Reubenites. 7And his brethren by their families, when the genealogy of their generations was reckoned; the chief, Jeiel, and Zechariah, 8and Bela the son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel, who dwelt in Aroer, even unto Nebo and Baal-meon: 9and eastward he dwelt even unto the entering in of the wilderness from the river Euphrates: because their cattle were multiplied in the land of Gilead. 10And in the days of Saul they made war with the Hagrites, who fell by their hand: and they dwelt in their tents throughout all the land east of Gilead.
11And the sons of Gad dwelt over against them, in the land of Bashan unto Salecah: 12Joel the chief, and Shapham the second, and Janai, and Shaphat in Bashan: 13and their brethren of their fathers' houses; Michael, and Meshullam,
Tilgath-pilneser] called Tiglath-pileser (2 Kin. xv. 29), and no doubt identical with Pul (see below, ver. 26).]
8. Aroer] now 'Ar'āir, a heap of ruins near the wādy Mojib, i.e. the Arnon (Josh. xii. 2). According to Josh. xiii. 9—16 it passed from Sihon king of the Amorites into the hands of the Reubenites. See Bädeker, Pal.5, p. 153.
Nebo and Baal-meon] A line drawn due N. from Aroer (see last note) passes close first to Ma'in (which may be Baal-meon) and then to Jebel Nebā, which evidently preserves the name of Mount Nebo.
Baal-meon] called more correctly Beth-baal-meon Josh. xiii. 17.
10. in the days of Saul] Saul's victory over the Ammonites (1 Sam. xi.) may have paved the way for the expansion of Israel east of Jordan, but see also the note on ver. 19.
the Hagrites] cp. Ps. lxxxiii. 6 (R.V. mg.). They were an Arab people. See further the note on ver. 19.
the land east of Gilead] i.e. the land between Gilead and the Euphrates (cp. ver. 9). On Gilead, see note, ii. 22.]
11—17. The Genealogy and Settlements of Gad.
11. Bashan] the wide district extending from the Jabbok on the S. to Hermon in the N. and from the Sea of Galilee on the W. to the mountains of Hauran on the E. (cp. ver. 23). Remark that in Num. xxxii. 33; Deut. iii. 12; Josh. xiii. 25, Gad is located in Gilead (south of Bashan) where the Chronicler has placed Reuben.
Salecah] is probably represented at the present day by the ruins of Salkhad due S. of the Jebel Hauran and almost due E. of Boṣra.
12. and Janai, and Shaphat] LXX. "Janin the scribe"; Targ., "Janai the judge."
of their fathers' houses] This rather awkward phrase means clans or
