1 Chronicles 5

King James Version

Full text for 1 Chronicles Chapter 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 sons of Joseph the son of Israel: and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright.

2For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him [came] the chief ruler; but the birthright [was] Joseph's:)

3The sons, [I say], of Reuben the firstborn of Israel [were], Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

4The sons of Joel; Shemaiah his son, Gog his son, Shimei his son,

5Micah his son, Reaia his son, Baal his son,

6Beerah his son, whom Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria carried away [captive]: he [was] prince of the Reubenites.

7And his brethren by their families, when the genealogy of their generations was reckoned, [were] the chief, Jeiel, and Zechariah,

8And Bela the son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel, who dwelt in Aroer, even unto Nebo and Baalmeon:

9And eastward he inhabited unto the entering in of the wilderness from the river Euphrates: because their cattle were multiplied in the land of Gilead.

10And in the days of Saul they made war with the Hagarites, who fell by their hand: and they dwelt in their tents throughout all the east [land] of Gilead.

11And the children of Gad dwelt over against them, in the land of Bashan unto Salchah:

12Joel the chief, and Shapham the next, and Jaanai, and Shaphat in Bashan.

13And their brethren of the house of their fathers [were], Michael, and Meshullam, and Sheba, and Jorai, and Jachan, and Zia, and Heber, seven.

14These [are] 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;

15Ahi the son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, chief of the house of their fathers.

16And they dwelt in Gilead in Bashan, and in her towns, and in all the suburbs of Sharon, upon their borders.

17All these were reckoned by genealogies in the days of Jotham king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam king of Israel.

18¶ The sons of Reuben, and the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh, of valiant men, men able to bear buckler and sword, and to shoot with bow, and skilful in war, [were] four and forty thousand seven hundred and threescore, that went out to the war.

19And they made war with the Hagarites, with Jetur, and Nephish, and Nodab.

20And they were helped against them, and the Hagarites were delivered into their hand, and all that [were] with them: for they cried to God in the battle, and he was intreated of them; because they put their trust in him.

21And 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 an hundred thousand.

22For there fell down many slain, because the war [was] of God. And they dwelt in their steads until the captivity.

23And the children of the half tribe of Manasseh dwelt in the land: they increased from Bashan unto Baalhermon and Senir, and unto mount Hermon.

24And these [were] the heads of the house of their fathers, even Epher, and Ishi, and Eliel, and Azriel, and Jeremiah, and Hodaviah, and Jahdiel, mighty men of valour, famous men, [and] heads of the house of their fathers.

25And they transgressed against the God of their fathers, and went a whoring after the gods of the people of the land, whom God destroyed before them.

26And the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgathpilneser 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 Gozan, unto this day.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

1 Chronicles 5 details the genealogies of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, who settled east of the Jordan. Reuben's birthright was given to Joseph, while Judah received the chief ruler. These tribes achieved a great victory over the Hagarites by trusting in God, taking vast spoils. However, they later transgressed by worshipping foreign gods, leading to their captivity by the Assyrian kings.

Medium Summary

The chapter opens by clarifying that Reuben, though the firstborn, lost his birthright due to defiling his father's bed, with Joseph's sons receiving it, and Judah gaining the preeminence for the chief ruler. It then enumerates the genealogies and dwelling places of the Reubenites and Gadites, who inhabited lands east of the Jordan, expanding their territory due to their multiplied cattle. These tribes, along with the half-tribe of Manasseh, formed a formidable fighting force. They engaged in a significant war against the Hagarites, achieving a decisive victory because they cried to God and trusted in Him, taking immense spoil. However, these tribes later committed spiritual apostasy by worshipping the gods of the land's people. This transgression provoked the God of Israel, who stirred up the Assyrian kings Pul and Tilgathpilneser to carry them into exile, where they remained until the chronicler's time.

Long Summary

First Chronicles chapter five commences by explaining the forfeiture of Reuben's birthright, the firstborn of Israel, due to his defilement of his father's bed. This birthright was subsequently transferred to the sons of Joseph, while Judah received the distinction of the "chief ruler." The chapter then meticulously lists the genealogies of Reuben's descendants, detailing their dwelling places from Aroer eastward to the Euphrates, as their cattle had multiplied in Gilead. Following this, the genealogies of the Gadites are presented, showing their settlement in Bashan, opposite the Reubenites. Both tribes' genealogies were recorded during the reigns of Jotham of Judah and Jeroboam of Israel. A significant historical event recounted is the united war of the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh against the Hagarites. These were valiant men, numbering forty-four thousand seven hundred and threescore, skilled in warfare. They were divinely aided in this conflict, prevailing against the Hagarites because they cried to God in battle and put their trust in Him. Their victory resulted in the capture of vast spoils, including fifty thousand camels, two hundred and fifty thousand sheep, two thousand asses, and one hundred thousand men. The chapter emphasizes that "the war was of God," and these tribes dwelt in the Hagarites' former territories until their own captivity. The half-tribe of Manasseh's dwelling places and prominent family heads are also noted. However, the narrative concludes with the grave transgression of these eastern tribes, as they "transgressed against the God of their fathers, and went a whoring after the gods of the people of the land." Consequently, the God of Israel stirred up Pul and Tilgathpilneser, kings of Assyria, who carried away the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river Gozan, where they remained "unto this day."

Core Concepts

  • Reuben's BirthrightReuben, though firstborn, forfeited his birthright due to defiling his father's bed, which was subsequently given to Joseph's sons. Judah, however, received the preeminence for the "chief ruler."
  • Transjordanian SettlementThe chapter details the genealogies and dwelling places of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, who settled east of the Jordan River.
  • Victory over HagaritesThese eastern tribes, numbering over forty-four thousand valiant men, engaged in a significant war against the Hagarites and their allies, achieving a decisive victory.
  • Trust in GodTheir success in battle against the Hagarites was attributed to their crying out to God and trusting in Him, leading to divine intervention and a great spoil.
  • Spiritual ApostasyDespite their earlier success, these tribes later transgressed against God by worshipping the idols of the land's inhabitants.
  • Assyrian ExileAs a direct consequence of their idolatry, God stirred up the Assyrian kings Pul and Tilgathpilneser, who carried the Reubenites, Gadites, and half-Manasseh into captivity.