CHAPTER 5
Reuben. 1* The sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel. (He was indeed the firstborn, but because he defiled the couch of his father his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph, son of Israel, so that he is not listed in the family records according to his birthright.a 2Judah, in fact, became powerful among his brothers, so that the ruler came from him, though the birthright had been Joseph’s.)b 3The sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.c 4His son was Joel, whose son was Shemaiah, whose son was Gog, whose son was Shimei, 5whose son was Micah, whose son was Reaiah, whose son was Baal, 6whose son was Beerah, whom Tilgath-pileser, the king of Assyria, took into exile; he was a prince of the Reubenites.d 7His brothers who belonged to his clans, when they were listed in the family records according to their descendants, were: Jeiel, the chief, and Zechariah, 8and Bela, son of Azaz, son of Shema, son of Joel. The Reubenites lived in Aroer and as far as Nebo and Baal-meon;e 9toward the east they dwelt as far as the wilderness which extends from the Euphrates River, for they had much livestock in the land of Gilead.f 10In Saul’s time they waged war with the Hagrites, and when they had defeated them they dwelt in their tents throughout the region east of Gilead.g
Gad. 11The Gadites lived alongside them in the land of Bashan as far as Salecah.h 12Joel was chief, Shapham was second in command, and Janai was judge in Bashan.i 13Their brothers, according to their ancestral houses, were: Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia, and Eber—seven. 14These were the sons of Abihail, son of Huri, son of Jaroah, son of Gilead, son of Michael, son of Jeshishai, son of Jahdo, son of Buz. 15Ahi, son of Abdiel, son of Guni, was the head of their ancestral houses. 16They dwelt in Gilead, in Bashan and its towns, and in all the pasture lands of Sirion to the borders. 17All were listed in the family records in the time of Jotham, king of Judah, and of Jeroboam, king of Israel.
18The Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh were warriors, men who bore shield and sword and who drew the bow, trained in warfare—forty-four thousand seven hundred and sixty men fit for military service. 19When they waged war against the Hagrites and against Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab,j 20they received help so that the Hagrites and all who were with them were delivered into their power. For during the battle they cried out to God, and he heard them because they had put their trust in him.k 21Along with one hundred thousand persons they also captured their livestock: fifty thousand camels, two hundred fifty thousand sheep, and two thousand donkeys. 22Many were slain and fell; for “From God the victory.” They dwelt in their place until the time of the exile.l
The Half-tribe of Manasseh. 23The half-tribe of Manasseh lived in the land of Bashan as far as Baal-hermon, Senir, and Mount Hermon; they were numerous. 24The following were the heads of their ancestral houses: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel—men who were warriors, famous men, and heads over their ancestral houses.
25However, they acted treacherously toward the God of their ancestors by prostituting themselves to follow the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them.m 26Therefore the God of Israel stirred up against them the anger of Pul,* king of Assyria, and the anger of Tilgath-pilneser [sic], king of Assyria, who deported the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh and brought them to Halah, Habor, and Hara, and to the river Gozan, where they have remained to this day.n
Levi.* 27The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.o 28The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.p 29The children of Amram were Aaron, Moses, and Miriam. The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.q 30* Eleazar became the father of Phinehas. Phinehas became the father of Abishua. 31Abishua became the father of Bukki. Bukki became the father of Uzzi. 32Uzzi became the father of Zerahiah. Zerahiah became the father of Meraioth. 33Meraioth became the father of Amariah. Amariah became the father of Ahitub. 34Ahitub became the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Ahimaaz. 35Ahimaaz became the father of Azariah. Azariah became the father of Johanan. 36Johanan became the father of Azariah, who served as priest in the temple Solomon built in Jerusalem. 37Azariah became the father of Amariah. Amariah became the father of Ahitub. 38Ahitub became the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Shallum. 39Shallum became the father of Hilkiah. Hilkiah became the father of Azariah. 40Azariah became the father of Seraiah. Seraiah became the father of Jehozadak. 41Jehozadak was one of those who went into the exile which the LORD inflicted on Judah and Jerusalem through Nebuchadnezzar.
* [5:1–26] Genealogies of the Transjordanian tribes, Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.
* [5:26] Pul: the Chronicler seems to speak of two different kings here, but Pul was the name which the Assyrian king Tilgath-pileser III (745–727 B.C.) adopted as king of Babylon.
* [5:27–6:66] The tribe of Levi. The Chronicler’s list gives special prominence to Levi’s son Kohath, from whom were descended both the Aaronite priests (vv. 28–41) and the leading group of Temple singers (6:18–23).
* [5:30–41] The line of preexilic high priests. The list seems to become confused in vv. 36–38, which repeat the same names, mostly in inverse order, that occur in vv. 34–36. A similar but shorter list occurs, with variations, in Ezr 7:1–5.
a. [5:1] Gn 35:22; 48:5, 15–22; 49:3–4; Dt 33:6.
b. [5:2] 1 Chr 28:4; Gn 49:8–12.
c. [5:3] Gn 46:9; Ex 6:14; Nm 26:5–6.
d. [5:6] 2 Kgs 15:29.
e. [5:8] Jos 13:9, 16–17; Nm 32:3, 38.
j. [5:19] 1 Chr 1:31; 5:10; Gn 25:15; Ps 83:6–7.
l. [5:22] Nm 32:39; Dt 3:8–10; Jgs 3:3.
m. [5:25] Ex 34:14–16; 2 Kgs 17:7.
n. [5:26] 2 Kgs 15:9, 29; 17:6.
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