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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.comKeil and Delitzsch Commentary - 1 Chronicles 5:1 - 5:1
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The families of the tribe of Reuben. - 1Ch 5:1, 1Ch 5:2. Reuben is called the first-born of Israel, because he was the first-born of Jacob, although, owing to his having defiled his father's bed (Gen 49:4), his birthright, i.e., its privileges, were transferred to the sons of Joseph, who were not, however, entered in the family register of the house of Israel according to the birthright, i.e., as first-born sons. The inf. הִתְיַחֵשׂ with לְ expresses “shall” or “must,” cf. Ew. §237, e., “he was not to register,” i.e., “he was not to be registered.” The subject is Joseph, as the Rabbins, e.g., Kimchi, have perceived. The clauses after הוּא כִּי form a parenthesis, containing the reason of Reuben's being called יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּכֹור, which is still further established by its being shown (in 1Ch 5:2) how it happened that Joseph, although the birthright was given to him, according to the disposition made by the patriarch (Gen 48:5.), yet was not entered in the family registers as first-born. The reason of this was, “for Judah was strong among his brethren, and (one) from him became the Prince;” scil. on the strength of the patriarchal blessing (Gen 49:8-12), and by means of the historic fulfilment of this blessing. The “prevailing” of Judah among his brethren showed itself even under Moses at the numbering of the people, when the tribe of Judah considerably outnumbered all the other tribes (cf. t. i. 2, S. 192). Then, again, it appeared after the division of the land of Canaan among the tribes of Israel, Judah being called by a declaration of the divine will to be the vanguard of the army in the war against the Canaanites (Jdg 1:1.); and it was finally made manifest by the נָגִיד over Israel being chosen by God from the tribe of Judah, in the person of David (cf. 1Ch 28:4 with 1Sa 13:14; 1Sa 25:30). From this we gather that the short, and from its brevity obscure, sentence מִמֶּנִוּ וּלְנָגִיד bears the signification we have given it. “But the birthright was Joseph's;” i.e., the rights of the progenitor were transferred to or remained with him, for two tribal domains were assigned to his two sons Ephraim and Manasseh, according to the law of the first-born (Deu 21:15-17).
After this parenthetic explanation, the words “the sons of Reuben, the first-born of Israel,” 1Ch 5:1, are again taken up in 1Ch 5:3, and the sons are enumerated. The names of the four sons correspond to those given in Gen 46:9; Exo 6:14, and Num 26:5-7.