mh_parser/vol_split/13 - 1Chronicles/Chapter 5.xml

<div2 id="iCh.vi" n="vi" next="iCh.vii" prev="iCh.v" progress="74.07%" title="Chapter V">
<h2 id="iCh.vi-p0.1">F I R S T   C H R O N I C L E
S</h2>
<h3 id="iCh.vi-p0.2">CHAP. V.</h3>
<p class="intro" id="iCh.vi-p1">This chapter gives us some account of the two
tribes and a half that were seated on the other side Jordan. I. Of
Reuben, <scripRef id="iCh.vi-p1.1" osisRef="Bible:1Chr.5.1-1Chr.5.10" parsed="|1Chr|5|1|5|10" passage="1Ch 5:1-10">ver. 1-10</scripRef>. II. Of
Gad, <scripRef id="iCh.vi-p1.2" osisRef="Bible:1Chr.5.11-1Chr.5.17" parsed="|1Chr|5|11|5|17" passage="1Ch 5:11-17">ver. 11-17</scripRef>. III. Of
the half-tribe of Manasseh, <scripRef id="iCh.vi-p1.3" osisRef="Bible:1Chr.5.23-1Chr.5.24" parsed="|1Chr|5|23|5|24" passage="1Ch 5:23,24">ver.
23, 24</scripRef>. IV. Concerning all three acting in conjunction
we are told, 1. How they conquered the Hagarites, <scripRef id="iCh.vi-p1.4" osisRef="Bible:1Chr.5.18-1Chr.5.22" parsed="|1Chr|5|18|5|22" passage="1Ch 5:18-22">ver. 18-22</scripRef>. 2. How they were, at
length, themselves conquered, and made captives, by the king of
Assyria, because they had forsaken God, <scripRef id="iCh.vi-p1.5" osisRef="Bible:1Chr.5.25-1Chr.5.26" parsed="|1Chr|5|25|5|26" passage="1Ch 5:25,26">ver. 25, 26</scripRef>.</p>
<scripCom id="iCh.vi-p0.1_1" osisRef="Bible:1Chr.5" parsed="|1Chr|5|0|0|0" passage="1Ch 5" type="Commentary"/>
<scripCom id="iCh.vi-p0.2_1" osisRef="Bible:1Chr.5.1-1Chr.5.17" parsed="|1Chr|5|1|5|17" passage="1Ch 5:1-17" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:1Chr.5.1-1Chr.5.17">
<h4 id="iCh.vi-p1.8">Genealogies. (<span class="smallcaps" id="iCh.vi-p1.9">b. c.</span> 715.)</h4>
<p class="passage" id="iCh.vi-p2">1 Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of
Israel, (for he <i>was</i> the firstborn; but, forasmuch as he
defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of
Joseph the son of Israel: and the genealogy is not to be reckoned
after the birthright.   2 For Judah prevailed above his
brethren, and of him <i>came</i> the chief ruler; but the
birthright <i>was</i> Joseph's:)   3 The sons, <i>I say,</i>
of Reuben the firstborn of Israel <i>were,</i> Hanoch, and Pallu,
Hezron, and Carmi.   4 The sons of Joel; Shemaiah his son, Gog
his son, Shimei his son,   5 Micah his son, Reaia his son,
Baal his son,   6 Beerah his son, whom Tilgath-pilneser king
of Assyria carried away <i>captive:</i> he <i>was</i> prince of the
Reubenites.   7 And his brethren by their families, when the
genealogy of their generations was reckoned, <i>were</i> the chief,
Jeiel, and Zechariah,   8 And Bela the son of Azaz, the son of
Shema, the son of Joel, who dwelt in Aroer, even unto Nebo and
Baal-meon:   9 And eastward he inhabited unto the entering in
of the wilderness from the river Euphrates: because their cattle
were multiplied in the land of Gilead.   10 And in the days of
Saul they made war with the Hagarites, who fell by their hand: and
they dwelt in their tents throughout all the east <i>land</i> of
Gilead.   11 And the children of Gad dwelt over against them,
in the land of Bashan unto Salchah:   12 Joel the chief, and
Shapham the next, and Jaanai, and Shaphat in Bashan.   13 And
their brethren of the house of their fathers <i>were,</i> Michael,
and Meshullam, and Sheba, and Jorai, and Jachan, and Zia, and
Heber, seven.   14 These <i>are</i> the children 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;
  15 Ahi the son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, chief of the
house of their fathers.   16 And they dwelt in Gilead in
Bashan, and in her towns, and in all the suburbs of Sharon, upon
their borders.   17 All these were reckoned by genealogies in
the days of Jotham king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam king
of Israel.</p>
<p class="indent" id="iCh.vi-p3">We have here an extract out of the
genealogies,</p>
<p class="indent" id="iCh.vi-p4">I. Of the tribe of Reuben, where we
have,</p>
<p class="indent" id="iCh.vi-p5">1. The reason why this tribe is thus
postponed. It is confessed that Reuben was the first-born of
Israel, and, upon that account, might challenge the precedency; but
he forfeited his birthright by defiling his father's concubine, and
was, for that, sentenced <i>not to excel,</i> <scripRef id="iCh.vi-p5.1" osisRef="Bible:Gen.49.4" parsed="|Gen|49|4|0|0" passage="Ge 49:4">Gen. xlix. 4</scripRef>. Sin lessens men, thrusts them
down from their excellency. Seventh-commandment sins especially
leave an indelible stain upon men's names and families, a reproach
which time will not wipe away. Reuben's seed, to the last, bear the
disgrace of Reuben's sin. Yet, though that tribe was degraded, it
was not discarded or disinherited. The sullying of the honour of an
Israelite is not the losing of his happiness. Reuben loses his
birthright, yet it does not devolve upon Simeon the next in order;
for it was typical, and therefore must attend, not the course of
nature, but the choice of grace. The advantages of the birthright
were dominion and a double portion. Reuben having forfeited these,
it was thought too much that both should be transferred to any one,
and therefore they were divided. (1.) Joseph had the double
portion; for two tribes descended from him, Ephraim and Manasseh,
each of whom had a child's part (for so Jacob by faith blessed
them, <scripRef id="iCh.vi-p5.2" osisRef="Bible:Heb.11.21 Bible:Gen.48.15 Bible:Gen.48.22" parsed="|Heb|11|21|0|0;|Gen|48|15|0|0;|Gen|48|22|0|0" passage="Heb 11:21,Ge 48:15,22">Heb. xi. 21; Gen.
xlviii. 15, 22</scripRef>), and each of those tribes was as
considerable, and made as good a figure, as any one of the twelve,
except Judah. But, (2.) Judah had the dominion; on him the dying
patriarch entailed the sceptre, <scripRef id="iCh.vi-p5.3" osisRef="Bible:Gen.49.10" parsed="|Gen|49|10|0|0" passage="Ge 49:10">Gen.
xlix. 10</scripRef>. Of him came the chief ruler, David first, and,
in the fulness of time, Messiah the Prince, <scripRef id="iCh.vi-p5.4" osisRef="Bible:Mic.5.2" parsed="|Mic|5|2|0|0" passage="Mic 5:2">Mic. v. 2</scripRef>. This honour was secured to Judah,
though the birthright was Joseph's; and, having this, he needed not
envy Joseph the double portion.</p>
<p class="indent" id="iCh.vi-p6">2. The genealogy of the princes of this
tribe, the chief family of it (many, no doubt, being omitted), to
Beerah, who was head of this clan when the king of Assyria carried
them captive, <scripRef id="iCh.vi-p6.1" osisRef="Bible:1Chr.5.4-1Chr.5.6" parsed="|1Chr|5|4|5|6" passage="1Ch 5:4-6"><i>v.</i>
4-6</scripRef>. Perhaps he is mentioned as prince of the Reubenites
at that time because he did not do his part to prevent the
captivity.</p>
<p class="indent" id="iCh.vi-p7">3. The enlargement of the coasts of this
tribe. They increasing, and their cattle being multiplied, they
crowded out their neighbours the Hagarites, and extended their
conquests, though not to the river Euphrates, yet to the wilderness
which abutted upon that river, <scripRef id="iCh.vi-p7.1" osisRef="Bible:1Chr.5.9-1Chr.5.10" parsed="|1Chr|5|9|5|10" passage="1Ch 5:9,10"><i>v.</i> 9, 10</scripRef>. Thus God did for his
people as he promised them: he cast out the enemy from before them
by little and little, and gave them their land as they had occasion
for it, <scripRef id="iCh.vi-p7.2" osisRef="Bible:Exod.23.30" parsed="|Exod|23|30|0|0" passage="Ex 23:30">Exod. xxiii.
30</scripRef>.</p>
<p class="indent" id="iCh.vi-p8">II. Of the tribe of Gad. Some great
families of that tribe are here named (<scripRef id="iCh.vi-p8.1" osisRef="Bible:1Chr.5.12" parsed="|1Chr|5|12|0|0" passage="1Ch 5:12"><i>v.</i> 12</scripRef>), seven that were the children
of Abihail, whose pedigree is carried upwards from the son to the
father (<scripRef id="iCh.vi-p8.2" osisRef="Bible:1Chr.5.14-1Chr.5.15" parsed="|1Chr|5|14|5|15" passage="1Ch 5:14,15"><i>v.</i> 14,
15</scripRef>), as that <scripRef id="iCh.vi-p8.3" osisRef="Bible:1Chr.5.4-1Chr.5.5" parsed="|1Chr|5|4|5|5" passage="1Ch 5:4,5"><i>v.</i> 4,
5</scripRef>, is brought downwards from father to son. These
genealogies were perfected in the days of Jotham king of Judah, but
were begun some years before, in the reign of Jeroboam II, king of
Israel. What particular reason there was for taking these accounts
then does not appear; but it was just before they were carried away
captive by the Assyrians, as appears <scripRef id="iCh.vi-p8.4" osisRef="Bible:2Kgs.15.29 Bible:2Kgs.15.31" parsed="|2Kgs|15|29|0|0;|2Kgs|15|31|0|0" passage="2Ki 15:29,31">2 Kings xv. 29, 31</scripRef>. When the judgments of
God were ready to break out against them for their wretched
degeneracy and apostasy then were they priding themselves in their
genealogies, that they were the children of the covenant; as the
Jews, in our Saviour's time, who, when they were ripe for ruin,
boasted, <i>We have Abraham to our father.</i> Or there might be a
special providence in it, and a favourable intimation that though
they were, for the present, cast out, they were not cast off for
ever. What we design to call for hereafter we keep an inventory
of.</p>
</div><scripCom id="iCh.vi-p0.3" osisRef="Bible:1Chr.5.18-1Chr.5.26" parsed="|1Chr|5|18|5|26" passage="1Ch 5:18-26" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:1Chr.5.18-1Chr.5.26">
<h4 id="iCh.vi-p8.6">The Defeat of the Hagarites. (<span class="smallcaps" id="iCh.vi-p8.7">b. c.</span> 750.)</h4>
<p class="passage" id="iCh.vi-p9">18 The sons of Reuben, and the Gadites, and half
the tribe of Manasseh, of valiant men, men able to bear buckler and
sword, and to shoot with bow, and skilful in war, <i>were</i> four
and forty thousand seven hundred and threescore, that went out to
the war.   19 And they made war with the Hagarites, with
Jetur, and Nephish, and Nodab.   20 And they were helped
against them, and the Hagarites were delivered into their hand, and
all that <i>were</i> with them: for they cried to God in the
battle, and he was intreated of them; because they put their trust
in him.   21 And they took away their cattle; of their camels
fifty thousand, and of sheep two hundred and fifty thousand, and of
asses two thousand, and of men a hundred thousand.   22 For
there fell down many slain, because the war <i>was</i> of God. And
they dwelt in their steads until the captivity.   23 And the
children of the half tribe of Manasseh dwelt in the land: they
increased from Bashan unto Baal-hermon and Senir, and unto mount
Hermon.   24 And these <i>were</i> the heads of the house of
their fathers, even Epher, and Ishi, and Eliel, and Azriel, and
Jeremiah, and Hodaviah, and Jahdiel, mighty men of valour, famous
men, <i>and</i> heads of the house of their fathers.   25 And
they transgressed against the God of their fathers, and went a
whoring after the gods of the people of the land, whom God
destroyed before them.   26 And the God of Israel stirred up
the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of
Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria, and he carried them away, even
the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh,
and brought them unto Halah, and Habor, and Hara, and to the river
Gozan, unto this day.</p>
<p class="indent" id="iCh.vi-p10">The heads of the half-tribe of Manasseh,
that were seated on the other side Jordan, are named here,
<scripRef id="iCh.vi-p10.1" osisRef="Bible:1Chr.5.23-1Chr.5.24" parsed="|1Chr|5|23|5|24" passage="1Ch 5:23,24"><i>v.</i> 23, 24</scripRef>. Their
lot, at first, was Bashan only; but afterwards they increased so
much in wealth and power that they spread far north, even unto
Hermon. Two things only are here recorded concerning these tribes
on the other side Jordan, in which they were all concerned. They
all shared,</p>
<p class="indent" id="iCh.vi-p11">I. In a glorious victory over the
Hagarites, so the Ishmaelites were now called, to remind them that
they were <i>the sons of the bond-woman,</i> that was <i>cast
out.</i> We are not told when this victory was obtained: whether it
be the same with that of the Reubenites (which is said <scripRef id="iCh.vi-p11.1" osisRef="Bible:1Chr.5.10" parsed="|1Chr|5|10|0|0" passage="1Ch 5:10"><i>v.</i> 10</scripRef> to be <i>in the days of
Saul</i>), or whether that success of one of these tribes animated
and excited the other two to join with them in another expedition,
is not certain. It seems, though in Saul's time the common
interests of the kingdom were weak and low, some of the tribes that
acted separately did well for themselves. We are here told,</p>
<p class="indent" id="iCh.vi-p12">1. What a brave army these frontier-tribes
brought into the field against the Hagarites, 44,000 men and
upwards, all strong, and brave, and skilful in war, so many
effective men, that knew how to manage their weapons, <scripRef id="iCh.vi-p12.1" osisRef="Bible:1Chr.5.18" parsed="|1Chr|5|18|0|0" passage="1Ch 5:18"><i>v.</i> 18</scripRef>. How much more
considerable might Israel have been than they were in the time of
the judges if all the tribes had acted in conjunction!</p>
<p class="indent" id="iCh.vi-p13">2. What course they took to engage God for
them: They <i>cried to God,</i> and <i>put their trust in him,</i>
<scripRef id="iCh.vi-p13.1" osisRef="Bible:1Chr.5.20" parsed="|1Chr|5|20|0|0" passage="1Ch 5:20"><i>v.</i> 20</scripRef>. Now they
acted as Israelites indeed. (1.) As the seed of believing Abraham,
they <i>put their trust in God.</i> Though they had a powerful
army, they relied not on that, but on the divine power. They
depended on the commission they had from God to wage war with their
neighbours for the enlarging of their coasts, if there was
occasion, even with those that were very far off, besides the
devoted nations. See <scripRef id="iCh.vi-p13.2" osisRef="Bible:Deut.20.15" parsed="|Deut|20|15|0|0" passage="De 20:15">Deut. xx.
15</scripRef>. They depended on God's providence to give them
success. (2.) As the seed of praying Jacob, <i>they cried unto
God,</i> especially <i>in the battle,</i> when perhaps, at first,
they were in danger of being overpowered. See the like done,
<scripRef id="iCh.vi-p13.3" osisRef="Bible:2Chr.13.14" parsed="|2Chr|13|14|0|0" passage="2Ch 13:14">2 Chron. xiii. 14</scripRef>. In
distress, God expects we should cry to him; he distrains upon us
for this tribute, this rent. In our spiritual conflicts, we must
look up to heaven for strength; and it is the believing prayer that
will be the prevailing prayer.</p>
<p class="indent" id="iCh.vi-p14">3. We are told what success they had:
<i>God was entreated of them,</i> though need drove them to him; so
ready is he to hear and answer prayer. They were helped against
their enemies; for God never yet failed any that trusted in him.
And then they routed the enemy's army, though far superior in
number to theirs, slew many (<scripRef id="iCh.vi-p14.1" osisRef="Bible:1Chr.5.22" parsed="|1Chr|5|22|0|0" passage="1Ch 5:22"><i>v.</i>
22</scripRef>), took 100,000 prisoners, enriched themselves greatly
with the spoil, and settled themselves in their country (<scripRef id="iCh.vi-p14.2" osisRef="Bible:1Chr.5.21-1Chr.5.22" parsed="|1Chr|5|21|5|22" passage="1Ch 5:21,22"><i>v.</i> 21, 22</scripRef>), and all this
<i>because the war was of God,</i> undertaken in his fear and
carried on in a dependence upon him. If the battle be the Lord's,
there is reason to hope it will be successful. Then we may expect
to prosper in any enterprise, and then only, when we take God along
with us.</p>
<p class="indent" id="iCh.vi-p15">II. They shared, at length, in an
inglorious captivity. Had they kept close to God and their duty,
they would have continued to enjoy both their ancient lot and their
new conquests; but they <i>transgressed against the God of their
fathers,</i> <scripRef id="iCh.vi-p15.1" osisRef="Bible:1Chr.5.25" parsed="|1Chr|5|25|0|0" passage="1Ch 5:25"><i>v.</i> 25</scripRef>.
They lay upon the borders, and conversed most with the neighbouring
nations, by which means they learned their idolatrous usages and
transmitted the infection to the other tribes; for this God had a
controversy with them. He was <i>a husband to them,</i> and no
marvel that his jealousy burnt like fire when they <i>went a
whoring after other gods.</i> Justly is a bill of divorce given to
the adulteress. <i>God stirred up the spirit of the kings of
Assyria,</i> first one and then another, against them, served his
own purposes by the designs of those ambitious monarchs, employed
them to chastise these revolters first, and, when that humbled them
not, then wholly to <i>root them out,</i> <scripRef id="iCh.vi-p15.2" osisRef="Bible:1Chr.5.26" parsed="|1Chr|5|26|0|0" passage="1Ch 5:26"><i>v.</i> 26</scripRef>. These tribes were first placed,
and they were first displaced. They would have the best land, not
considering that it lay most exposed. But those who are governed
more by sense than by reason or faith in their choices may expect
to fare accordingly.</p>
</div></div2>