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.

forasmuch. Compare Genesis 35:22 ; Genesis 49:4 .
not to be reckoned, &c. = not to be enrolled in the place of the firstborn.
birthright . See note on Genesis 25:31 .

2.

For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler; but the birthright was Joseph's:)

Judah prevailed. Compare Genesis 49:8 , referring to intertribal precedence.
came. Supply Figure of speech Ellipsis with "is".
chief ruler. Referring to the regal line, and the coming of the Messiah.

3.

The sons, I say, of Reuben the firstborn of Israel were, Hannoch, 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 captive: he was prince of the Reubenites.

carried away. This was the first carrying away, and took place in 654. Compare 1 Chronicles 5:26 . The second was by Tiglath-Pileser (= Pul) in the reign of Pekah (649-629). This was the Galilee-Naphtali carrying away (2 Kings 15:29 . Isaiah 9:1 ) referred to in Matthew 4:15 . The third was the Samaria deportation in the ninth year of Hoshea and sixth of Hezekiah (611 B. c), and ended the kingdom of Israel (2 Kings 17:3-23 ; 2 Kings 18:9-12 ). It was begun by Shalmaneser and ended by Sargon (613-611).

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 Baal-meon:

Azaz. Some codices, with four early printed editions, read "Azan", or "Azzan".
Aroer . . . Nebo . . . Baal-meon. All east of Dead Sea. See Numbers 32:34 , Numbers 32:38 . Deuteronomy 2:36 .

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.

Hagarites. Tracing their descent from Hagar through Ishmael. Compare 1 Chronicles 5:19 with 1 Chronicles 1:31 , and Psalms 83:6 .

11.

And the children of Gad dwelt over against them, in the land of Bashan unto Salchah:

children = sons.

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.

Heber. Some codices, with two early printed editions and Septuagint, read "Hehed", mistaking Resh , ("r") for Daleth, ("d").

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.

in Gilead: i.e. in part of it, other parts having been allotted to the halftribes of Reubenites and Manassites (Numbers 32:39-40 . Deuteronomy 3:13 .Joshua 13:31; Joshua 13:31 ).

17.

All these were reckoned by genealogies in the days of Jotham king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam king of Israel.

Jotham . . . Jeroboam. Jotham (647-631) and Jeroboam II (728-687). See App-50 . Consequently, the statement here refers to consensusses at different times.

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.

valiant men = sons of valour.
men. Hebrew. 'enosh. App-14 . These two and a half tribes, east of Jordan, chose their own portions, but were nearest to the enemy, and were the first to be carried away. Compare Lot, Genesis 13:10 , Genesis 13:11 , and Genesis 14:11 , Genesis 14:12 . Better to have our "lot" chosen for us by Jehovah (Genesis 13:14 , Genesis 13:15 ).

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.

helped: i.e. by God (2 Chronicles 26:17 . Psalms 28:7 ). This victory should have shown them that there could have been no captivity had they obeyed God (see note on 1 Chronicles 4:43 ).
trust. Hebrew. batah. App-69 .

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.

men. Hebrew "souls ( nephesh ) of men ( adam )". App-13 and App-14 .

22.

For there fell down many slain, because the war was of God. And they dwelt in their steads until the captivity.

until the captivity. Compare 2 Kings 15:29 ; 2Ki 17:6 ; 2 Kings 18:9-12 : i.e. that of Tiglath-pileser.

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.

half: i.e. the half beyond Jordan.

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.

even. Septuagint and Vulgate omit this word "even".
mighty men. Hebrew. gibbor. App-14 .

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.

transgressed = acted faithlessly.
people = peoples.

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.

God of Israel. Note Elohim: not Jehovah, as dealing with Gentiles; but Israel, as not forgetting His covenant-relation though stirring up enemies.
spirit. Hebrew. ruach. App-9 .
Pul . . . and . . . Tilgath-pilneser. Two names of one person: Pul, the original and official name in Babylon of this usurper; Tilgath, his official name in Assyria, which he assumed from an earlier king. Compare 2 Kings 15:19 .
Halah . . . Gozan. Whither the Israelites west of Jordan were deported by Sargon (2 Kings 15:29 , 2 Kings 17:6 ; 2 Kings 18:11 ).
unto this day. See note on 1 Chronicles 4:43 .