Why does this chapter give Ruben’s birthright to Joseph and end with three tribes in captivity?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Ruben lost his place as firstborn because he defiled his father’s bed; later, Ruben, Gad and the half tribe of Manasses were carried away after forsaking the God of their fathers.

Chapter breakdown

This chapter traces Ruben, Gad and the half tribe of Manasses, their settlements and fighting, and their later captivity.

Ruben was Israel’s firstborn, but he defiled his father’s bed. His birthright was given to the sons of Joseph, Israel’s son, and Ruben was not counted as firstborn. Juda was strongest among his brothers, and princes came from his line, while the birthright was counted to Joseph.

Challoner’s note explains that the double portion belonged to the firstborn. It places the princely dignity with Juda and the priesthood with Levi. These explanations belong to the note; the verses themselves name Ruben’s loss, Joseph’s birthright and Juda’s princes.

Ruben’s sons were Enoch, Phallu, Esron and Charmi. Joel’s line runs through Samaia, Gog, Semei, Micha, Reia, Baal and Beera. Beera was a prince of Ruben whom Thelgathphalnasar, king of the Assyrians, carried away captive.

Among his brothers and the families counted by their kindreds, Jehiel and Zacharias were princes. Bala was the son of Azaz, son of Samma, son of Joel. He lived in Aroer as far as Nebo and Beelmeon. Toward the east, the settlement reached the entrance of the desert and the river Euphrates because their cattle were numerous in Galaad.

In Saul’s days they fought the Agarites, killed them, and occupied their tents in their place throughout the country east of Galaad.

Gad’s sons lived opposite them in Basan as far as Selcha. Johel was chief, Saphan second, and Janai and Saphat were in Basan. Their seven brothers by their family houses were Michael, Mosollam, Sebe, Jorai, Jacan, Zie and Heber. They were sons of Abihail, whose line ran through Huri, Jara, Galaad, Michael, Jesisi, Jeddo and Buz.

Their brothers were sons of Abdiel, son of Guni, named as chief of the family houses. They lived in Galaad, Basan and its towns, and in all the suburbs of Saron as far as the borders. They were all counted in the days of Joathan, king of Juda, and Jeroboam, king of Israel.

Ruben, Gad and the half tribe of Manasses had 44,760 fighting men who carried shields and swords, bent the bow, were trained for battle and went out to war. They fought the Agarites. The admitted text says that the Itureans, Naphis and Nodab gave them help. The Agarites and all who were with them were delivered into their hands because they called upon God in battle. God heard them because they had put their faith in him.

They took what the others possessed: 50,000 camels, 250,000 sheep, 2,000 asses and 100,000 men. Many fell slain because the battle was the Lord’s. They lived in their place until the captivity.

The half tribe of Manasses lived within the land’s borders from Basan to Baal, Hermon, Sanir and mount Hermon, and their number was great. Their family heads were Epher, Jesi, Eliel, Esriel, Jeremia, Odoia and Jediel. The account calls them very valiant, powerful and famous chiefs of their families.

They forsook the God of their fathers and followed the gods of the people of the land whom God had destroyed before them. The God of Israel stirred the spirit of Phul, king of the Assyrians, and of Thelgathphalnasar, king of Assur. The account then says he carried away Ruben, Gad and the half tribe of Manasses to Lahela, Habor, Ara and the river Gozan, where they remained unto the time described as “this day”.

The story inside

The chapter follows families through more than one change in their position. Ruben’s first birth does not keep his birthright after he defiles his father’s bed: Joseph’s sons receive it, while Juda’s line supplies princes. The account then records families, cattle, settlements and fighting men east of Galaad. In the later battle, their call to God and faith in him explain why he hears them and delivers the Agarites into their hands. Their occupation lasts until captivity. The closing account names their departure from the God of their fathers, God’s stirring of the two Assyrian kings, and the places to which the three groups are carried away.

Lessons worth keeping

1
Ruben’s firstborn place and Joseph’s birthright are distinct from Juda’s princes. The verses give Ruben’s defiling of his father’s bed as the reason for his loss; Challoner’s separate note explains the double portion and adds Levi’s priesthood. Keeping these statements apart preserves what each source actually says.
2
The battle account explains the victory through calling on God and trusting him. It records 44,760 equipped men and the captured people and animals, but gives no comparison with the enemy’s numbers. It also says the Itureans, Naphis and Nodab gave help, so their role must not be reversed.
3
The chapter’s last change is captivity. The account says the tribes forsook the God of their fathers, then names God’s stirring of Phul and Thelgathphalnasar and the removal of Ruben, Gad and half Manasses. The earlier occupation is expressly limited to the time before captivity; the text supplies no promise about what would have happened under different choices.

Test your recall

Ruben defiled his father’s bed → his birthright went to Joseph’s sons. Numerous cattle in Galaad → settlement reached east toward the desert and Euphrates. The fighters called on God and trusted him → he heard them and delivered the Agarites into their hands. They occupied the land until captivity; after forsaking their fathers’ God, the account names God’s stirring of the Assyrian kings and their removal to Lahela, Habor, Ara and Gozan.

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 41701–41704
1 Paralipomenon Chapter 5 Genealogies of Ruben and Gad: their victories over the Agarites: their captivity.
Lines 41706–41712
5:1. Now the sons of Ruben the firstborn of Israel, (for he was his firstborn: but forasmuch as he defiled his father’s bed, his first birthright was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel, and he was not accounted for the firstborn. 5:2. But of the race of Juda, who was the strongest among his brethren, came the princes: but the first birthright was accounted to Joseph.)
Lines 41714–41716
Accounted to Joseph.... Viz., as to the double portion, which belonged to the firstborn; but the princely dignity was given to Juda, and the priesthood to Levi.
Lines 41718–41726
5:3. The sons then of Ruben the firstborn of Israel were Enoch, and Phallu, Esron, and Charmi. 5:4. The sons of Joel: Samaia his son, Gog his son, Semei his son, 5:5. Micha his son, Reia his son, Baal his son, 5:6. Beera his son, whom Thelgathphalnasar king of the Assyrians carried away captive, and he was prince in the tribe of Ruben.
Lines 41728–41736
5:7. And his brethren, and all his kindred, when they were numbered by their families, had for princes Jehiel, and Zacharias. 5:8. And Bala the son of Azaz, the son of Samma, the son of Joel, dwelt in Aroer as far as Nebo, and Beelmeon. 5:9. And eastward he had his habitation 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.
Lines 41738–41740
5:10. And in the days of Saul they fought against the Agarites, and slew them, and dwelt in their tents in their stead, in all the country, that looketh to the east of Galaad.
Lines 41742–41754
5:11. And the children of Gad dwelt over against them in the land of Basan, as far as Selcha: 5:12. Johel the chief, and Saphan the second: and Janai, and Saphat in Basan. 5:13. And their brethren according to the houses of their kindreds, were Michael and Mosollam, and Sebe, and Jorai, and Jacan, and Zie, and Heber, seven. 5:14. These were the sons of Abihail, the son of Huri, the son of Jara, the son of Galaad, the son of Michael, the son of Jesisi, the son of Jeddo, the son of Buz.
Lines 41756–41764
5:15. And their brethren the sons of Abdiel, the son of Guni, chief of the house in their families, 5:16. And they dwelt in Galaad, and in Basan and in the towns thereof, and in all the suburbs of Saron, unto the borders. 5:17. All these were numbered in the days of Joathan king of Juda, and in the days of Jeroboam king of Israel.
Lines 41765–41775
5:18. The sons of Ruben, and of Gad, and of the half tribe of Manasses, fighting men, bearing shields, and swords, and bending the bow, and trained up to battles, four and forty thousand seven hundred and threescore that went out to war. 5:19. They fought against the Agarites: but the Itureans, and Naphis, and Nodab, 5:20. Gave them help. And the Agarites were delivered into their hands, and all that were with them, because they called upon God in the battle: and he heard them, because they had put their faith in him.
Lines 41777–41782
5:21. And they took all that they possessed, of camels fifty thousand, and of sheep two hundred and fifty thousand, and of asses two thousand, and of men a hundred thousand souls. 5:22. And many fell down slain: for it was the battle of the Lord. And they dwelt in their stead till the captivity.
Lines 41784–41790
5:23. And the children of the half tribe of Manasses possessed the land, from the borders of Basan unto Baal, Hermon, and Sanir, and mount Hermon, for their number was great. 5:24. And these were the heads of the house of their kindred, Epher, and Jesi, and Eliel, and Esriel, and Jeremia, and Odoia, and Jediel, most valiant and powerful men, and famous chiefs in their families.
Lines 41792–41799
5:25. But they forsook the God of their fathers, and went astray after the gods of the people of the land, whom God destroyed before them. 5:26. And the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Phul king of the Assyrians, and the spirit of Thelgathphalnasar king of Assur: and he carried away Ruben, and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasses, and brought them to Lahela, and to Habor, and to Ara, and to the river of Gozan, unto this day.