Commentaria in I Paralipomenon
Chapter 5
1. Now the sons of Ruben the firstborn of Israel (for he was indeed his firstborn; but because he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel, and he was not reckoned for the firstborn. 2. And Juda, who was the strongest among his brethren, of his race came the princes: but the birthright was reputed to Joseph), 3. the sons then of Ruben the firstborn of Israel: Henoch, and Phallu, Hesron, and Charmi. 4. The sons of Joel: Samaia his son, Gog his son, Semei his son, 5. Micha his son, Reia his son, Baal his son, 6. Beera his son, whom Teglathphalnasar king of the Assyrians carried away captive, and he was prince of the tribe of Ruben. 7. And his brethren, and all his kindred, when they were numbered by their families, had for princes Jehiel and Zacharias. 8. And Bela the son of Azaz, the son of Samma, the son of Joel, he dwelt in Aroer, as far as Nebo and Beelmeon. 9. And toward the east he dwelt as far as the entrance of the desert, and the river Euphrates: for they possessed a great number of cattle in the land of Galaad. 10. And in the days of Saul they fought against the Agarites, and slew them, and dwelt in their tents, in all the east side of Galaad. 11. And the sons of Gad dwelt over against them in the land of Basan as far as Selcha: 12. Joel in the first place, and Saphan the second: Janai also, and Saphat in Basan. 13. And their brethren according to the houses of their kindreds: Michael, and Mosollam, and Sebe, and Jorai, and Jachan, and Zie, and Heber, seven. 14. These are the sons of Abihail, the son of Huri, the son of Jara, the son of Galaad, the son of Michael, the son of Jesesi, the son of Jeddo, the son of Buz, 15. the brethren also, the sons of Abdiel, the son of Guni, chief of the house in their families. 16. And they dwelt in Galaad, and in Basan, and in its villages, and in all the suburbs of Saron, as far as the borders. 17. All these were numbered in the days of Joatham king of Juda, and in the days of Jeroboam king of Israel. 18. The sons of Ruben, and of Gad, and of the half tribe of Manasses, valiant men, bearing shields and swords, and bending the bow, and trained to battle, forty-four thousand seven hundred and sixty, that went out to war. 19. They fought against the Agarites: but the Itureans, and Naphis, and Nodab, 20. gave them help. And the Agarites were delivered into their hands, and all that were with them, because they called upon God when they fought: and he heard them, because they had put their trust in him. 21. And they took all that they had possessed, of camels fifty thousand, and of sheep two hundred and fifty thousand, and of asses two thousand, and of souls of men a hundred thousand. 22. And many fell down wounded, for it was the war of the Lord. And they dwelt in their place until the captivity. 23. And the children of the half tribe of Manasses possessed the land from the borders of Basan as far as Baal, Hermon, and Sanir, and mount Hermon: for they were a great number. 24. And these were the chiefs of the house of their kindred: Epher, and Jesi, and Eliel, and Ezriel, and Jeremia, and Odoia, and Jediel, most valiant and mighty men, and men of renown, and chiefs in their families. 25. But they forsook the God of their fathers, and went a whoring after the gods of the people of the land, whom God had taken away before them. 26. And the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Phul king of the Assyrians, and the spirit of Teglathphalnasar king of Assyria: and he carried away Ruben, and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasses, and brought them to Hala and Habor and Ara, and to the river Gozan, unto this day.
1. His (Ruben’s) birthright was given to the sons of Joseph,—namely “Ephraim and Manasses.” For the firstborn had a double portion of the paternal inheritance (whereas the other brethren had one each), as is ordained in Deuteronomy 21:17, and this Ruben ought to have had, as the firstborn of Jacob; but because of his incest it was transferred to Joseph, who through the two sons already mentioned obtained a double portion of the holy land. Again, the right of priesthood belonged to the firstborn, and this was transferred from Ruben to Levi; besides this, the right of primacy and kingship, and this was conferred on Juda. See what I said on Genesis 49.
12. Joel in the first place,—that is, “Joel” was the “head” and prince of the tribe of Gad, as is clear from the Hebrew and Greek; the second after Joel was Saphan, the third Janai and Saphat, who occupied Basanitis. These were not sons but grandsons of Gad, as is clear from Genesis 46:16.
17. In the days of Jeroboam king of Israel.—This “Jeroboam” was not that first king of Israel who made the schism from Roboam, but a much later one, namely a great-grandson of Jehu; for he was a contemporary of Joatham king of Juda.
19. They fought against the Agarites,—that is, against the Saracens, who were called “Agarites” from Agar the handmaid of Abraham. Now the Agarites were helped against the Rubenites by the Itureans, Nephisseans and Nodabeans (as the Hebrew and the Septuagint have), but were shamefully defeated by them, as by men who called upon God, and were despoiled of their goods and fields, as follows.