Worship With Us Sunday School10 AM Sunday Morning11 AM Sunday Evening4 PM Thursday Night7 PM
1377 S 20th St, Louisville, KY 40210 Contact
True Words Baptist Church — Revelation 21:5
BOOK 13 OF 66 · HISTORY · KING JAMES BIBLE

1 Chronicles 5

1 Chronicles book home•Chapter 5 of 29•26 verses
Search 1 Chronicles
Aa  Reading settings
Text size
Reading width
Track chapter:
Chapter overviewAt a glance + deeper study
REVIEWED OVERVIEW

1 Chronicles 5 Overview

The genealogy moves to Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh east of Jordan. Reuben’s birthright privileges are explained as having been redistributed because of his sin: Joseph received the birthright, while Judah supplied the chief ruler. The eastern tribes prosper in warfare when they cry to God, but later they turn to the gods of the surrounding peoples and are carried away by Assyria.

1 ChroniclesBook
5Chapter
26Verses
HistoryDivision

Before you read 1 Chronicles 5

Coming from

Chapter 4 covered Judah and Simeon and showed their family and settlement history.

In this chapter

This chapter explains the eastern tribes’ ancestry, military strength, victories, later apostasy, and eventual Assyrian exile.

Leads into

Chapter 6 turns to Levi and gives sustained attention to the priestly and Levitical lines that served the sanctuary.

Key understandingExplore deeper

The chapter distinguishes several privileges that might otherwise be confused. Reuben is the firstborn but loses his birthright standing because of sexual sin; Joseph receives the birthright, while Judah becomes the leading royal tribe. The eastern tribes’ exile is presented as covenant judgment for unfaithfulness, not as a statement that every individual suffered eternal condemnation.

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

Truth 1

Privilege can be forfeited through serious temporal consequences without rewriting God’s larger covenant purposes.

Truth 2

The eastern tribes are shown depending on God in battle before later abandoning him for idols.

Truth 3

Assyrian exile is connected to covenant unfaithfulness and participation in pagan worship.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Connection 1

Genesis 35:22 and 49:3-4 explain Reuben’s sin and loss of preeminence.

Connection 2

Genesis 48 gives Joseph’s sons Ephraim and Manasseh a special place in Israel’s tribal structure.

Connection 3

Second Kings 15:29 and 17 describe Assyrian deportations connected with the northern kingdom.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Keep this clear 1

Do not confuse birthright, kingship, and priesthood; they are distinct roles distributed among different tribes.

Keep this clear 2

The military victories are historical acts in Israel’s national setting, not promises of automatic victory for modern believers.

Keep this clear 3

Exile here is national and temporal judgment; the text is not defining the eternal destiny of every exile.

Read 1 Chronicles 5 watching for…

Why Reuben’s firstborn status did not give him lasting preeminence.

The distinction between Joseph’s birthright and Judah’s rulership.

How the eastern tribes respond during war.

The later change from dependence on God to idolatry.

The stated reason for their Assyrian exile.

TWBC REVIEW STANDARD

Plain language. Scripture first. Fact distinguished from inference. No filler. No fake certainty. Designed to help you read the Bible itself.

Chapter outline4 sections
1-10Reuben’s genealogy, land, and victory over the Hagarites are recorded11-17The families and settlements of Gad are listed18-22The eastern tribes trust God in battle and defeat the Hagarites23-26Half Manasseh is listed, and the eastern tribes are carried away after turning from God
1

Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, (for he was 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 came the chief ruler; but the birthright was Joseph's:)

3

The sons, I say, of Reuben the firstborn of Israel were, 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 Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria carried away captive: he was prince of the Reubenites.

7

And his brethren by their families, when the genealogy of their generations was reckoned, were 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 Baalmeon:

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 land 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 were, Michael, and Meshullam, and Sheba, and Jorai, and Jachan, and Zia, and Heber, seven.

14

These are 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.

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, were 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 were 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 an hundred thousand.

22

For there fell down many slain, because the war was 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 Baalhermon and Senir, and unto mount Hermon.

24

And these were 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, and 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 Tilgathpilneser 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.

STUDY THIS VERSE

1 Chronicles 5:25

Back to verse ↑

Cross References

Cross-reference storage is active. This passage does not yet have curated references loaded.

Related TWBC Resources

The Scripture resource graph is active. Sermons, Bible Overviews, courses, questions, and studies can attach here without changing the Bible text.

My Note

Sign in to keep private notes and personal verse tags.

Sign in →