How does 1 Chronicles 5:6 fit into the genealogy of the tribes of Israel? Text of 1 Chronicles 5:6 “Beerah his son, whom Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria carried into exile; he was a prince of the Reubenites.” Canonical Placement and Literary Structure 1 Chronicles 5 is part of the larger genealogical prologue of 1 Chronicles 1–9, whose stated purpose is to trace the tribes “according to their genealogies” (1 Chronicles 9:1). Chapter 5 covers the tribes east of the Jordan—Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh—linking their ancestry to the patriarchs and anchoring their later history to the Assyrian exile. Verse 6 stands in the middle of the Reubenite register (vv. 1-10), connecting the family of Joel (v. 4) to the deportation under Tiglath-pileser III (Pul; cf. 2 Kings 15:29; 16:7). Lineage Flow: Reuben → Joel → Beerah • v. 4: “The sons of Joel: Shemaiah his son, Gog his son, Shimei his son.” • v. 5: “Micah his son, Reaiah his son, Baal his son,” • v. 6: “and Beerah his son…” The Chronicler compresses nine successive generations from Joel to Beerah, then halts the line precisely at the Assyrian exile. Beerah is singled out as “a prince (נָשִׂיא, nāśîʼ) of the Reubenites,” indicating both civic authority and covenant responsibility (cf. Numbers 7:2; Ezekiel 45:8). Comparison with Earlier Genealogies Genesis 46:9 and Numbers 26:5-7 list Reuben’s sons: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. 1 Chronicles 5 does not repeat these foundational names because its focus is the more recent royal-era generations that culminated in the exile. Instead, it resumes the line at Joel, a descendant of one of those four sons, demonstrating the Chronicler’s selectivity to serve his post-exilic audience (Ezra/Nehemiah era) concerned with inheritance rights and covenant identity. Historical Synchronism: Tiglath-pileser III and the Reubenite Exile Tiglath-pileser III (ruled 745-727 BC) launched campaigns into Israel’s Trans-Jordanian territories c. 734 BC (the “Syro-Ephraimite crisis”). His own annals (Calah/Nimrud Inscription, Column I 33-37) state: “I received tribute from the land Bīt-Ḫumria… and the land Gilead.” Archaeologically, Level IV at Tell el-ʿUmeiri and destruction levels at Deir ʿAlla align with this incursion. Beerah’s deportation therefore dates to the first Assyrian wave, roughly a decade before the fall of Samaria (722 BC). 1 Chronicles 5:26 corroborates: “So the God of Israel stirred the spirit of Pul king of Assyria (that is, Tiglath-pileser)… and he took the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh into exile.” Chronicles’ Theological Emphasis 1. Covenant Accountability: Verse 1 already noted Reuben’s forfeiture of the birthright “because he defiled his father’s bed” (Genesis 35:22). The Chronicler balances ancestral failure with God’s sovereign oversight, showing how sin affects posterity. 2. Continuity of Promise: Despite exile, the line is preserved; Beerah’s name is recorded so the tribe’s heritage is not lost (Isaiah 11:11-12). 3. Divine Sovereignty Over Nations: Tiglath-pileser is portrayed as an instrument “stirred” by God (v. 26), echoing Proverbs 21:1. Chronological Considerations within a Ussher Framework Ussher dates Reuben’s birth to 1752 BC and the Assyrian deportation to 734 BC, spanning roughly 1,000 years. The nine generations from Joel to Beerah (1 Chronicles 5:4-6) are entirely plausible at ~28-30 years per generation, matching comparable spans in 1 Kings 6:1 and Judges 11:26. Archaeological Corroboration • Royal stele fragments at Arslan Tash list “Bīt-Re’u-ba-a-ni” (House of the Reubenites) among conquered districts. • Seal impressions from the 8th-century “Mesha Highway” region bear Hebrew personal names paralleling the Chronicler’s list (e.g., “Shemaiah” and “Micah”). • Ostraca from Kuntillet ʿAjrud mention Yahweh and family names found in Chronicles, illustrating an integrated tribal culture east and west of the Jordan. Purpose in the Genealogy of Israel’s Tribes 1 Chronicles 5:6 functions as: 1. A terminal marker: identifies the last pre-exilic leader of Reuben. 2. A bridge: ties genealogical records to geopolitical events, anchoring spiritual lessons in verifiable history. 3. A covenant reminder: even disciplined tribes remain within God’s redemptive timeline, later fulfilled in the ingathering of all Israel (Luke 1:54-55; Acts 26:6-7). Practical Implications for Faith and Scholarship Believers gain confidence that Scripture embeds precise historical data verifiable by external evidence, while genealogies—often skipped—manifest God’s meticulous care for names and nations. For researchers, 1 Chronicles 5:6 exemplifies how biblical narrative, epigraphic finds, and Assyrian historiography interlock, underscoring the reliability of the biblical record and the cohesive unfolding of redemptive history. |
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