Rueben Series

His Name is Wonderful!

(Exodus 6:14-25)

14 These are the heads of their fathers' households. The sons of Reuben, Israel's firstborn: Hanoch and Pallu, Hezron and Carmi; these are the families of Reuben. 15The sons of Simeon: Jemuel and Jamin and Ohad and Jachin and Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman; these are the families of Simeon. 16These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon and Kohath and Merari; and the length of Levi's life was one hundred and thirty-seven years. 17The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei, according to their families. 18The sons of Kohath: Amram and Izhar and Hebron and Uzziel; and the length of Kohath's life was one hundred and thirty-three years. 19The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their generations. 20Amram married his father's sister Jochebed, and she bore him Aaron and Moses; and the length of Amram's life was one hundred and thirty-seven years. 21The sons of Izhar: Korah and Nepheg and Zichri. 22The sons of Uzziel: Mishael and Elzaphan and Sithri. 23Aaron married Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab, the sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 24The sons of Korah: Assir and Elkanah and Abiasaph; these are the families of the Korahites. 25Aaron's son Eleazar married one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas. These are the heads of the fathers' households of the Levites according to their families.

Commentary

(6:14) These were the heads of their families: The sons of Reuben, the firstborn son of Israel, were Hanok and Pallu, Hezron and Karmi. These were the clans of Reuben.

"These were the heads of their families:" Not of the families of Moses and Aaron, but the children of Israel, though only the heads of three tribes are mentioned; and some think that these three are taken notice of, to show that they were accepted by God, though they seem to be somewhat cursed than blessed by Jacob; and that though they were guilty of very great crimes, as Reuben of incest, and Simeon and Levi of murder, yet they truly repented, and obtained mercy from God, and were honored in their offspring, of whom an account is given here; but the first two seem to be taken notice of for the sake of the third, and that order might be observed, and that it might appear that the deliverers of Israel were Israelites:

The sons of Reuben, the firstborn son of Israel, were Hanok and Pallu, Hezron and Karmi. These were the clans of Reuben.

These are the families of Reuben, the heads of them, or from whence they sprung.

Names and the order in which they appear are the same as in Genesis 46:9.

(6:15) The sons of Simeon: Jemuel and Jamin and Ohad and Jachin and Zohar and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman; these are the families of Simeon.

These are the heads of their fathers' houses—chiefs or governors. The insertion of this genealogical table in this part of the narrative was intended to authenticate the descent of Moses and Aaron. Both of them were commissioned to act so important a part in the events transacted in the court of Egypt and afterward elevated to such high offices in the government and Church of God that it was of the utmost importance that their lineage should be accurately traced. Reuben and Simeon being the oldest of Jacob's sons, a passing notice is taken of them. Then the historian advances to the enumeration (a record) of the principal persons in the house of Levi (Ex 6:16-19).

These are the heads - We have in the following verses not a complete genealogy but a summary account of the family of the two brothers. Moses records for the satisfaction of Hebrew readers, to whom genealogical questions were always interesting, the descent and position of the designated leaders of the nation. See Exodus 6:26-27.

The sons of Simeon. The list corresponds precisely, both in the names and in the order, with that given in Genesis 46:9-10 but differs considerably from 1 Chronicle 4:24 and Numbers 26:12. In both the latter places, Jemuel appears as Nemuel, Zohar as Zerah, and Obad is omitted. In 1 Chronicle 4:24, Jachin appears as Jarib. It would seem that the family of Obad died out and disappeared soon after the Israelites left Egypt. On the other hand, the family of Shaul increased and multiplied (1 Chronicle 4:25-27).

The list corresponds precisely, both in the names and in the order, with that given in Genesis 46:10 but differs considerably from 1 Chronicle 4:24 and Numbers 26:12. In both the latter places, Jemuel appears as Nemuel, Zohar as Zerah, and Obad is omitted. In 1 Chronicle 4:24, Jachin appears as Jarib. It would seem that the family of Obad died out and disappeared soon after the Israelites left Egypt. On the other hand, the family of Shaul, the son of a Canaanitish woman, increased and multiplied (1 Chronicle 4:25-27). The clan Shaul must have had in it a mixing of Canaanite blood.