilege than the birthright. Or, as to the ruler, (i.e. as to the point of dominion,) he was more than he , or preferred before him , i.e. before Joseph, who is named in the very next clause, the pronoun being referred unto the following noun, which is frequent among the Hebrews, as Psa 87:1 105:19 .

But the birthright or,

although as vau is oft used; so this prevents or removes an objection against Judah’ s precedency taken from his birthright.

Poole: 1Ch 5:4

Joel was the son either of Carmi last mentioned; or rather of Hanoch, Reuben’ s first-born, because he and his were successively princes of this tribe, as may be gathered from 1Ch 5:6 .

Poole: 1Ch 5:7

His brethren i.e. the other sons of Reuben, and their posterity.

The chief Heb. the head ; each was the head of his family.

Haydock: 1Ch 5:1

First-born, Genesis xlix. 4. (Worthington) ---

He gives this reason for not beginning with him. (Calmet) ---

And he. Protestants, "and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birth-right." (Haydock)

Haydock: 1Ch 5:2

Accounted to Joseph, viz., as to the double portion, which belonged to the first-born: but the princely dignity was given to Juda, and the priesthood to Levi. (Challoner) ---

Yet it is not certain that the latter dignity formed a part of the birth-right, (Genesis xxv. 31.) and the author takes no notice of it. (Calmet) ---

The double portion seems to have been all the privilege, Deuteronomy xxi. 17. Septuagint, "the blessing or gift was Joseph's." Hebrew also does not specify princes, but "the leader," (Haydock) the Messias, (Syriac, &c.) and kings, from David till the captivity. (Calmet) (Genesis xlix. 4.) (Worthington)

Haydock: 1Ch 5:4

Joel. It does not appear whether he was the son of the last, or of Henoch.

Haydock: 1Ch 5:6

Beera, This tribe continued to have princes of their own, after the division of the kingdom. Beera was in power when Thelgathphalnasar, or Theglathphalasar, took five tribes into captivity, 4 Kings xv. 29. Only twelve generations are mentioned to fill up about 750 years, from the leaving of Egypt. (Calmet) ---

But Enoch must have lived much sooner, as the Israelites continued in that country at least 215 years. The princes are probably not all specified, as on other occasions. (Haydock)

Haydock: 1Ch 5:7

Families, when they were led captive into Assyria; (Menochius) or before, when the tribe was in a most flourishing condition. ---

Princes. Hebrew and Septuagint, "prince." ---

Jehiel. Septuagint, "Joel," ver. 4.

Gill: 1Ch 5:1

Now the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel,.... Are as follow in 1Ch 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, Gen 49:3 and yet the genealogy in this book begins not with him, as might on that account be expected; the reason follows:

but forasmuch as he defiled his father's bed: by lying with Bilhah his concubine:

his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel; his beloved son by his beloved wife Rachel and so had a double portion given him; his two sons being equally ranked with the other sons of Jacob, and became distinct tribes, and each had their lot in the land of Canaan, see Gen 48:5 compared with Deu 21:17.

and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright; or, "but the genealogy", &c. ^o; neither after the birthright of Reuben, which he had by nature, being Jacob's firstborn; nor after the birthright of Joseph, which be had by his father's gift, as it might be thought it should; the reason of which follows.

Gill: 1Ch 5:2

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 of him came the chief ruler; David and the kings of Judah, his successors; and above all, from him the Prince Messiah was to spring, and did, according to Gen 49:10 so both the Syriac and Arabic versions read,"out of Judah should go forth the King Messiah:"

but the birthright was Joseph's or "though" ^p it was; yet Judah having the dominion and dignity, that tribe is first genealogized.

Gill: 1Ch 5:3

The sons, I say, of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, were, Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. As in Gen 46:9.

Gill: 1Ch 5:4-5

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 names, and by these the descent is carried down to the captivity by Tiglathpileser, as follows.

Gill: 1Ch 5:6

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 Hos 1:1 but neither the name, title, time, nor tribe, agree:

whom Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria carried away captive; the same with Tiglathpileser by a transposition of letters, 2Ki 15:29 and is read the same here in the Greek, Syriac, and Arabic versions:

he was prince of the Reubenites; at that time; that is, Beerah was.

Gill: 1Ch 5:7

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, 1Ch 5:17 or at the time of their captivity, as in the preceding verse:

were the chief, Jehiel, and Zechariah; these were the principals or heads of their families.

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: 1Ch 5:1

¹ sn The phrase when he defiled his father’s bed refers to Reuben having sexual relations with his father Jacob’s concubine Bilhah. This incident is recorded in Gen 35:22.

² tn Heb “and not to be listed in the genealogical records as (having) the right of the firstborn.”

NET Notes: 1Ch 5:2

¹ tn Heb “and [one] for a leader [was] from him.” This probably refers to the Davidic king.

NET Notes: 1Ch 5:6

¹ tn Heb “Tilgath-pilneser,” a variant spelling of Tiglath-pileser (also in v. 26).

² tn Heb “he”; the referent (Beerah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

Geneva Bible: 1Ch 5:1

Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, (for he [was] the firstborn; but, forasmuch as he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given unto the ^{( a )} sons of Joseph the son of Israel: and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright.

^{( a )} Because they were made two tribes, they had a double portion.

Geneva Bible: 1Ch 5:2

For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him [came] ^{( b )} the chief ruler; but the birthright [was] Joseph's:)

^{( b )} That is, he was the chiefest of all the tribes according to Jacob's prophecy, (Gen 49:8), and because Christ would come from him.

Geneva Bible: 1Ch 5:6

Beerah his son, whom Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria ^{( c )} carried away [captive]: he [was] prince of the Reubenites.

^{( c )} That is, in the time of Uzziah king of Israel, (2Ki 15:23).

Commentary -- Verse Range Notes

TSK Synopsis: 1Ch 5:1-26

1 Judah and Joseph preferred before Reuben, who forfeited his birthright.

3 Ruben's descendants; some of whom vanquish the Hagarites.

11 The chief men of Gad, and their habitations.

18 Ruben, Gad, and half of Manasseh, obtain a victory over the Hagarites.

23 The habitations and chief men of that half of Manasseh.

25 The captivity of the two tribes and half, for their sins.

MHCC: 1Ch 5:1-26

This chapter gives some account of the two tribes and a half seated on the east side of Jordan. They were made captives by the king of Assyria, because they had forsaken the Lord. Only two things are here recorded concerning these tribes. 1. They all shared in a victory. Happy is that people who live in harmony together, who assist each other against the common enemies of their souls, trusting in the Lord, and calling upon him. 2. They shared in captivity. They would have the best land, not considering that it lay most exposed. The desire of earthly objects draws to a distance from God's ordinances, and prepares men for destruction.

Matthew Henry: 1Ch 5:1-17

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, Heb 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, 1Ch 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, 1Ch 5:9, 1Ch 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, Exo 23:30.

II. Of the tribe of Gad. Some great families of that tribe are here named (1Ch 5:12), seven that were the children of Abihail, whose pedigree is carried upwards from the son to the father (1Ch 5:14, 1Ch 5:15), as that 1Ch 5:4, 1Ch 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 2Ki 15:29, 2Ki 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.

Keil-Delitzsch: 1Ch 5:1-3

The families of the tribe of Reuben. - 1Ch 5:1, 1Ch 5:2. Reuben is called the first-born of Israel, because he was the first-born of Jacob, although, owing to his having defiled his father's bed (Gen 49:4), his birthright, i.e., its privileges, were transferred to the sons of Joseph, who were not, however, entered in the family register of the house of Israel according to the birthright, i.e., as first-born sons. The inf. התיחשׂ with ל expresses "shall"or "must,"cf. Ew. §237, e., "he was not to register,"i.e., "he was not to be registered."The subject is Joseph, as the Rabbins, e.g., Kimchi, have perceived. The clauses after הוּא כּי form a parenthesis, containing the reason of Reuben's being called ישׂראל בּכור , which is still further established by its being shown (in 1Ch 5:2) how it happened that Joseph, although the birthright was given to him, according to the disposition made by the patriarch (Gen 48:5.), yet was not entered in the family registers as first-born. The reason of this was, "for Judah was strong among his brethren, and (one) from him became the Prince;" scil. on the strength of the patriarchal blessing (Gen 49:8-12), and by means of the historic fulfilment of this blessing. The "prevailing"of Judah among his brethren showed itself even under Moses at the numbering of the people, when the tribe of Judah considerably outnumbered all the other tribes (cf. t. i. 2, S. 192). Then, again, it appeared after the division of the land of Canaan among the tribes of Israel, Judah being called by a declaration of the divine will to be the vanguard of the army in the war against the Canaanites (Jdg 1:1.); and it was finally made manifest by the נגיד over Israel being chosen by God from the tribe of Judah, in the person of David (cf. 1Ch 28:4 with 1Sa 13:14; 1Sa 25:30). From this we gather that the short, and from its brevity obscure, sentence ממּנוּ וּלנגיד bears the signification we have given it. "But the birthright was Joseph's;"i.e., the rights of the progenitor were transferred to or remained with him, for two tribal domains were assigned to his two sons Ephraim and Manasseh, according to the law of the first-born (Deu 21:15-17).

After this parenthetic explanation, the words "the sons of Reuben, the first-born of Israel,"1Ch 5:1, are again taken up in 1Ch 5:3, and the sons are enumerated. The names of the four sons correspond to those given in Gen 46:9; Exo 6:14, and Num 26:5-7.

Keil-Delitzsch: 1Ch 5:4-6

From one of these sons descended Joel, whose family is traced down through seven generations, to the time of the Assyrian deportation of the Israelites. But we are neither informed here, nor can we ascertain from any information elsewhere given in the Old Testament, from which of the four sons Joel was descended. For although many of the names in 1Ch 5:4-6 frequently occur, yet they are nowhere met with in connection with the family whose members are here registered. The last-named, Beerah, was לראוּבני נשׂיא , a prince of the Reubenites, not a prince of the tribe of Reuben, but a prince of a family of the Reubenites. This is expressed by ל being used instead of the stat. constr. ; cf. Ew. §292, a . In reference to the leading away of the trans-Jordanic tribes into captivity by Tiglath-pilneser, cf. on 2Ki 15:29. The name of this king as it appears in the Chronicles is always Tiglath-pilneser, but its meaning has not yet been certainly ascertained. According to Oppert's interpretation, it = תּגלת־פּלּא־סחר , i.e., "worship of the son of the Zodiac"(i.e., the Assyrian Hercules); vid., Delitzsch on Isaiah, Introd.

Keil-Delitzsch: 1Ch 5:7-8

"And his brothers,"(each) according to his families in the registration, according to their descent (properly their generations; vide for תּולדות on Gen 2:4), are (were) the head (the first) Jeiel and Zechariah, and Bela, ... the son of Joel,"probably the Joel already mentioned in 1Ch 5:4. "His (i.e., Beerah's) brothers"are the families related to the family of Beerah, which were descended from the brothers of Joel. That they were not, however, properly "brothers,"is clear from the fact that Bela's descent is traced back to Joel as the third of the preceding members of his family; and the conclusion would be the same, even if this Joel be another than the one mentioned in 1Ch 5:4. The singular suffix with למשׁפּחתיו is to be taken distributively or אישׁ may be supplied before it in thought; cf. Num 2:34; Num 11:10. The word ראשׁ , "head,"for the first-born, stands here before the name, as in 1Ch 12:3; 1Ch 23:8; elsewhere it stands after the name, e.g., 1Ch 5:12 and 1Ch 9:17. The dwelling-places of Bela and his family are then given in 1Ch 5:8 , 1Ch 5:9. "He dwelt in Aroer,"on the banks of the brook Arnon (Jos 13:9; Jos 12:2), now the ruin Araayr on the northern bank of the Mojeb ( vide on Num 32:34). "Until Nebo and Baal-meon"westward. Nebo, a village on the hill of the same name in the mountains of Abarim, opposite Jericho (cf. on Num 32:38). Baal-meon is probably identical with the ruin Myun, three-quarters of an hour south-east from Heshbon.

Constable: 1Ch 1:1--9:44

I. ISRAEL'S HISTORICAL ROOTS chs. 1--9

"The fact that the author of 1 and 2 Chronicles devoted nine chapters out of sixty-five to genealogies (1 Chr 1-9) makes clear that these were of great importance to him and bear significantly on his purpose in writing his work. This purpose needs to be understood by any commentator who would elucidate the nature of these volumes.

"We may define a genealogy as a written or oral expression of the descent of a person or persons from an ancestor or ancestors.'¹⁸ They may display breadth (These were the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah,' 1 Chr 2:1) and depth (the sons of Solomon: Rehoboam, Abijah his son, Asa his son,' 1 Chr 3:10). This latter genealogy and others of its type that display depth alone are termed linear.' Biblical genealogies, like the extrabiblical ones, are normally quite limited in depth, rarely extending beyond ten or twelve generations but often from four to six. In 1 Chronicles 2-9 we have an exception. Perhaps the writer sometimes joined separate genealogies.

"If a genealogy displays breadth as well as depth, it is termed segmented,' or mixed.' In Chronicles multiple descendants of an ancestor are frequently named, but not all the lives are pursued to later generations. Genealogies may proceed from parent to child (descending, as in 1 Chr 9:39-44) or from child to parent (ascending, as in 1 Chr 9:14-16).

"The two types of genealogy, linear and segmented, serve different purposes. The linear genealogy seeks to legitimize an individual by relating him to an ancestor whose status is established. The segmented genealogy is designed to express relationships between the various branches of a family."¹⁹

"Their function, broadly speaking, is to show that the promises and purposes of God continue."²⁰

The aim of the genealogies "is to paint a portrait of the people of God in its ideal extent as a symbol of both the particularity of his election and the breadth of his grace."²¹

". . . it should be noted that a further theme of Chr., that of the Lord's willingness to start afresh with his errant people, is also tucked away almost unnoticed in the genealogies."²²

Constable: 1Ch 4:1--7:40

B. The House of Israel chs. 4-7

The writer's next concern was to trace the line of people to whom and through whom God promised to bring blessing and salvation. That nation was Israel, the descendants of Jacob. The writer viewed Israel as consisting of 12 tribes, not just the tribes represented by the returnees from Babylonian exile. The nation as a whole would have a future.

Constable: 1Ch 5:1-26

3. The families of Transjordan ch. 5

Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh settled east of the Jordan River. Reuben would have normally been the son through whom the greatest blessing would come since he was the first-born. However because of his sin (v. 1) God passed him over. God's blessing of Joseph with the double portion of the birthright and His blessing of Judah with leadership over the Israelites was contrary to natural order. It was pure grace for those tribes.

God was not only faithful to bless as He had promised, but He also judged sin as He had said He would (vv. 25-26). This is the reason the transjordanian tribes went into captivity.

Guzik: 1Ch 5:1-26

1 Chronicles 4 through 8 - The Tribes of Israel and their Descendents

B. The tribes of Israel settling east of the Jordan River.

1. (5:1-10) The descendents of Reuben.

Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel; he was indeed the firstborn, but because he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel, so that the genealogy is not listed according to the birthright; yet Judah prevailed over his brothers, and from him came a ruler, although the birthright was Joseph's; the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. The sons of Joel were Shemaiah his son, Gog his son, Shimei his son, Micah his son, Reaiah his son, Baal his son, and Beerah his son, whom Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria carried into captivity. He was leader of the Reubenites. And his brethren by their families, when the genealogy of their generations was registered: the chief, Jeiel, and Zechariah, and Bela the son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel, who dwelt in Aroer, as far as Nebo and Baal Meon. Eastward they settled as far as the entrance of the wilderness this side of the River Euphrates, because their cattle had multiplied in the land of Gilead. Now in the days of Saul they made war with the Hagrites, who fell by their hand; and they dwelt in their tents throughout the entire area east of Gilead.

a. Reuben the firstborn of Israel; he was indeed the firstborn, but because he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given: This answers the question, "If Reuben was the first-born son, why is he not listed first?" It was because of the sin described in this verse, which disqualified Reuben from being first among the sons of Israel.

b. Now in the days of Saul they made war with the Hagrites: "The Hagarites were tribes of Nomade, or Scenite, Arabs; people who lived in tents, without any fixed dwellings, and whose property consisted in cattle. The descendants of Reuben extirpated these Hagarites, seized on their property and their tents, and dwelt in their place." (Clarke)

2. (5:11-22) The descendents of Gad.

And the children of Gad dwelt next to them in the land of Bashan as far as Salcah: Joel was the chief, Shapham the next, then Jaanai and Shaphat in Bashan, and their brethren of their father's house: Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jachan, Zia, and Eber; seven in all. These were the children of Abihail 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; Ahi the son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, was chief of their father's house. And the Gadites dwelt in Gilead, in Bashan and in its villages, and in all the common-lands of Sharon within their borders. All these were registered by genealogies in the days of Jotham king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam king of Israel. The sons of Reuben, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh had forty-four thousand seven hundred and sixty valiant men, men able to bear shield and sword, to shoot with the bow, and skillful in war, who went to war. They made war with the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab. And they were helped against them, and the Hagrites were delivered into their hand, and all who were with them, for they cried out to God in the battle. He heeded their prayer, because they put their trust in Him. Then they took away their livestock; fifty thousand of their camels, two hundred and fifty thousand of their sheep, and two thousand of their donkeys; also one hundred thousand of their men; for many fell dead, because the war was God's. And they dwelt in their place until the captivity.

a. For they cried out to God in the battle: As these men of Gad did what God called them to do, they trusted in Him in the midst of the battle. Because they put their trust in Him, God delivered them in the battle.

i. Trapp on for they cried to God in the battle: "So did Jabez (chapter 4); Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 20); the thundering legion; the late king of Sweden, whose prayer before the great battle of Lutzen - where he fell, - was, 'Jesus vouchsafe this day to be my strong helper; and give me courage to fight for the honour of thy name.' Prayer alone he held the surest piece of his whole armour."

b. Also one hundred thousand of their men; for many fell dead, because the war was God's: This describes the unique wars of judgment God called Israel to bring against the Canaanites when they came into the Promised Land.

i. "This was a war of extermination as to the political state of the people, which nothing could justify but a special direction of God; and this he could never give against any, unless the cup of their iniquity had been full. The Hagrites were full of idolatry: see 1 Chronicles 5:25." (Clarke)

3. (5:23-26) The descendents of the eastern tribe of Manasseh.

So the children of the half-tribe of Manasseh dwelt in the land. Their numbers increased from Bashan to Baal Hermon, that is, to Senir, or Mount Hermon. These were the heads of their fathers' houses: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel. They were mighty men of valor, famous men, and heads of their fathers' houses. And they were unfaithful to the God of their fathers, and played the harlot after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, that is, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria. He carried the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh into captivity. He took them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river of Gozan to this day.

a. They were mighty men of valor, famous men, and heads of their fathers' houses: These original settlers of the eastern tribe of Manasseh were godly and bold men. Their desire to settle east of the Jordan River did not reflect an ungodly desire on their part.

b. And they were unfaithful to the God of their fathers, and played the harlot after the gods of the peoples of the land: Despite the good start for the eastern tribe of Manasseh, this is how they ended up. Their distance from the people of Israel in general and the spiritual life of the nation in particular seemed to weaken their devotion to God and strengthen their attraction to the gods of the peoples of the land.

i. "The remaining verses of chapter 5 describe an early, joint military campaign (vv. 18-22, elaborating v. 10) - in which God rewarded their faith and their prayers with a great victory over the Ishmaelites - and their later deportation to Assyria (vv. 25-26), as the result of collective apostasy." (Payne)

Introduction / Outline

JFB: 1 Chronicles (Book Introduction)

THE FIRST AND SECOND BOOKS OF CHRONICLES were also considered as one by the ancient Jews, who called them "words of days," that is, diaries or journals, being probably compiled from those registers that were kept by the king's historiographers of passing occurrences. In the Septuagint the title given them is Paraleipomenon, "of things omitted," that is, the books are supplementary because many things unnoticed in the former books are here recorded; and not only the omissions are supplied, but some narratives extended while others are added. The authorship is commonly ascribed to Ezra, whose leading object seems to have been to show the division of families, possessions, &c., before the captivity, with a view to the exact restoration of the same order after the return from Babylon. Although many things are restated and others are exact repetitions of what is contained in Kings, there is so much new and important information that, as JEROME has well said, the Chronicles furnish the means of comprehending parts of the New Testament, which must have been unintelligible without them. They are frequently referred to by Christ and the Apostles as forming part of "the Word of God" (see the genealogies in Mat. 1:1-16; Luk. 3:23-38; compare 2Ch 19:7 with 1Pe 1:17; 2Ch 24:19-21 with Mat 23:32-35).

JFB: 1 Chronicles (Outline)

• ADAM'S LINE TO NOAH. (1Ch. 1:1-23)
• SHEM'S LINE TO ABRAHAM. (1Ch 1:24-28)
• SONS OF ISHMAEL. (1Ch 1:29-31)
• SONS OF KETURAH. (1Ch 1:32-33)
• POSTERITY OF ABRAHAM BY ESAU. (1Ch 1:34-42)
• POSTERITY OF JUDAH. (1Ch 2:3-12)
• CHILDREN OF JESSE. (1Ch 2:13-17)
• POSTERITY OF CALEB. (1Ch. 2:18-55)
• SONS OF DAVID. (1Ch 3:1-9)
• HIS LINE TO ZEDEKIAH. (1Ch 3:10-16)
• SUCCESSORS OF JECONIAH. (1Ch 3:17-24)
• POSTERITY OF JUDAH BY CALEB THE SON OF HUR. (1Ch 4:1-8)
• OF JABEZ, AND HIS PRAYER. (1Ch 4:9-20)
• POSTERITY OF SHELAH. (1Ch 4:21-23)
• OF SIMEON. (1Ch. 4:24-43)
• THE LINE OF REUBEN. (1Ch 5:1-10)
• THE LINE OF GAD. (1Ch. 5:11-26)
• LINE OF THE PRIESTS. (1Ch. 6:1-48)
• OFFICE OF AARON AND HIS SONS. (1Ch. 6:49-81)
• SONS OF ISSACHAR. (1Ch 7:1-5)
• OF BENJAMIN. (1Ch 7:6-12)
• OF NAPHTALI. (1Ch 7:13)
• OF MANASSEH. (1Ch. 7:14-40)
• SONS AND CHIEF MEN OF BENJAMIN. (1Ch. 8:1-32)
• STOCK OF SAUL AND JONATHAN. (1Ch 8:33-40)
• ORIGINAL REGISTERS OF ISRAEL AND JUDAH'S GENEALOGIES. (1Ch. 9:1-26)
• SAUL'S OVERTHROW AND DEATH. (1Ch 10:1-7)
• THE PHILISTINES TRIUMPH OVER HIM. (1Ch 10:8-14)
• DAVID MADE KING. (1Ch 11:1-3)
• HE WINS THE CASTLE OF ZION FROM THE JEBUSITES BY JOAB'S VALOR. (1Ch 11:4-9)
• A CATALOGUE OF HIS WORTHIES. (1Ch. 11:10-47)
• THE COMPANIES THAT CAME TO DAVID AT ZIKLAG. (1Ch. 12:1-22)
• THE ARMIES THAT CAME TO HIM AT HEBRON. (1Ch. 12:23-40)
• DAVID FETCHES THE ARK FROM KIRJATH-JEARIM. (1Ch 13:1-8)
• HIRAM'S KINDNESS TO DAVID; DAVID'S FELICITY. (1Ch 14:1-2)
• HIS WIVES. (1Ch 14:3-7)
• HIS VICTORIES OVER THE PHILISTINES. (1Ch 14:8-17)
• DAVID BRINGS THE ARK FROM OBEDEDOM. (1Ch. 15:1-24)
• DAVID'S FESTIVAL SACRIFICE AND LIBERALITY TO THE PEOPLE. (1Ch 16:1-6)
• HIS PSALM OF THANKSGIVING. (1Ch. 16:7-43)
• DAVID FORBIDDEN TO BUILD GOD A HOUSE. (1Ch 17:1-10)
• DAVID SUBDUES THE PHILISTINES AND MOABITES. (1Ch 18:1-2)
• DAVID SMITES HADADEZER AND THE SYRIANS. (1Ch 18:3-17)
• DAVID'S MESSENGERS, SENT TO COMFORT HANUN, ARE DISGRACEFULLY TREATED. (1Ch 19:1-5)
• JOAB AND ABISHAI OVERCOME THE AMMONITES. (1Ch 19:6-15)
• SHOPHACH SLAIN BY DAVID. (1Ch 19:16-19)
• RABBAH BESIEGED BY JOAB, SPOILED BY DAVID, AND THE PEOPLE TORTURED. (1Ch 20:1-3)
• THREE OVERTHROWS OF THE PHILISTINES AND THREE GIANTS SLAIN. (1Ch 20:4-8)
• DAVID SINS IN NUMBERING THE PEOPLE. (1Ch 21:1-13)
• HE BUILDS AN ALTAR. (1Ch 21:18-30)
• DAVID PREPARES FOR BUILDING THE TEMPLE. (1Ch 22:1-5)
• HE INSTRUCTS SOLOMON. (1Ch 22:6-19)
• DAVID MAKES SOLOMON KING. (1Ch 23:1)
• NUMBER AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE LEVITES. (1Ch 23:2-6)
• SONS OF GERSHON. (1Ch 23:7-11)
• OF KOHATH. (1Ch 23:12-20)
• OF MERARI. (1Ch 23:21-23)
• OFFICE OF THE LEVITES. (1Ch 23:24-32)
• DIVISION OF THE SONS OF AARON INTO FOUR AND TWENTY ORDERS. (1Ch. 24:1-19)
• NUMBER AND OFFICE OF THE SINGERS. (1Ch 25:1-7)
• THEIR DIVISION BY LOT INTO FOUR AND TWENTY ORDERS. (1Ch. 25:8-31)
• DIVISIONS OF THE PORTERS. (1Ch 26:1-12)
• THE GATES ASSIGNED BY LOT. (1Ch 26:13-19)
• LEVITES THAT HAD CHARGE OF THE TREASURES. (1Ch 26:20-28)
• OFFICERS AND JUDGES. (1Ch 26:29-32)
• TWELVE CAPTAINS FOR EVERY MONTH. (1Ch 27:1-15)
• PRINCES OF THE TWELVE TRIBES. (1Ch 27:16-24)
• DAVID EXHORTS THE PEOPLE TO FEAR GOD. (1Ch 28:1-8)
• HE ENCOURAGES SOLOMON TO BUILD THE TEMPLE. (1Ch 28:9-20)
• DAVID CAUSES THE PRINCES AND PEOPLE TO OFFER FOR THE HOUSE OF GOD. (1Ch 29:1-9)
• HIS REIGN AND DEATH. (1Ch 29:26-30)

TSK: 1 Chronicles 5 (Chapter Introduction)

Overview

1Ch 5:1, Judah and Joseph preferred before Reuben, who forfeited his birthright; 1Ch 5:3, Ruben’s descendants; some of whom vanquish the Hagarites; 1Ch 5:11, The chief men of Gad, and their habitations; 1Ch 5:18, Ruben, Gad, and half of Manasseh, obtain a victory over the Hagarites; 1Ch 5:23, The habitations and chief men of that half of Manasseh; 1Ch 5:25, The captivity of the two tribes and half, for their sins.

Poole: 1 Chronicles (Book Introduction)

FIRST BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES

THE ARGUMENT

THESE Books of the CHRONICLES are not the same which are so called, 1Ki 14:19 , and elsewhere, (because some passages said to be there mentioned are not found here,) but other books, and written by other persons, and for other ends. Yet this same writer took out of those books such historical passages as were most useful or necessary. They were written after the Babylonish captivity, as appears from 2Ch 36:20 , &c., by Ezra; as may be gathered not only from the same words used in the place now quoted, and in the beginning of that book which goeth under the name of Ezra, but also from some other passages, which we may observe hereafter, and from the exactness and diligence here used in making catalogues of persons and families, which also is used in the Book of Ezra. If one or two passages seem to be of a later date, those were added by some other prophets; there being some few such additional passages in the Books of Moses. The chief design of these books is, to complete the history of the kings of Judah, and to gather up the fragments of sacred history which were omitted in the Books of Samuel and Kings, and to explain some passages there mentioned, and to give an exact account of the genealogies; which (though ignorant or inconsiderate persons may think trivial and useless) was a work of great necessity, to preserve the distinction of the tribes and families, that so it might appear that Christ came of that nation, and tribe, and family, of which he was to be born. And this account having been hitherto neglected, is most seasonably mentioned in these books, because this was to be in a manner the last part of the sacred and canonical history of the Old Testament, and therefore the fittest place to record those genealogies, upon which the truth and authority of the New Testament ill some sort depends. And whereas many things in these genealogies to us are obscure and doubtful, they were not so to the Hebrews; and all the persons here named were known to them by those very particular and exact genealogies, which they kept in their several families and in public registers; from whence this sacred penman, by the direction of God’ s Spirit, took those things which were of most importance.

Poole: 1 Chronicles 5 (Chapter Introduction)

CHRONICLES CHAPTER 5

The line of Reuben unto the captivity: their war against the Hagarites, 1Ch 5:1-10 . The chief men and habitation of Gad, 1Ch 5:11-17 . The number of the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh, that marched against the Hagarites, and overcame them, 1Ch 5:18-24 . They are all carried captive into Assyria, 1Ch 5:25,26 .

MHCC: 1 Chronicles (Book Introduction)

The books of Chronicles are, in a great measure, repetitions of what is in the books of Samuel and of the Kings, yet there are some excellent useful things in them which we find not elsewhere. The FIRST BOOK traces the rise of the Jewish people from Adam, and afterward gives an account of the reign of David. In the SECOND BOOK the narrative is continued, and relates the progress and end of the kingdom of Judah; also it notices the return of the Jews from the Babylonish captivity. Jerome says, that whoever supposes himself to have knowledge of the Scriptures without being acquainted with the books of Chronicles, deceives himself. Historical facts passed over elsewhere, names, and the connexion of passages are to be found here, and many questions concerning the gospel are explained.

MHCC: 1 Chronicles 5 (Chapter Introduction)

Genealogies.

Matthew Henry: 1 Chronicles (Book Introduction)

An Exposition, with Practical Observations, of The First Book of Chronicles

In common things repetition is thought needless and nauseous; but, in sacred things, precept must be upon precept and line upon line. To me, says the apostle, to write the same things is not grievous, but for you it is safe, Phi 3:1. These books of Chronicles are in a great measure repetition; so are much of the second and third of the four evangelists: and yet there are no tautologies either here or there no vain repetitions. We may be ready to think that of all the books of holy scripture we could best spare these two books of Chronicles. Perhaps we might, and yet we could ill spare them: for there are many most excellent useful things in them, which we find not elsewhere. And as for what we find here which we have already met with, 1. It might be of great use to those who lived when these books were first published, before the canon of the Old Testament was completed and the particles of it put together; for it would remind them of what was more fully related in the other books. Abstracts, abridgments, and references, are of use in divinity as well as law. That, perhaps, may not be said in vain which yet has been said before. 2. It is still of use, that out of the mouth of two witnesses every word may be established, and, being inculcated, may be remembered. The penman of these books is supposed to be Ezra, that ready scribe in the law of the Lord, Ezr 7:6. It is a groundless story of that apocryphal writer (2 Esdr. 14:21, etc.) that, all the law being burnt, Ezra was divinely inspired to write it all over again, which yet might take rise from the books of Chronicles, where we find, though not all the same story repeated, yet the names of all those who were the subjects of that story. These books are called in the Hebrew words of days - journals or annals, because, by divine direction, collected out of some public and authentic records. The collection was made after the captivity, and yet the language of the originals, written before, it sometimes retained, as 2Ch 5:9, there it is unto this day, which must have been written before the destruction of the temple. The Septuagint calls it a book Paraleipomenōn - of things left, or overlooked, by the preceding historians; and several such things there are in it. It is the rereward, the gathering host, of this sacred camp, which gathers up what remained, that nothing might be lost. In this first book we have, I. A collection of sacred genealogies, from Adam to David: and they are none of those which the apostle calls endless genealogies, but have their use and end in Christ, ch. 1-9. Divers little passages of history are here inserted which we had not before. II. A repetition of the history of the translation of the kingdom from Saul to David, and of the triumph of David's reign, with large additions, ch. 10-21. III. An original account of the settlement David made of the ecclesiastical affairs, and the preparation he made for the building of the temple, ch. 22-29. These are words of days, of the oldest days, of the best days, of the Old Testament church. The reigns of kings and dates of kingdoms, as well as the lives of common persons, are reckoned by days; for a little time often gives a great turn, and yet all time is nothing to eternity.

Matthew Henry: 1 Chronicles 5 (Chapter Introduction)

This chapter gives us some account of the two tribes and a half that were seated on the other side Jordan. I. Of Reuben (1Ch 5:1-10). II. Of Gad (1Ch 5:11-17). III. Of the half-tribe of Manasseh (1Ch 5:23, 1Ch 5:24). IV. Concerning all three acting in conjunction we are told, 1. How they conquered the Hagarites (1Ch 5:18-22). 2. How they were, at length, themselves conquered, and made captives, by the king of Assyria, because they had forsaken God (1Ch 5:25, 1Ch 5:26).

Constable: 1 Chronicles (Book Introduction)

Introduction

Title

The earliest Hebrew title for the Books of Chronicles translates as, "The Things Left Behind." This name describes Chronicles as containing remnants of the monarchy history not recorded in the preceding Old Testament historical books. A later title that appears in most copies of the Hebrew Bible is, "The Accounts of the Days," or "Daily Matters." This title emphasizes the nature of Chronicles as official annals (cf. Esth. 2:23; 1 Kings 14:19). Chronicles contains the official records of the kings of Israel, especially those of the Southern Kingdom after the kingdom split. The English title "Chronicles" comes down to us from this later Hebrew one.

As was true of Samuel and Kings, the Septuagint (Greek) translation of the Hebrew Old Testament was responsible for dividing the single Book of Chronicles into 1 and 2 Chronicles. Scribes divided these long books to make them easier for copyists, publishers, and readers to handle. We could translate the Septuagint title as, "Things Omitted." This title implies that Chronicles contains material left out of other inspired histories of Israel. This is true. Of course, it also contains much material that the former historical books included.

Writer and Date

Early Jewish tradition recorded in the Talmud ascribed the authorship of Chronicles to Ezra. Recent studies of the linguistic differences that exist between the Books of Ezra and Chronicles have led some modern scholars to reject this ancient view.¹ Internal evidence suggests that if the writer was not Ezra he was probably a contemporary of Ezra.

There is quite a bit of difference of opinion even among conservative evangelical scholars regarding the date of composition. Most of these people place it within Ezra's lifetime (ca. 450-400 B.C.).² This date would make Chronicles one of the last if not the last historical book of the Old Testament. The date of composition of Ezra was probably about 446 B.C. The Book of Nehemiah probably came into existence between 420 and 400 B.C. The date of writing of Esther was probably shortly after 473 B.C.

"It is now clear from comparison of Chronicles with the Samaritan Pentateuch and the Greek translations of the Pentateuch that the text Chronicles used was more like these texts than the MT [Masoretic Text]."³

Scholars vary greatly in their ideas concerning the date of composition. Some of them hold a date as early as the middle of the fifth century B.C. (450 B.C.) while others date Chronicles as late as 200 B.C.⁴

Scope and Purpose

Chronicles covers a broader period of history than any other Old Testament book. It begins with Adam and ends with Anani who lived eight generations after King Jehoiachin (1 Chron. 3:24). If we allow 25 years for each generation, the birth of Anani would have been between 425 and 400 B.C.

"In Near Eastern antiquity, the generation (that is the years between a man's birth and his begetting his first-born son) is ordinarily 25 years or less."⁵

Since the writer had great interest in David's family it is unlikely that any of David's descendants after Anani were alive when he wrote the book. If they had been, the writer probably would have included their names.

Other Old Testament books, especially Genesis, Samuel, and Kings, cover over half the material that Chronicles contains. There are two main reasons for this repetition. First, the writer wanted to give his readers another version of those events. In this respect Chronicles and the other historical books are similar to the Gospels in the New Testament. Each gives a unique interpretation and emphasis. Each writer selected the historical materials that would present what he wanted to emphasize. Chronicles is more similar to John's Gospel than the other Gospels. Both books are very sermonic, and each has a purpose that is easy to identify (John 20:30-31; 2 Chron. 7:14). Chronicles is also similar to Deuteronomy, the last book of the Pentateuch, which also preaches by recalling history.

Second, the writer of Chronicles explained and expounded the meaning of many events in Israel's history much as the writers of modern commentaries do. This was especially important since the original readers of Chronicles needed to remember their history and the spiritual issues that had molded and would mold their destiny. These observations would guide them as they sought to reestablish Israel in the Promised Land after the Babylonian captivity.

"The purpose of these two volumes [1 and 2 Chronicles] is to review the history of Israel from the dawn of the human race to the Babylonian captivity and Cyrus' edict of restoration. This review is composed with a very definite purpose in mind, to give to the Jews of the Second Commonwealth the true spiritual foundations of their theocracy as the covenant people of Jehovah. This historian's purpose is to show that the true glory of the Hebrew nation was found in its covenant relationship to God, as safeguarded by the prescribed forms of worship in the temple and administered by the divinely ordained priesthood under the protection of the divinely authorized dynasty of David. Always the emphasis is upon that which is sound and valid in Israel's past as furnishing a reliable basis for the task of reconstruction which lay ahead. Great stress is placed upon the rich heritage of Israel and its unbroken connection with the patriarchal beginnings (hence the prominence accorded to genealogical lists)."⁶

". . . the Chronicler' is no mere chronicler! He is a theologian, sharing with all the biblical writers the burden of interpreting God's ways to human beings."⁷

The writer saw principles operating in history. He selected unmistakable instances of them and applied them to his own times.

"If Kings, composed after the final collapse of the kingdom in 586 B.C., concentrates on how sin leads to defeat (2 Kings 17:15, 18), then Chronicles, coming after the two returns from exile in 537 and 458 B.C., recounts, from the same record, how faith is the victory' (2 Chron. 20:20, 22)."⁸

". . . the Chronicler goes even further than the Deuteronomic historian [i.e., the writer of 1 and 2 Kings] in attempting to correlate blessing with faithfulness and judgment with disobedience within each separate generation."⁹

Another statement of the purpose of Chronicles is as follows:

". . . to rally the returned remnant to hopeful temple worship . . . by demonstrating their link with the enduring Davidic promises."¹⁰

"The past is explained so that its institutions and religious principles become relevant to the present, and the ways of the present are legitimized anew by being connected to the prime source of authority--the formative period in the people's past."¹¹

Three major features of Chronicles appear when we isolate the material the writer included that is not in Samuel or Kings. First, the genealogies reflect the writer's goal of encouraging Israel's racial and religious purity. Second, the emphases on the temple, ark, and worship show his desire that the returned exiles reestablish worship according to the Mosaic Law.¹² Third, the record of David's glories and the victories God gave his successors were his way of encouraging his original readers as they sought to reestablish their nation in the Promised Land.¹³

Conservative students of Chronicles differ in their opinion concerning the amount of Messianic expectation the Chronicler held out to his readers. My belief is that he did present some hope of a coming Messiah who would fulfill the promises given to David in the Davidic Covenant. I will point this out at the appropriate places in the notes that follow.¹⁴

Passages Unique to Chronicles (In probable chronological order)15
Genealogies	The genealogical tables	1 Chron. 1-9
David	The list of the men who came to David at Ziklag	1 Chron. 12:1-7
	The list of the men who joined David on his way to Ziklag	1 Chron. 12:19-22
	Data concerning the number of warriors who made David king	1 Chron. 12:23-40
	The Gadites who "separated themselves unto David"	1 Chron. 12:8-15
	David's hymn of praise when he moved the ark	1 Chron. 16:4-36
	David's final preparations for the building of the temple	1 Chron. 22:1-19
	The national convention	1 Chron. 23:1-9:22
Solomon	The making of the altar of brass	2 Chron. 4:1
	The close of Solomon's dedicatory prayer	2 Chron. 6:40-42
Rehoboam	The adherence of the Levites in all Israel to Rehoboam	2 Chron. 11:13-14
	The immigration of other pious Israelites to Judah	2 Chron. 11:16-17
	Rehoboam's fortifications	2 Chron. 11:5-12
	Rehoboam's family	2 Chron. 11:18-23
Abijah	Abijah's family	2 Chron. 13:21
Asa	The ten years of peace under Asa	2 Chron. 14:1
	Asa's defense policy	2 Chron. 14:6-8
	Asa's victory over Zerah the Ethiopian	2 Chron. 14:9-15
	The warning of the prophet Azariah	2 Chron. 15:1-7
	The four years of peace under Asa	2 Chron. 15:19
	The renewal of the covenant	2 Chron. 15:9-15
	The warning of the prophet Hanani	2 Chron. 16:7-9
	Asa's transgression	2 Chron. 16:10
Jehoshaphat	Jehoshaphat's strengthening of his kingdom	2 Chron. 17:1-7
	The mission of the princes, Levites and priests	2 Chron. 17:7-9
	Jehoshaphat's increasing power	2 Chron. 17:10-8:1
	The prophet Jehu's judgment on Jehoshaphat	2 Chron. 19:1-3
	Jehoshaphat's further reforms in worship and law	2 Chron. 19:4-11
	The deliverance from Moab and Ammon on Mt. Seir	2 Chron. 20:1-30
Jehoram	The posthumous message of Elijah to Jehoram	2 Chron. 21:12-15
	The invasion of the Philistines and Arabians	2 Chron. 21:16-17
	Jehoram's illness	2 Chron. 21:18
Joash	Joash's matrimonial affairs	2 Chron. 24:3
	The temple worship	2 Chron. 24:14
	The death of Jehoiada	2 Chron. 24:15-16
	The sins of Joash	2 Chron. 24:17-19
	The stoning of Zechariah	2 Chron. 24:20-22
	The reverses of Judah due to Hazael's operations	2 Chron. 24:23-24
Amaziah	Amaziah's planned expedition against Edom	2 Chron. 25:5
	Amaziah's hiring of 1000 mercenaries out of Israel and dismissing them	2 Chron. 25:6-10
	The pillage of the cities of Judah by the dismissed mercenaries	2 Chron. 25:13
	Amaziah's further wickedness	2 Chron. 25:14-16
Uzziah	Uzziah's success in war	2 Chron. 26:6-8
	Uzziah's building and farming	2 Chron. 26:9-10, 15
	Uzziah's army	2 Chron. 26:11-14
	Uzziah's fame	2 Chron. 26:8, 15
Jotham	Jotham's subjugation of the Ammonites	2 Chron. 27:5-6
Ahaz	Obed the prophet's obtaining the release of the Jewish captives during Ahaz's war with Rezin and Pekah	2 Chron. 28:9-15
	The Edomite and Philistine invasions under Ahaz	2 Chron. 28:17-19
Hezekiah	The cleansing of the temple by Hezekiah	2 Chron. 29:3-19
	The consecration of the temple	2 Chron. 29:20-36
	Preparations for the Passover	2 Chron. 30:1-12
	The keeping of the Passover	2 Chron. 30:13-22
	The keeping of "other seven days"	2 Chron. 30:23-27
	Hezekiah's further religious reforms	2 Chron. 31:2-21
	Hezekiah's wealth and building	2 Chron. 32:27-30
	Sennacherib's second entry into Judah for invasion	2 Chron. 32:1
	Hezekiah's precautions in view of Sennacherib's second entry into Judah for invasion	2 Chron. 32:2-8
	Hezekiah's renewed prosperity	2 Chron. 32:23
Manasseh	Manasseh's captivity	2 Chron. 33:11
	Manasseh's repentance and restoration	2 Chron. 33:12-13
	The acts of Manasseh after his restoration	2 Chron. 33:14-16
	The spiritual condition of the people	2 Chron. 33:17
Josiah	Josiah's early reformations	2 Chron. 34:3-7
Captivity	The length of the captivity	2 Chron. 36:20-21
	Cyrus' proclamation permitting return from the captivity	2 Chron. 36:22-23

Message¹⁶

The central subject of 1 and 2 Chronicles is the temple of God. Someone evidently wrote these books at the end of the Babylonian exile to encourage the Israelites to reestablish Israel's national life in the Promised Land. In view of this purpose the northern kingdom of Israel was of little interest to the writer. Judah is the kingdom in view, and David is the king in view. The central passion in David's life is in view, namely the building of the temple. Furthermore the reason for David's passion for the temple is in view. He saw that the recognition of God is of supreme importance in national life.

This is the message of the book. The recognition of God is of supreme importance in national life formally as well as really. The writer demonstrated this fact in the genealogies, and he illustrated it in David's life in the rest of 1 Chronicles.

The genealogies demonstrate the supreme importance of recognizing God in national life.

What was the writer emphasizing by his selective genealogy? This genealogy (chs. 1-9) shows that God has chosen to bless some individuals and not others. This was His plan from Adam to Nehemiah. God also chose to bring blessing to those who obeyed Him regardless of their other personal abilities or disabilities. Obedience is key to success. We can see a heart for God in obedience to God's will. There are two reasons God blesses people: His sovereign choice to bless, and our obedience to Him. Character grows out of obedience. Likewise God chose to bring cursing on those who were disobedient to Him regardless of their other personal rights and privileges.

The reason God chose to bless some individuals was to accomplish one ultimate goal. This goal was the fulfillment of His plans for His own glorification including the fulfillment of His promises to humanity. All the details of His choices of individuals contributed to His ultimate goal.

The genealogies teach us this lesson. The way to achieve permanence and success in individual life, and the way to achieve stability and success in national life, is to recognize God in life. Throughout history people and nations have succeeded or failed as they recognized God. This is a major point the writer was demonstrating in the genealogies. God has been selecting, changing, interrupting, and moving through history inexorably toward His ultimate goal.

The life of David, as narrated here, illustrates the supreme importance of recognizing God in national life (chs. 10-29).

The writer presented David as a strong model king. He selected four pictures from David's life. The first of these was his crowning that shows God's choice of him. The second was his capture of Jerusalem that was the victory that led to the temple. The third picture was his mighty men. It shows his influence on personal character and his true power. The fourth was the gathering of multitudes behind his leadership that shows his influence on the masses. All of these pictures are in a sense background for what follows concerning David.

What made David the great king he was? The writer showed that it was his attitude toward God that expressed itself in his attitude toward the temple. David's care for the ark (a symbol of God's grace) and his desire to build the temple (a symbol of worship that responds to God's grace) reveal his deepest passion in life. His master passion was that Israel should never forget the God who had chosen her for special blessing in the world. We can see that his great desire was not simply to build the temple. When God told him through Nathan not to build it, David accepted this. He was content to gather materials and to make plans because he saw the temple as a way of helping Israel remember her God.

The writer of 1 Chronicles wanted to show the importance of what the temple symbolized, namely Israel's national recognition of God. David's great desire was that Israel recognize God and express that recognition publicly.

As king, David ruled under the authority of God. As warrior, he executed the will of God. As poet, he constantly extolled the reign of God. He glorified God in every aspect of his life. He also appreciated the importance of recognizing God nationally.

The message of this book is still a timeless one for us today. The recognition of God is still extremely important in life nationally and individually. Just as God governs all individuals, He also governs all nations, not just Israel. Amos made the point that God governs all nations, not just Israel. All nations are accountable to Him (cf. Deut. 32). Even today one of the Jews' favorite names for God is "king of the universe."

It is important that we recognize God because of His selective activity that the genealogies highlight. Throughout all of history God has been choosing, selecting, lifting up, and casting down. He selects new people in every generation. If they fail, He selects others and keeps moving ahead. If the person we would normally expect God to use is not ready or is unqualified, God will choose another (cf. Saul and David). If the person with privilege does not respond to his opportunity, God will pass him by, find some other perhaps obscure person, and move on. How foolish it is for nations and individuals not to recognize Him in view of God's sovereign progress.

It is also important that we recognize God because of the effect recognizing Him has on life. Take God out of the life of nations and individuals and what happens? There is no moral standard. An English politician once said, "If there is no Bible, where is your textbook of morals? There is the supreme difficulty. We must teach morals, and there is no textbook or standard in the world if we take the Bible away."¹⁷

When we lose our moral standard we lose individual character. When we lose individual character we lose the basis for civilized society. These things build on each other. Awareness of the throne of God and the government of God is foundational for any social order.

It is extremely important for every nation to build the temple of God, to recognize God in its life. This creates an opportunity for people to deal with God. Movements that advocate removing recognition of God from national life are pernicious. The person who points people to God is the true patriot. David wrote, "Zeal for your house has eaten me up." What is God's temple today? It is the church (Matt. 16:18). As the church we must point people to God. This was the "point" of church steeples in the past, to point people to God.

Constable: 1 Chronicles (Outline)

Outline

I. Israel's historical roots chs. 1-9

A. The lineage of David chs. 1-3

B. The house of Israel chs. 4-7

1. The family of Judah 4:1-23

2. The family of Simeon 4:24-43

3. The families of Transjordan ch. 5

4. The family of Levi ch. 6

5. The remaining families of Israel ch. 7

C. The lineage of Saul chs. 8-9

II. The reign of David chs. 10-29

A. The death of Saul ch. 10

B. David's coronation and capital 11:1-9

C. David's mighty men 11:10-12:40

D. David and the ark chs. 13-16

1. The removal of the ark from Kiriath-jearim ch. 13

2. Restoring fellowship with Yahweh ch. 14

3. The importance of the priests and Levites 15:1-15

4. The joy produced by God's presence 15:16-16:6

5. David's concern for the universal worship of Yahweh 16:7-43

E. God's covenant promises to David chs. 17-29

1. The first account of God's promises to David chs. 17-21

2. The second account of God's promises to David chs. 22-27

3. The third account of God's promises to David chs. 28-29

(Continued in notes on 2 Chronicles)

Constable: 1 Chronicles

1 Chronicles

Bibliography

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Copyright 2003 by Thomas L. Constable

Haydock: 1 Chronicles (Book Introduction)

THE FIRST BOOK OF PARALIPOMENON.

INTRODUCTION.

These Books are called by the Greek Interpreters, Paralipomenon; ( Greek: Paraleipomenon, ) that is, of things left out, or omitted; because they are a kind of supplement of such things as were passed over in the Books of Kings. The Hebrews call them, Dibre Hajamim; that is, The words of the days, or The Chronicles. Not that they are the books which are so often quoted in the Kings, under the title of, The Words of the days of the kings of Israel, and of the kings of Juda; for the Books of Paralipomenon were written after the Books of Kings; but because, in all probability, they have been abridged from those ancient words of the days, by Esdras, or some other sacred author. (Challoner) --- The author of this compilation refers to the same works, 2 Paralipomenon xvi. 11., &c. These journals were principally composed by prophets, though there were other people appointed to write the most important occurrences, 2 Kings viii. 16., and 4 Kings xviii. 18. The genealogies of families, particularly of the Levites, and the interests of piety and religion, are kept most in view. (Calmet) --- The variations which appear between this work and the other parts of Scripture, are owing to the faults of transcribers; and, though they could not be satisfactorily explained, it would be rashness to condemn the author of inaccuracy, at this distance of time, when we know so little of those transactions. (Haydock) --- Who calls in question the history of Alexander, though the different authors of it scarcely agree in one calculation of the number of troops, nations conquered, &c.?" Yet the work before us is of far higher authority, as it was dictated by the Holy Ghost. (Calmet) --- "Without it, a person would in vain pretend to understand the Scriptures." It is "an epitome of the Old Testament," and "explains many difficulties of the gospels." (St. Jerome) --- The author does not, however, seem to have designed to draw up an exact epitome, or to supply the deficiencies of the other works. (Calmet) --- The first nine chapters contain various genealogical histories. In the 10th, we have the election and death of Saul; and in the remainder of the first book, the transactions of David, (Worthington) till the year [of the world] 2990, where the second book commences with the reign of Solomon, and brings us to the end of the captivity. (The year of the world 3468.; Calmet)

Gill: 1 Chronicles (Book Introduction)

INTRODUCTION TO 1 CHRONICLES

This and the following book were reckoned by the Jews as one book, as appears by the Masoretic note at the end of the second book, and as is affirmed by Origen ^a and Jerom ^b; and they were by the ancients ^c called Chronicles, as they are by us; but they are different from the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel and Judah, so often mentioned in the preceding books, seeing several things there referred to, as in them, are not to be found here; though no doubt many things here recorded were taken from thence under a divine direction. In the Greek version, and so in the Vulgate Latin version after that, they are called "Paralipomena", that is, things passed over or omitted, because they contain several anecdotes which are not to be found in the books of Samuel and Kings. The Hebrew title of them is, "Dibre Hayamim", words of days, day books or diaries, and what the Greeks call "Ephemerides"; though, as "yamim" sometimes signifies years, they may be named "annals"; and so the Arabic inscription is,

"the Books of Annals;''

and because they chiefly respect the kings of Judah, the Syriac inscription is,

"the Book of the Things that were done in the Times of the Kings of Judah.''

The Targum is,

"the Book of Genealogies, the Words of Days, which were from the Days of the World;''

because the first ten chapters consist of genealogies beginning from Adam. The inspired penman of these books must live after the return of the Jews from the Babylonish captivity, since he carries down the genealogy of the kings and princes of Judah beyond that time, 1Ch 3:17. It is generally thought by the Jews and Christians that Ezra was the writer of them, with which agrees the age in which he lived; and as it may seem, from the last of these books ending with the same words with which that under his name begins: so the Talmudists ^d say, that Ezra wrote his own book, and the genealogy of the chronicles unto his own, or unto Velo, "and he had brethren", 2Ch 21:2 and Jarchi affirms that he wrote them by the hand or means of Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, inspired prophets; though some Jewish writers ^e suppose they were written partly by him, and partly by Nehemiah; that all to 2Ch 21:2 were written by Ezra, and the rest by Nehemiah. Kimchi thinks that Ezra was not the first author and writer of these books, but that the books of Chronicles and Annals of the kings of Judah, and of the kings of Israel, were separately written before him; but that he only revised them, and with the men of the great synagogue added the genealogies, and put them into the canon of the Scriptures ^f. Spinosa ^g fancies they were written after Judas Maccabaeus had restored the temple, since the historian tells what families dwelt in Jerusalem in the times of Ezra, 1Ch 9:1 and speaks of the porters, 1Ch 9:17 two of which are mentioned, Neh 11:19 as if Ezra could not describe the families that lived when he did, or name the porters of the temple, since it was finished and dedicated in his time, Ezr 6:15, but however there is no doubt to be made of the authenticity of these books, since not only they have always been acknowledged by the Jews as a part of the canonical Scripture, and by ancient Christians, as appears by the catalogues of Melito ^h and Origen ⁱ; but there are plain references to them in the New Testament. The genealogy of Christ, by the evangelists, is formed out of them; the doxology in Rev 5:12 as some have observed, comes very near to what is used by David, 1Ch 29:11 and the passages in Act 7:48 contain the sense of what is expressed in 2Ch 2:5. The use and design of these books are chiefly to give a larger account of the kingdom of Judah, especially after the division of it from the ten tribes, and of the kings thereof, than what is given in the preceding books, as in the last of these books; and particularly they ascertain the genealogy of Christ, that it might be clear and plain of what tribe and family the Messiah came, that he descended from the tribe of Judah, and from the kings of the house of David, as in this first book. They both contain an history from Adam, to the deliverance of the Jews from their captivity in Babylon. The first of these books reaches, according to Hottinger ^k, to A. M. 2985, and the latter is an history of four hundred and seventy two years. According to Bishop Usher ^l the former contains a course of 2990 years, and the latter of four hundred and seventy eight.

Gill: 1 Chronicles 5 (Chapter Introduction)

INTRODUCTION TO 1 CHRONICLES 5

This chapter relates the genealogy of the tribes that lived on the other side Jordan; of the Reubenites, 1Ch 5:1, of the Gadites, 1Ch 5:11 of the half tribe of Manasseh, 1Ch 5:23 and of their war with the Hagarites, in conjunction with each other, and their conquest of them, 1Ch 5:18 and who for their sins were all carried captive by the king of Assyria, 1Ch 5:25.