1 Now the sonnes of Reuben the first borne of Israel, (for hee was the first borne, but, forasmuch as he defiled his fathers bed, his birthright was giuen vnto the sonnes of Ioseph the sonne of Israel: and the genealogie is not to be reckoned after the birthright.
2 For Iudah preuailed aboue his brethren, and of him came the chiefe rulers, but the birthright was Iosephs.
3 The sonnes, I say, of Reuben the first borne of Israel were: Hanoch, and Pallu, Ezron, and Carmi.
4 The sonnes of Ioel: Shemaiah his sonne: Gog his sonne: Shimei his sonne:
5 Micah his son: Reaia his sonne: Baal his sonne.
6 Beerah his sonne: whom Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria, carried away captiue: He was Prince of the Reubenites.
7 And his brethren by their families (when the genealogie of their generations was reckoned) were the chiefe, Ieiel, and Zechariah,
8 And Bela the sonne of Azah, the sonne of Shema, the sonne of Ioel, who dwelt in Aroer, euen vnto Nebo, and Baalmeon.
9 And Eastward he inhabited vnto the entring in of the wildernes, from the riuer Euphrates: because their cattell were multiplied in the land of Gilead.
10 And in the dayes of Saul, they made warre with the Hagarites, who fell by their hand: and they dwelt in their tents throughout all the East land of Gilead.
11 ¶ And the children of Gad dwelt ouer against them, in the land of Bashan vnto Salchah.
12 Ioel the chiefe, and Shapham the next: and Iaanai, and Shaphat in Bashan.
13 And their brethren of the house of their fathers, were: Michael, and Meshullam, and Sheba, and Iorai, and Iachan, and Zia, and Heber, seuen.
14 These are the children of Abihail the sonne of Huri, the sonne of Iaroah, the sonne of Gilead, the sonne of Michael, the sonne of Ieshishai, the sonne of Iahdo, the sonne of Buz:
15 Ahi the sonne of Abdiel, the sonne of Guni, chiefe of the house of their fathers.
16 And they dwelt in Gilead in Bashan, and in her townes, and in all the Suburbs of Sharon, vpon their borders.
17 All these were reckoned by genealogies in the dayes of Iotham king of Iudah, and in the dayes of Ieroboam king of Israel.
18 ¶ The sonnes of Reuben, and the Gadites, and halfe the tribe of Manasseh, of valiant men, men able to beare buckler and sword, and to shoote with bow, and skilfull in warre, were foure and fourtie thousand, seuen hundred and threescore, that went out to the warre.
19 And they made warre with the Hagarites, with Ietur, and Nephish, and Nodab.
20 And they were helped against them, and the Hagarites were deliuered into their hand, and all that were with them: for they cried to God in the battell, and he was intreated of them, because they put their trust in him.
21 And they tooke away their cattell: of their camels fiftie thousand, and of sheepe two hundred and fiftie thousand, and of asses two thousand, and of men an hundred thousand.
22 For there fell downe many slaine, because the warre was of God. And they dwelt in their steads vntil the captiuity.
23 ¶ And the children of the halfe tribe of Manasseh dwelt in the lande: they increased from Bashan vnto Baal-hermon, and Senir, and vnto mount Hermon.
24 And these were the heads of the house of their fathers, euen Epher, and Ishi, & Eliel, and Azriel, and Ieremiah, and Hodauiah, and Iahdiel, mightie men of valour, famous men, & heads of the house of their fathers.
25 ¶ And they transgressed against the God of their fathers, and went a whoring after the Gods of the people of the land, whome God destroyed before them.
26 And the God of Israel stirred vp the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria, and he caried them away (euen the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the halfe tribe of Manasseh:) & brought them vnto Halah, and Habor, and Hara, and to the riuer Gozan, vnto this day.
Genealogies.
- 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.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.