1 Chronicles 5:1-10
Expanded Bible
Reuben’s Children
5 Reuben was Israel’s [C Jacob’s] ·first son [firstborn]. Reuben ·should have received the special privileges of the oldest son [was the firstborn], but he ·had sexual relations with his father’s slave woman [L defiled his father’s bed; Gen. 35:22]. So ·those special privileges [that birthright] were given to Joseph’s sons. (Joseph was a son of Israel [C Jacob].) In the ·family history Reuben’s name [genealogical record he] is not listed as ·the first son [having the right of the firstborn]. 2 Judah became ·stronger than [predominant/prominent over] his brothers, and a leader came from his family [C likely referring to David]. But ·Joseph’s family received the privileges that belonged to the oldest son [the birthright belonged to Joseph]. 3 Reuben was Israel’s ·first son [firstborn]. Reuben’s sons were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
4 These were the children of Joel: Shemaiah was Joel’s son. Gog was Shemaiah’s son. Shimei was Gog’s son. 5 Micah was Shimei’s son. Reaiah was Micah’s son. Baal was Reaiah’s son. 6 Beerah was Baal’s son. Beerah was a leader of the tribe of Reuben. Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria captured him and took him ·away [L into exile/captivity].
7 Joel’s ·brothers [relatives; kinsmen] and all his ·family groups [clans] are listed ·just as they are written in their family histories [according to their genealogical records]: Jeiel was the ·first [leader; chief], then Zechariah, 8 and Bela. (Bela was the son of Azaz. Azaz was the son of Shema, and Shema was the son of Joel.) They lived in the area ·of [that stretches from] Aroer all the way to Nebo and Baal Meon. 9 Bela’s people lived to the east—as far as the edge of the ·desert [wilderness], ·which is beside [that stretches to] the Euphrates River—because they had ·too [so] many cattle ·for [in] the land of Gilead.
10 When Saul was king, Bela’s people fought a war against the Hagrite people ·and defeated them [L who fell by their hand]. Then Bela’s people lived in the ·tents [settlements] that had belonged to the Hagrites in all the area east of Gilead.
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1 Chronicles 5:1-10
Amplified Bible
Descendants of Reuben
5 Now [we come to] the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel—for Reuben was the eldest, but because he defiled his father’s bed [with Bilhah his father’s [a]concubine], his birthright was given to [Manasseh and Ephraim] the sons of Joseph [the favorite] son of Israel, so that he is not enrolled in the genealogy according to the birthright.(A) 2 Though Judah prevailed over his brothers, and from him came [David] the leader [and eventually the Messiah], yet the birthright was Joseph’s—(B) 3 the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. 4 The sons of Joel: Shemaiah his son, Gog his son, Shimei his son, 5 Micah his son, Reaiah his son, Baal his son, 6 Beerah his son, whom Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria carried away into exile; he was a leader of the tribe of Reuben. 7 And his brothers (relatives) by their families, in the genealogy of their generations, were the chief Jeiel, and Zechariah, 8 Bela the son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel, who lived in Aroer as far as Nebo and Baal-meon. 9 To the east Bela settled as far as the entrance into the desert from the river Euphrates, because their cattle had multiplied in the land of Gilead. 10 In the days of King Saul they made war with the [b]Hagrites, who fell by their hands; and they lived in their tents throughout all the land east of Gilead.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 1 Chronicles 5:1 See note Gen 22:24.
- 1 Chronicles 5:10 A tribal people believed to be related to Hagar, the mother of Ishmael.
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