Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Chronicles 5

I.—THE REUBENITES (1 Chronicles 5:1–10).

Reuben the firstborn of Israel. — See Genesis 49:3: “Reuben, my firstborn thou! my strength, and firstfruits of my manhood;” also Genesis 29:32.

For he was the firstborn. — The parenthesis is an assertion of the legitimacy of the Davidic monarchy, as against the fact that both Reuben and Joseph had claims prior to those of Judah.

He defiled his father’s bed. —Genesis 49:4, Jacob’s curse: “Bubbling like the waters, excel thou not! For thou wentest up thy father’s couches. Then thou defiledst my bed” .

His birthright was given to the sons of Joseph. — The reading of some manuscripts, and the Syriac and Arabic, “to Joseph,” is probably original. This transfer of the rights of primogeniture is not mentioned elsewhere. It is, however, a fair inference from Jacob’s curse, and from the special blessing of Joseph (Genesis 49:22–26) and of his two sons (Genesis 48:15–20), considered in the light of historical fulfilment. Ephraim was always a leading tribe (Judges 2:9; Judges 4:5; Judges 5:14; Judges 8:1–2; Judges 12:1; Judges 12:15).

And the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright. — Rather, though he was not to be registered as firstborn (literally, according to the primogeniture).

The subject is Joseph or the sons of Joseph, who received the forfeited rights of Reuben, but not the first place in lists of the tribes.

What those rights were is defined by Deuteronomy 21:15-17, which rules that the son of a hated wife—if he is firstborn (the case of Reuben, son of Leah)—shall inherit a double portion, “for he is the firstfruits of his strength, the right of the firstborn is his;” words obviously referring to Genesis 49:4-5.

For Judah prevailed above his brethren. —Literally, was mighty among his brethren. Compare Jacob’s blessing (Genesis 49:8–10): Judah, thou—thy brethren shall praise thee, Thy hand shall be on the neck of thy foes, Thy father’s sons shall bow before thee. Sceptre shall not depart from Judah, Nor doom-staff from between his feet, etc. (See also Judges 1:1-2, where Judah is divinely commissioned to lead the attack upon the Canaanites.) At the census of Moses, Judah greatly outnumbered any other single tribe (Numbers 1:27).

And of him came the chief ruler. —“And from him (one was to become) prince.” Literally, and for a prince — out of him. (Compare Micah 5:1.) Septuagint, εἰς ἡγούμενον ἐξ αὐτοῦ . David is meant, as in 1 Samuel 13:14. We may also remember the word of the apostolic writer: It is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah (Hebrews 7:4). The prophecy concerning the royal dignity of Judah is only thus exhausted of its meaning.

But the birthright was Joseph’s, who actually received the “double portion” in the two tribal domains of Ephraim and Manasseh.

Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. —So Genesis 46:9; Exodus 6:14; Numbers 26:5–7. Considering the prominence of Hezron and Carmi among the clans of Judah, it is remarkable to find their names recurring among the main branches of Reuben.

The Septuagint read: Sons of Joel Shemaiah, and Banaia (Benaiah) his son; and sons of Gog, son of Shemaiah, his son Micah, etc.

The sons of Joel. —The connection of this leading house with one of the four sons just mentioned, is implied but not stated. The line of Joel is traced through seven generations to Beerah, who was transported to Assyria by Tiglath Pileser II, 734 B.C., in the reign of Pekah, king of Israel. Supposing there are no gaps in the series, Joel flourished 280 years (7 x 40) before that date; that is, about 1014 B.C., under David and Solomon.