1 Chronicles 5:1
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.
Ver. 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, Ge 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 Ge 48:5 compared with De 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.
{o} "Nee tamen", Tigurine version.