1 Chronicles 5

Original Meaning

Reuben (5:1–10)

THE CHAPTER MAY be divided into five distinct sections: the genealogy of Reuben (5:1–10), the genealogy of Gad (5:11–17), a historical note on the war against the Hagrites (5:18–22), the genealogy of the half-tribe of Manasseh (5:23–24), and the summary statement of sin and exile (5:25–26). The purpose of the passage is twofold. (1) The account explains the prominence of the tribe of Judah even though Reuben was the firstborn son of Jacob (renamed Israel). (2) The record contributes to the Chronicler’s goal of including all the tribes of Israel in the ideal “all Israel” identity he seeks to establish for the postexilic community.

Reuben was the firstborn son of Jacob by Leah (Gen. 29:32). The name Reuben means “he [the LORD] has seen my misery,” so pronounced by Leah with the hope of gaining Jacob’s love and respect. The Chronicler recites Reuben’s crime of engaging in sexual intercourse with his father’s concubine (Bilhah) in order to explain the prominence of Judah and the Joseph tribes in later Israelite history (35:22; cf. 49:3–4). From Judah came the “ruler” (nagid, 1 Chron. 5:2), no doubt a reference to King David. And to Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, was transferred the firstborn rights of Reuben (Gen. 48:5–20). Implied in this forfeiture of the birthright is the “double share” due the firstborn son on the basis of Mosaic law (Deut. 21:15–17). Selman notes that the double share divided between Ephraim and Manasseh underscores the fact that the northern tribes had not lost their ancient privileges (cf. 2 Chron. 28:5–15; 30:1–12).2

The four sons of Reuben listed in the genealogy (5:3) agree with the parallel references (Gen. 46:9; Ex. 6:14; Num. 26:5). The later pronouncement of Moses over the tribe of Reuben was a “mixed” blessing that called for the historical continuity of the tribe but not its numerical proliferation (Deut. 33:6).

The genealogy of Joel (5:4–6) is probably a fragment from a longer Reubenite genealogy and has no parallel elsewhere in the Old Testament. Ackroyd suggests the list may represent a line of Reubenite chieftains.3 The name Baal (5:5) has led to speculation concerning the possible influence of Canaanite religion on the descendants of Reuben. The reference to the Assyrian exile of Beerah (5:6) is the first of three phases of Reubenite history arranged in reverse chronological order. The historical setting is probably the campaign of Tiglath-Pileser into Galilee and the Transjordan in 733–732 B.C. during the reign of Pekah (cf. 2 Kings 15:29). The Chronicler spells the Assyrian king’s name Tilgath-Pilneser (1 Chron. 5:6; cf. NIV note; also 2 Chron. 28:20).4 Pul (see 1 Chron. 5:26) was his Babylonian throne name (cf. 2 Kings 15:19).

The second phase of Reubenite history cited is that of northern expansion during an unspecified earlier time, perhaps during the reign of David or Solomon (cf. 1 Sam. 30:28). Aroer (1 Chron. 5:8) on the Arnon River was built by Gad (Num. 32:34) and served as a border city between the tribes of Gad and Reuben (Josh. 13:16, 25). The sites of Nebo and Baal Meon to the northwest were ascribed to Reuben’s territorial inheritance (Num. 32:38; Josh. 13:16). According to the Mesha Stone, Mesha king of Moab wrested control of Aroer, Nebo, and Baal Meon from Israel around 830 B.C.5 Later Hebrew prophets confirm the control of the region by Moab (cf. Isa. 15:2; Ezek. 25:9).

The reference to lands east of Gilead approaching the Euphrates River (5:9) suggests a pastoral-nomadic existence for some of the clans of Reuben. Traditionally Gilead is the region of the Transjordan between the Arnon and Yarmuk Rivers and originally settled by the tribe of Gad (Josh. 13:25). This may help explain the gradual absorption of Reuben by Gad. No king, judge, or prophet emerged from Reuben, and the group gradually faded from Israelite tribal history.

Another expansionist phase of Reubenite history is associated with the reign of King Saul in the eleventh century B.C. (5:10). The reference to Saul may foreshadow the genealogy of Benjamin developed in chapter 8. The Hagrites are often identified as Arab tribes and associated with Hagar and her son Ishmael (cf. Gen. 25:12–18). They settled east of Gilead and apparently had ties to the Moabites; like the Moabites they were classified as enemies of Israel (cf. Ps. 83:6).

Interestingly, the Chronicler omits any further references to earlier Reubenite history, especially episodes like the rebellion of Dathan and Abiram against Moses (Num. 26:9).

Gad (5:11–22)

Bridging Contexts

WE HAVE ALREADY established the fact that one of the purposes of the Chronicler’s genealogical prologue is to bolster morale in postexilic Judah. His retelling of Israel’s past is, in part, also a theology of hope for Israel’s future. In addition to exhortation, the genealogical prologue is also intended as instruction to the restoration community. Following the example set by Moses in his “historical sermon” to the second generation of Israelites delivered from Egypt (Deut. 4:9), the writer of Chronicles assumes there is something universal about the personal stories of his ancestors. The genealogies of the Transjordan tribes record just such experiences.

According to Wilcock, this section of the genealogy preserves two experiences of opposite kinds.12 These contrasting experiences are principal themes in Chronicles, and they essentially characterize the history of Israel in the Old Testament (cf. 1 Chron. 14:10; 18:13; 2 Chron. 13:12). The first of these antithetical experiences is victory in battle and the expansion of tribal boundaries because God helps his people (specifically victory over the Hagrites and their allies). The second experience, as tragic as the first was triumphant, is defeat at the hands of enemies and exile from the land of covenant promise (namely, the conquest of Israel by the king of Assyria, 1 Chron. 5:26)—something anticipated by Moses and cited as a threat in his historical sermon to the generation of Israelites about to enter the land of Canaan (cf. Deut. 4:25–31).

Like Moses, the Chronicler is concerned that the Israelites not suffer the latter experience by repeating the history of an earlier generation corrupted by idolatry and destroyed for unbelief (Deut. 1:35; 2:14–15; cf. Heb. 3:15–19). If that lesson from history were not enough, the writer drives the point home by recounting the sin of Reuben that led to his loss of the blessing normally reserved for the firstborn son (1 Chron. 5:1–2). The Chronicler must warn his audience of spiritual complacency spawned by an attitude of arrogance rooted in Israel’s election as God’s “firstborn” (Ex. 4:22; cf. Deut. 9:5). Selman offers the sober reminder that status before God is not a right inherited but a matter of privilege earned by obedience to the word of God.13

As his final exclamation point, the Chronicler adds a second warning, again echoing the instruction of Moses concerning the pitfalls of human achievement. Material prosperity may undermine faith in God as it induces a type of “spiritual amnesia” that causes people to forget that God has authored their success (cf. Deut. 8:10–11). It was important for the Transjordan tribes to remember that the expansion of their tribal boundaries, numerical increase, and material wealth were due to God’s help, not self-help (1 Chron. 5:20).

The Chronicler, however, does not teach by negative example only. He also outlines the necessary ingredients for “victory” as divinely understood. His formula for divine help leading to spiritual success includes prayer to God and trust in God (5:21). Both are recurrent themes in the Chronicles, especially prayer to God in military contexts, since the battle belongs to him anyway (e.g., 2 Chron. 14:11–15; 32:20–21; cf. 20:15; 25:8). Interestingly, both are connected (at least implicitly) to the spiritual defeat (and exile) of the northern tribes (1 Chron. 5:25).

Prayer to God is central to Hebrew theology because the Old Testament record indicates that God hears (cf. 2 Chron. 30:20, 27; 34:27) and answers the prayers of those who invoke his name (cf. 1 Chron. 14:10, 14; 21:26, 28). To trust in God is to place confidence in or to depend on him as one’s sole resource for help in circumstances of distress and need (cf. 2 Chron. 13:18; 14:11; 16:7–8; 32:10). Also, to trust in God is to acknowledge that he is the source of all blessing and that God extends that goodness to people according to his mercy, not human merit. The prophet Habakkuk aptly understood trusting God as rejoicing in the Lord quite apart from the circumstances of prosperity or poverty (Hab. 3:17–18; cf. Paul’s reflection on “contentment” in the Lord “whether living in plenty or in want,” Phil. 4:12).

The failure and defeat of the Transjordan tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh was not so much neglect of the act of prayer and the posture of trust as it was the substitution of other gods for the God of Abraham as the object of that prayer and trust (5:25). According to Moses, the outcome of such behavior is predictable. God is a jealous God, tolerating no rival (Deut. 4:24), and his only possible response to idolatry among the Israelites is destruction and banishment from the land (4:25–26).

Contemporary Significance

FINISHING THE RACE. The Chronicler has previously cast the tribe of Judah as the geographical and theological center of the Israelite tribes (2:3–4:23). In part, the genealogical prologue assesses the surrounding tribal units on the basis of their adherence to the ideal of kingship embodied in David (i.e., unswerving loyalty to God alone and a lover of his law). In a way, the Chronicler plays the role of a press-box commentator watching a long-distance race, since his attention is fixed on the “starts” and “finishes” of the tribes across the history of Israelite and Judean monarchies. In the previous section, the success of the tribe of Simeon is implicitly attached to their association with Judah (cf. 4:31). Although absorbed by Judah as the larger political unit geographically, they retained an identifiable tribal genealogical presence because they clung to the Davidic ideal. Allen regards the clans of Simeon as “survivors” who finished the race, noting that they persisted to the day of the Chronicler (4:43).14

Conversely, Allen has labeled the Transjordan tribes “losers” since they rejected the Davidic ideal and were exiled into Assyria, where they remained to the day of the Chronicler (5:26). In other words, they started the race and even “ran well” for a time (note their success recorded in 5:10, 18–22). Alas, they did not “stay with” God and finish the race but “strayed after” other gods and forfeited the prize of tribal unity in the land of covenant promise.

In one sense, the “start” for the Transjordan tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh was ominous from the outset. The Transjordan regions of Gilead and Bashan were taken from Sihon king of the Amorites and Og king of Bashan prior to the invasion of Palestine under Joshua (Num. 21:21–31). Later, the leaders of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh requested permission from Moses to settle in the areas of Gilead and Bashan because they were well suited for raising livestock (Num. 32:4; cf. Josh. 12:6). At first Moses took offense to the petition, comparing these three tribal units to the faithless first generation of Israelites delivered from Egypt (cf. Num. 32:14–15). Finally he consented to a conditional inheritance of the territory east of the Jordan River for these tribes, contingent on their full participation with their brother tribes in the conquest of the land of Canaan (Num. 32:20–22, 30; cf. Josh. 1:12–15).

A critical reading of the Joshua narrative suggests a certain selfish immediacy in the request for an inheritance in the Transjordan, since these tribes sought to establish themselves in the regions of Gilead and Bashan before they had actually earned their inheritance (Num. 32:16–19). The building of an altar in the Transjordan by the eastern tribes after Joshua had discharged them from their military obligations to the rest of the tribes nearly precipitated a civil war (Josh. 22:10–12). The episode raised suspicions concerning religious apostasy and tribal unity—a foreshadowing of what the future would bring. According to the Chronicler, Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh eventually did turn away from the altar of the Lord and prostituted themselves to other gods (1 Chron. 5:25). The Lord did call them to account for their rebellion; their sin did find them out (Josh. 22:23; cf. Num. 32:23–24).

The apostle Paul further develops this analogy between the life of faith in Christ and a footrace by appeal to the running events associated with the athletic games of the Greek world in New Testament times (e.g., 1 Cor. 9:26). In fact, this is Paul’s own epitaph as he writes what might be considered his last will and testament to Timothy: “I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7). Paul deeply desires to achieve this goal and is able to see it through to the end by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 20:24).

Paul, no doubt, took his example from Jesus, who had this same sense of mission in his earthly ministry, finishing what the Father had commissioned him to do (cf. John 4:34; 5:36; 17:4). In fact, Jesus told a story about the need to estimate the cost of finishing a building project lest one be subject to ridicule for starting but failing to complete such an undertaking (Luke 14:28–30). Both Paul and Peter were able to exhort fellow believers to “press on” in erecting that tower of faith in God because they recognized that the necessary resources for finishing the task were already “bankrolled” in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ (Phil. 3:12–14; 2 Peter 1:3). Hence, completion of the “project” is certain (cf. Phil. 2:12–13; 2 Peter 1:10–11)!

The goal of maintaining a covenant relationship with Yahweh for the Israelite tribes was threatened by rivals, the gods of the peoples of the land (5:25). Sadly, the Israelites succumbed to the siren songs of deities like Asherah, Baal, Chemosh, and Molech (cf. 2 Chron. 23:17; 24:18). Finishing the race of faith in Christ today is no less challenging than it was for God’s people in the Old Testament world. We must resist the lure of alternative forms of idolatry, such as the gods of money, efficiency, power, competition, famous people, and so on.15 Unlike the “theistic” tendency of culture during Old Testament times that assumed the existence of a divine realm and its convergence with humanity, the contemporary Christian contends with a society given to agnosticism and atheism. This has prompted one social critic to describe American public life as a “culture of disbelief,” where God is a little more than a “hobby.”16

Perhaps even more disturbing are the pluralistic trends of postmodern thought that interpret religion as the ideological by-product of social engineering. Furthermore, the very concepts of “starting” and “finishing” anything are treated with skepticism and contempt today because the “objectivity” of historical events is devalued in favor of the “subjectivity” of personal experience.17 Small wonder the church struggles to “coach” Christians in the subtleties of running the race of faith in Christ, given the impact of these adverse running conditions on the “track of life.” Simply stated, the keys to staying on course and finishing the race for Israel were prayer and trust in God (1 Chron. 5:20). What about the New Testament strategy for completing the race of faith in Jesus Christ? How does the new covenant complement the Chronicler’s advice for surviving, even emerging victorious from the battles of spiritual warfare?

One way in which the New Testament enhances the message of Chronicles is that of example through character study. The New Testament letters illustrate a variety of “starts” and “finishes” within that early community of Christian faith, giving it an almost photo album-like quality. For instance, we have the account of the life of the apostle Paul, introduced to us as the chief of sinners (cf. 1 Tim. 1:16) but transformed into the apostle of the Gentiles (Acts 9:15). The name Demas is associated with the more tragic story of one who apparently started well (cf. Col. 4:14) but who quit the race and deserted Paul because “he loved this world” (2 Tim. 4:10).

The New Testament also tracks the encouraging record of John Mark, one who started well but then faltered along the way (Acts 12:25; 13:13; cf. 15:38–39). Yet in the end he proved himself a faithful servant of Christ and a useful coworker in Paul’s ministry (2 Tim. 4:11). There are even those singular role models who started well and finished in like manner. Naturally people like Simeon and Anna come to mind, each remembered for a lifetime of devotion and faithful service to God (cf. Luke 2:25, 36). Lest these biographies be dismissed as quaint reminiscences of a bygone day, it is important to remember that the cultural context of the New Testament world was much like that of our own: a world driven by greed and materialism, a world given to sensuality and moral decay, a world awash in ideological relativism and religious pluralism. So the greater question is: What points of commonality do these New Testament biographies share with the Chronicler’s story of the Transjordan tribes of Israel?

When the two key ingredients of the Chronicler’s formula for success in running the race of faith are unpacked in the light of the New Testament, it is apparent the new covenant serves to make explicit what was implicit in the old covenant. (1) There is indeed a “race” to be run, whether in battle against the Hagrites (1 Chron. 5:10) or against “the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil” (Eph. 6:12).

(2) The race has a “finish line,” and there is a prize to be won, whether “rest” in the land of covenant promise (1 Chron. 23:25; cf. Heb. 3:11) or the gift of God, which is eternal life (Rom. 6:23).

(3) The act of prayer itself is a constant reminder that the battle belongs to the Lord (2 Chron. 20:15) and that it will be won in the power of God’s Spirit, not human strength (Zech. 4:6; cf. Phil. 4:13). Prayer also reminds us that the race cannot be run on “cruise control.” The faith pilgrimage includes barriers, hurdles, trials, and setbacks. Such are used by God to encourage faith and strengthen hope since we know that although we will have trouble in the fallen world, Jesus Christ has overcome all such troubles (Rom. 5:3–5; cf. John 16:33).

(4) Finally, finishing the race brings glory to God and proclaims “the gospel of God’s grace” to all those spectators on the sidelines still uncertain about Christianity (cf. Acts 20:24).

The notion of finishing the race informs the Chronicler’s understanding of what it means to trust in God as well. The words “trust in God” may not be construed as a magical formula ensuring instant and constant success in personal endeavors. The race of life is not “fixed” in the sense that it is a mechanical process, like windup toys on a slotted miniature speedway oval. The expression “trust in God” connotes the ongoing responsibility for the believer in the Lord to maintain that faith relationship with the Almighty. The Transjordan tribes lost sight of this truth and became unfaithful in their relationship to God so that his only alternative was to send them into exile (1 Chron. 5:25–26).

Paul himself ran the race of faith in Christ with great vigor, focus, and self-discipline lest he become a “loser,” one disqualified for the prize (1 Cor. 9:27). This would suggest that exercise or “training in godliness” is a staple in a biblical spiritual fitness program (cf. 1 Tim. 4:8). Specific exercises in the biblical regimen for godliness includes transforming the mind (Rom. 8:6), taming one’s speech (cf. James 3:8), controlling the passions of the body (Rom. 12:1–2), harnessing one’s emotions (James 1:19–20), and maintaining proper motives (Phil. 2:3). This also indicates attention must be given to the instruction of the next generation since we learn from both covenants that the race of faith in God stretches beyond any one lifetime and any single generation (e.g., Deut. 4:9–10; Eph. 6:1–4).

Finally, there is a communal aspect to trusting in God. The faith venture for Israel was cooperative on a clan and tribal level, even as the Transjordan tribes pooled their resources and expanded their borders through military conquest (1 Chron. 5:18). Likewise, the New Testament teaches that the church of Jesus Christ is one body, comprised of many individual members (1 Cor. 12:12). The diversity of gifts possessed in some measure by all Christians is the work of one Spirit and is given graciously for the purpose of nurturing and unifying the one body of Christ—his church (cf. Eph. 4:3–5, 12–13). There is no greater expression of righteousness in the Bible than trust in God because those who do so will never be put to shame (Rom. 5:5; 9:33).

Original Meaning

Gad (5:11–22)

THE UNIT OF Gad contains two distinct parts. The first pertains to the tribe of Gad (5:11–17), while the second refers collectively to the two and one-half tribes located in the Transjordan (5:18–22). The genealogy of Gad is unusual in that it begins with a geographical note (5:11) and omits materials from the other Gadite genealogies (e.g., Gen. 46:16; Num. 26:15–18; 1 Chron. 12:9–13). This emphasis on the territorial holdings of Gad forms an envelope for the genealogical record. Bashan (5:11–16) is the region east of the Sea of Galilee stretching from the Yarmuk River northward to Mount Hermon.

During Old Testament times Bashan was an extremely fertile plateau and was renowned for its grain harvests and served as pasturage for cattle (cf. Deut. 32:14) and as a source of timber (cf. Isa. 2:13). The desire for control of this highly productive real estate led to repeated warfare between Israel and Aram.

Salecah (5:11) was a city on the southeastern perimeter of Bashan that was captured by the Israelites from King Og (Deut. 3:10) and included in the tribal allotments of Gad and Reuben (Josh. 12:5–6). (On Gilead, see comments on 1 Chron. 5:9.) The “villages [lit., daughters, 5:16]” of Bashan may have been walled cities and numbered as many as sixty (cf. 1 Kings 4:13). The reference to Sharon (1 Chron. 5:16) is probably a town or region also mentioned in the text of the Moabite Stone.6 The Chronicler’s emphasis on the geographical boundaries of Gad may call attention to the fulfillment of Moses’ earlier blessing on the tribe (Deut. 33:20–21).

The chieftains or leaders of Gad listed are unknown to the rest of the Old Testament, but the reference to Joel as the “chief” (lit., “head”) may be another echo of Moses’ blessing, where the “heads of the people” are mentioned (cf. Deut. 33:21). Some commentators count only three chieftains of Gad, since certain of the ancient versions render “Shaphat” as the noun “judge” rather than a proper name (i.e., “Janai the judge”; cf. Braun, “Janai judged”).7 The genealogy records seven clans, all sons of Abihail (1 Chron. 5:13–14). Like the seven clans of East Manasseh (5:24), these names are unknown elsewhere in the Bible. The genealogy listed in 5:14 were the ancestors of Abihail, not his descendants. Likewise, Ahi (5:15) was the forefather of Abihail.

There is some question concerning the reference to “Jotham king of Judah” in the chronological footnote (5:17) since the Transjordan tribes were part of the northern kingdom. The reference may suggest separate genealogical registers compiled by each of the divided monarchies or even a synchronistic chronicle composed in two columns.8 It seems more likely that events in Israel were simply synchronized historically by reference to the occupant of the Judahite throne. In any case, the census mentioned dates to around 750 B.C.

The battle report of the coalition of Transjordan tribes against the Hagrites (5:18–22) has its parallel in the report of the exile of those two and one-half tribes into Assyria attached to the East Manasseh genealogy (5:25–26). The passage probably represents a summary of expansion during the period of the united monarchy by the coalition of Transjordan Israelite tribes against the Hagrites, not an account of a single battle or event. The Hagrites, along with the Moabites, Edomites, and Ishmaelites, were among the traditional enemies of Israel located in the Transjordan (cf. Ps. 83:6).

Some conjecture the Hagrites are descendants of Abraham’s concubine Hagar.9 This remains difficult to substantiate, given available data. Three Arab tribes (Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab) are allied with the Hagrites (cf. Gen. 25:15; 1 Chron. 1:31). The combined muster tally of 44,760 soldiers for the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh is less than half the muster tally of the second post-Exodus census for those tribes (136,930; see Num. 26:7, 18, 34; cf. the 120,000 for the Transjordan tribes in David’s census, 1 Chron. 12:37).

More than the size of the muster tallies, the Chronicler’s focus is on the theology of warfare. The war with the Hagrites and their allies was God’s battle (5:22). The men of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh trusted in God and prayed to him, and he answered their prayers by helping them in battle (5:20–21). The themes of trust in God, prayer in battle, and God’s help in gaining victory are repeated throughout Chronicles (e.g., 12:19; 15:26; 2 Chron. 20:15; 25:8; 32:10). The booty inventory (1 Chron. 5:21–22) lends tangible support to the theological principle that God delivers those who trust in him. This report is the foil or counterpoint for the report of the Assyrian exile concluding this section of the genealogical prologue (5:25–26).

East Manasseh (5:23–26)