1CH 5

1 Chronicles 5:1

WEB

The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel (for he was the firstborn, but because he defiled his father’s couch, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel; and the genealogy is not to be listed according to the birthright.

BSB

These were the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel. Though he was the firstborn, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph son of Israel, because Reuben defiled his father’s bed. So he is not reckoned according to birthright.

KJV

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.

Matthew Henry

Verses 1–17

1 Chronicles 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, Ch1 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, Ch1 5:9, Ch1 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 (Ch1 5:12), seven that were the children of Abihail, whose pedigree is carried upwards from the son to the father (Ch1 5:14, Ch1 5:15), as that Ch1 5:4, Ch1 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 Kg2 15:29, Kg2 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.

Cross-references: Gen 49:4 · Heb 11:21 · Gen 48:15 · Gen 48:22 · Gen 49:10 · Mic 5:2 · 1Chr 5:4 · 1Chr 5:9 · 1Chr 5:10 · Exod 23:30 · 1Chr 5:12 · 1Chr 5:14 · 1Chr 5:15 · 1Chr 5:5 · 2Kgs 15:29 · 2Kgs 15:31

Hebrew interlinear

H1121

בֵּןbên/bane/

n-m — son

Derivation: from 1129;

a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)

KJV: afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ( ) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, (young) bullock, (young) calf, × came up in, child, colt, × common, × corn, daughter, × of first, firstborn, foal, very fruitful, postage, × in, kid, lamb, ( ) man, meet, mighty, nephew, old, ( ) people, rebel, robber, × servant born, × soldier, son, spark, steward, stranger, × surely, them of, tumultuous one, valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.

בֵּן

n.m — son

בֵּן 4870 n.m. son

1. son, male child, born of a woman

2. children (male and female)

3. youth, young men

4. the young of animals

5. of plant shoots

6. fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows

7.

a. member of a guild, order or class

b. of animals son of (the) herd

8. ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.

9. n. relat. of age

בְּנוֹ

n.pr.m — his son

בְּנוֹ 1 Ch 24:26, 27 as n.pr.m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son, cf. VB & Be Öt.

H7205

רְאוּבֵןRᵉʼûwbên/reh-oo-bane'/

n-pr-m — Reuben

Derivation: from the imperative of 7200 and 1121; see ye a son;

Reuben, a son of Jacob

KJV: Reuben.

רְאוּבֵן

n.pr.m — Reuben

רְאוּבֵן 71 n.pr.m. Reuben

1. eldest son of Jacob and Leah

2. as name of clan or tribe

H1060

בְּכוֹרbᵉkôwr/bek-ore'/

n-m — first-born, chief

Derivation: from 1069;

first-born; hence, chief

KJV: eldest (son), firstborn(-ling).

בְּכוֹר

n.m — first-born

בְּכוֹר 122 n.m. first-born

1. men and women

2. animals

3. figurative

H3478

יִשְׂרָאֵלYisrâʼêl/yis-raw-ale'/

n-pr-m — he will rule as God, Jisraël

Derivation: from 8280 and 410;

he will rule as God; Jisraël, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity

KJV: Israel.

יִשְׂרָאֵל

n.pr.m — Israel

יִשְׂרָאֵל 2507 n.pr.m. et gent. Israel (Ēl persisteth, persevereth)

1. n.pr.m. second name of Jacob

2. n.pr.gent. name of Hebrew nation

H3588

כִּיkîy/kee/

conj — relative conjunction

Derivation: a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent or consequent;

(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed

KJV: and, (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), but, certainly, doubtless, else, even, except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, (al-) though, till, truly, until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet.

כִּי

conj — that

כִּי conj. that, for, when

1. that

2.

a. Of time, when, of the past

b. elsewhere כִּי has a force approximating to if, though it usu. represents a case as more likely to occur than אִם

c. when or if, with a concessive force, i.e. though

3. Because, since

כִּי אם־

relative conjunction

כִּי אם־

1. each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause:

a. that if

b. for if

2. (About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause—

a. limiting the prec. clause, except

b. the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but

c. after an oath, surely

כִּי עַל כֵּן

forasmuch as

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

H1931

הוּאhûwʼ/hoo/

p — he, she, it, self, same, this, that, as, are

Derivation: of which the feminine (beyond the Pentateuch) is הִיא; he a primitive word, the third person pronoun singular;

he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally (instead of copula) as or are

KJV: he, as for her, him(-self), it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they, this, those, which (is), who.

הוּא

m — he

הוּא m. הִיא f., pron. of the 3rd ps. sing. he, she, used also (in both genders) for the neuter it

1. an emph. he (she, it, they), sometimes equivalent to himself (herself, itself, themselves), or (esp. with the art.) that (those)

2. It resumes the subj. with emph.

3. Where, however, the pron. follows the pred., its position gives it the minimum of emphasis, and it expresses (or resumes) the subject as unobtrusively as possible

4. It anticipates (as it seems) the subject

5. As an emph. predicate, of God

6. In a neuter sense, that, it (of an action, occurrence, matte, etc.)

7. With the art.: so regularly when joined to a subst. defined itself by the art.

H2490

חָלַלchâlal/khaw-lal'/

v — bore, wound, dissolve, profane, break, begin, play

Derivation: a primitive root (compare 2470); also denominative (from 2485)

properly, to bore, i.e. (by implication) to wound, to dissolve; figuratively, to profane (a person, place or thing), to break (one's word), to begin (as if by an 'opening wedge'); to play (the flute)

KJV: begin (× men began), defile, × break, defile, × eat (as common things), × first, × gather the grape thereof, × take inheritance, pipe, player on instruments, pollute, (cast as) profane (self), prostitute, slay (slain), sorrow, stain, wound.

חָלַל

vb — pollute

[חָלַל] vb. pollute, defile, profane

Niph.

1. reflex. pollute, defile oneself

2. Pass., be polluted, defiled

Pi.

1. defile, pollute

2. violate the honour of, dishonour

3. violate a covenant

4. treat a vineyard as common

Pu. my great name which is profaned among the nations

Hiph.

1.

a. I will not let my holy name be profaned any more.

b. he shall not violate his word

2. begin

Hoph. then it was begun (= men began) to call on the name of י׳

חלל

vb. denom — play the pipe

[חלל] vb. denom. play the pipe, pipe

Qal as well the singers as the pipe-players

Polel dancers

Pi. and the people piped with pipes

חָלַל

vb — bore

חָלַל vb. bore, pierce

Qal my heart is pierced (wounded) within me

Pi. in the hand of the ones wounding thee

Pu. pierced by the sword

Po‛el his hand pierced the fleeing serpent

Po‛al pierced, wounded because of our transgressions

H3326

יָצוּעַyâtsûwaʻ/yaw-tsoo'-ah/

n-m — spread, bed, extension, wing, lean-to

Derivation: passive participle of 3331;

spread, i.e. a bed; (architecture) an extension, i.e. wing or lean-to (a single story or collectively)

KJV: bed, chamber, couch.

יָצוּעַ

n.[m.] — couch

[יָצוּעַ] n.[m.] couch, bed (poet.)

יָצִיעַ

n.m — flat surface

[יָצִיעַ] n.m. only Qr, properly flat surface, only of lower projecting story of temple

H1

אָבʼâb/awb/

n-m — father

Derivation: a primitive word;

father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application

KJV: chief, (fore-) father(-less), × patrimony, principal. Compare names in 'Abi-'.

אָב

n.m — father

אָב 1101 n.m. father

1. father of individual

2. of God as father of his people

3. head of household, family or clan

4. ancestor

5. originator or patron of a class, profession, or art

6. fig. of producer, generator

7. fig. of benevolence & protection

8. term of respect & honor

9. specif., ruler, chief (late)

H5414

נָתַןnâthan/naw-than'/

v — give, put, make

Derivation: a primitive root;

to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)

KJV: add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, × avenge, × be (healed), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, × doubtless, × without fail, fasten, frame, × get, give (forth, over, up), grant, hang (up), × have, × indeed, lay (unto charge, up), (give) leave, lend, let (out), lie, lift up, make, O that, occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, × pull, put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send (out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), sing, slander, strike, (sub-) mit, suffer, × surely, × take, thrust, trade, turn, utter, weep, willingly, withdraw, would (to) God, yield.

נָתַן

vb — give

נָתַן 2007 vb. give, put, set

Qal 1917

1. give

2. Put, set

3. Make, constitute

Niph. 82

1. be given

2. Be put, set

Hoph.

1.

a. be given, bestowed

b. = be given to one for wife

2. be put upon

H1062

בְּכוֹרָהbᵉkôwrâh/bek-o-raw'/

n-f — firstling, primogeniture

Derivation: or (short) בְּכֹרָה; feminine of 1060;

the firstling of man or beast; abstractly primogeniture

KJV: birthright, firstborn(-ling).

בְּכֹרָה

n.f — right of first-born

בְּכֹרָה n.f. right of first-born

H3130

יוֹסֵףYôwçêph/yo-safe'/

n-pr-m — Joseph

Derivation: future of 3254; let him add (or perhaps simply active participle adding);

Joseph, the name of seven Israelites

KJV: Joseph. Compare 3084.

יוֹסֵף

n.pr.m — Joseph

יוֹסֵף 212 and יְהוֹסֵף n.pr.m. (he adds, increases)

1. elder son of Jacob and Rachael

2. a man of Issachar

3. a son of Asaph

4. one of those who took strange wives

5. a priest

H3808

לֹאlôʼ/lo/

adv — not, no

Derivation: or לוֹא; or לֹה; (Deuteronomy 3:11), a primitive particle;

not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles

KJV: × before, or else, ere, except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (× as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, surely, as truly as, of a truth, verily, for want, whether, without.

לֹא

adv — not

לֹא or לוֹא adv. not

H3187

יָחַשׂyâchas/yaw-khas'/

v — enroll

Derivation: a primitive root; to sprout; used only as denominative from 3188;

to enroll by pedigree

KJV: (number after, number throughout the) genealogy (to be reckoned), be reckoned by genealogies.

הִתְיַחֵשׂ

vb — enroll oneself

[הִתְיַחֵשׂ] vb. Hithp. denom. enroll oneself or be enrolled by genealogy

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