What is the meaning of 1 Chronicles 5:6? Beerah his son “and Beerah his son” (1 Chronicles 5:6) • The Chronicler has just traced the lineage of Reuben through “Joel, Shemaiah, Gog, and Shimei” (1 Chronicles 5:4–5). Beerah stands in this family line as the last named descendant before the exile. • By identifying Beerah as “his son,” the text anchors him in the historic, literal genealogy of Reuben, confirming God’s faithfulness to preserve an accurate record (compare 1 Chronicles 9:1; Ezra 2:62). • Genealogies in Scripture serve to connect God’s promises to actual people living in real time, showing the unbroken thread from Reuben (Genesis 49:3–4) to the moment of judgment in the Assyrian captivity. whom Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria carried into exile • Tiglath-pileser III (also called “Pul,” 2 Kings 15:19) invaded Israel around 732 BC. The Chronicler confirms that Beerah, along with other tribes east of the Jordan, was deported (1 Chronicles 5:26; 2 Kings 15:29). • This exile fulfilled warnings given in Leviticus 26:33 and Deuteronomy 28:32, 36, that disobedience would lead to scattering among the nations. • The statement is historical, not symbolic. God used Assyria as the rod of discipline (Isaiah 10:5–6), demonstrating both His sovereignty over nations and His commitment to holiness among His people. • The exile of Beerah highlights the beginning of the northern tribes’ downfall, preceding the complete fall of Samaria in 722 BC (2 Kings 17:6). Beerah was a leader of the Reubenites • “Leader” shows Beerah held recognized authority among his tribe. Reuben’s territory lay east of the Jordan (Numbers 32:1–33; Joshua 13:15–23). • Though blessed with fertile lands and abundant livestock, the Reubenites gradually drifted from wholehearted allegiance to the LORD (Psalm 78:9–11 describes Ephraim, but the principle applies). Their mixed loyalty is evident in frequent skirmishes (1 Chronicles 5:9–10) and eventual subjugation. • Beerah’s capture signaled the removal of Reuben’s political and spiritual leadership, mirroring God’s earlier verdict on Reuben’s instability (Genesis 49:4). • The verse underscores personal responsibility within communal judgment: a prominent man is taken because the tribe, and likely its leaders, ignored covenant faithfulness (Hosea 5:1–2). summary 1 Chronicles 5:6 records a precise historical moment: Beerah, a legitimate descendant and recognized leader of Reuben, was deported by Tiglath-pileser III. The verse affirms the reliability of Scripture’s genealogies, illustrates God’s righteous discipline through the Assyrian exile, and marks the tragic loss of leadership in a tribe that had long drifted from covenant loyalty. The account calls readers to trust God’s Word, heed its warnings, and remain steadfast in obedience lest blessing give way to captivity. |
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