Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Chronicles 5:11-17

"And the sons of Gad dwelt over against them, in the land of Bashan unto Salecah: Joel the chief, and Shapham the second, and Janai, and Shaphat in Bashan. And their brethren of their fathers` houses: Michael, and Meshullam, and Sheba, and Jorai, and Jacan, and Zia, and Eber, seven. These were the sons of Abihail, the son of Huri, the son of Jaroah, the son of Gilead, the son of Michael, the son of Jeshishai, the son of Jahdo, the son of Buz; Ahi the son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, chief of their fathers` houses. And they dwelt in Gilead in Bashan, and in its towns, and in all the suburbs of Sharon, as far as their borders. All these were reckoned by genealogies in the days of Jotham king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam king of Israel." — 1 Chronicles 5:11-17 (ASV)

THE SONS OF GAD, THEIR CLANS, TERRITORY, AND REGISTRATION.

And the children of Gad lived opposite them. That is, adjoining them on the east of the Jordan.

In the land of Bashan as far as Salcah (Joshua 13:11). Bashan was the ancient dominion of the giant Og (Numbers 21:33–35; Deuteronomy 3:1–12). Salcah is now Sulkhad, located on the southeast slope of Jebel Hauran in the extreme east of Gilead.

Joel the chief (or first; literally, head), and Shaphan the next (or second). Genesis 46:15 lists seven sons of Gad, a number corresponding with the clans of 1 Chronicles 5:13, but none of the names are the same.

In Bashan. This expression serves to prove that clans, not individuals, are intended.

Joel is also the head of the Reubenite house (1 Chronicles 5:4).

And their brethren of the house of their fathers. This refers to their kinsmen (fellow-tribesmen), according to their father-houses (clans). The verse names seven subordinate clans of the Gadites, whose settlements are assigned in 1 Chronicles 5:16.

These, namely, the clans of 1 Chronicles 5:13, were sons of Abihail, whose lineage is traced back through seven generations to Buz, about whom nothing further is known. The name has appeared in Genesis 22:21 as that of a son of Nahor, and in Job 32:2 as that of the clan of Elihu the Buzite.

Ahi the son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, was head of their clans. Perhaps Ahi was chieftain or prince of the sons of Abihail at the time this register was compiled (1 Chronicles 5:17).

And they dwelt in Gilead. The settlements of the Gadites of 1 Chronicles 5:13 were in the country east of the Jordan.

The phrase “In Bashan,” defines the locality more precisely. It was the northern region of Gilead.

And in her towns. The Hebrew term is her daughters.

And in all the suburbs of Sharon. More accurately, these are pasture-grounds or sheep-walks.

Sharon. The well-known plain of this name lay west of the Jordan, between Carmel and Joppa, along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea (the Great Sea). The old conjecture that Shirion, that is, Mount Hermon (Deuteronomy 3:9; Psalms 29:6), should be read instead, is probably correct.

Upon their borders. This refers to their extremities (Numbers 34:4–5). The Gadites grazed their flocks in the valleys opening out at the foot of the mountains, referred to here as their exits or outlets.

All these. This refers to the Gadite clans.

These clans were reckoned by genealogies (or registered) in the days of Jotham king of Judah, that is, after 757 B.C., according to biblical chronology.

And this registration also occurred in the days of Jeroboam (the second), king of Israel, who reigned from 825–784 B.C., according to the data in the books of Kings. Clearly, therefore, more than one registration forms the basis of the statistics mentioned above. The registration under Jeroboam was earlier, but the chronicler names the king of Judah first honoris causa (as a mark of honor).

Jeroboam II was a vigorous king who, as stated in 2 Kings 14:25, restored the border of Israel from the entrance of Hamath to the sea of the Arabah. He may have conducted this census of the tribes east of the Jordan for fiscal purposes. Jotham, or his father, the great Uzziah, seems to have recovered Gad for Judah during the period of anarchy that followed the fall of Jehu’s dynasty in the northern kingdom.