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.
Now here are the sons of Reuben, who was Israel's firstborn son. (Even though he was the firstborn, because he dishonored his father by sleeping with his father's concubine, his inheritance rights as the firstborn were given to the sons of Joseph, Israel's son. So the family records don't list him according to his birthright as the eldest.)
This verse explains that Reuben lost his special rights as the firstborn son because of his shameful behavior, and those rights were passed to Joseph's sons instead.
📚 Historical Context
In ancient Israel, the firstborn son typically received a double portion of the inheritance and special leadership status in the family. Reuben forfeited these privileges when he slept with Bilhah, his father Jacob's concubine, which was considered a grave dishonor. The Chronicler is explaining why the tribal listings don't follow the normal birth order, since Joseph's descendants (Ephraim and Manasseh) received the firstborn privileges instead.
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