Bible Strands
1 Chronicles 5:3
The sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The passage functions as a genealogical roster within a broader historical record tracing Israel's tribal lineages. The narrator places this list immediately after noting Judah's rise and Joseph's receipt of the birthright, providing a structural pivot in the family tree.
The words — The Hebrew phrase בְּכ֣וֹר יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (be.Khor Yis.ra.'El) literally means "firstborn of Israel" and directly modifies Reuben's name. The opening term בְּנֵ֥י רְאוּבֵ֖ן (be.Nei re.'u.Ven) translates to "sons of Reuben," introducing the four named descendants.
The thread — This exact sequence of four names appears in Genesis 46:9, Exodus 6:14, and Numbers 26:5. Only Exodus 6:14 and Numbers 26:5 explicitly pair Reuben's name with the "firstborn" designation, while Genesis 46:9 lists the sons without that title.
Why it lands — The text records an ancestral line without commentary, requiring the reader to track tribal inheritance structures within the historical narrative. It establishes Reuben's progeny as a baseline for the genealogical accounting that follows.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
The sons, I say, of Reuben the firstborn of Israel were, Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
Cross-references
- Genesis 46:9 The sons of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
- Exodus 6:14 These were the heads of their fathers’ houses: The sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, were Hanoch and Pallu, Hezron and Carmi. These were the clans of Reuben.
- Numbers 26:5 Reuben was the firstborn of Israel. These were the descendants of Reuben: The Hanochite clan from Hanoch, the Palluite clan from Pallu,