Beerah his son, whom Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria carried away into exile; he was a chief of the Reubenites.
We have here an extract out of the genealogies, I. Of the tribe of Reuben, where we have, 1. The reason why this tribe is thus postponed. It is confessed that Reuben was the first-born of Israel, and, upon that account, might challenge the precedency; but he forfeited his birthright by defiling his father's concubine, and was, for that, sentenced not to excel, Gen 49:4.
Commenting on 1 Chronicles 5:1-17
And his brethren by their families,.... Either the brethren of Beerah, or the rest of the posterity of Reuben: (when the genealogy of their generations was reckoned;) either in the times of Jotham and Jeroboam, Ch1 5:17 or at the time of their captivity, as in the preceding verse: were the chief, Jehiel, and Zechariah; these were the principals or heads of their families.
Beerah his son, whom Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria carried away [captive]: he [was] prince of the Reubenites. (c) That is, in the time of Uzziah king of Israel, .