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 the Old Testament, Reuben was the firstborn son of Jacob, but he forfeited his birthright by committing the sin of sleeping with his father's concubine, as described in Genesis. This act led Jacob to transfer the privileges of the firstborn to Joseph, meaning Joseph's sons received the double portion of inheritance. As a result, the genealogies in 1 Chronicles reflect this change, prioritizing Joseph's line over Reuben's despite his original status.
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