Bible Commentaries

Genealogies (continued)

This chapter gives lists of the descendants of Reuben, the families of Gad, and the families of the eastern division of Manasseh.

1. His birthright] This was a portion of the inheritance, twice as great as that given to each of the other sons. The two children of Joseph together received the share which, in right of birth, should have been Reuben's, each being placed on a level with their uncles, the sons of Jacob: cp. Genesis 48:5. And the genealogy] Joseph, though receiving Reuben's birthright, is not given precedence of him in the table of descent; and so Reuben's sons are enumerated before Joseph's.

2. For Judah prevailed, etc.] This v. explains why Judah's descendants were described before those of his elder brother Reuben: he was the ancestor of the royal line.

6. Tilgath-pilneser] i.e. Tiglath-pileser, whose invasion is described in 2 Kings 15:29.

7. Were the chief, Jeiel, etc.] better, 'were, Jeiel the chief,' etc: cp. the expression in 1 Chronicles 5:12.

8. Aroer, etc.] All the places named in this v. were E. of the Dead Sea.

9. The Reubenites touched the Syrian desert between the Euphrates and Palestine.

10. Hagarites] Arabian tribes who traced their descent to Hagar through Ishmael: cp. 1 Chronicles 5:19 with 1 Chronicles 1:31. The east land of Gilead] RV 'The land east of Gilead,' i.e. in the Syrian desert.

16. In Gilead in Bashan] perhaps, better, 'in Gilead, in Jabesh' (1 Samuel 11:1). Bashan was given to Manasseh (Joshua 13:30). Suburbs] better, 'pasture lands,' and so elsewhere.

17. Jeroboam] i.e. Jeroboam II, whose reign was contemporaneous with at least part of Jotham's reign.

22. The captivity] i.e. the deportation of the eastern tribes by Tiglath-pileser: cp. 1 Chronicles 5:6, 1 Chronicles 5:26.

26. Pul.. and.. Tilgath-pilneser] The two names denote the same person, Pul being the proper name of a usurper who in 745 took possession of the Assyrian crown and assumed the title of Tiglath-pileser III (after an earlier sovereign). Halah, etc.] In 2 Kings 15:29; 2 Kings 17:6 these are the places to which the Israelites on the W. of Jordan were deported by Sargon in 722. Habor was the river Chaboras, Halah a city and Gozan a district near it, whilst Hara, if not a corruption, may represent Haran (Genesis 11:31) on the Euphrates. The river Gozan] RV 'the river of Gozan.'